History WesternAnimation / SchoolhouseRock

* "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7CxWNY829Y A Noun Is a Person, Place or Thing]]" (Grammar Rock, Ahrens) - This decent but unremarkable segment became notorious for a colouring goof that causes Chubby Checker to appear briefly as white. (There are also the deliberately white and smiling plantation slaves in "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8wuGRlRZqk Mother Necessity]]"; weird notes in an otherwise fully integrated series.)

* "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQdDjBAJt7c We the People]]" (America Rock, Lynn Ahrens) - Explaining the basic concept of the Constitution, using the Preamble as the chorus (albeit omitting the first 'of the United States' to fit the lyric scheme). A decade or so later, teachers across the nation wondered why students taking history exams were singing under their breaths...

* "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZqI5b5wGA4 Conjunction Junction]]" (Grammar Rock, Sheldon) - What's your function? A kindly railroad freight conductor explains conjunctions in terms of 'hookin' up cars and makin' 'em run right', in possibly the most insanely catchy children's song of all time. Notable for the number of cover versions by big name jazz artists (both Harry Connick Jr. and Doctor John have covered it, to name two). Also gave the name to Rachel Maddow's Debunktion Junction segments, and was once parodied on MADtv as "Dysfunction Junction", about the dangers of giving kids attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medication (often for needless reasons -- i.e., the parents want their kids docile so they don't have to deal with them).

* "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDre36ZW14I Interplanet Janet]]" (Science Rock, Ahrens) - She's a galaxy girl! Another notoriously catchy tune, about... an alien softball team exploring our solar system. No, really. "She travels like a rocket with her comet team/and there's never been a planet Janet hasn't seen..."

* LaserGuidedKarma: In "A Noun is a Person, Place, or Thing," a Mrs. Jones sends her dog to bark at the protagonist and her younger brother [[KickTheDog for no explained reason.]] They fed the dog a bone, and the [[HeelFaceTurn dog turns on Mrs. Jones.]]

* TheMetricSystemIsHereToStay: There were shorts intended to teach about metric units such as the meter, liter and kilogram.

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: in "No More Kings!", the American colonies just up and decide they don't need England any more, whereupon George III clamps down on them like an oppressive father figure. In RealLife, England helped the American colonies win the French-and-Indian War against their neighbors, and became only got oppressive -- or at least taxalicious -- when it expected the colonies to pay for England's help during the war.

* HollywoodHistory: "No More Kings" depicts Britain as if it was an absolute monarchy dominating the American colonies with crushing taxation. That is a complete distortion of the real story considering the Monarchy was by then firmly bound by Parliament, which was the institution that actually handled the taxation policy that the colonies had a grievance with.

* TheMetricSystemIsHereToStay: There were shorts intended to teach about metric units such as the meter, liter, and kilogram.

* "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZqI5b5wGA4 Conjunction Junction]]" (Grammar Rock, Sheldon) - What's your function? A kindly railroad freight conductor explains conjunctions in terms of 'hookin' up cars and makin' 'em run right', in possibly the most insanely catchy children's song of all time. Notable for the number of cover versions by big name jazz artists (both Harry Connick Jr. and Doctor John have covered it, to name two). Also gave the name to Rachel Maddow's Debunction Junction segments, and was once parodied on MADtv as "Dysfunction Junction", about the dangers of giving kids attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medication (often for needless reasons -- i.e., the parents want their kids docile so they don't have to deal with them).

* AlternativeNumberSystem: The song "Hey Little Twelvetoes" is about a friendly alien with six digits on each hand and foot, who uses base 12 and as such has an easy time multiplying by twelves.

* "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDre36ZW14I Interplanet Janet]]" (Science Rock, Ahrens) - She's a galaxy girl! Another notoriously catchy tune, about... um... an alien softball team exploring our solar system. No, really. "She travels like a rocket with her comet team/and there's never been a planet Janet hasn't seen..."

* ExtraExtraReadAllAboutIt: Newsboys hocking newspapers appear in "Fireworks" and "Walking On Wall Street".

** This line from "Interjections!": "That's not fair givin' a guy a shot down there!"

* ItIsPronouncedTroPAY: "Interplanet Janet" rather obviously invents a non-offensive pronunciation for Uranus, rendering it 'Ur-Ahh-Nus'.

A series of educational short cartoons -- so short that they fit in the space of a single commercial break -- aired from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s on [[SaturdayMorningCartoon Saturday mornings]] on {{ABC}}.

At around the same time, ad executive David [=McCall=] noticed that while his son was struggling in school, he had no trouble remembering the lyrics to his favourite songs. Thus the idea to [[EducationalSong introduce basic learning concepts to young minds via simple-but-catchy rock, jazz, folk and pop tunes]] -- most written by jazz mainstay Bob Dorough and eventual Broadway lyricist Lynn Ahrens -- accompanied by entertaining visuals, animated by a team led by Tom Yohe.

The intial pitch was made to Michael Eisner, then vice president of ABC's children's programming, who brought along one ChuckJones. Jones loved the concept, Eisner persuaded his regular program lineup to snip three minutes each off their running time to accommodate it, and a legend was born. The Saturday-morning format provided a perfect vehicle to repeat the shorts over and over until the lesson was learned; from the start, ''Schoolhouse Rock'' was a roaring success as both education and entertainment, running for 37 episodes repeated ''endlessly'' over 12 years. Many of the shorts were burned into the minds of young viewers permanently.

* "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyeJ55o3El0&feature=related I'm Just a Bill]]" (America Rock, Jack Sheldon) - A forlorn little bill sitting on the steps of the Capitol explains the long, contentious process by which he someday 'hopes and prays' to become a law. This one became so iconic it earned ''TheSimpsons'' parody "I'm an Amendment to Be" (about an amendment against flag-burning waiting to be ratified), a ''FamilyGuy'' throwaway joke in "They Call Me Bill" (which ends with the bill being poked with a trash pick and put in a garbage bag), and ''TheDailyShow'' parody "Midterm Elections", ''and'' was referenced by ''[[{{MSNBC}} The Rachel Maddow Show]]'''s coverage of the 2009-10 health care [[strike:bill]] law.
* "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZqI5b5wGA4 Conjunction Junction]]" (Grammar Rock, Sheldon) - What's your function? A kindly railroad freight conductor explains conjunctions in terms of 'hookin' up cars and makin' 'em run right', in possibly the most insanely catchy children's song of all time. Notable for the number of cover versions by big name jazz artists (both Harry Connick Jr. and Doctor John have covered it, to name two). Also gave the name to Rachel Maddow's Debunction Junction segments, and was once parodied on {{MADtv}} as "Dysfunction Junction", about the dangers of giving kids attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medication (often for needless reasons -- i.e., the parents want their kids docile so they don't have to deal with them).

* "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDre36ZW14I Interplanet Janet]]" (Science Rock, Ahrens) - She's a galaxy girl! Another notoriously catchy tune, about... um... an alien softball team exploring our solar system. No, really. "She travels like a rocket with her comet team/and there's never been a planet Janet hasn't seen..."

* CreepyChild: Arguably, the cute little skater from "Figure Eight", whose eerily ethereal song (by Blossom Dearie) includes the wholly non-sequitur lines "If you skate/Upon thin ice/You'd be wise/If you thought twice/Before you made another single move..."

* LostEpisode: Even discounting the weather short that was removed from syndication for years, there is one Scooter Computer episode that hasn't survived as a video. "Introduction" only survives in audio form on the four-CD soundtrack set released in 1996.

* NonindicativeName: It has been noted that a minority of the songs actually qualify as "rock", per se. Most are straight pop, but a few lean more toward jazz, blues, gospel, etc.

** Others just use the updated lyrics of "Eight planets large and small, parading by." and "Pluto, little Pluto, used to be a planet, but now it's not."

* SweetheartSipping: The main character of "A Noun is a Person, Place, or Thing" does this with her "[[SheIsNotMyGirlfriend best friend]]" at the local MaltShop.

* [[AWildRapperAppears A Wild Rapping Walrus Appears]]: During the solo parts of the otherwise rock & roll-themed "Save the Ocean" in "Earth Rock", provided by Eric "Badlands" Booker.

* "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxT7QjlvDqM I'm Just a Bill]]" (America Rock, Jack Sheldon) - A forlorn little bill sitting on the steps of the Capitol explains the long, contentious process by which he someday 'hopes and prays' to become a law. This one became so iconic it earned ''TheSimpsons'' parody "I'm an Amendment to Be" (about an amendment against flag-burning waiting to be ratified), a ''FamilyGuy'' throwaway joke in "They Call Me Bill" (which ends with the bill being poked with a trash pick and put in a garbage bag), and ''TheDailyShow'' parody "Midterm Elections", ''and'' was referenced by ''[[{{MSNBC}} The Rachel Maddow Show]]'''s coverage of the 2009-10 health care [[strike:bill]] law.

* "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEJL2Uuv-oQ I'm Just a Bill]]" (America Rock, Jack Sheldon) - A forlorn little bill sitting on the steps of the Capitol explains the long, contentious process by which he someday 'hopes and prays' to become a law. This one became so iconic it earned ''TheSimpsons'' parody "I'm an Amendment to Be" (about an amendment against flag-burning waiting to be ratified), a ''FamilyGuy'' throwaway joke in "They Call Me Bill" (which ends with the bill being poked with a trash pick and put in a garbage bag), and ''TheDailyShow'' parody "Midterm Elections", ''and'' was referenced by ''[[{{MSNBC}} The Rachel Maddow Show]]'''s coverage of the 2009-10 health care [[strike:bill]] law.

* "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkO87mkgcNo Conjunction Junction]]" (Grammar Rock, Sheldon) - What's your function? A kindly railroad freight conductor explains conjunctions in terms of 'hookin' up cars and makin' 'em run right', in possibly the most insanely catchy children's song of all time. Notable for the number of cover versions by big name jazz artists (both Harry Connick Jr. and Doctor John have covered it, to name two). Also gave the name to Rachel Maddow's Debunction Junction segments, and was once parodied on {{MADtv}} as "Dysfunction Junction", about the dangers of giving kids attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medication (often for needless reasons -- i.e., the parents want their kids docile so they don't have to deal with them).