1918 Spanish Flu Primary Sources Escape Room — Philadelphia Liberty Loan Parade | Grades 8–10

1918 Spanish Flu primary sources in a print-and-go classroom escape room (The Broad Street Case File) for grades 8–10: one class period (45–60 minutes) built on five real documents from Philadelphia’s Liberty Loan parade week during the 1918 influenza epidemic (Sept. 28 – Oct. 3, 1918). Teams of 3–5 play health-office clerks. Every lock code comes from the document in front of them. The game ends with an evidence answer: two quoted lines on whether the city’s closing order came too late.

See how it plays first: free 1-page how-it-works PDF — itch.io preview

Free 15-minute sample: a Station 1 excerpt half-sheet (no codes, no answer key) is on the itch.io page: https://archivetrail.itch.io/broad-street-case-file

• Five stations, each with one real 1918 Philadelphia source (Evening Public Ledger, U.S. Public Health Service leaflet, National Archives records)

• Student case file, teacher key (codes, accepted answers, traps, hint ladders, debrief), and printable props / station signs

• Works with or without physical locks

• ZIP of print-ready PDFs: student case file (10 pp), teacher key (5 pp), props & station signs (8 pp). No photos.

• Every quotation cited with a link; students play clerks sorting records, not patients or families

• Content note: the kit covers the 1918 influenza epidemic, in which many people died

Seasonal note (flu season / National Influenza Vaccination Week, Dec 6–12): teachers often pair a present-day flu unit with a 1918 history lesson. This printable escape room uses five real Philadelphia documents from Sept. 28 – Oct. 3, 1918 — the Liberty Loan parade week that ends in the city’s closing order for schools, theatres and churches. Grades 8–10, one class period.

Seasonal note (Veterans Day / Armistice week): this is a WWI home-front history activity, not a veterans tribute. Fall 1918 Philadelphia — a Liberty Loan war-bond parade on Broad Street, then a public-health closing order five days later — told through contemporary newspaper, Public Health Service, and National Archives records. Students argue from evidence: was the closing order late?

How this was made: AI tools helped draft the notes, questions, and answer key, and helped find and format the source excerpts. Every quotation was checked word for word against its cited source. The historical documents are public-domain originals, quoted as printed — not AI-generated. Preview images come from the actual pack pages; no AI images are used.

Licence: Classroom licence: granted by the rights holder in addition to the store's standard End User Licence. One teacher may copy and print this pack for their own students and post it in a closed class LMS. No reposting, resale or sharing with other teachers. Extra teachers need their own licence. Need copies for other teachers? Message us.

Refunds. This is a digital download, so it can't be returned once you have downloaded it. If you change your mind before downloading, don't download the file: message us and we'll arrange a full refund. If a file is faulty, won't open, or isn't what this page describes, message us and we'll fix it or refund you in full. Any sourcing error you report (a wrong quote, date, speaker or citation) is corrected free, at any time, and we send you the corrected files.

FAQ

What grades is this for?

Grades 8–10 (middle / early high school social studies). Teams of 3–5.

How long does it take?

One class period — about 45–60 minutes of play, plus a short debrief if you want it.

What’s in the ZIP?

Print-ready PDFs: student case file (10 pages), teacher key (5 pages: codes, accepted answers, traps, hint ladders, timing, debrief), and props & station signs (8 pages). No photos in the kit. Locks are optional — check codes by hand or with envelopes.

How do I use it in class?

Print the case file and props, set five station signs, and hand each team the opening page. Students play health-office clerks reading real 1918 Philadelphia documents (Evening Public Ledger, U.S. Public Health Service leaflet, National Archives records). Every lock code is printed in the document in front of them. The game ends with an evidence answer: two quoted lines on whether the city’s closing order came too late. Content note: the kit covers the 1918 influenza epidemic; students are clerks sorting records, not patients or families.

Classroom licence: for use with your own students. Preview the free how-it-works sheet on itch if you want the setup before buying: https://archivetrail.itch.io/broad-street-case-file