Independence National Historical Park - Plan A Field Trip (U.S. National Park Service)

Teacher Tips: Planning the Perfect Trip!

Use these information sheets to help you plan your trip:

Independence Hall Tickets -
TICKETS ARE REQUIRED TO TOUR INDEPENDENCE HALL !

March - December Tickets/Reservation information

Map of Independence National Historical Park

Movies shown in the Independence Visitor Center

Would you like to book a school program for your class? Take a look at our IPI School Programs:

Daily Life and Diversity in 18th Century Philadelphia
How do we know what life was like in the 18th century, and how is it similar or different to your life today?

Before their field trip to the park, students use web-based activities to learn about daily life in four households in 1790s Philadelphia. During their site visit, classes use their time in the learning labs to become historians and archeologists for a day. They examine documents, images, and artifacts in order to learn about life in the past. Students then explore related stories and resources of Independence National Historical Park.

Quest for Freedom:
Slavery and the Underground Railroad in Philadelphia [ lesson plans ]
What do you think are the most important lessons learned from the stories and leaders of the Underground Railroad and how can you apply them in your life?

Before their field trip to the park, teachers use pre-visit lessons and activities to provide important background knowledge about African cultures, the Atlantic slave trade, abolitionists, and the Underground Railroad. During their site visit, classes explore related stories and resources of Independence National Historical Park by taking a walking tour or experiencing an illustrated program that focuses on Philadelphia’s connections and significant contributions to anti-slavery efforts in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Benjamin Franklin [lesson plans ]
Franklin was determined to use his intelligence and ability to make his world a better place. How can you use your talents to make a positive contribution to your community?

Before their field trip to the park, teachers use pre-visit lessons and activities to help their students understand Benjamin Franklin’s many contributions to Philadelphia and the new nation. During their site visit, classes use their time in the learning lab to explore Franklin’s life and work through hands-on activities like playing a glass armonica, setting type for a printing press, and experimenting with electricity. Students then explore related stories and resources of Independence National Historical Park, especially the Printing Office, the Fragments of Franklin Court archeology exhibit, and the Underground Museum at Franklin Court.

Archeology: History Found in Pieces [ lesson plans ]
How do we learn from what others left behind? What will others learn from us in the future?

Students will get to take on the role of archeologists and piece together the stories of the buried past. They will get hands-on experience from replica artifacts and then have the opportunity to see real archeologists at work processing artifacts from the dig at the National Constitution Center. 10 minute video

The Liberty Bell: A Symbol for "We the People" [ lesson plans ]
How does an ordinary bell become an international symbol for liberty and freedom?

The Liberty Bell learning lab is a new educational space in Independence National Historical Park where students will use primary source documents and objects to research the symbolism of the bell. The focus of the on-site program The Liberty Bell: A Symbol for "We the People" will be on how a broken bell became an icon of ourselves, our country, and the world. It will discuss how this transformation took place by looking at each event in history associated with the bell. Students will see how each event gave the Bell more legitimacy as a symbol. The pre-visit lesson plans are currently available using the link above.