6-8 Resources

Pre-1865

The Salem Witch Trials

Absolving the guilty and punishing the innocent. Historian Elizabeth Reis[...] »

Civil War's Causes: Historians Largely United on Slavery, But Public Divided
Albumen print on carte-de-visite, Civil War Union officers in tent, 1862, Flickr

Major historic events are always shrouded in controversy. Check out this[...] »

Post-1865

What Does It Mean to Be an American?

An 8th-grade teacher asks: Was early 20th-century America a "melting pot" or[...] »

Television News of the Civil Rights Era
Image, Television News of the Civil Rights Era 1950-1970, 2005, UVa.

View contemporary coverage of the Civil Rights Movement from two Roanoke, VA[...] »

Classroom Tools

Historical Thinking & Literacy

What Is an "Inquiry Lesson"?

Hypothesize, test, and acknowledge how sources form different "pictures of[...] »

Using Technology

Win the White House

What does it take to win a presidential campaign? Try it yourself with this[...] »