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Five smiling children climb and play on a colorful jungle gym, looking down at the camera on a sunny day.
Social Studies Alive!

My Community

A neighborhood is bigger than it looks. Students step in to see how it works and who keeps it running, exploring history, geography, civics, and economics right outside the door.

What Students Will Explore

Unit 1

Geography

Identify and describe what people do in a community. Learn about physical, political, and thematic maps and their elements such as the title, compass rose, directions, key, and scale. Then identify continents, oceans, and other physical features on Earth.

Unit 2

Economics

Discover how people produce goods that are in demand and how they are delivered to stores. Learn about service jobs and how some are supported by community taxes. Explore the choices that good shoppers make when they compare the costs and benefits of a purchase.

Unit 3

History

Learn about four Indigenous groups from around the country while studying primary source images. Discover how to research answers to questions and conduct an inquiry on Colonial America. Then investigate contributions by immigrants from six different countries.

Unit 4

Civics

Discover how one person can make a difference in their community. Learn how the U.S. government was established with the Constitution, explore how people elect leaders to serve their communities, and discover why following rules is an important part of being a good citizen.

Explore the Program

Who Provides Services in a Community?

Social Studies hero LESSON

In this lesson, students engage in meaningful activities to learn about the roles of service workers.

Experience the Lesson

  • View the Scope and Sequence

    See every unit and lesson at a glance — compelling questions, objectives, and how content builds across History, Geography, Civics, and Economics.

    View the Scope and Sequence

  • View the Brochure

    Get a quick, visual snapshot of the program — key features, components, and what makes learning come alive in the classroom.

    Download the Brochure

  • Review Correlations

    See exactly how the program aligns to your state standards.

    Review the Correlations
See TCI in action

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Request access to digital samples of the student and teacher materials.

One Program. Every Resource You Need.

From an interactive digital platform to hands-on print materials and teacher tools, see everything included to help you teach and your students learn.
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Student Materials

  • Social Studies Alive! My Community Student Journal—TCI. Four children smile and play on a climbing structure.

    Student Journal

    The colorful, easy-to-use, print consumable Student Journal combines standards-based content and rich activities to support student learning. Students will make personal connections that allow them to develop a deep understanding of key social studies content while building critical social studies and ELA skills. Also available in Spanish.

  • Five circular photos show children, cows, a historical painting, and a class in a social studies-themed collage.

    Social Studies Stories

    The Social Studies Stories collection contains short, high-interest readings from four different disciplines — Geography, History, Economics, and Civics — to further engage and deepen students' understanding of content. Also available in Spanish.

  • Interactive Desk Maps

    A class set of large, colorful, laminated maps that students can write on and use in hands-on ways during activities.

Teacher Materials

  • Three smiling children climb on colorful playground bars next to the cover text for a Social Studies teachers guide.

    Teacher's Guide

    Teacher's Guide supports everything from lesson planning to grading — step-by-step procedures, time estimates, differentiation strategies, and answer keys, ready to use offline or as a quick reference while teaching. Also available in Spanish.

  • Purple cover of Social Studies Alive! My Community Activity Cards, third edition, with students on playground in corner.

    Activity Cards

    The Activity Cards are laminated, reusable cards that contain vibrant, interactive content for students. The cards include large maps, game boards, and manipulatives that can be cut out and be reused year after year. Also available in Spanish.

  • Vocabulary Wall Cards

    Vocabulary Wall Cards pair key terms with clear definitions on durable, laminated posters — ready to display on a word wall or use as manipulatives.

Reviews & Recognition

At TCI, we don't just say our programs work — we invite independent reviewers to put them to the test. Our social studies and science programs are reviewed by respected third-party organizations that analyze our resources for quality, effectiveness, and alignment with standards.

In addition to national recognition, our programs are reviewed and approved by individual states to ensure they meet specific requirements and standards. We also participate in landscape analyses that compare our offerings with those of other leading programs, so educators and districts can make informed choices.

Explore Reviews
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