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Teacher’s Guide

LESSON 10The Decade of 1990–1999

LESSON ASSIGNMENTSYou are encouraged to be very attentive while viewing the video program. Reviewthe video objectives and be prepared to record possible answers, in abbreviatedform, as you view the video. The topics and time periods may differ from thechapters of the textbook your school system is using. Each video programchronicles a wide array of events and personalities during a specific decade of the20th century. Keep in mind that one of the overarching goals of each lesson is tohelp you understand how past historical events and actions by historicalpersonalities did not occur in a vacuum, and that they are inextricably interwovenin your society today.

Video:

“The Decade of 1990–1999” from the series, The Remarkable 20th Century.

Activities:

Your teacher may assign one or more activities for each lesson.

OVERVIEWThe decade of the 1990s was marked by the break-up of Yugoslavia andCzechoslovakia and the reunification of East and West Germany. Europeans wereunited in the Gulf War against Iraq and physically with the completion of thechannel linking Great Britain to the European continent. In Russia, Gorbachev andYeltsin were “out” and Putin was “in.”

George Bush relinquished the presidency to Bill Clinton. President Clinton, in turn,almost relinquished the executive office, via the impeachment process, because ofa “roving eye.”

The Cold War was formally brought to a close, and the United States assumed therole of an international policeman that would have brought a smile to the face ofTheodore Roosevelt. However, there were no smiling faces in the U.S. with lessthan successful ventures in Somalia and Yugoslavia. Nelson Mandela could relate toMartin Luther King Jr.’s “free at last, free at last” statement when he was releasedfrom prison and became the first black leader of the Union of South Africa.

On the world scene, females assumed the reins of government in Nicaragua, GreatBritain, Ireland, and Pakistan. Great Britain bade good-bye to Margaret Thatcherand said hello to the Spice Girls. Princess Diana married, divorced, and died atragic death.

The 1990s were truly the electronic age with the proliferation of Web sites,e-mail, and e-commerce. The World Wide Web changed the way the world

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communicated. It is estimated that by the year 2001, some one billion people willbe “online.” Bill Gates became the John Rockefeller of the 1990s.

American domestic tranquility was shocked with the beating of Rodney King inLA., O.J. Simpson’s “trial of the century,” the Oklahoma City bombing, and theBranch Dividian “shoot out.”

The booming economy welcomed the North American Free Trade AgreementAct (NAFTA), and the minimum wage was increased to $5.15 in the U.S.

Americans faced the new millennium with a healthy economy, a functioningdemocracy, and a more open and diversified society.

LESSON GOALSTo evaluate the implications of the U.S. becoming the international policeman ofthe world.

To ascertain if there is an unraveling of the moral fabric of American society thathas resulted in more domestic violence and the lowering of communitystandards.

VIDEO OBJECTIVESThe following objectives are designed to assist the viewer in identifying the mostsignificant aspects of the video segment of this lesson. You should take succinctnotes while viewing the video.

1. Evaluate the success the U.S. has had in being the international policeman ofthe world community.

2. Ascertain the effects of the end of the Cold War.

3. Analyze the causes of the rise of terroristic activities and/or domesticviolence in American society.

4. Identify the key players and implications of the “changing of the politicalguard” in the U.S., Russia, China, and other key nations.

5. Identify the key social and economic issues of the 1990s.

TIME CODESTime Code Year Topic Description00 :00 Opening Opening00 :31 1990 Overview Howard K. Smith intros the

decade01 :56 Title Episode X: 1990s02 :00 1990 Overview Review of 1989 changes in world

governments03 :33 1990 World Politics Noriega extradited to US03 :57 1990 US Politics Washington, D.C. Mayor Marion

Barry imprisoned on drug charges04 :13 1990 World Politics Nelson Mandela freed

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Time Code Year Topic Description04 :54 1990 Entertainment Movies: Dances with Wolves &

Kevin Costner05 :31 1990 World Politics Boris Yeltsin elected President of

Russia; Lithuania breaks away; Germany reunited; Nicaragua & Ireland elect first women presidents; Thatcher resigns – Major elected

07 :27 1990 Discoveries & Technology/ Transportation

Chunnel between France and Eng l and

07 :55 1990/91 World Politics Walesa elected in Poland; Iraq seizes Kuwait & Desert Storm

14:16 1991 World Politics Failed coup against Gorbachev; Soviet Union breaks up; Gorbachev resigns; War in Yugoslavia & Milosevic

17 :06 1991 Entertainment/ Social Issues

Movies: JFK; Sports: basketball – Earvin "Magic" Johnson has AIDS

17 :51 1992 World Politics Croatia Independence; Hardships in old Soviet Union; Equal rights for Black Africans in South Africa

19 :54 1992 Social Issues Officers acquitted in Rodney King Trial & Riots in L.A.

20 :56 1992 World Politics US, Mexico & Canada create NAFTA

21:15 1992 US Politics Bush loses to Clinton; Ross Perot Independent

22 :47 1992/93 World Politics Famine & War in Somalia; Czechoslovakia splits up

23 :39 1993 US Politics Branch Davidians killed23 :56 1993 World Politics PLO given limited autonomy;

Mandela & DeKlerk awarded Nobel Peace Prize; Mandela inaugurated first Black President of South Africa

26 :40 1993 Social Issues OJ Simpson accused of murder26 :58 1993 Entertainment Movies : Pulp Fiction, Forrest

G u m p27 :18 1994 World Politics Carter gets peace agreement in

Bosnia27 :39 1995 Discoveries & Technology New Galaxy discovered; Cure for

sickle cell anemia28 :03 1995 Overview Howard K. Smith segues between

1st and 2nd half of 1990 decade – great advances in technology: "smaller" & "better"

28 :27 1995 Social Issues Federal Building Bombing in Oklahoma; OJ Simpson Trial

30 :12 1995 Social Issues "Mad Cow" disease in Britain30 :27 1996 Entertainment Sports: tennis & Stefpi Graff,

basketball & Chicago Bulls30 :49 1996 US Politics Clinton beats Dole31 :20 1996 World Politics Charles & Diana divorce31 :27 1996 US Politics House Speaker Newt Gingrich

sanctioned32 :01 1997 Discoveries & Technology Space Shuttle Atlantis & Mir Space

Station; Cloning of Dolly the sheep

33 :50 1997 Entertainment Music: Spice Girls; Movies: Jerry Maguire; Sports: golf & Tiger Woods

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WEB ACTIVITIESThese activities are not required unless your teacher assigns them. They areoffered as suggestions to help you learn more about the material presented inthis lesson.

Activity 1—End of the Cold War

Access the following Web sites for background information:

End of the Soviet Union and the Cold Warhttp://www.fsmitha.com/h2/ch33.htm

The End of the Cold War and US-Russian Relations since 1991http://hsc.csu.edu/au/modhist/courses/peopeven/wrldstud/us_sov/90/page110.htm

CNN Cold war - Episode Script: Conclusionshttp://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/episodes/24/script.html

Documents Relating to American Foreign Policy and the Cold Warhttp://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/coldwar.htm

Access the transcript of the December 1989 Malta Summit between Bush andGorbachev at http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/episodes/24/documents/malta/.

Time Code Year Topic Description34 :33 1997 World Politics Tony Blair elected Prime Minister

of the United Kingdom35:53 1997 Social Issues Tobacco companies pay victims;

Timothy McVeigh found guilty in Oklahoma bombing

36 :31 1997 World Politics Hong Kong returned to China37 :10 1997 Discoveries & Technology Pathfinder on Mars37 :43 1997 Social Issues Princess Diana & Mother Teresa

die38 :32 1998/99 World Politics Good Friday Agreement between

Ireland & Britain39 :55 1998 Discoveries & Technology Discovery Shuttle & John Glenn40 :51 1998/99 Entertainment Sports: baseball & Mark

McGwire’s Home Run Record, Retirees – Wayne Gretsky from hockey, Michael Jordan from basketball, John Elway from football; Movies: Titanic

42 :41 1998 US Politics Impeachment of Clinton & Lewinsky Scandal

45 :04 1999 World Politics Kosovo/Serbia Conflict45 :58 1999 Social Issues Seattle protest against World

Trade Organization47 :09 1999 Discoveries & Technology Internet50 :02 1999 World Politics Panama Canal control returned

to Panama; Yeltsin hands reigns to Putin

51 :04 1999 Social Issues Y2K celebrations52 :17 1999 Overview Howard K. Smith talks about

century’s great wrong & right decisions

54 :41 Closing Closing Credits

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Use the National Archives “Written Document Analysis Worksheet” located athttp://www.nara.gov/education/teaching/analysis/write.html and use as a basis foranalyzing the document.

