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
Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938
Photograph, Katie Darling, Age about 88, 1936-38, Library of Congress.

Read the accounts of former slaves in oral history interviews collected by [...] »

Online Nevada Encyclopedia
screenshot of the map of Nevada used in the opening of the TV show Bonanza

This website showcases images of the Silver State and supplements historical [...] »

Mark Twain: A Film Directed by Ken Burns
Lithograph. "Mark Twain," America's best humorist. LOC

Enjoy an interactive experience depicting the life of Mark Twain.

[...] »

History Quiz

Test your history knowledge
Pre-Modern Pop Music

Before "pop" music reigned supreme, jazz and ragtime amassed great public [...] »

Women in the Lab (and the Field)

Marie Curie and Jane Goodall—you may know these female scientists, but can [...] »

Dance, But Not That Way . . .

Do you know how to dance the Sleigh Bell Polka? Learn the proper way to [...] »

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 [...] »

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 [...] »

20th-century Jewish Immigration
Dry plate negative, approx. 1920-1930, Jewish colonies and settlements, LOC

Divided into two waves of immigration by textbooks, the continuity of [...] »

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 African Art

Approach African American history and culture through African art.

[...] »
National Archives and Records Administration
Letter, . . . Flag Design Suggestion, 10/1958, Sheryl Byland, NARA

With more than 10 billion items addressing U.S. history, you're bound to [...] »

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The Disaster of Innovation

How the cotton gin revolutionized the use of slaves and the production of [...] »