Mizzen Education Logo
Mizzen Education Logo

Mizzen for Teams

Donate!

Try "STEM"

Featured

Explore

Collections

Collaborators

QIPs

Activities to Engage with 'The 1619 Project'

11 Activities

More from this collaborator

Grades 6 - 12

11 Hours 15 Minutes

Overview

Welcome to The 1619 Project playlist for afterschool educators!

These activities give various entry points into exploring the legacy of slavery in contemporary U.S. systems and society, and celebrating Black Americans' contributions to democracy. Each activity is designed for facilitation across one or two 45-minute sessions, and can be completed in any order. To provide a strong foundation for exploring the project, consider starting with the activities entitled "Introducing The 1619 Project," "The Idea of America," and/or "Visualizing the Legacy of Slavery."

Activities in this playlist engage images, podcasts, video, and text excerpts from the project. Students will have the opportunity to connect with the content and one another through meaningful discussions and collaborative team challenges; deepen their research and presentation skills by sharing stories of Black innovators; activate their creativity through writing and visual art; hone their media literacy skills; build historical knowledge; and more.

The 1619 Project is an initiative of The New York Times Magazine that challenges us to reframe U.S. history by marking the year when the first enslaved Africans arrived on Virginia soil as our nation's foundational date. The Pulitzer Center is the official education partner for the project.

Quality Instructional Practices

Creating Group Norms

Mindful Strategies for Leading Difficult Conversations

Making 'The 1619 Project' Accessible for Younger Learners

The Idea of America: Celebrating Black Americans' Contributions to Democracy

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

The Idea of America: Celebrating Black Americans' Contributions to Democracy

6 - 12

45 Minutes

Students evaluate how the values stated in the Declaration of Independence have manifested in U.S. society, and examine what it would mean to reframe U.S. history by considering 1619 the country’s founding date. Students read and discuss excerpts from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones’s introductory essay to The 1619 Project.

Discover Activity

The Idea of America: Celebrating Black Americans' Contributions to Democracy

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Symbols of Democracy: Exploring the '1619' Podcast

We The People, Digital Voices

Symbols of Democracy: Exploring the '1619' Podcast

6 - 12

1 Hour 30 Minutes

Students develop a deeper understanding of how the U.S. is still working to achieve its ideals by engaging with the 1619 podcast episode 1, “The Fight for a True Democracy." Students will develop personal definitions of democracy and freedom, and will share a symbol of democracy as they define it using visual art. This activity is designed for two 45-minute periods or one 90-minute period.

Discover Activity

Symbols of Democracy: Exploring the '1619' Podcast

We The People, Digital Voices

Introducing 'The 1619 Project'

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Introducing 'The 1619 Project'

6 - 12

45 Minutes

Students analyze and discuss the main ideas of The 1619 Project after watching a video in which Nikole Hannah-Jones introduces the project. They then explore how the legacy of slavery can be seen in modern life through a pair activity, and reflect on themes and issues related to Black history they want to know more about.

Discover Activity

Introducing 'The 1619 Project'

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Visualizing the Legacy of Slavery: Gallery Walk and Quote Museum

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Visualizing the Legacy of Slavery: Gallery Walk and Quote Museum

6 - 12

45 Minutes

Students will learn about the ways in which slavery’s legacy persists in U.S. systems and society by examining images and text in an engaging gallery walk activity. They will also practice visually communicating tone and information to others by creating a group “quote museum.”

Discover Activity

Visualizing the Legacy of Slavery: Gallery Walk and Quote Museum

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Analyzing and Constructing Timelines of Racial (In)justice

Belonging and Community, We The People

Analyzing and Constructing Timelines of Racial (In)justice

6 - 12

45 Minutes

Students reflect on how myths about history are perpetuated, analyze a timeline of racial (in)justice from The 1619 Project, and collaborate to build timelines that illustrate how the fight for racial justice continues in their own lifetimes.

