Explore the changes in Maine from the time it was a district of Massachusetts valued largely for its lumber through its transformation into ‘Vacationland’. This visit theme includes a Maine State History trivia game.

• Grade Levels: 3-12
• Time Allotment: 60 minutes for classroom visits; 75 to 90 minutes for field trips
• ME Social Studies Standards
  • C1: Economic Knowledge, Concepts, Themes, and Patterns
  • D1: Geographic Knowledge, Concepts, Themes, and Patterns
  • E1: Historical Knowledge, Concepts, Themes, and Patterns

Preteaching

Intended to be completed in the classroom before the scheduled field trip or class visit, the pre-teaching activity will give students some familiarity with the terms, ideas, and visuals, that they will see during the actual visit.

• PDF: Earliest Map of Maine Worksheet –> Answers
• PDF: Aroostook War Worksheet –> Answers
• PDF: Maine Counties Worksheet –> Answers

Guided Inquiry Exercise

During this portion of the visit, students will be asked to look closely at twelve to twenty maps that fit within the curriculum theme. Each student will need to find:

1. something they recognize from previous class lessons or from the pre-teaching activity
2. something they find interesting and want to point out to their classmates
3. something they would like to know more about

Examples of Maps Used:
(sets of maps will vary)

• Early Map of the Province of Maine, 1794
• First Printed Map of the State of Maine, 1820
• Map of Maine Showing the Disputed Borders of the ‘Aroostook War,’ 1830/1838
• Boston & Maine Railroad, 1910
• Maine: Land of Smiling Skies, 1928
• Vacationland, c.1950

Interactive

OML visit themes have recommended hands-on activities or group-games that can be done in conjunction with the Guided Inquiry exercise.

• Touring Maine Trivia Game

Interested?

Schedule a Field Trip or Class Visit

*For large groups or groups with a flexible time frame, take a peek at our related partnership program,
Livelihoods & Landscapes of Maine with Portland Museum of Art.