The following set of experiments was designed for students just beginning to study cholesteric liquid crystals. It contains all of the information on materials and apparatus needed to perform thermal mapping. Wherever possible, materials which are readily available have been chosen. The experiments progress, each one somewhat more difficult than the preceding. No attempt has been made to give an outline of the properties of liquid crystal phases, but the reader is referred to A. Saupe's review article [Angew. Chem. Internat. Edit.7, No. 2, 97 (1968)] on the subject.