American History: Elevating Black Voices (6-12)
13 Activities
Grades 6 - 12
9 Hours 10 Minutes
Overview
The American History: Elevating Black Voices Collection is a weekly, inquiry-driven playlist that invites learners to examine how storytelling, innovation, creativity, and leadership shape American history and civic life. Through complex texts, Innovator Trading Cards, and theme-based activities across literacy, STEM, the arts, and collaborative problem-solving, students engage with lesser-known Black Americans—whose contributions have influenced systems, culture, and community change. Each week introduces a thematic lens that builds historical analysis, critical reading, argumentation, and interdisciplinary thinking, culminating in a challenge-based game that requires evidence, reasoning, and collaboration. Designed to support meaningful discussion and application, this Collection highlights innovation as a collective process and underscores the power of amplifying voices that shape our shared history.
This collection is designed to have learners apply ideas from the weekly themes introduced through the Innovator Playing Cards with additional related activities; it is recommended to follow this sequence to maintain consistency:
Week 1: Storytelling and Voice
Designing Innovator Trading Cards
What Makes a Good Story?
One Minute Speeches
Erasure Poetry as Resistance
Week 2: Inventing and Problem Solving
Designing Innovator Trading Cards
Cell City
Catapult (Team Building) Game
Build an Extension Arm
Week 3: Creativity and Expression
Designing Innovator Trading Cards
Create a Cardboard Self-Portrait
Improv: Say the Line
How to Look at Dance
Week 4: Leadership and Change
Designing Innovator Trading Cards
Playing Innovator Trading Cards
Analyzing and Constructing Timelines of Racial (In)justice
Dream Team
Designing Innovator Trading Cards (6-12)
Literacy, History and Society
Grades 6 - 12
Designing Innovator Trading Cards (6-12)
Mizzen Education, Inc.
6 - 12
1 Hour
In this activity, learners examine the lives and contributions of lesser-known Black American innovators—past and present—through close reading, discussion, and synthesis. Each week introduces a new theme that highlights a different way people shape communities and history. Learners create Innovator Trading Cards that capture key details about each innovator and prepare those cards for use in a collaborative, challenge-based game later in the playlist. This activity supports historical understanding, literacy skills, and critical thinking by asking learners to connect individual contributions to broader themes of innovation, culture, and community impact.
This is the first of two activities in the Innovator Trading Card Collection:
Activity 1 focuses on the theme of the week, learning about the innovators and their influence, and designing the innovator trading cards.
Activity 2 focuses on facilitating the associated game to reinforce learning.
Discover Activity
What Makes a Good Video Story? (Student Reporting Labs)
Digital Media and Communications, Literacy
Grades 6 - 12
What Makes a Good Video Story? (Student Reporting Labs)
PBS
6 - 12
50 Minutes
Discover Activity
One Minute Speeches
Literacy, Social and Emotional Awareness
Grades 6 - 12
One Minute Speeches
After-School All-Stars
6 - 12
10 Minutes
Discover Activity
Erasure Poetry as Resistance
History and Society, Literacy
Grades 6 - 12
Erasure Poetry as Resistance
Pulitzer Center
6 - 12
45 Minutes
Discover Activity
Cell City
STEM, Nature and Wildlife
Grades 6 - 12
Cell City
OregonASK
6 - 12
45 Minutes
Discover Activity
Catapult (Team Building) Game
STEM, Leadership and Teamwork
Grades 6 - 12
Catapult (Team Building) Game
!Mpact Players
6 - 12
30 Minutes
Discover Activity
Build An Extension Arm
STEM, Nature and Wildlife
Grades 6 - 12
Build An Extension Arm
OregonASK
6 - 12
45 Minutes
Discover Activity
Create A Cardboard Self-Portrait
Arts, Social and Emotional Awareness
Grades K - 12
Create A Cardboard Self-Portrait
Rediscover Center
K - 12
45 Minutes
Discover Activity
Improv: Say the Line
Arts, Literacy
Grades 6 - 12
Improv: Say the Line
Mizzen Education, Inc.
6 - 12
45 Minutes
Discover Activity
How to Look at Dance
Arts, Literacy
Grades 9 - 12
How to Look at Dance
ArtsConnection
9 - 12
1 Hour 30 Minutes
Discover Activity
Playing Innovator Trading Cards (6-12)
Leadership and Teamwork, History and Society
Grades 6 - 12
Playing Innovator Trading Cards (6-12)
Mizzen Education, Inc.
6 - 12
1 Hour
In this culminating activity, learners use their completed Innovator Trading Cards to solve community-based challenges. Each challenge requires a balanced team of innovators, with one innovator from each theme. Learners must justify their team choices and explain how different kinds of contributions work together to address complex problems.
