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September 11: Lessons and Resources for Classroom Teachers
What are teachers doing to help their students understand the attacks that took place September 11, 2001? Education World has culled from the Web and listservs a list of possible resources. Included: Watch in the days ahead as we add new resources!
For millions of Americans, December 7, 1941, is inextricably linked to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. November 22, 1963, is instantly synonymous with John F. Kennedy's assassination. Now, Americans must add one more date to the list of dark days indelibly etched in our minds and in our memories: September 11, 2001.
Those of us who remember one of those earlier tragedies certainly understand the disbelief and confusion that today's kids are feeling. What can teachers do, we wonder, to help students understand this latest disaster? How can teachers help students put the events of September 11 into a meaningful context? What can teachers do to help their students deal -- and heal?
Education World has been tracking listservs and Web sites to locate background information, lessons, and ideas that might be helpful to educators as they struggle to explain and to teach the events of September 11, 2001. We will continue to update the list of resources below, so check back often in the days ahead.
Don't miss the Education World article Helping Children Cope: Teacher Resources for Talking About Tragedy.
HOW WILL YOU RECOGNIZE THE ANNIVERSARY?
Schools will recognize the September 11 anniversary in many different ways. Some will honor the memory of those who died in low-key ways (see a Washington Post news article, Schools Plan Low-Key September 11 Observances). Other teachers will engage students with lessons that challenge them to think or that help them put the events of September 11 in perspective.
This week, Education World presents Remembering September 11, which includes five new lessons to help teachers commemorate the first anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attack on the United States. Those lessons keep alive the spirit of patriotism and tolerance stimulated by the events of 9/11. We also offer below a long list of online lessons and other resources to help make classroom observances more meaningful and inspiring.
Two more resources worth noting: - About Our Kids offers resources such as a school manual with practical steps for recognizing the anniversary of September 11.
- The National Association of School Psychologists offers Remembering September 11, which includes "One Year Later" tip sheets for parents, adolescents, and teachers plus a list of do's and don'ts for memorial activities at school.
SEPTEMBER 11 LESSON PLANS
- 9/11 as History
Lesson plans, resources, and tips for recognizing the anniversary.
- Terrorism and Tolerance
A lesson from the National Council for the Social Studies.
- PBS: America Responds
PBS offers a variety of lesson plans for educators. Those plans include A World At Peace (for grades 2-6), Tolerance in Times of Trial (grades 6-12), Emergency Preparedness (grades 6-8), Taming Terrorism (grades 9-12), and more.
- Beyond Blame: Reacting to the Terrorist Attack
The Education Development Center created this 25-page curriculum for middle and high school students in response to concern that the terrorist attacks created a hostile climate for Arab Americans -- much like the climate Japanese Americans faced following the attack on Pearl Harbor.
- Who Are the Arab Americans?
Activity ideas designed to challenge student misperceptions about people of Arab descent -- from the Web site Teaching Tolerance.
- Small Steps
These activities from Teaching Tolerance help students examine how name calling and stereotypes advance bigotry and lead to violence and even genocide.
- Terror and Tolerance
Scroll to "Dear Teacher: Letters on the Eve of the Japanese American Imprisonment" for an NCSS classroom lesson focused on letters sent by Japanese American middle school students to their teacher in the days following the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor.
- Reflecting on September 11
The Constitutional Rights Foundation has assembled a series of online lessons designed to help young people deal with terrorism, reactions to tragedy, information and disinformation, civil liberties, Islamic issues, and international law.
- Remembrance Through Public Art
In this lesson, students examine Maya Lin's design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and explore public art as a way to remember history. Students plan a memorial for a public space. (This is a pdf document; you will need Adobe Acrobat.)
- Teaching September 11
This lesson from PBS's Online News Hour provides classroom discussion resources for talking about the recent controversy over the 9/11 resources published for teachers on the NEA's Web site.
- Helping America Cope
This updated guide contains activities to help children cope with the anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The guide is designed for use with children six to 12 years of age; however, many of the activities have effectively been adapted for use with older children.
- Arts & Activities from America's Fund For Afghan Children (Children's Site)
Includes a word search, crossword, more. Also: Information on how students can raise funds for Afghan children.
- Build a Memory
Design/build a memorial to 9/11 in this lesson from the NEA September 11 tribute.
- Dealing With Tragedy in the Classroom
WNET in New York City offers these activities to help students cope with loss and learn how to talk to on another about their feelings.
- Legacy.com
The New York Times presents this page, which provides lists of all those killed on September 11 and a National Book of Remembrance in which Americans can write their reflections about the events of September 11.
- Smithsonian Institution Book of Reflections
The Smithsonian Institution invites those who wish to record their thoughts about the tragic events of September 11 to contribute to the Book of Reflection. The entries will be maintained in the Smithsonian archive as documentation of people's response to this moment in our nation's life.
- America Responds to Terrorism
The Constitutional Rights Foundation has prepared online lessons, including September 11 -- How Did You Feel?, Fact Finders -- The Media During Times of Crisis, and Analyzing Rumors and Myths.
