'90s History Through Music

Minus a few small changes, studying the 1990s shines a light into current global and domestic affairs.

Think about it:

• A liberal president followed a Bush.
• There were crippling economic recessions.
• Apathetic youth wore Doc Martens and got super-stoked about AOL.

Well, except for that last part, the '90s are practically the same thing as the here and now. Because of this everlasting relevance, Shmoop's gonna give you a standards-aligned, fifteen-lesson overview of nineties global, economic, social, and cultural history.

Through junky '90s pop music.

If you're incredulous that Shmoop is okaying a close reading of Milli Vanilli, think again: the '90s gave us catchy hooks that were incredibly revealing about the cultural climate. Innocuous '90s hits make deep statements about immigration, celebrity culture, the AIDS crisis, and every other landmark news story of the era. This course will use creative writing, expository essays, primary source analysis, and more to educate you about the deepest, shallowest decade that ever existed.

In this course, aligned to 11-12th grade history and informational reading standards, you'll:

• identify the causes and long-term effects of major domestic and international history of the 1990s.
• analyze song lyrics like you're writing a Rolling Stone cover story about Britney.
• watch powerful historical clips, documentaries, and examine primary sources.
• interpret how pop music represents cultural ideals, both good and bad.

Plus, you'll finally "get" the Clinton and Simpson trials…maybe. No promises. Just ask your parents, okay?