This is the second of two activities in the Innovator Trading Card Collection:
Activity 1 focuses on the theme of the week, learning about the innovators and their influence, and designing the innovator trading cards.
Activity 2 focuses on facilitating the associated game to reinforce learning.
Discover Activity
Analyzing and Constructing Timelines of Racial (In)justice
History and Society, Social and Emotional Awareness
Grades 6 - 12
Analyzing and Constructing Timelines of Racial (In)justice
Pulitzer Center
6 - 12
45 Minutes
Discover Activity
Dream Team
Career and Future Readiness, Leadership and Teamwork
Grades 6 - 12
Dream Team
VentureLab
6 - 12
45 Minutes
Discover Activity
American History: Elevating Black Voices (6-12)
American History: Elevating Black Voices (6-12)
Grades 6 - 12
9 Hours 10 Minutes
Overview
Designing Innovator Trading Cards (6-12)
Literacy, History and Society
Grades 6 - 12
Designing Innovator Trading Cards (6-12)
Mizzen Education, Inc.
6 - 12
1 Hour
In this activity, learners examine the lives and contributions of lesser-known Black American innovators—past and present—through close reading, discussion, and synthesis. Each week introduces a new theme that highlights a different way people shape communities and history. Learners create Innovator Trading Cards that capture key details about each innovator and prepare those cards for use in a collaborative, challenge-based game later in the playlist. This activity supports historical understanding, literacy skills, and critical thinking by asking learners to connect individual contributions to broader themes of innovation, culture, and community impact.
This is the first of two activities in the Innovator Trading Card Collection:
Activity 1 focuses on the theme of the week, learning about the innovators and their influence, and designing the innovator trading cards.
Activity 2 focuses on facilitating the associated game to reinforce learning.
Discover Activity
What Makes a Good Video Story? (Student Reporting Labs)
Digital Media and Communications, Literacy
Grades 6 - 12
What Makes a Good Video Story? (Student Reporting Labs)
PBS
6 - 12
50 Minutes
Discover Activity
One Minute Speeches
Literacy, Social and Emotional Awareness
Grades 6 - 12
One Minute Speeches
After-School All-Stars
6 - 12
10 Minutes
Discover Activity
Erasure Poetry as Resistance
History and Society, Literacy
Grades 6 - 12
Erasure Poetry as Resistance
Pulitzer Center
6 - 12
45 Minutes
Discover Activity
Cell City
STEM, Nature and Wildlife
Grades 6 - 12
Cell City
OregonASK
6 - 12
45 Minutes
Discover Activity
Catapult (Team Building) Game
STEM, Leadership and Teamwork
Grades 6 - 12
Catapult (Team Building) Game
!Mpact Players
6 - 12
30 Minutes
Discover Activity
Build An Extension Arm
STEM, Nature and Wildlife
Grades 6 - 12
Build An Extension Arm
OregonASK
6 - 12
45 Minutes
Discover Activity
Create A Cardboard Self-Portrait
Arts, Social and Emotional Awareness
Grades K - 12
Create A Cardboard Self-Portrait
Rediscover Center
K - 12
45 Minutes
Discover Activity
Improv: Say the Line
Arts, Literacy
Grades 6 - 12
Improv: Say the Line
Mizzen Education, Inc.
6 - 12
45 Minutes
Discover Activity
How to Look at Dance
Arts, Literacy
Grades 9 - 12
How to Look at Dance
ArtsConnection
9 - 12
1 Hour 30 Minutes
Discover Activity
Playing Innovator Trading Cards (6-12)
Leadership and Teamwork, History and Society
Grades 6 - 12
Playing Innovator Trading Cards (6-12)
Mizzen Education, Inc.
6 - 12
1 Hour
In this culminating activity, learners use their completed Innovator Trading Cards to solve community-based challenges. Each challenge requires a balanced team of innovators, with one innovator from each theme. Learners must justify their team choices and explain how different kinds of contributions work together to address complex problems.
This is the second of two activities in the Innovator Trading Card Collection:
Activity 1 focuses on the theme of the week, learning about the innovators and their influence, and designing the innovator trading cards.
Activity 2 focuses on facilitating the associated game to reinforce learning.
Discover Activity
Analyzing and Constructing Timelines of Racial (In)justice
History and Society, Social and Emotional Awareness
Grades 6 - 12
Analyzing and Constructing Timelines of Racial (In)justice
Pulitzer Center
6 - 12
45 Minutes
Discover Activity
Dream Team
Career and Future Readiness, Leadership and Teamwork
Grades 6 - 12
Dream Team
VentureLab
6 - 12
45 Minutes
Discover Activity
Copyright © 2026, Mizzen Education, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on a mission to empower, uplift and support out-of-school time educators.
Copyright © 2026, Mizzen Education, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on a mission to empower, uplift and support out-of-school time educators.