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
Riverboats and Jazz

What entertainment might you have expected on a riverboat cruise in the [...] »

The History of Vaccines
Print, Smallpox Codex, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Florence

Do you remember when everyone got chickenpox as a kid? Your students might [...] »

Nature Transformed: The Environment in American History
Photo, Yosemite Wilderness & Koip Crest, August 26, 2010, chucklepix, Flickr

Beautiful scenery or impassable peaks? These 17 in-depth essays analyze how [...] »

History Quiz

Test your history knowledge
The Blue and the Grey (and Red and Green and Yellow)

What do you think Civil War uniforms looked like? They varied more than you [...] »

Early Telephone Etiquette

Should you leave your hat on when you talk on the telephone?

[...] »
Presidential Valentines

The politics of love—answer these questions about valentines to and from U.S [...] »

Beyond the Textbook

Question textbook narratives
The Tet Offensive
Eddie Adams, Vietcong shooting prisoner cropped

American historians have depicted the Tet Offensive as the turning point for [...] »

Rise of the Automobile
Photo, Model A Ford in front of antique gas pumps, August 4, 2007, Flickr

Americans today take cars for granted. How did they change American life? [...] »

Coal and the Industrial Revolution
Photo, At the close of the day, January 1911, Lewis Hine, Library of Congress

How can the story of coal help students understand the nature of today's [...] »

National Resources

Federal teaching resources
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Photo, Barking Frog, Mark A. Musselman, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The government acts for fauna as well as society. When did this start? Why [...] »

U.S. Department of Education

Use the resources offered by the Department of Education to help you become [...] »

Society for History in the Federal Government
Transparency, U.S. Capitol exteriors, c. 1920-1950, Theodor Horydczak, LoC

Represents historians across executive, judicial, and congressional [...] »

Ask a Historian

Begging Leave to Inform the Publick
Begging leave to inform the publick

Ads that were revolutionary ... or not. What products could be sold during [...] »