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
Letters from an Iowa Soldier in the Civil War
Letter, July 23, 1863, Newton Scott, Letters from an Iowa Soldier. . .

Read a firsthand account of army life during the Civil War. See the battles [...] »

The Museum of Broadcast Communications

Teaching media history and the spread of pop culture? Explore over 7,000 [...] »

Helen Keller Kid's Museum
Helen Keller's writing, June 20th, 1887, American Foundation for the Blind

Present Helen Keller's story in more detail with photographs and historical [...] »

History Quiz

Test your history knowledge
Political Animals

A menagerie of terms for politicians, parties, factions, and movements.

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The "Daisy" Ad

Johnson, Goldwater, and the politics of fear.

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Earth Day: Lost to History

Human history affects more than human beings.

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Beyond the Textbook

Question textbook narratives
Women's Reform Movement
Print, A downright gabbler, or a goose that deserves to be hissed, 1829

The Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments in 1848 reflected the voices of [...] »

Jim Crow Segregation: The Difficult and Anti-Democratic Work of White Supremacy
Print, For the Sunny South. An Airship. . . , 1913, Library of Congress

The fight against segregation and its discriminatory practices does not [...] »

The Modern Civil Rights Movement: A River of Purposeful Anger
Dynamics of Idealism- Volunteers for Civil Rights, 1965-1982 432x240

Textbooks are silent about defining race and racism, even though the modern [...] »

National Resources

Federal teaching resources
Bureau of Justice Statistics
Graph, "Sentences for those convicted in federal court," BJS

Everyday you read about local crime in the newspaper, but are the rates [...] »

Federal Judicial Center
Photo, Harry Anstead. . . , 2000, Newhall Photography, Flickr Commons

The Federal Judicial Center is the education and research agency for federal [...] »

Federal Emergency Management Agency
Silkscreen, Disaster Broadcast. . . , 1941-1943, Edward T. Grigware, LoC

When the weather's not on our side, FEMA's there to lend a hand.

[...] »

Ask a Historian

Dissent in the Ranks
mech. print, c. Henry Mosler, 1913, George Washington Crossing Delaware, LOC

George Washington's military career and reputation were not pure successes [...] »