Discover Activity

Analyzing and Constructing Timelines of Racial (In)justice

Belonging and Community, We The People

Exploring Primary Sources from 'The 1619 Project'

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Exploring Primary Sources from 'The 1619 Project'

6 - 12

45 Minutes

Students examine primary sources on the history of enslavement, curated by Mary Elliott of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Discover Activity

Exploring Primary Sources from 'The 1619 Project'

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Fact-sorting Challenge: Examining Common Myths About U.S. Slavery

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Fact-sorting Challenge: Examining Common Myths About U.S. Slavery

6 - 12

45 Minutes

Students learn about common inaccuracies in how slavery is taught and then strengthen their own knowledge and media literacy skills by working together to distinguish myths from facts, using credible sources.

Discover Activity

Fact-sorting Challenge: Examining Common Myths About U.S. Slavery

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Reclaiming Narratives: Creative Accounts of Black History

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Reclaiming Narratives: Creative Accounts of Black History

6 - 12

1 Hour 30 Minutes

Students explore creative accounts of underrepresented or misrepresented events in Black history. After considering the power of creative writing as a means to process and interpret history, they will write their own creative reimagining of a historical event.

This activity is designed for two 45-minute periods or one 90-minute period.

Discover Activity

Reclaiming Narratives: Creative Accounts of Black History

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Highlighting Underreported Stories About Black Innovators

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Highlighting Underreported Stories About Black Innovators

6 - 12

1 Hour 30 Minutes

Students explore the meaning of the word innovator, analyze two stories about Black American innovators from The 1619 Project, and conduct their own research on underreported stories about Black American innovators. This activity is designed for two 45-minute periods or one 90-minute period.

Discover Activity

Highlighting Underreported Stories About Black Innovators

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Erasure Poetry as Resistance

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Erasure Poetry as Resistance

6 - 12

45 Minutes

Students discuss what erasure means, and how it can be used both as a tool of oppression and resistance. They then explore examples of poems that use erasure to question, challenge, and subvert existing texts, and create erasure poems of their own in the spirit of resistance.

Discover Activity

Erasure Poetry as Resistance

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Freedom, Resistance, and Genius in Black American Music

We The People, Digital Voices

Freedom, Resistance, and Genius in Black American Music

6 - 12

1 Hour 30 Minutes

Students learn how Black American music has helped to change and define American culture and history, and create a playlist of songs by Black American artists that they believe portray freedom, resistance, and genius. This activity is designed for two 45-minute periods or one 90-minute period.

Discover Activity

Freedom, Resistance, and Genius in Black American Music

We The People, Digital Voices

Activities to Engage with 'The 1619 Project'

More from this collaborator

Activities to Engage with 'The 1619 Project'

Grades 6 - 12

11 Hours 15 Minutes

Overview

Quality Instructional Practices

Creating Group Norms

Mindful Strategies for Leading Difficult Conversations

The Idea of America: Celebrating Black Americans' Contributions to Democracy

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

The Idea of America: Celebrating Black Americans' Contributions to Democracy

6 - 12

45 Minutes

Students evaluate how the values stated in the Declaration of Independence have manifested in U.S. society, and examine what it would mean to reframe U.S. history by considering 1619 the country’s founding date. Students read and discuss excerpts from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones’s introductory essay to The 1619 Project.

Discover Activity

The Idea of America: Celebrating Black Americans' Contributions to Democracy

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Symbols of Democracy: Exploring the '1619' Podcast

We The People, Digital Voices

Symbols of Democracy: Exploring the '1619' Podcast

6 - 12

1 Hour 30 Minutes

Students develop a deeper understanding of how the U.S. is still working to achieve its ideals by engaging with the 1619 podcast episode 1, “The Fight for a True Democracy." Students will develop personal definitions of democracy and freedom, and will share a symbol of democracy as they define it using visual art. This activity is designed for two 45-minute periods or one 90-minute period.

Discover Activity

Symbols of Democracy: Exploring the '1619' Podcast

We The People, Digital Voices

Introducing 'The 1619 Project'

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Introducing 'The 1619 Project'

6 - 12

45 Minutes

Students analyze and discuss the main ideas of The 1619 Project after watching a video in which Nikole Hannah-Jones introduces the project. They then explore how the legacy of slavery can be seen in modern life through a pair activity, and reflect on themes and issues related to Black history they want to know more about.

