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
Medicine in the Americas, 1619-1914
Poster, Ayer's pills. Best family medicine, 1895-1917, New York Public Library

Access works on medicine and health by Clara Barton, Benjamin Coleman, [...] »

The Supreme Court
Screenshot, You Have the Right to Remain Silent, Supreme Court, PBS

The Supreme Court is the final law of the land. Uncover its intricacies with [...] »

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

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

History Quiz

Test your history knowledge
A Culture Productive of Infinite Wretchedness

How did the American colonies get addicted to growing tobacco?

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California or Bust

Who went west when? Answer questions about migration from 1935 to 2000.

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Playing History

Board games preserve the past in squares, paper money, and toy tokens. [...] »

Beyond the Textbook

Question textbook narratives
The Atomic Bomb: Hiroshima and Nagasaki
photographic print, Second atomic bombing of Nagasaki, 1945 August, LOC

Controversial issues are often simplified in textbooks. Discover the facts [...] »

The Early Conservation Movement
photographic print, Quentin Roosevelt Planting a Tree, c1904, Edward S. Curtis,

The "go-green" movement is rampant in modern America. However, support for [...] »

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. [...] »

National Resources

Federal teaching resources
National Park Service
Screencapture, FDR Memorial, National Park Service homepage

Lesson plans, essays, multimedia, activities, and artifacts of U.S. heritage [...] »

National Museum of African Art

Approach African American history and culture through African art.

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National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Photo, NASA, ESA, and M. Livio and the Hubble 20th Anniversary Team (STScI)

Since its inception, NASA has accomplished many scientific and technological [...] »

Ask a Historian

Bleeding Kansas
lithograph, Forcing slavery down the throat of a freesoiler, 1856,  J.L. Magee,

What were the origins of this infamous controversy?

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