It’s said that one of the most effective ways to learn is through experience, by actively engaging with the material and applying it to real-world situations. That’s a little hard when you’re teaching history, but Malinda Nichols, an Alabama sixth-grade social studies teacher, found a way to bring the ‘90s to life, with a bit of help from her students’ Millennial parents.
“As our decades progress here in social studies class, we have reached, of course, the very best decade, the 1990s. So, I have invited parents of my students, who are all Millennials, to bring in nostalgic items from their childhood,” she said.
Social studies teacher creates a museum dedicated to Millennials
Nichols’ Museum of the Millennium allowed students to have a hands-on experience of what life in the ‘90s was like, by being able to touch and examine ancient artifacts, including flip phones, landlines, teen heartthrob magazines, New Kids on the Black memerobilia, Cabbage Patch Dolls, a full range of Nintendo systems, Gymnastics Barbie, Disney VHS tapes, and disposable cameras. The teacher even created a shirt for the occasion that reads: “Respect Your Elder Millennials” featuring a Game Boy, cassette tapes, a Nokia phone, and an in-line skate.
Parents were also on hand, acting as docents to teach the students how to do oh-so ‘90s skills like play a tape on a VHS machine or blow into a Nintendo cartridge to bring it back to life. The next day, the students conducted artifact analysis on the items they experienced at the museum, and created their own AOL usernames. Because in 1996, if you didn’t have an AOL name, you probably didn’t exist.
While many Millennials and Gen Xers who enjoyed ‘90s childhoods may feel like they’re not old enough to be historic, this social studies teacher who focuses on modern U.S. history begs to differ. “We raised Tamagotchi pets and felt the thrill of seeing Home Alone in a packed theater. We watched the Twin Towers fall in real time. We saw the rise of Blockbuster, the birth of YouTube, and the shift from landlines to cellphones. We were the ones who said goodbye to analog and hello to the digital age,” Nichols told Newsweek. “That’s pretty historic.”
Are the 1990s now considered historic?
The viral TikTok video took many Millennials on a nostalgic trip down ‘90s memory lane, but it also felt like a bit of a shock to see the things they played with as children depicted as artifacts from a bygone era. “I love this but also hate that my childhood is a history class lesson already,” one commenter wrote. “I love hate this,” another added. “Ah yes, the best way to feel old. Your childhood being taught in history class,” a commenter lamented.
Many couldn’t help but notice that Nichols bears a strong resemblance to one of the most memorable tweens of the ‘90s, Kimmy Gibbler on Full House. “I was confused. I thought you were Kimmy Gibbler then I thought you were Sabrina the Teenage Witch then I realized you’re neither lol,” a commenter wrote.
It may be hard for some Millennials and younger Gen Xers to reconcile the fact that their childhoods are now historic, much like the time they were growing up and saw their parents’ train sets and vintage Barbie dolls. However, they may not have known it then, but their childhood experiences are now something worth passing on to future generations, which is a testament to their value.
“This collection in here has easily got to be worth tens of dollars. But the value. The nostalgic value is truly priceless,” Nichols finishes her video.
