Middle School | B&O Railroad Museum

Field Trips

For your middle school students, we offer hands-on, engaging field trips that promote problem solving, comprehension and social interaction using our collection of historic locomotives and rolling stock.

The programs below are developed using the most current MSDE curriculum standards for middle school students:

African American Railroading Legacy

In this program, students will learn about the legacy of African Americans on the railroad. From the laying of the first tracks and the B&O’s connection to the Underground Railroad, through the Civil War Era and into the Civil Rights Movement the African American experience has been intertwined with the history of the railroad.

Activities available for middle school students in this program:

Tour: From Slavery to Civil Rights: The African American Railroading Legacy
Workshop: Artifact Exploration: African American Contributions to the Railroad – In this workshop, students will use their critical thinking skills to examine a set of artifacts and determine who they might belong to. Using these artifacts students will then learn about the impact African American’s have had on the B&O Railroad throughout history.
Train Ride: Take a ride down the first mile of the B&O Railroad aboard the Mile One Express (available Wednesday-Friday)

MSDE Curriculum Standards:

MSDE 8^th grade Social Studies – Essential Question: How did regional tensions challenge national unity?
MSDE 8^th grade Social Studies – Essential Question: How does war impact and change society?
MSDE 8^th grade Social Studies – Essential Questions: How does a nation reconcile past injustices?

The Civil War

In this program, students will explore the world’s first major war that was fought using the railroad- The Civil War. Students will discover the impact the B&O Railroad had on the outcome of the Civil War through this program.

Activities available for middle school students in this program:

Tour: The Civil War: The War Came By Train
Workshop: Artifact Exploration: Life During the Civil War – In this workshop, students will use their critical thinking skills to examine a set of artifacts and determine who they might belong to. Using these artifacts students will then learn how different branches of the population, including soldiers, postal workers, children, freedom seekers and abolitionists interacted with each other and the railroad during the Civil War Era.
Train Ride: Take a ride down the first mile of the B&O Railroad aboard the Mile One Express (available Wednesday-Friday)

MSDE Curriculum Standards:

MSDE 8^th grade Social Studies – Essential Question: How did regional tensions challenge national unity?
MSDE 8^th grade Social Studies – Essential Question: What factors lead a country to civil war?
MSDE 8^th grade Social Studies – Essential Questions: How does war impact and change society?

Commerce on the Railroad

In this program, students will learn about the history of freight transport on the railroad. Learn about the different types of freight and how the railroad bolstered cultural diffusion around the world.

Activities available for middle school students in this program:

Tour: The B&O Goes Bananas: The Progression of Global Freight Transport
Workshop: PVC Freight Car Challenge – In this workshop, students will use their engineering skills to design and built a freight car out of PVC pipe capable of transporting various freight goods on a railroad obstacle course.
Train Ride: Take a ride down the first mile of the B&O Railroad aboard the Mile One Express (available Wednesday-Friday)

MSDE Curriculum Standards:

6th and 7th Grade MSDE Essential Question: Why study earth and the people who live on it?
6th and 7th Grade MSDE Essential Question: How did capitalism connect and divide people?
6th and 7th Grade MSDE Essential Question: Is globalization good for everyone?
Middle School US History MSDE Essential Question: Did the benefits of post-Civil War industrialization outweigh the costs?
Middle School US History MSDE Essential Question: Did American Westward Expansion challenge and promote national unity?

NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas:

ETS1.A: Defining and Delimiting an Engineering Problem
ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions
ETS1.C: Optimizing the Design Solution

Environmental Impact

In this program, students will learn about the impact the railroad has had on our environment. Using the different types of fuel used to power trains throughout history we will explore how they have contributed to climate change and what is being done today to prevent it.

Activities available for middle school students in this program:

Tour: Fueling America’s Railroads: Climate Change and the Evolution of Fuel Types
Workshop: Renewable Resources and Transportation Workshop – In this workshop, students will simulate the effects of using renewable and nonrenewable resources on our environment with different colored pony beads.
Train Ride: Take a ride down the first mile of the B&O Railroad aboard the Mile One Express (available Wednesday-Friday)

MSDE Social Studies Curriculum Standards:

6th and 7th Grade MSDE Essential Question: Why study earth and the people who live on it?
6th and 7th Grade MSDE Essential Question: Why is the environment a complex issue in the United States?
6th and 7th Grade MSDE Essential Question: Are industrialization and urbanization good for everyone?
6th and 7th Grade MSDE Essential Question: How does climate change force humans to live differently?

NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas:

MS-ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems
MS-ESS3.D: Global Climate Change

Global Conflict and the Railroad

Students will explore the contribution and involvement of the B&O Railroad during major global wars including the US Civil War, World War I and World War II.

Activities available for middle school students in this program:

Tour: Iron War Horses: The B&O’s Contributions During Global Conflict
Workshop: War and the Railroad Workshop – In this workshop, students will work in groups to experience the task put before the Pullman Palace Car Company, to quickly design and build a train car equipped for transporting as many soldiers as possible preparing to ship overseas to battle during World War II.
Train Ride: Take a ride down the first mile of the B&O Railroad aboard the Mile One Express (available Wednesday-Friday)

MSDE Curriculum Standards:

6th and 7th Grade MSDE Essential Question: How can the movement of ideas lead to change?

Maryland History on the B&O Railroad

In this program, students will learn how the B&O Railroad has contributed to the collective history of the state of Maryland. Use our historic collection of locomotives and rolling stock we will journey through the past 200 years of B&O history to discover the milestones of the railroad within the state of Maryland.

Activities available for middle school students in this program:

Tour: Maryland on the Rails: The B&O’s Contribution to Maryland History
Workshop: Morse Code on the B&O Workshop – In this workshop, students will learn all about the B&O Railroad’s connection to the telegraph by learning how to communicate using Morse Code and making a take-home keychain or necklace spelling their name in Morse Code!
Train Ride: Take a ride down the first mile of the B&O Railroad aboard the Mile One Express (available Wednesday-Friday)

MSDE Curriculum Standards:

8^th Grade Social Studies – Essential Question: What fostered the development of distinct regions in colonial North America?
8^th Grade Social Studies – Essential Question: How did regional tensions challenge national unity?
8^th Grade Social Studies – Essential Question: What factors lead a country to civil war?
8^th Grade Social Studies – Essential Question: How does a nation reconcile past injustices?

Railroad Technology

In this program, students will explore how the B&O Railroad has been the epicenter of technological advancements on the railroad throughout its history. Using our historic collection of locomotives and rolling stock students can learn about how technology influenced design changes to locomotives and get to build and race their own vehicles made from LEGOs on a test track.

Activities available for middle school students in this program:

Tour: Technology Changes: Innovations in Locomotive Design
Workshop: Engineer a Bridge Workshop – In this workshop, students will use their engineering design and problem-solving skills to build a model railroad bridge that can hold some weight without collapsing.
Train Ride: Take a ride down the first mile of the B&O Railroad aboard the Mile One Express (available Wednesday-Friday)

MSDE Curriculum Standards:

8^th Grade Social Studies – Essential Question: How did regional tensions challenge national unity?
8^th Grade Social Studies – Essential Questions: Did the benefits of post-Civil War industrialization outweigh the costs?

NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas:

ETS1.A: Defining and Delimiting an Engineering Problem
ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions
ETS1.C: Optimizing the Design Solution

The Underground Railroad

Activities available for middle school students in this program:

Tour: “The Underground Railroad: A Path to Freedom”
Workshop: Reflecting on History Through Art Workshop – In this workshop, students will explore ways of reflecting on history through the creative process. Using the work of Harlem Renaissance artist, Aaron Douglas, students will reflect on the history of the Underground Railroad by creating a piece of art in the style of Aaron Douglas.
Train Ride: Take a ride down the first mile of the B&O Railroad aboard the Mile One Express (available Wednesday-Friday)

MSDE Curriculum Standards:

MSDE Social Studies – Essential Question: How did regional tensions challenge national unity?
MSDE Social Studies – Essential Question: How can individuals and groups affect social change?

Build Your Own Field Trip

Mix and match activities from available themes to build your own field trip. Activities from other grade levels are available too but may not be aligned to middle school curriculum standards.

Ready to book your program?

Questions about our programs?

Contact our Education Department at Edu@BORail.org