Thank you for your interest in the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education [OML]. The OML education outreach coordinator and other staff conduct a variety of K-12 classes that use maps as the basis for a variety of units on history, geography, etc. Field Trips typically include:

• a pre-teaching activity conducted in the classroom before the day of visit*
• an inquiry-based lesson using OML’s original materials as primary sources
• a hands-on activity or group game related to the lesson subject
• a scavenger-hunt activity with our current exhibition
• and a tour of the Smith Globe Collection

OML’s Outreach team is also available to visit classrooms, clubs, and enrichment and after-school programs within an hour’s drive of Portland, Maine. The recommended time allotment for a class visit is 35 to 40 minutes. A classroom visit includes:

• a pre-teaching activity conducted in the classroom before the day of visit*
• an inquiry-based lesson using facsimiles of OML items
• a group game or hands-on activity related to the lesson subject.

*Before the day of the visit, students will complete a pre-teaching activity that gives them a familiarity with some of the ideas, images, and terminology they’ll see during their field trip. Teachers will receive the pre-teaching materials in the mail about a week before the visit.

Please use the following form to request a K-12 class. We will endeavor to meet your needs, but please be aware that OML has changing availability and competencies. We reserve the right to refuse requests.

All fields are required.