Marshall S. "Mike" Smith, senior counselor to U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, delivers the keynote address, "Education in the 21st Century," at a Library of Congress forum on K-12 education.

Forum speakers included Librarian of Congress James H. Billington, a leading advocate of using primary-source digital material in the classroom; former Colorado Gov. Roy Romer, chairman of Strong American Schools; and Lauren Resnick, professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. There were also presentations by educators from Colorado, Illinois, and Northern Virginia in the Library of Congress's groundbreaking Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) Program; Gov. Romer introduced the second panel and provided an overview of attempts to promote high content standards for K-12 education.

Maurice Jackson discusses Anthony Benezet, the founder of the antislavery movement in America in the mid-1700s. Benezet believed the British ban on slavery should have been extended to the colonies, and worked to convince his Quaker brethren that slave-owning was not consistent with Christian doctrine.

Eighth-grade American history educator Eric Langhorst describes how he uses articles from a magazine produced by the Daughters of the American Revolution—American Spirit—in his classroom.

Eighth-grade American history educator Eric Langhorst demonstrates how he uses Google Maps in class to show students historic sites.

As Elihu Root once put it, we study war "not to promote war, but to preserve peace." Indeed, it is impossible for students to learn U.S. or world history without frequent reference to war. The Foreign Policy Research Institute's Wachman Center presents two webcasts with Jeremy Black, one of the world's most distinguished historians of war, and enabled students from the online and live audiences to "interrogate" this guest as well.

The process explored a wide range of questions: How important is technology in war? How important is morale? What were some of the great errors on the battlefield? Who were the greatest commanders? Why were the 13 American colonies able to defeat the British, the world's greatest power, in America's Revolutionary War? Why did the U.S. play such a crucial role in World War II?

The session is divided into morning and afternoon sections, and is offered in video and audio formats.

The lives and works of 13 renowned American poets are interpreted through dramatic readings, archival photographs, dance, performances, and interviews in this inspiring series. Illustrative poems in each program are accompanied by insights into their historical and cultural connections. The series covers the terminology of poetry and the larger role of poets in American and world literature studies. Poets include Langston Hughes, Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, and Elizabeth Bishop. This video instructional series on American poetry is appropriate for college and high school classrooms and adult learners; it consists of 13 one-hour video programs and coordinated books.

Constitutional issues come to life in this Emmy Award-winning series. Key political, legal, and media professionals engage in spontaneous and heated debates on controversial issues such as campaign spending, the right to die, school prayer, and immigration reform. This series will deepen understanding of the life and power of this enduring document and its impact on history and current affairs, while bringing biases and misconceptions to light. This video instructional series on the American Constitution is appropriate for college and high school classrooms and adult learners; it consists of 13 one-hour video programs and coordinated books.

"A Biography of America" presents history not simply as a series of irrefutable facts to be memorized, but as a living narrative. Prominent historians—Donald L. Miller, Pauline Maier, Louis P. Masur, Waldo E. Martin, Jr., Douglas Brinkley, and Virginia Scharff—present America's story as something that is best understood from a variety of perspectives. Thought-provoking debates and lectures encourage critical analysis of the forces that have shaped America. First-person narratives, photos, film footage, and documents reveal the human side of American history—how historical figures affected events, and the impact of these events on citizens' lives. This video instructional series on American history is appropriate for college and high school classrooms and adult learners; it consists of 26 half-hour video programs, coordinated books, and a website.

"American Passages: A Literary Survey" is a 16-part American literature course. The video programs, print guides, and website place literary movements and authors within the context of history and culture. The course takes an expanded view of American literary movements, bringing in a diversity of voices and tracing the continuity among them. The materials, which are coordinated with the Norton Anthology of American Literature, can be used as the basis of a one- or two-semester college-level course or for teacher professional development.

Using clips from more than 300 of the greatest movies ever made, this series explores film history and American culture through the eyes of over 150 Hollywood insiders, including Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg, and Michael Eisner. In-depth treatments present film as a powerful economic force, potent 20th-century art form, and viable career option. "American Cinema" connects subjects such as history, business, and English with other studies. In addition, it is a perfect vehicle for developing visual and media literacy skills and can be used as a springboard for creative-writing endeavors and media production. This video instructional series on film history for college and high school classrooms and adult learners includes 10 one-hour and three half-hour video programs and coordinated books.