Mapping Our Portland
on exhibit at the Sam L. Cohen Children’s Library
Portland Public Library
July-August, 2017

Mapping Our Portland is a Side x Side map-making program for third graders at East End and Reiche Community Schools which integrates social studies and math curriculum with the arts. Teaching artists Molly Brown (of MollyMaps) and Leah Cross worked with classroom teachers and students throughout the year to develop mapping skills such as scale, perspective and symbology. In their own ‘atlases’, students drafted multiple maps of their homes, routes to school and local Portland landmarks. One map was selected from each student atlas to be traced and painted with watercolor. The resulting paintings were then creatively combined by the teaching artists to produce one cohesive map mural of Portland for each classroom.

Come and view the seven maps of Portland on display at the Sam L. Cohen Children’s Library!