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
The Vietnam War Declassification Project

An extensive collection of primary documents pertaining to the American [...] »

Nixtontapes.org
Photo, Richard M. Nixon, 1974, General Services Administration, NARA

Teaching Watergate? Introduce students to the Nixon tapes with more than 2, [...] »

History Quiz

Test your history knowledge
Mapping the Past

A map can tell you more than east, west, north, and south.

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Which Witch?

Words constantly evolve and change over time. What did "witch" mean to these [...] »

American Myths: Christopher Columbus

In 1492, what did Columbus really do?

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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 [...] »

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? [...] »

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 [...] »

National Resources

Federal teaching resources
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Photo, Barking Frog, Mark A. Musselman, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The government acts for fauna as well as society. When did this start? Why [...] »

Supreme Court of the United States

From John Jay to Sonia Sotomayor, the Supreme Court is the final word in law [...] »

National Institute for Literacy
Photo, "Artis struisvogel leest krant van oppasser,"1951, Flickr Commons

Do you have struggling readers in your class? Try incorporating literacy [...] »

Ask a Historian

Instigating a Ban on "Spirituous Liquors"
Wood Engraving, The Ohio Whiskey War, 1874, S. B. Morton, LOC

Discover the motivations fueling the 19th-century temperance movement.

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