| Introduction |
Educational Tools' reputation for helping teachers maximize learning gains in both
science and literacy is second to none. Our Science and Literacy™ program focuses on giving
teachers the strategies and skills they need to prepare
today’s students for success. Together, our classroom
experience, in-depth research, quality product
development, and program implementation make us
the industry leader in the fields of Science and Literacy.
Science and Literacy™ is a highly effective, research-based program that is built around a
professional learning community. It was designed, reviewed, and tested by science and literacy
experts to make sure it maximizes each student’s learning potential. Science and Literacy™
is designed to effectively reach all students by addressing all cognitive levels and learning
modalities throughout the program. It is a complete program that is developed around the 5e
Instructional Model and designed to work alongside your existing curriculum, even
if a textbook is adopted. It can also act as a stand-alone program for districts
where no textbook is available.
Research tells us that an effective curriculum-based program must
include a variety of learning components. Science and Literacy™
is a comprehensive program that includes face-to-face professional
development, ongoing coaching and mentoring, peer learning, classroom
resources for teachers and students, and technology components that
help facilitate the professional learning community.
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| Program Components |
Key parts of the program:
• Professional Development
• Coaching and Mentoring Program
• Ongoing Professional Learning
• Peer Learning Community
• Classroom Curriculum
A complete program must include teacher-friendly and student-friendly resources that allow the teacher to effectively deliver the content in a manner that will allow students to excel. |
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| Professional Development |
 Our initial face-to-face staff development training will have
a significant impact on your students’ Science and Literacy™
achievement. We will work together to target areas of greatest
need and specific strategies for increasing learning gains.
Resource training will be interwoven throughout the session,
but the focus of the training will be how to design and deliver a
classroom curriculum that provides quick, measurable results.
It will include benchmarks and assignments for participating
teachers to ensure that the program is being carried out. Each
program will be based on the National Professional Development
Standards and will be facilitated by experts in the fields of Science
and Literacy. |
| Coaching and Mentoring Program |
| Effective Professional Development must include an ongoing component that allows teachers to have assistance while they
implement new concepts into their daily curriculum. Each teacher in the program will be assigned a mentor that they can
contact 24/7 with questions on implementation of the program, use of resources, curriculum ideas, best practices, or just for
a second opinion. Each of these mentors are master level educators and Presidential Award winners who have many years
of classroom experience and are considered experts in the fields of Science and Literacy.
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| Ongoing Professional Learning |
| The key to successful professional learning is to make it an
ongoing process. As a follow-up to our original Professional
Development our experts will revisit your school to assess
your progress and make recommendations to maximize
learning gains in Science and Literacy.
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| Peer Learning Community |
 Research has also shown that one of the most effective
learning environments is peer learning. The program
will include online blogs and message boards where
the teachers can compare notes with their peers,
share best practices, and ask questions. As a part of
our connection with Building a Presence for Science
(NSTA) our peer learning community will be composed
of over 10,000 science experts across the country. |
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| Classroom Curriculum |
A complete program must include teacher-friendly and student-friendly resources that allow the teacher to effectively deliver
the content in a manner that will allow students to excel. Each of these resources is practical and can be integrated into the
classroom immediately. |
| Elementary and Middle School Teachers will receive the following resources: |
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Teacher’s Desk Reference™ (Grade Level Specific)
In today’s classroom, it is imperative that we increase the Critical Thinking Skills of our students. Our all-inone
Teacher’s Desk Reference™ provides you with a Critical Thinking Reference Guide that includes all the
information you need, in an easy-to-read format, right at your fingertips. Each guide was developed by masterlevel
teachers and has valuable grade level specific information that allows you to build Critical Thinking Skills
into every lesson. Each guide includes the TEKS, Bloom’s Taxonomy, Key Words, Questioning
Prompts to build Critical Thinking Skills, subject glossaries, a critical thinking check list, and everything else a
teacher needs to prepare for TAKS success. (View Samples) |
Pathways 4 Science™
To prepare teachers for success in the information age, technology must become a tool every teacher can use
effectively. Developed with the input of hundreds of classroom teachers, Pathways 4 Science™ comes packed
with tutorials, lessons, activities, and assessments that were carefully designed to help students learn today’s most
important scientific concepts. (View Demo) |
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Developing Science Literacy Through Vocabulary™ (Class Set of 25)
Developing Science Literacy Through Vocabulary™ is a supplemental student resource designed to develop
and reinforce Science vocabulary in the classroom. This exclusive resource gives students an opportunity to apply
the Science knowledge that they have gained during classroom lessons and hands-on exercises to a variety of
stimulating activities. Each section begins with an easy-to-read passage that introduces Science concepts and
teaches high-level Science vocabulary. Students will also develop Critical Thinking Skills required for Mathematics,
Reading, and Writing. This dynamic resource will allow your students to have the Science vocabulary skills
required to be successful on the TAKS. (View Samples) |
Science and Literacy Visual Learning Tools™
Daily exposure to visual images gives students the quality repetition needed to retain information. Visual Learning
Tools™ are designed to provide students with daily reminders of the concepts that they learn throughout the
school year. These colorful, lively supplemental resources provide a fun atmosphere within the classroom, while
grasping the attention of the students’ minds. (View Samples) |
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Reading First Through Science™ (Class Set of 25)
Reading First Through Science™ is a student book that integrates Science into Reading. This unique
supplemental resource saves valuable instruction time by simultaneously addressing both Science and
Reading objectives. Each student book incorporates a variety of engaging and informative stories followed
by questions that will assess how well students know and understand identified TAKS Science and TAKS
Reading Objectives. Reading First Through Science™ will also promote the development of Critical
Thinking Skills in the classroom while addressing the five Reading requirements set forth by No Child Left
Behind: Phonics, Phonemic Awareness, Vocabulary, Fluency, and Comprehension. (View Samples) |
Science and Literacy™ Tool Kit
Each teacher to participating in the Science and Literacy™ program will also receive a 1500 piece kit of hands on
science materials. These manipulatives allow the teacher to immediately implement the hands on activities they
are introduced to in the training sessions. Kit contents and packaging containers may vary by grade level. |
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| Elementary School Teachers will receive this additional resource: |
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Digging Into TAKS Science™
This dynamic resource, authored by National Board Certified Teachers, will demonstrate and enhance your
students’ understanding of the scientific method and process skills necessary for TAKS Science success.
Our science explorations and hands-on activities will intrigue your students’ curious minds and pique their
interest in Science. Each inquiry-based activity is exactly correlated to the Science TEKS
and can be used along with your existing Science curriculum. This resource is available for elementary,
middle and high school. Digging Into TAKS Science™ is an essential resource for every teacher looking for
inquiry-based activities to prepare their students for TAKS Science success! (View Samples) |
Science and Literacy Know It All™
Know It All™ is a fun and interactive way to increase student success in the classroom and beyond! Uniquely
designed to address a variety of learning styles and modalities, Know It All™ contains discipline specific,
high-order questions that prompt students to respond by drawing, performing, thinking orally, or working
within a group to discover answers. Teachers will receive a Language Arts and Science Know It All™. This
resource allows teachers to get the most out of any down time during the instructional day. With Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills correlations for each question, every teacher has TAKS prep right at their fingertips. (View Samples) |
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Science Assessment Practice Exams (Class Set of 25)
The TAKS Science Practice Exams™ have been developed with the highest quality control standards in the
industry. Each item was written based on the guidelines and regulations set forth by the Texas Department
of Education and continues to be updated as new guidelines are released. It is a 50-minute Exam with a
“TAKS-style” look and feel. All annually assessed Student Benchmarks are addressed on each exam. One
answer sheet is provided per student. Exams are graded and scored by Educational Tools, and a detailed
