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 Underground Railroad

Travel the Underground Railroad with this interactive website.

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Bubbles, Panics, and Crashes: A Century of Financial Crises, 1830s-1930s
Business Booms and Depressions since 1775

Do your students think the Great Depression was the only previous slump in [...] »

Native American Constitution and Law Digitization Project
Gelatin silver print, Native American little girl at. . . , Flickr Commons

Tie civics into units involving Native American history using relevant full- [...] »

History Quiz

Test your history knowledge
Voices in the Whirlwind

To each prophet, a certain way of speaking. Match civil rights leaders with [...] »

Historical Improbabilities

Truth is stranger than fiction, they say. Can you tell the difference?

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A Culture Productive of Infinite Wretchedness

How did the American colonies get addicted to growing tobacco?

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Beyond the Textbook

Question textbook narratives
Slavery
Photo, "An ex-slave," 1897, New York Public Library Digital Gallery

What was it like to be a slave in 19th-century America? Accounts contrast. [...] »

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? [...] »

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 [...] »

National Resources

Federal teaching resources
U.S. Marine Corps

Why are the Marines known as "America's 911 Force"? Explore this division of [...] »

Selective Service System
Lithograph, Don't wait for the draft--Volunteer, 1917, Library of Congress

Did you know that the draft was used in times of peace, as well as war?

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U.S. Census Bureau

The U.S. Census counts everyone! It creates a current image of the nation [...] »

Ask a Historian

The U.S. and Egypt in the 1950s
US map of Port Said 1956

Creating political blowback in the Middle East

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