Unpacking the Past
Bringing the past to life for 6th and 7th grade students in Philadelphia
Open today 10 am – 5 pm
Bringing the past to life for 6th and 7th grade students in Philadelphia
Serving over 6,000 Philadelphia Title I middle school students each year in their own schools and on campus.
Since 2014, Unpacking the Past—an innovative partnership with the School District of Philadelphia—has brought archaeological collections to life for 6th and 7th grade classrooms studying the ancient world. The multi-stage program enriches Common Core curricula in social studies, art, and science through vividly presented scenarios in the ancient world.
Unpacking the Past is offered entirely free of charge, including bus transportation, to every Title I middle school in Philadelphia, including Autistic Support and Life Skills support classes.
This program makes artifacts come alive and gives students a different perspective of a museum. Instead of a museum being simply a collection of ‘old stuff,’ students recognize the artifacts as examples of culture of a once-living society of people. It makes history REAL for students! My kids LOVE this program year after year.
Since 2014, the Unpacking the Past program has worked closely with more than 40,000 middle school students and teachers in the School District of Philadelphia. Hear from students, teachers, and Museum educators involved with this innovative program.
Unpacking the Past is an exceptional opportunity for middle school students to explore universal themes across cultures and centuries. What makes us human? What connects us to people that lived long ago? The program enhances appreciation of history. Through hands-on experiential lessons, students learn to think critically and ask questions about the world.
Unpacking the Past was founded by a lead challenge grant from GRoW@Annenberg and continues to be made possible by generous support from Penn Museum members and other individuals, foundations, and corporations.