student expectation analysis report will be issued with a suggested action plan to address areas of concern
based on your class results. (View Samples) |
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| Middle School Teachers will receive this additional resource: |
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Dynamite Science™
The TAKS Science Practice Exams™ have been developed with the highest quality control standards in the
industry. Each item was written based on the guidelines and regulations set forth by the Texas Department
of Education and continues to be updated as new guidelines are released. It is a 50-minute Exam with a
“TAKS-style” look and feel. All annually assessed Student Benchmarks are addressed on each exam. One
answer sheet is provided per student. Exams are graded and scored by Educational Tools, and a detailed
student expectation analysis report will be issued with a suggested action plan to address areas of concern
based on your class results. (View Samples) |
Target Science™ (Class Set of 25)
Target Science™ has been developed with the highest quality control standards in the industry. The content
of the Target Science™ series is carefully guided by a series of narratives, questions, ideas, and methods
repeatedly reinforced in various contexts. Target Science™ topics address and develop the knowledge,
understandings, and skills most valued by experts and professionals in Science as identified by the National
Science Education Standards and the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. Students who use Target Science™
will be able to understand, apply, and connect key Science concepts, construct knowledge and improve their
performance by practicing with assessment items similar to those administered by the state. Sections on
suffixes and prefixes, vocabulary and test taking skills provide additional value for students and make Target
Science™ the most practical and usable instructional supplement for preparing middle school students in
Science and Reading. (View Samples) |
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| Money-back Guarantee |
We work hard to provide quality products and programs. Research
indicates our programs are proven to deliver results and increase
learning gains on the TAKS science test. However, at the end of the
day if our Science and Literacy™ program does not help your school
increase the learning gains on the TAKS Science test, we do not feel
you should have to pay full price for it. As a result Educational Tools
has developed a revolutionary money back guarantee unsurpassed
by anyone in the educational publishing industry. If your school does
not experience learning gains on the science portion of the TAKS while
using our Science and Literacy™ program a refund equal to 25% of
the original purchase price will be awarded back to your school. All
learning gains are based on official published TAKS results of previous
school year prior to use of the Science and Literacy™ program. For
specific details of this guarantee contact your Educational Tools
representative today.
(More Information) |
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| Testimonials |
“Science and Literacy™ is the most comprehensive program I have seen on the market. Nothing else even comes close!”
Houston Area, Science Department Chairperson
“A money back!! Finally, a publisher stands behind their product! Way to go Educational Tools!”
Dallas-Fort Worth Area, Curriculum Director
“The Science and Literacy™ program is great! The professional development tied with the products and technology components make it a must have for Texas schools!”
-Sandra, San Antonio Area, Curriculum Director
“The Science and Literacy™ program was a great addition to our current curriculum. We just love the Professional Development aspect of it! The resources included were the perfect answer for our success in raising our test scores!”
-Valerie, Dallas Area, Administrator
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| Suggested Uses |
- Core Curriculum
- Supplemental
- Alternative School Instruction
- Assessment
- Bell ringer
- Caters to all learning
- Center activities
- Cross grade level
- Current science news (currents events)
- Curriculum mapping
- Differentiated instruction
- Enrichment
- ESE inclusion
- TAKS test preparation - through question specifications
- Focus/instruction on science concepts
- Follow up activities
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- Group, partner, or independent work
- Guided reading
- Hands on activities
- High interest multi-grade level reading
- Homework
- Integrated instruction
- Intensive leveled skill groups
- Introduce concepts
- Joint science projects
- Lesson planning tool
- Meaningful use of down time/transition time
- Mini lessons
- Network with science experts & colleagues
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- New teachers or teachers with temporary certification
- Non-fiction reading
- Parental involvement activity
- Principal record keeping for accountability
- Professional development
- Question of the day
- Raises instructional level
- Reading in science content area
- Review games
- Saves instructional time
- State testing Simulation
- Time management
- Track student progress
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