Use a search term to find the digital exhibition or gallery that works best for you! Off to the left is a full list of the exhibitions and galleries. Each of those sections comes with a link to the main page for that virtual resource along with a downloadable PDF containing guiding questions and additional suggestions for classroom activities.
Each exhibition and gallery below has a suggested grade range and keywords. We suggest you do a page search (crtl + f on PC; command + f on Mac) for one of those options to help you find resources of interest!
This page was created with the assistance of Museum Guides, Caitlin O'Donnell and Caroline Phelps.
Explore a 1919 pamphlet on the “Americanization” of U.S. immigrants and compare it to the rhetoric of today.
Keywords/Topics: Immigration, 20th century U.S. history, Cultural Assimilation, Nationalism, Propaganda
Grades: 6,7,10, and 12 (U.S. History and Civics)
Can we capture a spirit in a photograph? Examine the efforts from the beginning of photography to now in preserving the afterlife and memories of loved ones and decide for yourself if these types of photographs were staged!
Keywords/Topics: Spiritualism, Photography, 20th century
Grades: 10
What is “useful knowledge?” This gallery showcases the history of the APS, some of its biggest accomplishments in the last 275 years, and some of the Society's most prized collections.
Keywords/Topics: U.S. History, Science, Native America, Founding Fathers
Grades: 9 - 12
This exhibit follows the papers of William Parker Foulke, an abolitionist and geologist, through abolition discourse and the ideas of the American Colonization Society. The Foulke papers demonstrate the controversy and complexity surrounding white abolitionists and America’s deep-rooted racism.
Keywords/Topics: Abolition, Slavery, Pennsylvania, American Colonization Society, 19th century
Grades: 9-12 (History), College
Have you ever wondered how the United States Postal Service began? Thanks to Ben Franklin’s meticulous records, it’s easy to see how the Postal Service got its start while using primary sources and modern graphs to break down the data from Franklin’s well-kept records.
Keywords/Topics: Data, Colonial History, Post Office, 18th century
Grades: 4,5, 8, and 12 Social Studies
In the early 20th century, Dr. Frank Gouldsmith Speck set out to photograph Indigenous communities throughout North America. Speck believed he was documenting “vanishing” Indigenous cultures, but instead captured the meshing of modernity with ages old customs within the communities.
Keywords/Topics: Native America, photography
Grades: 4,5, and 8
Explore the melding of scientific research and historic events from the pen of Britton Chance, a prolific inventor, biophysicist, and Olympic gold medalist.
Keywords/Topics: Biophysics, Scientific research, Science history, 20th century
Grades: 8-12
From William Penn's original land grant to now, time-travel through Chester County, PA and explore what we can learn from centuries of property documents.
Keywords/Topics: Deeds, Land, Pennsylvania, 17th century, 18th century, 19th century
Grades: 4,5,8,12 Social Studies
Take a virtual tour of the history of the Society’s Library Hall! Learn about the ups and downs of completing the project while taking a deep dive into the long history of the building.
Keywords/Topics: Philadelphia, Architecture, Map
Grades: 9 - 12
Explore the social and intellectual circle of Thomas Paine through an interactive graph to see how individuals connect, intersect, and are represented by the collections of the APS.
Keywords/Topics: Thomas Paine, Colonial America, Philosophy, 17th century
Grades: 8, 12
Maps were an essential part of building Early America into a nation. Learn about the map making process, the role of maps in controlling territories, and the importance of representation- or the lack thereof- in maps.
Keywords/Topics: Maps, Colonial America, Native America, 18th century, 19th century
Grades: 4,5, and 8
Mildred Cohn used innovative technologies and research to advance the field of medical technologies, helping to provide resources to develop the MRI. Explore her papers to learn about her research and advocacy in a male-dominated field.
Keywords/Topics: Science, physics, science history, women in science, 20th century
Grades: 8-11
This exhibit displays centuries of documentation of animals from the APS. Explore a range of items from the discussion of dragon flatulence in a medieval book to an early pamphlet from the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Keywords/Topics: Animals, Natural History, Science History,
Grades: 5, 6, 8. 9
Follow the journey of Henry Howard Houston II, a young Philadelphian who served and died in World War I, through his letters and photographs sent home from the frontlines.
Keywords/Topics: World War I, War letters, Photography, 20th century
Grades: 10 (History)