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
Bureau of Economic Analysis
Image, U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services April 2010, June 10, 2010.

Follow historical trends in national, international, and regional economic [...] »

American Civil War Manuscript Guides
Photo. Capt. Benjamin Prouty, Capt. Gustavus S. Dana, and Capt. Klein. VA Tech

Through these writings, you can see how soldiers saw themselves as actors in [...] »

World Trade Center: Rescue, Recovery, Response
Photo, Salvation Army volunteers at the Hilltop Cafe, 2011, NY State Museum

Get out of the political arena and teach your students about the emergency [...] »

History Quiz

Test your history knowledge
First Ladies' Firsts

What about the other occupants of the White House?

[...] »
When Whales Lit the World

Up to the 20th century, whalers provided oil for the industrial revolution. [...] »

Turkey Tracking

Thanksgiving—how much do you know about the history of this popular holiday [...] »

Beyond the Textbook

Question textbook narratives
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 [...] »

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 [...] »

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
U.S. Senate Historical Office
Lithograph, "The Great Congressional Tramp. . . ," 1882, Mayer, U.S. Senate site

Political cartoons, photos, oral histories, artifacts, essays, and facts. [...] »

Smithsonian
Negative, Dinsmore, Frances. Of Smithsonian. . . , 1915, Harris & Ewing, LoC

What can 19 museums, nine research centers, and the National Zoo offer your [...] »

Library of Congress

The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, the nation's [...] »

Ask a Historian

Snuff ‘n Sniff
American Beauties, from Harrison Fisher, The American Girl (New York: C. Scribne

Cities as olfactory factories and what, historically, humans have thought [...] »