There’s something special about third grade in Michigan. It’s the perfect time for students to start asking, “Why is Michigan the way it is?” and see how people, places, and choices shape our daily lives. But teaching social studies isn’t always easy, especially with limited time and resources in elementary classrooms. Social studies can feel like it’s always getting bumped down the list, even when you know how much it matters.
Social Studies Alive! Michigan and Its People was designed with these realities in mind. As a High-Quality Instructional Material (HQIM), it saves you time with standards-aligned, ready-to-use lessons and engaging activities. Built around Michigan’s standards, it gives you hands-on activities, inquiry projects, and practical support.
Active Learning That Brings Michigan’s Story to Life
Too often, social studies programs present information in a dry, passive way—asking students to read, memorize, and repeat facts. TCI designs social studies to be active and hands-on, turning social studies into students’ favorite part of the day. With Social Studies Alive! Michigan and Its People, third graders aren’t just memorizing facts—they’re experiencing Michigan’s history firsthand.
Active learning means students do the thinking. In TCI classrooms, students analyze images and maps, build timelines, debate choices, and solve problems together. It’s no longer about “reading about it”—it’s about investigating, discussing, and experiencing. With routines that make participation safe and expected, all students can jump in and shine.
Hands-On Activities
Students are actively engaged when they’re involved in hands-on activities—and we include one in every lesson. Here are a few favorites that make Michigan studies come alive:
- Cars: Driving the Economy – Students experience a car assembly line and explore Michigan’s natural resources to learn about the state’s industries. Experience the lesson.
- Early European Settlers in Michigan – Students explore images and artifacts from a museum attic. Based on what they find, they generate questions about early European settlers in Michigan.
- Michigan’s Indigenous Peoples – Students participate in the inquiry process to investigate how three Indigenous groups worked together with their environments. They search for hidden clues in five photographs, sparking curiosity and critical thinking. Then, students conduct their own inquiry to learn something they’re curious about regarding a group Indigenous to their own region.
Inquiry Projects That Foster Curiosity
Social Studies Alive! Michigan and Its People is built on inquiry. Every unit includes an Inquiry Project that guides students step-by-step—from developing their own questions to researching, evaluating evidence, and building a claim and argument.
Each project kicks off with a short, engaging video that gets students curious and ready to investigate. For example, in Unit 3—Economics, students dive into a case study about Meijer, Inc. They research Michigan companies and jobs to answer: How do Michigan’s location and natural resources influence what companies and jobs can support its economy? Along the way, students build essential social studies skills and make connections to their local communities.
Gamification: Motivation with Purpose
Gamification in social studies isn’t about more screen time—it’s about boosting motivation and giving meaningful feedback. Our hands-on activities weave in game-like elements to keep students engaged and inspired. Students tackle challenges such as tracing a product’s journey across Michigan or mapping the Great Lakes trade routes.
The program also features Reading Checks and Lesson Games that monitor understanding of key concepts and vocabulary, providing quick, formative assessments along the way. It’s engagement with real rewards—students get to see their growth and celebrate every milestone.
Built for Real Michigan Classrooms
Social Studies Alive! Michigan and Its People is designed from the ground up to meet Michigan’s grade 3 standards. The program builds on essential social studies concepts in history, geography, civics, and economics, all explored through the lens of Michigan. Topics follow a logical, sequenced progression, so concepts build on one another and deepen understanding over time.
Inquiry and Civic Engagement
Throughout the program, students develop key inquiry skills and tackle public policy issues relevant to Michigan citizens. Activities encourage students to evaluate evidence, participate in classroom discussions, and prepare for civic life.
ELA Integration Made Easy
Social Studies Alive! Michigan and Its People also makes it easy to integrate social studies content with English Language Arts. Students build literacy skills as they read informational texts, write about local history, analyze primary sources, and grow vocabulary alongside learning about Michigan. This cross-curricular approach helps maximize instructional time without sacrificing depth.
Flexible and Teacher-Friendly
Busy teachers will appreciate how flexible lessons can be broken into manageable chunks, with every reading and activity clearly labeled by standard. Plus, our easy-to-use correlations page guides you directly to where each standard is covered—making lesson planning simple and straightforward.
What’s Inside? Print, Digital, and Total Flexibility
We get that every classroom is different. With our print and digital resources, we make learning accessible for all—and support teachers as they reach every student.
- Print resources: Teacher’s guides, interactive Student Journals, detailed assessments, Activity Cards, maps, and primary sources—all ready to go.
- Digital tools: Ready-to-teach slides packed with visual media, auto-scored exercises, instant feedback, and progress reporting by unit and standard.
- Supports for all learners: We provide differentiation strategies and digital tools that support all learners, including leveled readings, built-in text-to-speech, translation tools, and Spanish immersion.
Ready for Michigan Teachers—Right Now
Our program is available now! If you’re ready to make social studies the favorite time of your students’ day, you can explore a sample lesson or request a free sample.
