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
History Explorer

The Smithsonian offers rich resources for teachers, but tracking them down [...] »

Kennedy and Castro: The Secret History
Photo, Fidel Castro, president of Cuba..., 1960, Warren K. Leffler, LoC

Did you know that Kennedy considered softening the national platform on Cuba [...] »

Western History Photography Collection
Photo, Wood’s Saloon, Turret, 1905, Western History Photography Collection

How does your view of the American West compare to the visual reality?

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History Quiz

Test your history knowledge
Manias of the Gilded Age

Fads, crotchets, crazes, rages, and cultural fevers. Test your knowledge of [...] »

Early Telephone Etiquette

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

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Victory Vegetables

WWII Victory Gardens allowed citizens to raise food...and wage war!

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Beyond the Textbook

Question textbook narratives
Girls’ Labor and Leisure in the Progressive Era
Photographic Print, Protest against child labor in a labor parade, 1909 May 1, L

The historical impact young girls had on the Progressive Era is often [...] »

Causing the Civil War
Postcard, Train Load of Cotton for Export, South, 1902-1903, NYPL

Did King Cotton cause the Civil War? Or should you look further?

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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
Architect of the Capitol

What do our buildings tell us about ourselves? Take a spin around this [...] »

Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery

American art makes the interpretive nature of historical knowledge clear. [...] »

Federal Resources for Educational Excellence
Screenshot, "U.S. History Topics," Federal Resources for Educational Excellence

More than 1,600 learning resources from the federal government sorted by [...] »

Ask a Historian

The Fighting Canadiens
Print, Battle of Blue Licks, 1859, NYPL Digital Gallery

Discover how French Canadians reacted to the American Revolution.

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