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AI in Social Studies classrooms: What's actually strengthening student thinking?

Becca Horowitz

Many teachers are curious about AI, while others are experimenting, and some are skeptical. Whatever your experience so far, it's fair to ask whether AI can support learning without undermining the historical thinking skills we want students to build.

If you've tried AI with students—or used it in your own planning—we’d love to hear what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what you’re still wrestling with.
  • Where have you seen AI support skills like sourcing, contextualization, or evidence-based argumentation?
  • Which student uses have felt productive?
  • How are you using AI in teacher planning while keeping the intellectual heavy lifting with students?
  • What lessons, activities, or routines would you recommend to others?

Share examples, surprises, or sticking points. Your experience may help another teacher find a better starting point.

  • I thinks students don't love when they think teachers are using AI.  Anyone have experience with this?  

  • in reply to Eric Schulz

       - Yes, I am hearing that students are getting frustrated with teachers who are obviously using AI, especially to grade assignments, when it is clear they have not checked the results.  Go figure.

    Interestingly, in general, I find I might be moving towards less tech in my classroom instead of more, especially in light of findings talking about the value of reading and taking notes on paper, like this article I just found. 

    Also, after watching Super Bowl ads talking about doing more things more efficiently, I found myself pushing back on this idea that more, faster, is better.  I am also on the "older" side of life (pushing 60).  

    I also heard for the first time (last year) about the climate impact of AI, and that scares me as well. 

    Finally, I don't like how AI is being foisted on us (e.g., Google's AI overview) without checking first if we want it.

    I know that there are some great time-saving elements to AI, especially in doing tedious tasks, and I need to learn more about them.  Perhaps, as @BryanDibble has noted, it is inevitable and we need to get on board.  I also don't want to be a Luddite.  It all feels a bit too rushed for me, though.

    Is this what people thought about the printing press?

  • I am an AI skeptic, but I understand that it is here, and that my students will use it.  I think the teaching profession will need to evolve alongside technology.  Perhaps my main job will just be to help students think and apply what they learn, rather than teach them the information.  They have all kinds of ways to find answers in current times.

  • in reply to Carrie Emmerson
    I agree. I’ve also heard that students are worried that teachers might rely too much on AI, especially for writing recommendation letters.
    I’m using less technology in my classroom now, and I have my students read and annotate physical copies. We don’t have enough school computers, so this approach is somewhat working in my classes.
  • in reply to Jim Jaeger

      I am experimenting with AI, and like you, I am questioning my role in this new environment. I’ve noticed that many of my students already rely on AI to complete homework, which makes it even more important to create space in class to critically examine those responses. For students who are genuinely engaged in learning, using AI to clarify concepts and build background knowledge can be beneficial; however, for others, it becomes a way to obtain quick answers without developing deeper understanding.

  • in reply to Laura Massa

     Great point!  Helping students to analyze what AI is churning out, and to use the output to further their learning can be very beneficial.

  • in reply to Jim Jaeger

     Two of my students who have been academically struggling made significant improvements in their last unit test. They were able to explain, analyze, and support claims using evidence. They told me that they used NotebookLM to find other ways of learning, using podcasts or visual explanations. It goes without saying that they spent time studing and getting ready for class discussions, and they took their studies more seriously, but I have to admit that when there is intention to learn, these AI tools are beneficial. 

    I recently came across this passionate statement about AI by David Cutler, a former colleague of mine. I would like to learn how other teachers are using AI in their classrooms in a positive and empowering way. 

  • in reply to Laura Massa

     thanks for sharing this example. It sounds like the students you mention are showing a lot of agency as learners, from knowing how they like to learn to finding a tool that would help them study. I'm impressed! 

    One of our advisory board members just contributed to a blog for us that digs into the risks AI poses for learning and steps we can take to mitigate risk and cultivate historical thinking. I'd love to hear what you and other teachers think about the approach mentioned here: AI and Critical Thinking.

        

  • in reply to Becca Horowitz

    I enjoyed reading this article and I added the talk to my calendar.  I am dealing with cognitive bypass.  I am excited by the HAH model but sceptical about students placing value on the H parts.  I would say for my personal use of AI following that model produces the best results.  I also worry about an uneven roll out.  If a teacher embraces Ai and even teaches the HAH model and other teachers are not on board we may be undermining each others instruction and assessment.  

  • I teach rural students in North Carolina. In my experience, most of my kids stay in their communities after graduation, and right now, those communities are exactly where the data centers are being built. AI isn't abstract to them. It's infrastructure arriving in their backyards and the community is afraid of water shortages.

    What I've found this last year: when students learn to use these tools in relationship to content, not instead of thinking, but alongside it, they engage more, retain more, and leave with skills that are actually relevant to their lives. 

    All students deserve these tools. This feels like a threshold, and I have enjoyed bringing these super computers into the classroom next to ancient slabs of wedged shaped writing from Mesopotamia.