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Site Review: Discovery

Site URL:  Dsc.Discovery.com                    

Content:  The homepage for cable’s Discovery Channel is far more than show synopses and schedules. Discovery offers a wealth of content that can be useful in the classroom.

discoveryDesign:  The site certainly is pretty. Plenty of images and graphical elements pop right off the screen. To promote special content, the site uses a unique scroller that takes up almost the entirety of the screen. High-resolution images associated with promoted stories compel users to view all of the teasers, just to see what image will appear next.

Navigation is simple and logical, featuring clear headers that offer logical portals to content. A main bar at the top of the page drives users to the main channels, while specialty sections are accessed through content boxes below the dominating scroller.

Review: There aren’t any lesson plans or printables here, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a great classroom site. News feeds offer stories for nearly every discipline under the science umbrella. Puzzles and games all promote learning and problem solving with a heavy emphasis on science. Videos offer insight into the current scientific breakthroughs happening every day.

All of the tools for crafting tremendous lessons are here, and one could argue that by leaving it up to the educator to build class activities around Discovery’s content, the lessons will be better tailored for students

Bottom Line: Educators have to determine how best to use it in the classroom, but Discovery offers more than enough material.

 

Article by Jason Tomaszewski, EducationWorld Associate Editor
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