Spotlight on Elementary Education

History has been shaped and influenced by the out come of ancient trials—such as the Trial of Socrates in 399B.C.—to Rosenberg Trial in the 1950s. This site offers a comprehensive look at 50 prominent court trials throughout history and its resources can be used to give young learners an introduction to the history of the modern judicial system.

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Website Reviews

Find quality websites & primary sources
The Digital Classroom

An informative introduction to the practice and excitement of historical [...] »

HSI: Historical Scene Investigation
Photo, Sigmund Spaeth, The Tune Detective, New York Public Library

Ever wanted to be Sherlock Holmes? Look at history the way a detective looks [...] »

Posters: American Style
Serigraph, Nine Inch Nails, 1994, Frank Kozik, Smithsonian American Art Museum

Explore 20th century American poster art, from advertisements to patriotic [...] »

History Quiz

Test your history knowledge
Saving Daylight

Politicians get hot under the collar when discussing the hottest of topics— [...] »

African American History Month: Civil Rights Worldwide

These African American civil rights activists affected more than the U.S. [...] »

Lewis Hine: Caption Critique

Does a caption change the meaning of a photograph?

[...] »

Beyond the Textbook

Question textbook narratives
The Modern Civil Rights Movement: A River of Purposeful Anger
Dynamics of Idealism- Volunteers for Civil Rights, 1965-1982 432x240

Textbooks are silent about defining race and racism, even though the modern [...] »

Panic of 1873
Panic as a Health Officer Cleaning the Streets

Beginning in Europe, the Panic of 1873 quickly spread to the United States [...] »

John Brown's Raid
Painting, John Brown, 1867, Thomas S. Noble, NYPL Digital Gallery

Did Northerners all respond the same way to Brown's infamous raid? [...] »

National Resources

Federal teaching resources
National Agricultural Statistics Service

Why did George Washington start gathering national data on agriculture?

[...] »
Team Ships

Learn the basic steps to building and commissioning a Navy vessel.

[...] »
Bureau of Justice Statistics
Graph, "Sentences for those convicted in federal court," BJS

Everyday you read about local crime in the newspaper, but are the rates [...] »

Ask a Historian

The Standardization of American English
Scanned image, Poor Richard: An Almanack for the Year of Christ 1739, Benjamin F

Why is colonial written English so different from the version we use today [...] »