Inquiry-based programs where students analyze primary sources, build evidence-based arguments, and take part in rich discussion, in print and digital.
See the Social Studies overviewSee how TCI engages all learners and provides comprehensive teach support to Bring Learning Alive! in K-12 classrooms.
Active learning, teacher-ready lessons, and a high-quality curriculum have always been at the heart of TCI. The new programs are sharper, more consistent, and built as a true K-12 system.
Bring Science Alive! is phenomena-driven and NGSS-aligned. Every unit opens on an anchoring phenomenon, then students investigate it the way scientists do.
See the Science overview
In this lesson from our Bring Science Alive! Weather and Climate program, students create their own wind, build a balloon barometer, and track atmospheric pressure.
Self-paced courses, live events, and opportunities to connect with or lead other educators — support that continues long after implementation week.
Join Brian Thomas and Loyal Frazier on October 20 at 6 pm ET for practical ways to help students evaluate sources and the growing volume of online and AI-generated information.
Research-backed guidance on the questions districts are actually asking — from HQIM adoption to AI in the classroom.
Michael Washington, a 22-year classroom veteran, sees differentiation as how a lesson itself, built through active learning strategies, can reach every student in the room at once.
Built by teachers, for teachers.
Bringing Learning Alive! since 1989.
Megan Forbes is in her 15th year of teaching, and the program bends to how she wants to teach that day. Some days, that's the textbook and interactive notebook. Other days it's a Video Activity.
As AI reshapes work and daily life, the skills that matter most are the ones social studies has always built: critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and the judgment to evaluate sources and solve problems. These resources explore how active learning prepares students for their futures, and where AI fits as a tool for teachers.
Blog
TCI Learning Designer Brian Thomas makes the case that preparing students for AI and preparing them for life are the same work, grounded in strong curriculum, durable skills, and active learning.
Read the blog
Summit Session
How social studies connects to the paths students take after graduation, from careers to civic participation, and why those connections matter more in an AI-shaped world.
Watch the session
Course
A self-paced course to help you teach students how AI works, how to use it responsibly, and how to think critically about the information it produces.
Start the courseA student-facing handout connecting the skills students build in social studies to real careers and future pathways. Use it as a first-week icebreaker, a goal-setting activity, or a launchpad for research.
Download the PDF
Summit Session
Practical lessons and strategies for helping students navigate digital spaces, evaluate sources, and build the AI literacy skills they'll need.
Watch the sessionThrough every shift in education technology, TCI has stayed committed to hands-on, active learning, discussion, and the irreplaceable value of human interaction. That is the lens TCI brings to AI.
TCI is not using AI to automate the learning experience. These features are designed to give teachers more time and capacity to engage students, drive discussion, and bring learning alive.
"If you're a good teacher, you're actually already doing a really good job of preparing students to live in a world of AI."
— Brian Thomas, Learning Designer, TCI
Brian Thomas, TCI’s Learning Designer, has spent two decades in and around the middle school classroom. His full take is in our blog.
As we explored using AI to support educator needs, we recognized the importance of a guiding framework. We consulted established standards for the responsible use of AI in education to inform our approach. This framework guides how we evaluate, build, and refine AI features in our app.
Purpose. AI features are thoughtfully designed to save teachers time and improve student outcomes. Every feature is evaluated regularly to ensure it delivers results for teachers and works as intended for all learners.
Safety. TCI does not use teacher or student data to train AI models. AI features use only the data necessary for personalization. See TCI’s data privacy policy for more information.
Transparency. AI-generated content is clearly labeled and grounded in TCI’s professionally created, standards-aligned materials. Teachers can edit AI-generated content, and TCI collects feedback on all of it.
Access Control. Districts and teachers have control. Features that display AI-generated content can be opted into at the district or teacher level, so every school can decide what is right for their students.
TCI is a member of the EDSAFE AI Industry Council, joining education and technology companies committed to AI that is safe, accountable, fair, and effective.
Research, expert guidance, and classroom evidence to help you understand what makes materials high quality, evaluate your options, and choose with confidence—starting with social studies.
View Collection
Research-backed strategies for building literacy through social studies in the elementary classroom, so students grow content knowledge and reading skills together instead of on separate tracks.
View CollectionNo and TCI’s curriculum doesn’t require it. TCI’s social studies and science programs are built on strong instructional design, active learning, and high-quality materials that work without any AI features. Where AI adds value is in reducing the administrative load on teachers: differentiating reading levels, building assessments, and supporting grading. If those aren’t pain points for you, the core curriculum stands on its own.
That is completely fine. TCI’s AI features are opt-in at the district and teacher level. Teachers who prefer not to use AI-generated content can continue using TCI exactly as they always have. Nothing in the core curriculum changes. AI is an option, not a requirement.
Yes. TCI does not use teacher or student data to train AI models. AI features use only the data necessary for personalization. For full details, see TCI’s privacy policy.
Yes. Features that display AI-generated content are opt-in at the district or teacher level. Every school can decide what is right for their teachers and students.
TCI’s AI features are built directly into the programs teachers already use and are grounded in TCI’s professionally created, standards-aligned content. AI-generated content is clearly labeled.
TCI’s AI features are available across its K-12 social studies and science programs. Feature availability varies by program. Contact a curriculum expert for details specific to your grade level and subject.
TCI starts with the belief that good teaching has to come first. AI features are designed to support strong instructional foundations, not substitute for them. Every feature is evaluated against TCI’s guiding framework: Purpose, Safety, Transparency, and Access Control.
Explore practical strategies, research, and classroom ideas from educators who know social studies.
Discover how integrating social studies and science into K-5 literacy instruction boosts reading comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking.
Read More about The Missing Piece in Literacy Instruction: Why Social Studies and Science Matter
Learn how strong curriculum and active learning prepare students for an AI-driven world, and where AI fits as a classroom tool.
Read More about How Active Learning Prepares Students for an AI-Driven World
