The Right Challenge. The Right Support. The Right Growth.

Meet Secondary Students Where They Are with Atlas Assistant

Build Geographic Literacy and Background Knowledge

Develop Comprehension and Meaning

Atlas Assistant uses adaptive learning and interactive conversations to guide students as they explore maps, images, and informational texts. Students build the reading, analysis, and interpretation skills they need to understand both the past and the world around them today.

Atlas Assistant asks students to struggle, successfully, as they strengthen their disciplinary literacy skills of reading, analysis, and interpretation. And it meets your state social studies standards!

Atlas Assistant Example

A New Way to Learn, One Conversation at a Time

Nystrom Atlases have always helped students see the world—Atlas Assistant turns these tools into an interactive, student-driven learning experience. Through adaptive questions and guided conversations about maps, charts, graphs, and images, students build geographic literacy, background knowledge, and confidence while engaging at just the right level of challenge. Aligned to state standards and designed to support skill reinforcement, enrichment, and independent work, Atlas Assistant helps every student not only read the atlas, but better understand the world within its pages.

Guided Learning Built for Growth

Atlas Assistant leads students through a structured progression:

  • Locate information using maps, visuals, and text

  • Interpret and compare multiple sources

  • Analyze and reason using evidence

  • Apply knowledge to meaningful tasks

Interactive, adaptive conversations adjust question complexity and vocabulary based on student readiness levels. Sessions conclude with an auto-generated summary mapped to state standards and saved in the student portfolio.

Insight Into Student Learning

Atlas Assistant gives teachers a clear path to teach essential skills that are often under-practiced in daily instruction. Each session is aligned to state standards and saved in a student portfolio, providing meaningful insight into interpretation, analysis, and application of knowledge.

Leaders gain a resource that supports consistent skill development across classrooms—whether used for reinforcement, enrichment, independent or small-group work, or progress monitoring. Learn more below.

Instructional Use Cases

Atlas Assistant can be utilized in a variety of ways to support your goals and the needs of all learners. 

Background Knowledge and Literacy

Gives students the foundation to understand charts, graphs, maps, and texts to support academic vocabulary and success in reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

Reinforcement of Skills

Builds inquiry, analysis, and communication competencies aligned with social studies standards.

Independent or Small Group Work

Students can engage with the Assistant during centers, homework, or flipped instruction.

Enrichment

Higher-level questioning and complex tasks extend learning for advanced students.

Progress Monitoring

Teachers gain insights into student thinking via documented AI sessions and summaries.

Frequently Asked Questions

Atlas Assistant is a digital tool for secondary social studies classrooms that uses adaptive learning and interactive conversations to guide students as they explore maps, images, and informational texts. It focuses on building geographic literacy, background knowledge, and the reading and thinking skills students need to understand the world.

Atlas Assistant is designed for secondary classrooms and can be used in a variety of social studies courses where students are working with geographic information, visuals, and informational text.

When you sign up for the free trial, you’ll get access to Atlas Assistant for five days. During that time, you can explore the student experience, try out activities, and see how the program supports your goals for social studies instruction.

If you want more time to explore the free trial, reach out to us at sales@socialstudies.com or 800-421-4246.

Atlas Assistant adjusts the level of guidance and challenge based on how students respond. Questions and prompts provide more scaffolding when needed or push students toward deeper analysis, so all learners grow.

Atlas Assistant can be used for the following instructional use cases. To learn more about these use cases, see above.

  • Build background knowledge and literacy
  • Reinforce skills aligned to social studies standards
  • Have students work independently or in small groups
  • Enrich learning by using as an extension for advanced students
  • Monitor progress using the documented conversations and summaries

Have more questions?

We have answers!

