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Untold: Stories You Won't Learn About In A Textbook

Stories you won't learn about in a textbook

Watch the first two Untold episodes here

Perhaps now, more than ever, our history is a vital and very present part of the world around us. So it’s hugely important that young people feel a part of that conversation and can see themselves reflected in our shared past.

Untold is a free collection of short, compelling, history videos and animations designed to engage new audiences in a new conversation and

  • shine a light on the stories that don’t always make it into the classroom
  • and question what we think we know about those that do.

Not everything worth knowing exists inside the cover of our history textbooks. Untold is here to fill in the gaps and bring new stories to life.

This is a project of the Driving Force Institute for Public Engagement. Produced and distributed by Makematic with the USC Center for Engagement-Driven Global Education

Untold will feature three series which is broken down below.

America Explained

Easy-to-understand, descriptive videos that will break down complex topics and events from throughout America's history from both sides and offer a present parallel for your students to extrapolate on. Topics will range from Impeachment to the NRA to Global Warming to even How Prostitution Built The Wild West and much, much more!

The Significance of 1619 is now live and it delves into the three significant & infamous events that forever defined America as we know it. These include the establishment of the Virginia General Assembly, the arrival of Englishwomen, and the first officially documented trading of African slaves from Angola.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Nikole Hannah-Jones who wrote the New York Times' 1619 Project examines the impact of 1619 in further detail and relates it back to America's own historical and cultural development. You can watch this now in 1619: The Legacy of Slavery in America.

The Museum of Artifacts That Made America

This series takes place in a fully, virtual reality, fantasy museum of real historical American objects! Each film explains the historical relevance and detail of the object, whilst providing an informative context.

Did you know? Hip hop was born in the Bronx of New York City back in the 1970s? Now a staple of mainstream music but back then, this pioneering work was thanks to DJ Kool Herc's Turntable. You can find out more about how they came to be as the first video to be released for our Artifacts That Made America series.

Hidden Histories

A series of full-frame animations that tell the stories of important historical Americans whose stories are not widely known. The viewer will learn about each icon’s life and major achievements and the impact they had on American society.

One example is Jovita Idar, the story of a Mexican-American teacher turned journalist who used her voice to speak out about oppression and discrimination facing her people. We hope you'll watch this fascinating tale of bravery and freedom of speech!

For more information about Untold visit the website at untoldhistory.org

Follow the Untold social media page on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @UntoldEdu, for video updates and additional resources

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