There are a number of lessons dedicated to the New York Times “1619 Project.” Each lesson contains an excerpt from one of the main essays along with discussion questions. Unlike lessons found on the Pulitzer Center website, my lessons often include articles critical of the premise being discussed in the selected 1619 essay in order to provide a more balanced approach to the topic. There is also an essay assignment centered around the metaphor of the Founding and a paragraph writing assignment contained in 1619 Critique.

The 1619 Project incorporates many elements and time periods of U.S. history. For best level of comprehension, I would recommend splitting up the use of the various articles. For example, the short essay on Wall Street could be read while studying the Colonial period, while the Idea of America would be best read after studying the Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War. Other essays such as Matthew Desmond’s on capitalism can accompany the unit on the expansion of slavery after the invention of the cotton gin.