Bring the archive to your K12 students with our collection of classroom-ready primary source sets designed to invite students to engage deeply with original materials from the Kislak Center of Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts. Grounded in inquiry and designed to spark curiosity, these resources support a wide range of teaching goals—encouraging learners to analyze evidence, consider multiple perspectives, and make meaningful connections through hands-on exploration of the past and present.
Looking for more hands-on support in working with primary sources? Kislak Unboxed is a teaching and learning initiative that partners classroom educators with an educator from the Kislak Center to bring archival materials directly into middle and high school classrooms.
To learn more or get involved, contact us at k12kislak@pobox.upenn.edu.
Available to download and print at no cost, our lesson plans include a selection of primary sources, guiding questions for students and teachers, and suggested supplementary materials.
This primary source set focuses on a series of photographs documenting homelessness in Philadelphia. The goal is to guide students through the process of analyzing documentary photographs. This set also challenges students to explore visual imagery as a form of activism, reflect on civic responsibility, and practice empathy.