Access Documents Relating to American Foreign Policy. The Cold War at http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/coldwar.htm. Scroll to the section titled “ColdWar Retrospectives” and access one of the document links listed.

Then access the National Archives “Written Document Analysis Worksheet” athttp://www.nara.gov/education/teaching/analysis/write.html and use it as a basisfor analyzing the document you select.

Activity 2—Pros and Cons of Internet as a Source of Information

Access the following Web sites for background information:

Advantages of the Internethttp://www.dcs.napier.ac.uk/~simon/workshop/advantages.html

Disadvantages of the Internethttp://www.dcs.napier.ac.uk/~simon/workshop/disadvantages.html

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using the Internet as the MainTool for Doing Researchhttp://www.usfca.edu/fac-staff/villegas/classes/972-271/e/adweb.html

EFL and the Internet: A Workshop for Teachers. Advantages anddisadvantages of using the Internethttp://www.uow.edu.au/itc/welc/page6.htm

Advantages and disadvantages of Distance Education throughthe Internethttp://patratel.com/efl/efl33.html

List five advantages and five disadvantages of using the Internet as a source ofinformation. Explain what you think is the most significant advantage anddisadvantage. Defend your choices.

Develop your own lesson plan for one of the issues discussed in the 1990sdecade of The Remarkable 20th Century.

Use materials from one or more of the following Web sites to develop yourlesson plan:

Library of Congress American Memory Collectionhttp://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amhome.html

National Archives and Records Administrationhttp://www.nara.gov

Library of Congresshttp://www.loc.gov

Yahoo! Arts: Humanities: History: U.S.History: 20th Centuryhttp://dir.yahoo.com/arts/humanities/history/u_s__history/by_time_period/20th_century/

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Kingwood College Library American Cultural History—The Twentieth Centuryhttp://www.nhmccd.edu/contracts/lrc/kc/decades.html

EdSITEmenthttp://edsitement.neh.gov/lessonplans.html

PRACTICE TESTAfter watching the video and reviewing the objectives, you should be able tocomplete the following Practice Test. When you have completed the PracticeTest, turn to the Answer Key to score your answers.

Multiple-choice

Select the single best answer. If more than one answer is required, it will be soindicated.

1. As one consequence of the demise of the Soviet Union:

A. religious rivalries in Russia ended.

B. Solidarity arose in Bulgaria.

C. the entire European continent became stable.

D. long-suppressed ethnic and racial hatreds flared in the former Sovietrepublics.

2. In response to China’s crushing of its pro-democracy movement, the UnitedStates under George Bush:

A. placed economic sanctions on China.

B. maintained normal relations with China.

C. urged that a trade embargo be placed on China.

D. sent substantial aid to the anti-Communists.

3. Which of the following was the U.S. not involved in during Bush’sadministration:

A. the “hunting down” of Noriega.

B. the Gulf War.

C. military intervention in Somalia.

D. military intervention in Poland.

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4. Which of the following countries did not have a female hold a position ofpolitical leadership in the 1990s:

A. France

B. Great Britain

C. Ireland

D. Nicaragua

5. Which of the following was a free trade agreement:

A. SETO

B. NATO

C. NAFTA

D. Y2K

6. Which of the following events did not occur in the 1900s:

A. Cloning of sheep.

B. Hong Kong is returned to China.

C. John Glenn orbits the earth.

D. “Mad Pig” disease erupts in England.

7. Which of the following was not an example of internal violence in the U.S.:

A. the unsuccessful raid on the Branch Davidian cult.

B. the bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City.

C. the assassination of Ross Perot.

D. the Rodney King beating.

Essay/Problem Questions

8. Should the U.S. assume the role of international policeman in world affairs?Why or why not?

9. What is the single most significant result of the end of the Cold War?Defend your answer.

10. What were the three most important social issues of the 1990s decade inthe United States? Compare and contrast the leadership qualities exhibitedby Presidents Bush and Clinton in addressing those issues.

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ANSWER KEYThe following provides the answers and references for the Practice Testquestions. Video objectives are referenced using the following abbreviations:V=Video Objective.

Multiple Choice Essay/Problem Questions

1. D Ref. V 1 8. Ref. V 1

2. B Ref. V 1 9. Ref. V 2

3. D Ref. V 1 10. Ref. V 3; 5

4. A Ref. V 4

5. C Ref. V 5

6. D Ref. V 5

7. C Ref. V 3