Elementary

  • Maps: Primary: ELS
  • Maps: Primary: Readiness
  • Maps: Primary: Outline World Map
  • Maps: Intermediate: Physical
  • Maps: Intermediate: Political
  • Maps: Intermediate: Continents and Oceans Thematic
  • Maps: Intermediate: Wealth of Countries Thematic
  • Maps: Intermediate: Precipitation Thematic
  • Maps: Intermediate: Temperature Thematic
  • Maps: Intermediate: Time Zones Thematic
  • Maps: Intermediate: Land Use Thematic
  • Maps: Intermediate: Population Thematic
  • Maps: Intermediate: Outline World Map
  • U.S. History:1 Native Americans
  • U.S. History:2 Spanish Explorers
  • U.S. History:3 Explorers
  • U.S. History:4 The Great Exchange
  • U.S. History:5 European Settlements
  • U.S. History:6 Thirteen Britishi Colonies
  • U.S. History:7 Slevery In the Americas
  • U.S. History:8 Revolutionary War
  • State Map

Secondary

  • Maps: Intermediate: Physical
  • Maps: Intermediate: Political
  • Maps: Intermediate: Continents and Oceans Thematic
  • Maps: Intermediate: Wealth of Countries Thematic
  • Maps: Intermediate: Precipitation Thematic
  • Maps: Intermediate: Temperature Thematic
  • Maps: Intermediate: Time Zones Thematic
  • Maps: Intermediate: Land Use Thematic
  • Maps: Intermediate: Population Thematic
  • Maps: Intermediate: Outline World Map
  • Maps: Secondary: Land Use Thematic
  • Maps: Secondary: Population Thematic
  • Maps: Secondary: Political Relief
  • Maps: Secondary: Land Cover
  • Maps: Secondary: Scupltural Relief
  • Maps: Secondary: Growing Seasons Thematic
  • Maps: Secondary: Climate Thematic
  • Maps: Secondary: Tectonic Plates Thematic
  • Maps: Secondary: Precipitation Thematic
  • Maps: Secondary: Outline World Map
  • State Map

U.S. History

  • Native Americans
  • Spanish Explorers
  • Explorers
  • The Great Exchange
  • European Settlements
  • Thirteen British Colonies
  • Slavery in the Americas
  • Revolutionary War
  • American Expansion
  • Explorations of the West
  • Trails West
  • War with Mexico
  • Slavery Divides the Nation
  • Slavery and the Economy
  • Union and Confederacy
  • Civil War
  • Conflicts with Indians
  • Railroads Tansform the West
  • Industrial United States
  • Immigrants 1895–1929
  • World War I in Europe
  • Great Depression and Dust Bowl
  • World War II in Europe 1939–1942
  • World War II in the Pacific 1941–1945
  • Great Migration 1940–1970
  • Korean War
  • Cold War
  • Vietnam War
  • Persian Gulf War
  • A Shifting Population
  • Immigrants Sinve 1970

World History

  • New Babylonian Empire
  • Ancient Egypt
  • Chinese Dynasties
  • Ancient India
  • Athens and Sparta
  • Alexander’s Empire
  • Roman Empire
  • Barbarians and the Roman Empire
  • Silk Road and Eurasian Trade
  • Byzantine Empire
  • Charlemagne’s Frankish Empire and the Holy Roman Empire
  • Spread of Islam
  • World of the Crusades
  • China in the Middle Ages
  • Mongol Conquest
  • Rise and Fall of Shogun Japan
  • Exploration
  • Maya, Aztec, and Inca
  • European Exploration and Land Claims
  • African Empires and States
  • Rise of Ottoman Empire
  • Reformation and Counter Reformation
  • European Trading Empires
  • Rise and Fall of Mughal Empires
  • Independence in the Americas
  • Napoleon’s Europe
  • Europe After the Congress of Vienna
  • Africa Under Foreign Rule
  • World War I
  • World War II
  • Cold War
  • World Conflicts Since 1991

Texas

  • Spanish Explorers
  • Western Explorations
  • Trails West
  • War with Mexico
  • Indian Wars
  • Railroads & The West
  • Great Migration
  • population Loss and Growth
  • Native Americans in TX
  • Spanish Settlements
  • Republic of Texas
  • Energy Resources of TX
  • Texas Readiness Map
  • Texas Desk Map
  • Texas State Map