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.

 


    Introduction to Maps (Grade K-2)Maps of the World - Geography & Globes Emphasis (Grades 3-5)Maps of the World - Medieval & Renaissance Emphasis (Grades 3-5)Portland History (Grades 3-5)Maine Studies (Grades 3-8)Colonization of New England (Grades 3-8)Transatlantic Travel (Grades 3-8)Growth of the United States (Grades 5-12)Maps of the World - Projections and Cartography (Grades 6-12)Collaborative Program (Listed Below)Other


    Portland Museum of Art (A Look Inside the McLellan House) and OML (Portland History)Portland Museum of Art (Land, Sea, and Sky - Maine Landscape) and OML (Maine Studies)Maine Historical Society (Portland History Expedition) and OML (Portland History)Maine Historical Society (Longfellow House Tour) and OML (Portland History)Victoria Mansion (Travel in the Victorian Era) and OML (Transatlantic Travel in the Age of Steam)Victoria Mansion (The Morse-Libby Mansion and its Surroundings) and OML (Portland History)Greater Portland Landmarks (Tour of Observatory and Eastern Cemetery) and OML (Maine History)Tate House (Colonial House Tour) and OML (Colonial New England Maps and Motivations)