What Reviewers Say

Reviewers consistently characterize The 1619 Project Curriculum as a resource that seeks to reframe the American narrative by centering the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans. According to The Homeschool Mom, the curriculum is a valuable tool for digging into "infrequently taught history," such as redlining and mass incarceration. However, the materials are highly polarizing within the homeschool community. Reason identifies it as a source of "significant debate," where users are divided between seeing it as an essential "truth-telling" project or an ideological "revisionist" one. The primary trade-off is the depth of the content versus its perceived bias; while it offers high-quality, free multimedia resources that can engage students in critical thinking, it requires a significant time commitment from parents to navigate and facilitate potentially controversial discussions.

How It Works

The parent begins by selecting a thematic unit from the Pulitzer Center website, such as "Democracy" or "Capitalism," and downloading the corresponding lesson plans and reading guides. Throughout the week, the child engages with a mix of media—reading a long-form essay, listening to a podcast episode, or analyzing a primary source document for approximately 45 minutes a day. The parent leads a 15–30 minute discussion using the provided prompts to help the child connect historical events to modern-day practices like redlining or mass incarceration. By the end of the week, the child typically completes a creative project or a written reflection based on the unit’s central inquiry question.

Switching to This?

There are no placement tests, as the materials are modular and supplemental. Families can integrate these units into their existing history or ELA schedule at any point in the year. Families transitioning from a traditional, chronological curriculum like The Story of the World should expect a shift away from a "names and dates" narrative toward a thematic, systemic analysis of American history.

Curriculum Details

Price

$0

Free reading guides and lessons built on The 1619 Project (teacher-facing — adapt for home).

Grades

PRE-K - 12

Available As

Digital

Coverage

Supplement

Subjects

History/Social Studies Reading/Language Arts

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Pacing

Self-paced

Parent Time

30-60 min/day

Student Independence

Needs instruction

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Academic Level

Advanced

Worldview

Secular

Teach Multiple Ages

Yes

Engaging for Reluctant Learners

Yes

Parent Role:

The parent acts as a facilitator and co-learner, guiding students through complex socio-historical texts and leading intensive discussions on sensitive topics.

Videos

Reviews We Consulted

Updated: July 2026 by Claude (v2 research)

How This Compares

The Story of the World: Focuses on a chronological, narrative-style history of world civilizations, whereas 1619 is a thematic, U.S.-focused critique of power and systems. - Heritage Studies (BJU Press): Offers a conservative, providential view of American history, providing a direct ideological opposite to 1619’s secular, critical lens. - Notgrass History: Provides a traditional, Christian-centric narrative of American history that emphasizes American exceptionalism, whereas 1619 centers the experience of the enslaved as foundational to the nation. - A People's History of the United States (for High Schoolers): Shares a similar "history from below" perspective but lacks the integrated lesson plans and multimedia educational support provided by the Pulitzer Center.

Getting Started