Field Trips
For your high 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 high 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 high school students in this program:
- Tour: From Slavery to Civil Rights: The African American Railroading Legacy
- Workshop: Reflecting on History through Monoprint Design Workshop
- 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:
- HS US History – Essential Question: To what extent can individuals and groups change society?
- HS US History – Essential Question: Were the freedom movements successful in achieving equality for Americans?
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 high school students in this program:
- Tour: The B&O Goes Bananas: The Progression of Global Freight Transport
- Workshop: PVC Freight Car Challenge
- 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:
- HS US History – Essential Question: Did American Westward Expansion challenge and promote national unity?
- HS US History – Essential Question: Was American imperialistic growth consistent with democratic ideals?
NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas:
- ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions
- ETS1.C: Optimizing the Design Solution
- ETS1.A: Defining and Delimiting an Engineering Problem
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 high school students in this program:
- Tour: Fueling America’s Railroads: Climate Change and the Evolution of Fuel Types
- Workshop: Climate Change and Transportation Workshop
- 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:
- HS US History – Essential Question: Did the benefits of post-Civil War industrialization outweigh the costs?
- HS US History – Essential Question: Did the 1920s preserve the past or invent the future?
NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas:
- HS-ESS2.D: Weather and Climate
- HS–ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems
- HS-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 high school students in this program:
- Tour: Iron War Horses: The B&O’s Contributions During Global Conflict
- Workshop: War and the Railroad Workshop
- 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:
- HS US History – Essential Question: How did involvement in a global conflict change America?
- HS US History – Essential Question: Did the 1920s preserve the past or invent the future?
- HS US History – Essential Question: What is the role of the United States in world affairs in times of crisis?
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 high school students in this program:
- Tour: Maryland on the Rails: The B&O’s Contribution to Maryland History
- Workshop: Maryland History Stations
- 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:
- HS US History – Essential Question: To what extent did post-war economic growth distribute benefits equitably?
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 high school students in this program:
- Tour: Technology Changes: Innovations in Locomotive Design
- Workshop: Engineer a Bridge STEM Workshop
- Train Ride: Take a ride down the first mile of the B&O Railroad aboard the Mile One Express (available Wednesday-Friday)
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 high school curriculum standards.
Ready to book your program?
Questions about our programs?
Contact our Education Department at Edu@BORail.org
