Foundations for social studies success
Where Students Learn
to Read the World
Encompass was created to ensure every elementary student builds a strong foundation in geographic literacy by actively exploring the world through atlases, maps, and globes. By providing short, engaging activities that integrate literacy into social studies, the program empowers teachers to spark curiosity while equipping young learners with the skills and background knowledge they need to thrive in K-5 and beyond.
Why Encompass?
Anatomy of an Activity
Step into an
Encompass classroom
You’ll see the teacher walking students through a colorful spread in their Student Atlas, modeling how to read a map key, study a graph, or examine a photograph. Together, they ask questions and notice details. Then students turn to their Markable Desk Maps and Globes, drawing arrows, circling locations, and tracing routes, applying what they’ve learned.
Next, small groups examine primary sources and images up close on their Social Studies Place Mat. They compare details and explain their thinking. As they talk and share with the class, students build confidence, owning their learning while strengthening the geographic skills that connect places, people, and events.
See What’s Inside
Each grade level includes a tailored set of components. Explore what’s included at every step of the K–5 journey.
Teacher’s Guide
Short, ready-to-teach activities focused on family, school, neighborhoods, and community. Structured discussion and guided exploration help every child participate confidently.
Student Atlas
Introduces social studies through familiar experiences, guiding students from neighborhoods to the wider world. Simple maps and questions build geographic awareness and literacy skills.
Social Studies Place Mat
Primary and secondary sources illustrate helping your community, our country, and our world, and a basic timeline helps kindergartners learn about solving problems.
Markable Desk Maps & Globe
Students build early map skills as they explore their neighborhood, country, and continents. They also identify symbols, direction, land and water, and basic features with confidence.
Teacher’s Guide
Short, ready-to-teach activities on neighborhoods, communities, and the U.S. Teacher modeling and guided discussion help students build confidence using maps and sharing ideas.
Student Atlas
Expands students’ view beyond their neighborhood to the United States and the world. Simple maps, photos, and questions strengthen geographic awareness and reading skills.
Social Studies Place Mat
Primary and secondary sources illustrate the concept of change and maps with symbols and charts help first graders explore food production and natural resources.
Markable Desk Maps & Globe
Students practice map skills as they locate states, continents, and oceans. They also identify symbols, directions, and geographic features while building spatial awareness.
Teacher’s Guide
Short, ready-to-teach activities on communities, citizenship, and change over time. Guided inquiry and discussion help students investigate how people and places change.
Student Atlas
Explores communities, the U.S., and the world while highlighting how places change over time. Maps, photos, and questions strengthen geographic understanding and literacy skills.
Social Studies Place Mat
Primary and secondary sources, maps with graphs, and a simple timeline illustrate changing habitats, communities, populations, and resources over time.
Markable Desk Maps & Globe
Students explore regions, natural features, and communities while strengthening map-reading skills. They also identify directions, borders, and key features with growing confidence.
Teacher’s Guide
Short, ready-to-teach activities explore regions, resources, and global connections. Discussion and inquiry help students explore connections between people, places, and regions.
Student Atlas
Explores continents, regions, and cultures around the world. Maps, images, and guiding questions strengthen geographic reasoning and analytical reading skills.
Social Studies Place Mat
Primary and secondary sources and a graphic organizer help third graders better understand technological advances and community action locally and globally.
Markable Desk Maps & Globe
Students locate countries, continents, and climate regions while practicing map skills. They also identify patterns, regions, and geographic relationships across the world.
Teacher’s Guide
Short, ready-to-teach activities that examine United States geography. Guided analysis and discussion help students examine regions, resources, and landforms.
Student Atlas
Explores the physical and human geography of the United States. Maps, data visuals, and guiding questions help students compare regions and interpret geographic information.
Social Studies Place Mat
Primary and secondary sources illustrate views of Earth from space, changes in urban and rural population distributions, and climate change over time.
Markable Desk Maps & Globe
Students investigate U.S. regions, landforms, and geographic patterns. They also practice using scale, direction, and coordinates to interpret maps with confidence.
Teacher’s Guide
Short, ready-to-teach activities that connect geography to history. Discussion and evidence-based inquiry help students analyze change, movement, and historical events.
Student Atlas
Explores U.S. history through maps, images, graphs, and primary sources. Students investigate how geography influenced exploration, expansion, conflict, and change.
Social Studies Place Mat
Primary and secondary sources and a series of timelines illustrate history through the lenses of immigration, technology, medicine, and historical events.
Markable Maps & Globe
Students trace exploration routes, territorial growth, and migration patterns. They also use maps to understand how geography shaped the history of the United States.
Explore your state edition
State-specific scope, sequence, and standards alignment documents available.
Ready to learn more
about Encompass?
Download a scope and sequence or reach out to your dedicated curriculum specialist.
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