For school districts committed to strong social studies instruction, finding a resource that supports inquiry, aligns with curriculum, and works across grade levels is essential. In Montgomery County Public Schools (MD), where Kids Discover Online is used across all 136 elementary schools, it has become a trusted instructional tool that supports research-based learning while meeting the needs of both educators and students.
After beginning her career as a middle school teacher outside of Philadelphia, Nancy Schnure transitioned into a 6th-grade reading and social studies role before ultimately becoming an elementary school library media specialist in 2012. That journey shaped her instructional philosophy and positioned her at the center of inquiry-based learning across the school. Today, she uses Kids Discover Online as a foundational resource to support social studies instruction at every grade level.
Kids Discover is the perfect resource to support the inquiry process.Nancy Schnure, Montgomery County Public Schools
NAME
Nancy Schnure
DISTRICT
Montgomery County Public Schools
LOCATION
Potomac, MD
GRADES
K-5th
SUBJECT
Social Studies
KDO MEMBER SINCE
2023
Supporting Inquiry at Every Grade Level
Social studies has always been at the heart of Nancy’s work. As a classroom teacher, she valued teaching students how to ask questions, conduct research, and make connections between ideas. Now, as a library media specialist, those priorities have only grown stronger.
Kids Discover Online supports this approach by providing a structured yet flexible environment for inquiry. The Discover Map allows students to visualize related topics and explore concepts more deeply, encouraging curiosity and independent investigation. This feature helps students move beyond surface-level research, while reinforcing skills such as questioning and topic expansion.
For Montgomery County Public Schools, where social studies instruction spans across all grade levels and multiple units of study, Kids Discover Online provides consistent, high-quality resources that teachers can rely on throughout the year.
▲ Discover Map reveals direct and indirect connections across subject matter. Here, students can discover how Ancient Egypt is connected to Mummies, Archaeology, and Language.
“Kids Discover is a great resource for all grade levels. It builds background knowledge and supports research projects across the curriculum.”
Curriculum Alignment That Saves Times
One of the most valuable aspects of Kids Discover Online for this district is its strong alignment with the Montgomery County social studies curriculum and Maryland state standards. Resources are available for every unit, making it easy for educators to integrate Kids Discover into existing lesson plans rather than reworking instruction.
To support classroom teachers, Nancy continues to use a curated document created by the Kids Discover team that links to specific Units and Topics for upcoming units of study. As teachers lesson plan, they have access to ready-to-use resources that align with curriculum goals, saving planning time and ensuring instructional consistency across classrooms and schools.
This level of alignment makes Kids Discover Online especially effective at the district level, where coherence and usability matter just as much as content quality.
Engaging Students Through Guided Exploration
Student engagement is a critical factor in effective social studies instruction, and Kids Discover Online offers tools that bring content to life. At Nancy’s school, Scavenger Hunts have become a favorite student activity.
Earlier this year, the American Frontier Scavenger Hunt was used with fifth graders as a background-building activity before beginning a unit on Western Expansion. The activity introduced key concepts while teaching students how to use keywords effectively when searching for information. This approach strengthened both content knowledge and research skills, preparing students for deeper classroom discussions.
From an educator’s perspective, the ability to adjust reading levels across articles is another standout feature. Because Nancy works with every grade level in the building, flexible Lexile options make it easy to recommend Kids Discover Online to classroom teachers and ensure students can access content at an appropriate level.
For Montgomery County Public Schools, Kids Discover Online works because it meets the needs of both individual classrooms and the district as a whole. It can be used to build background knowledge, support research projects, and reinforce curriculum standards without adding complexity for educators.
As Nancy explains, Kids Discover is “a great resource for all grade levels” with a vast database of science and social studies content that fits seamlessly into instruction. Its flexibility, alignment, and focus on inquiry make it an ideal choice for schools and districts looking to strengthen social studies instruction in meaningful ways.
Looking ahead, her hope for education is simple but powerful: that public education continues to be valued and that educators are trusted to teach. Tools like Kids Discover Online support that vision by giving educators reliable, curriculum-aligned resources that empower both teachers and students to explore, question, and learn.
Kids Discover Online supports inquiry-based learning across all 136 elementary schools in Montgomery County Public Schools. Is your school ready to strengthen social studies instruction with a resource designed for every grade level?
