For teachers
Story Atlas in the classroom
Story Atlas turns the places in a novel into a 3D map you can fly through, with the story laid over it as a timeline. That makes it a quick way to get a class talking about where a story happens, and how much of it could really happen.
Who it's for
Upper primary and lower secondary, roughly ages 10 to 16. The guides are written for a single 45-minute lesson, alongside reading the book (or extracts of it), or as a hook before you start.
How to use it in class
- Project it on the board. Open the book's world and play the timeline. Pause on a scene and ask the class what they notice. Adding ?tour to the address starts the autoplay on load.
- Students explore on their own devices. Laptops, tablets or phones all work. Give pairs an explore-and-find task: each links straight to one scene.
- Quiz as an exit ticket. The "Where was this?" quiz takes about five minutes: students place scenes on the map. Ask them to note their score on the worksheet.
Free, no login
Everything is free and works in the browser. Students don't need an account and we don't ask for names or emails. Quiz scores are stored anonymously (just the score and the book). Privacy details
The books
Spoilers: each world's timeline covers the whole plot, including the ending.
- Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Public-domain classic. Adventure with mild peril; good for geology and "could this happen?" discussions.
- Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas
Public-domain classic. Some violence (a shark, a giant squid, a warship sunk). Strong on world geography and oceans.
- Rendezvous with Rama
Classic science fiction, mostly ideas and engineering. Good for physics in a rotating world.
- Artemis
Crime caper on the Moon with adult themes and strong language. Better for older students.
- The Martian
Lots of practical science, but frequent strong language in the book. Check before recommending the novel itself.
- Project Hail Mary
Modern science fiction with lots of real science. Some mild language in the book.
- Around the World in Eighty Days
Coming: Story Atlas for schools (paid)
Everything on these pages stays free. We're planning a paid version for schools: more lesson guides (for every book) and a classroom mode, where you steer the story on the board, students' screens follow, and the quiz runs live for the whole class. Would your school use it? Leave your email and we'll tell you when it's ready, with an early-bird price.