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 President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection

Explore the federal government's extensive collection of resources [...] »

Teaching Future Historians: U.S. History Lesson Plans Using Primary Documents

A diverse array of Antebellum, Civil War, and Gilded Age lesson plans for [...] »

Gilded Age Plains City
Document, Verdict of Jury, 29 May, 1891, Nebraska State Historical Society

Delve into Great Plains urban development c. 1900 by way of a compelling, [...] »

History Quiz

Test your history knowledge
European Explorers in North America after Columbus

Who else left Europe following the call of wealth, fame, religion, or other [...] »

United We Stand: Industry and Famous Strikes

Stand up (or sit down) for better working conditions! Test your knowledge of [...] »

Plays You Won't See in the Superbowl

Football has always been a great American sport, but how much do you know [...] »

Beyond the Textbook

Question textbook narratives
Causing the Civil War
Postcard, Train Load of Cotton for Export, South, 1902-1903, NYPL

Did King Cotton cause the Civil War? Or should you look further?

[...] »
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 [...] »

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 [...] »

National Resources

Federal teaching resources
Federal Reserve Board

The economy's on everyone's mind. Take advantage of that fact to teach a bit [...] »

National Air and Space Museum
Cigarette card, Imaginary A plane, c. 1957-1958, NYPL Digital Gallery

Fly me to the moon became a famous Frank Sinatra line. NASA also made this a [...] »

U.S. Mint

A magician may be able to pull coins out of thin air, but most of us can't [...] »

Ask a Historian

What If...?: Reexamining the American Revolution
Photography, Redcoats & Rebels Revolutionary War Reenactment, 6 Aug 2010, Lee Wr

How different would "the United States of America" be if the British had won [...] »