Discover Activity

Introducing 'The 1619 Project'

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Visualizing the Legacy of Slavery: Gallery Walk and Quote Museum

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Visualizing the Legacy of Slavery: Gallery Walk and Quote Museum

6 - 12

45 Minutes

Students will learn about the ways in which slavery’s legacy persists in U.S. systems and society by examining images and text in an engaging gallery walk activity. They will also practice visually communicating tone and information to others by creating a group “quote museum.”

Discover Activity

Visualizing the Legacy of Slavery: Gallery Walk and Quote Museum

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Analyzing and Constructing Timelines of Racial (In)justice

Belonging and Community, We The People

Analyzing and Constructing Timelines of Racial (In)justice

6 - 12

45 Minutes

Students reflect on how myths about history are perpetuated, analyze a timeline of racial (in)justice from The 1619 Project, and collaborate to build timelines that illustrate how the fight for racial justice continues in their own lifetimes.

Discover Activity

Analyzing and Constructing Timelines of Racial (In)justice

Belonging and Community, We The People

Exploring Primary Sources from 'The 1619 Project'

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Exploring Primary Sources from 'The 1619 Project'

6 - 12

45 Minutes

Students examine primary sources on the history of enslavement, curated by Mary Elliott of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Discover Activity

Exploring Primary Sources from 'The 1619 Project'

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Fact-sorting Challenge: Examining Common Myths About U.S. Slavery

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Fact-sorting Challenge: Examining Common Myths About U.S. Slavery

6 - 12

45 Minutes

Students learn about common inaccuracies in how slavery is taught and then strengthen their own knowledge and media literacy skills by working together to distinguish myths from facts, using credible sources.

Discover Activity

Fact-sorting Challenge: Examining Common Myths About U.S. Slavery

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Reclaiming Narratives: Creative Accounts of Black History

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Reclaiming Narratives: Creative Accounts of Black History

6 - 12

1 Hour 30 Minutes

Students explore creative accounts of underrepresented or misrepresented events in Black history. After considering the power of creative writing as a means to process and interpret history, they will write their own creative reimagining of a historical event.

This activity is designed for two 45-minute periods or one 90-minute period.

Discover Activity

Reclaiming Narratives: Creative Accounts of Black History

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Highlighting Underreported Stories About Black Innovators

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Highlighting Underreported Stories About Black Innovators

6 - 12

1 Hour 30 Minutes

Students explore the meaning of the word innovator, analyze two stories about Black American innovators from The 1619 Project, and conduct their own research on underreported stories about Black American innovators. This activity is designed for two 45-minute periods or one 90-minute period.

Discover Activity

Highlighting Underreported Stories About Black Innovators

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Erasure Poetry as Resistance

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Erasure Poetry as Resistance

6 - 12

45 Minutes

Students discuss what erasure means, and how it can be used both as a tool of oppression and resistance. They then explore examples of poems that use erasure to question, challenge, and subvert existing texts, and create erasure poems of their own in the spirit of resistance.

Discover Activity

Erasure Poetry as Resistance

Stories and Perspectives, We The People

Freedom, Resistance, and Genius in Black American Music

We The People, Digital Voices

Freedom, Resistance, and Genius in Black American Music

6 - 12

1 Hour 30 Minutes

Students learn how Black American music has helped to change and define American culture and history, and create a playlist of songs by Black American artists that they believe portray freedom, resistance, and genius. This activity is designed for two 45-minute periods or one 90-minute period.

Discover Activity

Freedom, Resistance, and Genius in Black American Music

We The People, Digital Voices

Library

CategoriesCollaboratorsExploreAll ActivitiesAll Collections

Community

Our StoryTeam MizzenEventsThe Mizzen Minute

Engage

NewsroomContact Us

Account

Sign InCreate an AccountMizzen for TeamsPrivacy PolicyTerms of Use

Copyright © 2026, Mizzen Education, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on a mission to empower, uplift and support out-of-school time educators.

Library

CategoriesCollaboratorsExploreAll ActivitiesAll Collections

Community

Our StoryTeam MizzenEventsThe Mizzen Minute

Engage

NewsroomContact Us

Account

Sign InCreate an AccountMizzen for TeamsPrivacy PolicyTerms of Use

Copyright © 2026, Mizzen Education, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on a mission to empower, uplift and support out-of-school time educators.