Educators
PhilaPlace presents an interpretive picture of the rich history, culture, and architecture of our neighborhoods, past and present. One of the key goals of PhilaPlace is to get teachers and students to use the PhilaPlace Web site to explore:
- Place as a lens for the interpretation of history and culture
- Mapping as a tool for historical and cultural inquiry
- Local history and how it informs our understanding of larger historical questions
- Historical and cultural change over time especially the city’s multiethnic landscape
PhilaPlace provides the following teacher resources and classroom activities aimed for grades 6 to12 aligned with Pennsylvania State Standards.
Students can learn more about a neighborhood's overall history by reading either of the following timelines:
Mapping Our Neighborhood History
Mapping Our Neighborhood History is a guide to developing a local history mapping project so that students can explore the history and culture of their own communities and neighborhoods.
Mapping South 4th Street to Fabric Row
This activity is designed to introduce students to GIS mapping through the exploration of maps showing the evolution of Philadelphia’s South 4th Street into Fabric Row.
Discovering the 9th Street Market: A Treasure Hunt for Clues to the Past
This treasure hunt activity is designed to get students to explore 9th Street —virtually or physically — and use these clues to the past to understand the history of the market and the transformation of its businesses and neighborhood over time.
South Philly Kaleidoscope: The 9th Street Market Mural
This activity uses the mural at 8th and Christian Street as a way to explore the history and changes in the 9th Street Market neighborhood and to learn about the role of public art.
Go to the Education section on the hsp.org site for more resources and classroom activities.