Accelerating Literacy thru a Historical Lens
Connecting Philadelphia's Students to the Past
and to Their Future
Accelerating Literacy thru a Historical Lens
Connecting Philadelphia's Students to the Past
and to Their Future
About AAMP Accelerates
Literacy Connections
AAMP Accelerates is dedicated to preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of our community through education and engagement. Our mission is to inspire curiosity and foster a deeper appreciation for the diversity of human culture.
Philadelphia's students will be connected to the past and to their futures through a one-of-a-kind experience that integrates Pennsylvania's academic standards, local history, and custom curated literacy curriculum designed for 6th grade+ students.
Philadelphia's educators will explore five key themes with their students surrounding the concepts of life and legacy such as:
Seek Superior Knowledge
Be Ready
Create Your Own Destiny
Use Your Gifts for the Good of Others
Choose to Be on the Right Side
Students will explore these themes through people, places, and events in Philadelphia's history. They will engage in reading comprehension-based writing opportunities that align to the PSSA. Each AAMP Accelerates module will focus on one of the themes listed above and intentionally connect to reading and writing standards at the targeted grade level.
The AAMP Accelerates modules are built to provide teachers with a preview of the content that students will learn about at AAMP and give them meaningful literacy opportunities to enhance the museum visit upon their return to school.
Each module contains background knowledge videos, picture support, rubrics, primary sources, writing examples, HBCU connections, and more!
Each AAMP Accelerates participating teacher has access to the custom SDP experience literacy-focused tasks.
To help teachers maximize the resources and visit to the AAMP, multi-platform professional learning opportunities are offered.
Note: Students also have opportunities to engage with experts and social and emotional learning leaders to create action plans for their own lives by using the model provided in the workbook and seminar series called Blueprint for a 360 Life. These opportunities are organized in collaboration with district and school leaders and provided directly thru The 360 Project. These are not part of the field trip experiences, but the seminar series, keynotes, and the like can be contracted to continue youth engagement throughout the year.
History Connections
The African American Museum of Philadelphia introduces visitors to people from the past who have contributed to the city's extraordinary history.
Using the blueprints for life that our ancestors have left for us, students will explore their own assets, values, possibilities, and strategies for living their own unique destiny.
We'll learn about people such as Octavius V. Catto, Frederick Douglass, Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield and their impact on civil rights.
We'll explore incredible stories of those who worked to help emancipate others via the Underground Railroad. Students will learn about William Still and how he collected and wrote the stories of hundreds of people who passed through the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society. His meticulous records helped families reunite after the end of the Civil War.
We'll uncover the mystery of Mary Bowser and her life as a spy for the Union Army. Mary was born into slavery in Richmond, Virginia, and eventually sent to Philadelphia to be educated. The reasons for the more than ordinary interest in Mary's education are a mystery as much as are the details of her eventual disappearance from historical records. However, it is known that upon the eruption of the Civil War, the Van Lew family's daughter, Elizabeth, organized a spy ring which included the amazing Mary Bowser. She is credited for infiltrating the White House of the Confederacy and stealing secrets from Jefferson Davis' office.
We'll follow legendary visionaries to create a blueprint for our own lives by connecting the lessons and passions from the past to our own experiences and destiny!
Please Join Us!
Educators' Night at the AAMP
Enjoy an evening of exploring the AAMP, its experiential learning opportunities, and the resources available to bring to life African American History!
Find Out More!
The AAMP Pop-Up Museum
Engage with history. See it. Touch it. Hear about it. The AAMP Pop-Up Museum aligns with the SDP African American History Course curriculum and can come to your school!
More Information to Come!
The AAMP Learning Journey
This week-long professional development experience allows educators time to engage with Dr. Hasan Kwame Jeffries as they learn about African American history. The Journey aligns with the SDP African American History Course curriculum and is available to selected educators.