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K-5 Social Studies | Elementary | California

Social Studies California Students Will Remember

TCI's K-5 programs are built around one idea: social studies should be the best part of the school day. Immersive, hands-on lessons spark the kind of curiosity that sticks with students long after class ends.

Explore Elementary Programs

Building Citizens, One Lesson at a Time

TCI's Social Studies Alive! programs meet students where they are—starting with themselves and expanding outward to community, region, and beyond. Every lesson is ready to teach, built to engage, and designed to fit the realities of the classroom.

  1. Smiling young boy in a blue shirt, close up, outdoors on a sunny day.

    Me and My World

    Every learner starts with what they know best: themselves. From there, they observe the people and places around them, making sense of community, belonging, and their world through hands-on discovery.

  2. Children running on a playground, blurred in motion, with chalk numbers drawn on the ground.

    My School and Family

    Two worlds shape a young student's life: school and family. Students explore both up close, learning how rules, roles, and responsibilities help a community work and how they connect to the wider world.

  3. Smiling child holds up lemonade at a stand, with two kids and a Lemonade sign in the background.

    My Community

    Every California community has a story that started before it did. Students meet the region's first people, follow the immigrants who came later, and explore the geography, civics, and economics of the place they call home.

  4. Crowded boardwalk lined with colorful shops and palm trees at Venice Beach, California, on a sunny day.

    California's Communities

    Every California community has a story that started before it did. Students meet the region's first people, follow the immigrants who came later, and explore the history, geography, civics, and economics of the place they call home.

  5. Golden Gate Bridge at sunset with a hazy city skyline and water in the background.

    California's Promise

    A state this big holds a lot of history. Students step into California's four natural regions and follow the state's development through missions, gold, railroads, and water to the industries and cities they know today.

  6. A weathered window on a red wooden wall with visible panels and a slanted roof edge above.

    America's Past

    Students trace American history from its earliest migrations forward, weighing the events, people, and choices that shaped the nation and drawing evidence from the past to explain the present.

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Experience a TCI Lesson

Explore lessons the way your students would — and see what experiential, inquiry-based social studies actually looks like in an elementary classroom.

Try a TCI Lesson
Support

Supporting Teachers, Every Step of the Way

TCI support isn't an add-on. It's baked into the program, designed for the teacher running the lesson and the students living it.

Teacher Support

Everything you need to teach it with confidence.

  • Planning Tools

    Pacing guides, ready-to-use lesson plans, and prep resources that fit how you actually run your week.

    Learn More

  • Professional Development

    Comprehensive support that grows with you, so first-time teachers and seasoned pros alike get the support they need.

    Learn More

  • Seamless Tech Integrations

    Works with the platforms your district already uses, so nothing slows you down.

    System Requirements
Student Support

Support that meets every student where they are.

  • Built-In Reading Support & ELA Integration

    Informational texts, primary sources, and Social Studies Stories build literacy while they build content knowledge.

    Reading and English Learner Support

  • Spanish Immersion

    Full Spanish-language materials so dual-language classrooms get the same experience.

    TCI’s Spanish Immersion Experience

  • Differentiated Instruction

    Multiple entry points and built-in scaffolds meet students wherever they're starting from.

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Assessment

Assessment That Keeps Every Student on Track

Formative checks, performance tasks, and summative assessments are woven into every unit — so teachers see understanding develop in real time, not just at the end of a test.

Learn About TCI's Assessments
Boy using a laptop for a map quiz at a desk with school supplies, books, and a globe in the background.

What TCI Looks Like in Classrooms

Hear from K-5 Social Studies educators using TCI every day.

"TCI material is the best opportunity to foster that natural sense of wonder for students. It gets students really excited and intrigued about learning. The teachers and parents become interested,…
“TCI removes the burden of figuring out how to teach tough topics. It gives teachers a foundation and the flexibility to bring history to life in ways that are inclusive, current, and engaging.”
“It’s exciting to see that level of engagement over social studies.”
“TCI has completely changed the way we approach the subject, and I can’t wait to see where it takes us next.”
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