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
Taking the Long View: Panoramic Photographs, 1851-1991

Displays nearly 4,000 panoramic photographs of cityscapes, landscapes, and [...] »

Land of (Unequal) Opportunity

460 documents and images on civil rights in Arkansas, from before, during, [...] »

History Quiz

Test your history knowledge
Teaching the 20th

When does the past go from 'recent' to 'history?' Consider these questions [...] »

Presidential Moments: Hail to the Chief Nicknames

Fond or far-fetched, everyone has one—but as president, nicknames garner the [...] »

Lewis Hine: Caption Critique

Does a caption change the meaning of a photograph?

[...] »

Beyond the Textbook

Question textbook narratives
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? [...] »

Causes of the American Revolution
Broadside, A card, New York, 1774, LoC, rbpe 10700100

What were the causes of the American Revolution? They were more complicated [...] »

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
Anacostia Community Museum
Photo, "Ms. Yavocka Wilson," March 11, 1997?, Anacostia Community Museum

What is community? What does it do for us, and how does it shape who we are [...] »

National Museum of Natural History
Photo, . . . trephining [sic]. . . , 1926, Library of Congress

Don't let "natural history" scare you away! The museum covers anthropology [...] »

Federal Judiciary

Can’t tell an affadavit from an acquittal? Learn the legal lingo.

[...] »

Ask a Historian

Civil War Convicts: Unraveling a Misconception
stereograph, Officers of 3d Regiment Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, 1865, LOC

Did criminals fight during the Civil War? Not exactly, but some soldiers [...] »