School Lessons |  Experience Philadelphia™ |  Tours |  Homeschool |  Planning a Visit
	Your #1 resource for Philadelphia and regional history is waiting for you! The Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia (AKMP) has created a dramatic new environment for education programming, anchored by the world's largest map of Philadelphia, that is energizing the study of state and local history. New lessons, using the rich resources of the Philadelphia City History Collection and drawn from the recommendations of social studies specialists and teachers, provide students with access to primary source material that link the heritage of Philadelphia with the issues of contemporary life. AKMP's curriculum-based lessons serve as perfect introductions for Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies units on Philadelphia and American history. At AKMP:
Students become fully engaged in experiential learning, working with historical objects and primary documents in activities directed toward state and local standards. Programs have been created and are facilitated by experienced museum educators, who are skilled at engaging students and sharing their enthusiasm. Your class is within walking distance of Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, National Constitution Center and other premier museum of regional and national importance.

Grades 5 and above/ 75 minutes
Maximum number: 66 students
Quest for Freedom
Learn Philadelphia's role in the national story of the Underground Railroad and the anti-slavery movement in the 18th and 19th centuries. Drawn from the incomparable Philadelphia City History Collection, students examine and discuss the contemporary relevance of 15 empowering objects beginning with a silver bowl that accompanied an enslaved child from Jamaica to Philadelphia in 1692 and concluding with the c. 1910 Elk's lodge banner honoring slain Philadelphia voting rights activist, Octavius B. Catto. The program is held in the historic Museum Building where abolitionists met in the 1830's.

Admission Fees: $100, plus $4 per student; teachers and chaperones free.

Grades 3-8/ 75 minutes
Maximum number: 33 students
William Penn's Philadelphia: Vision and Reality
Meet William Penn-city planner, philosopher, religious leader, father, and real estate developer. Using artifacts and primary sources, students learn about Penn the man and his vision for a city that reflected religious diversity, served its citizens, and made money for its investors. Students become aware of the importance of compromise and the realities of urban life in North America 300 years ago. Penn's relations with Native Americans are presented. Students have the opportunity to view the famed wampum belt believed to have been presented to Penn by the Lenapi tribe at Shackamaxon. The lesson concludes with a discussion in which students draw their own conclusions concerning Penn's vision and consider its meaning for today.

Grades 1-4/ 60 minutes
Maximum number: 33 students
Where in the world is Philadelphia?
Students learn map skills and discover their own neighborhoods through activities that take place on the largest map of Philadelphia ever created! They learn directions, map symbols, coordinates, and scale by finding important city landmarks including Fairmount Park, the Schuylkill River, Independence Hall, and many more! At the conclusion of the lesson, each student receives an official AKMP Map Reader certificate.

Grades 4-8/ 75 minutes
Maximum number: 33 students
Philadelphia's People
What does it mean to leave a place called home, travel to another place, and then create a new home? The lesson focuses upon Philadelphia 100 years ago, when new arrivals from eastern and southern Europe and the southern United States were met by earlier immigrants from England, Ireland, and Germany as well as African Americans. Using artifacts from families and primary source documents, students engage in an inquiry process that provides insight into a period of dramatic growth in Philadelphia and helps students reflect upon the experience of immigrants and other newcomers to the city today.

Grades 4-8/ 75 minutes
Maximum number: 33 students
Made in Philadelphia
For over 300 years thousands of hand-crafted and machine-made products have carried the mark "Made in Philadelphia." Industrial objects from the Philadelphia City History Collection and primary documents introduce students to three centuries of people, work, and technology that caused Philadelphia to become known as the "Workshop of the World." Students learn about the importance of the region's rich natural resources in the growth of significant industries and how Philadelphia became one of the world centers of the Industrial Revolution.

Grades 3-8/ 60 minutes
Maximum number: 33 students
300 Years of Philadelphia History
In a fast-paced lesson students are introduced to William Penn's vision for the city, the people who have made Philadelphia their home, the major industries that have provided jobs, and the qualities that have made Philadelphia one of the important cities of the world. Using the floor map of Philadelphia, students learn important historical milestones through a fun, interactive walkabout activity and a short film featuring rare footage of Philadelphia.

Grades 4-8/ 60 minutes
Maximum number: 33 students
Crossroads of the Nation: Philadelphia 1776-1800
Philadelphia's seaport location between New England and the southern colonies, along with its urban amenities made the city an important crossroads for people, ideas, and products in the 17th century. Students use historical artifacts, primary documents, and group activity to learn about Philadelphia's role during the American Revolution and the early years of the new federal government. The lesson provides important context for visits to Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.

Adaptable for all grades/ 60 minutes
Maximum number: 66 students
Did you know that the AKMP Museum Building is over 175 years old and that for its first 100 years it was the original home of the Franklin Institute? Tours of the museum help students learn how to examine historic buildings as well as survey Philadelphia history through the Experience Philadelphia! orientation gallery. Engaging gallery activities, including the use of historical material from the Philadelphia City History Collection, provide students with the opportunity to delve into various aspects of the region's rich historical legacy.

AKMP is available for self-guided tours during group tour hours, although a reservation is required. Limitations on group size apply.

Reserve one of the school lessons listed above for your homeschool group of 10 or more students. To register homeschool groups call 215.685.4832.

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Download the Registration Form (Right Click and choose 'Save Target As' to save this form)

Size of Groups
AKMP limits the number of participants for its programs to provide a quality experience for those who visit. Larger groups are encouraged to incorporate visits to neighboring historical institutions. You may want to consider the following: