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Bringing History to Life: An Evaluation of the Penn Museum's Unpacking the Past Program

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Title: Bringing History to Life: An Evaluation of the Penn Museum's Unpacking the Past Program
Language: English
Authors: Tracey Hartmann, Taylor Stenley, Research for Action (RFA)
Source: Research for Action. 2025.
Availability: Research for Action. 100 South Broad Street Suite 700, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Tel: 215-823-2500; Fax: 215-823-2510; e-mail: info@researchforaction.org; Web site: http://www.researchforaction.org
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 60
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Reports - Research-practitioner Partnerships
Reports - Research
Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Elementary Education
Grade 6
Intermediate Grades
Middle Schools
Grade 7
Junior High Schools
Secondary Education
Descriptors: Museums, History Instruction, Nonschool Educational Programs, Informal Education, Grade 6, Grade 7, Urban Schools, Program Effectiveness, Middle School Students, Middle School Teachers, Field Trips, Experiential Learning
Geographic Terms: Pennsylvania (Philadelphia)
Abstract: The City of Philadelphia boasts a rich array of world class cultural institutions that offer educational programming for children and youth. Research suggests that these informal learning opportunities can be a resource for schools to support student learning and develop student interest and engagement (DeWitt & Storksdieck, 2008; Erickson et al., 2022). The Penn Museum commissioned Research for Action (RFA) to conduct an evaluation of its Unpacking the Past (UtP) program, an educational program that introduces sixth and seventh grade students in the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) to the Museum's world-renowned archeology and anthropology collection. The initiative is an expression of the Museum's commitment to engage its Philadelphia community and to the overarching goal of the program to "inspire students and teachers to feel welcome and included at the Penn Museum and museums in general" (Penn Museum 2023). More specifically, the program seeks to increase students' understanding of and connection to human history through themes of color, trade, power, language, and innovation, and aligns with SDP's English Language Arts (ELA) and social studies curricula. The UtP program consists of a pre-lesson at school, a guided museum tour, an opportunity for self-guided exploration at the Museum, and a hands-on workshop at the Museum. Students also receive free museum passes that enable them to return to the Museum with their families in the future. Additionally, UtP arranges and pays for bus transportation to the Museum. The evaluation offers an opportunity to understand the benefits of the museum field trip for student learning and engagement. It also provides an opportunity to identify lessons for other field trip experiences serving adolescents in Philadelphia and ways in which these experiences can be fully leveraged by Philadelphia's principals and teachers.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: ED679329
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED679329
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PubType: Report
PubTypeId: report
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IllustrationInfo
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  Label: Title
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  Data: Bringing History to Life: An Evaluation of the Penn Museum's Unpacking the Past Program
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  Label: Language
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  Data: English
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Tracey+Hartmann%22">Tracey Hartmann</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Taylor+Stenley%22">Taylor Stenley</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Research+for+Action+%28RFA%29%22">Research for Action (RFA)</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Research+for+Action%22"><i>Research for Action</i></searchLink>. 2025.
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  Label: Availability
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  Data: Research for Action. 100 South Broad Street Suite 700, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Tel: 215-823-2500; Fax: 215-823-2510; e-mail: info@researchforaction.org; Web site: http://www.researchforaction.org
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  Label: Peer Reviewed
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  Data: N
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  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 60
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
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  Label: Document Type
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  Data: Reports - Research-practitioner Partnerships<br />Reports - Research<br />Tests/Questionnaires
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– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Museums%22">Museums</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22History+Instruction%22">History Instruction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Nonschool+Educational+Programs%22">Nonschool Educational Programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Informal+Education%22">Informal Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+6%22">Grade 6</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+7%22">Grade 7</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Urban+Schools%22">Urban Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Program+Effectiveness%22">Program Effectiveness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Middle+School+Students%22">Middle School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Middle+School+Teachers%22">Middle School Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Field+Trips%22">Field Trips</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Experiential+Learning%22">Experiential Learning</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pennsylvania+%28Philadelphia%29%22">Pennsylvania (Philadelphia)</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: The City of Philadelphia boasts a rich array of world class cultural institutions that offer educational programming for children and youth. Research suggests that these informal learning opportunities can be a resource for schools to support student learning and develop student interest and engagement (DeWitt & Storksdieck, 2008; Erickson et al., 2022). The Penn Museum commissioned Research for Action (RFA) to conduct an evaluation of its Unpacking the Past (UtP) program, an educational program that introduces sixth and seventh grade students in the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) to the Museum's world-renowned archeology and anthropology collection. The initiative is an expression of the Museum's commitment to engage its Philadelphia community and to the overarching goal of the program to "inspire students and teachers to feel welcome and included at the Penn Museum and museums in general" (Penn Museum 2023). More specifically, the program seeks to increase students' understanding of and connection to human history through themes of color, trade, power, language, and innovation, and aligns with SDP's English Language Arts (ELA) and social studies curricula. The UtP program consists of a pre-lesson at school, a guided museum tour, an opportunity for self-guided exploration at the Museum, and a hands-on workshop at the Museum. Students also receive free museum passes that enable them to return to the Museum with their families in the future. Additionally, UtP arranges and pays for bus transportation to the Museum. The evaluation offers an opportunity to understand the benefits of the museum field trip for student learning and engagement. It also provides an opportunity to identify lessons for other field trip experiences serving adolescents in Philadelphia and ways in which these experiences can be fully leveraged by Philadelphia's principals and teachers.
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  Data: 2026
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  Label: Accession Number
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  Data: ED679329
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED679329
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 60
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Museums
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: History Instruction
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Nonschool Educational Programs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Informal Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 6
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 7
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Urban Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Program Effectiveness
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Middle School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Middle School Teachers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Field Trips
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Experiential Learning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Pennsylvania (Philadelphia)
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Bringing History to Life: An Evaluation of the Penn Museum's Unpacking the Past Program
        Type: main
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          Name:
            NameFull: Research for Action (RFA)
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          Name:
            NameFull: Tracey Hartmann
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Taylor Stenley
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          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 06
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
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