Field Trips
For your 3rd grade 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 3rd grade students:
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 3rd grade students in this program:
- Tour: Fueling America’s Railroads: Climate Change and the Evolution of Fuel Types
- Workshop: The Carbon Cycle Workshop – In this workshop, students will trace the life cycle of an atom of carbon by moving around the room to different stations representing the carbon atoms path. Each student will create a timeline bracelet to take home representing their journey as a carbon atom, made from pony beads and chenille sticks.
- Railroad Storytime: Includes a storybook read a-loud and an accompanying activity. Choose between The Story of Climate Change by Catherine Barr and Steve Williams or The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge by Joanne Cole and Bruce Dugan
- 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: What impact does economic development have on Maryland’s natural environment?
NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas:
- 3-ESS2.D: Weather and Climate
- 3-ESS3.B: Natural Hazards
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 3rd grade 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!
- Railroad Storytime: Includes a storybook read a-loud and an accompanying activity. Choose between B is for Blue Crab: A Maryland Alphabet by Shirley Menendez or Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad by Ellen Levin and Kadir Nelson
- 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: Why do industries differ across the state of Maryland?
- MSDE Social Studies – Essential Question: How are people impacted by economic development in Maryland?
- MSDE Social Studies – Essential Question: What impact does economic development have on Maryland’s natural environment?
- MSDE Social Studies – Essential Question: How did people live in the past?
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 3rd grade students in this program:
- Tour: Technology Changes: Innovations in Locomotive Design
- Workshop: On Your Mark, Get Set, Go! LEGO Workshop – In this workshop, students will use their knowledge of motion and engineering design to build a car out of LEGOs. They will get a chance to race against their classmates on our racetrack before making any necessary design changes to their cars.
- 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 are people impacted by economic development in Maryland?
- MSDE Social Studies – Essential Question: What impact does economic development have on Maryland’s natural environment?
NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas:
- ETS1.A: Defining and Delimiting an Engineering Problem
- ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions
- ETS1.C: Optimizing the Design Solution
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 3rd grade curriculum standards.
Ready to book your program?
Questions about our programs?
Contact our Education Department at Edu@BORail.org