- Understanding Stereotypes
This lesson from Discovery.com teaches the ideas that assumptions can lead to stereotypes and unfair judgments about individuals and groups.
- Lesson Plans About Terrorism
This list from links to lessons comes from KidsClick.org.
- Chain of Hope
This news article from the St. Petersburg Times tells of a classroom lesson in which students created a "chain of hope." Students wrote personal messages on strips of red, white, and blue paper. They planned to send the chain to the New York City Fire Department.
- BillyBear4Kids God Bless America Page
For young students, this page includes a flag that young kids can color, printable flags, stationary for letter writing, bookmarks, and more. Many items include Billy Bear holding an American flag.
- Aaron Shepherd's Reader's Theater: The War Prayer
"The War Prayer," a short story by Mark Twain, is presented in reader's theater format on this page from Aaron Shepherd's Web site. The script is appropriate for middle and high school students.
- Another Day That Will Live in Infamy
In this lesson from the New York Times Learning Network, students are encouraged to share, through discussion and writing, their feelings about September 11, 2001.
- Hooray for Heroes
This lesson challenges students to define what a hero is and to select a hero to spotlight.
- Intergenerational Peace Chain
This activity, part of the Something to Remember Me By Legacy Project, involves children and adults in creating a paper chain of remembrance, healing, and hope.
- Culture Matters Workbook
Teachers and students in grades eight and up can benefit from this cross-cultural training workbook. It was developed by the Peace Corps to help new volunteers acquire the knowledge and skills to work successfully and respectfully in other cultures.
- An American Tragedy: September 11, 2001
TeacherVision.com's resources include a timeline of the events of September 11, a printable map of the four hijacked airliners' routes, news and informational articles, lesson plans, and more.
- One World Mural
The One World Mural, created by children of all ages, seeks to create an online treasury of images and words that celebrates the themes of common humanity, unity, peace, justice, and equality.
- In Congress Assembled
This study of three perennial issues -- veterans' benefits, the national debt, and terrorism -- shows ways in which Congress responded to problems in 1785 and in recent years.
- One Man's Freedom Fighter Is Another Man's Terrorist
In this WebQuest, students determine the extent of the threat to the United States from terrorism, both domestically and internationally.
- Preventing Terrorism on the Home Front
In this lesson plan from CNN, students examine a report by the U.S. Commission on National Security in the 21st Century. They analyze the recommendations of the bipartisan commission and defend or oppose the commission's recommendations.
- Terror on Trial
In this lesson plan from the New York Time Learning Network, students examine the motivations, goals, and actions of terrorist countries.
- Topics in International Security
Groups of students work together to assess the differences between the facts of the hijacking of TWA 847 and the motion picture Delta Force.
- What About You?
Teachers might use this short story about aliens to start a classroom discussion about prejudice.
- MidLink Magazine's Resources for Helping Students Deal with Tragedy: Lessons and Curriculum
This page offers links to a variety of lessons.
- Pencil Flag
Have students create their own "remember" pencil flags.
- USA Activities
ABCteach offers activities and other resources. Included: September 11th Bookmarks.
- September 11th Anniversary Guides
The Crisis Management Institute offers offer elementary, middle, and high school suggestions and lessons on preparedness for fall and the 9/11 anniversary.
- Free Lessons: Teaching After 9/11
Educators for Social Responsibility offers links to a number of lessons and other activities for helping students deal with and understand the events of September 11.
- Teaching 9/11/01: Lesson Plans and Syllabi
Links to lesson plans for all grades, compiled by the Clarke Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Contemporary Issues (Dickinson College).
- Global Connections: The Middle East
PBS offers a rich collection of background articles, lesson plans, timeline, and other resources, which are indexed to help educators quickly find topics and materials that are most relevant for their classroom needs.
- United We Stand
Publisher Prentice Hall offers classroom lessons on understanding prejudice and students' responses to the terrorist attacks. (Click on Classroom Lessons and Resources at the bottom of the page.
ADDITIONAL SEPTEMBER 11 RESOURCES
- September 11: What Our Children Need to Know
What major lessons of September 11 should teachers introduce to their young charges? Twenty-three distinguished authors seek to provide answers to those questions and suggest how U.S. schools and educators should help students better understand this event, its precursors, and its aftermath.
- In the Mix: The New Normal
Resources to accompany a three-episode series of In the Mix, a weekly show for teens.
- Muslim Students in the Classroom
This teacher-created resource explains what Muslims believe and what to expect from the Muslim student.
- Why Is My Loyalty Questioned?
In this student-created Web site, parallels are drawn between how the Japanese were discriminated against in the days after the attack on Pearl Harbor and how the same thing happened to many Arab Americans in the aftermath of September 11.
- America Responds
Resources from PBS.
- Children of September 11
This children's page of the Families of September 11 Web site includes links to resources for teachers.
- September 11 Through Children's Eyes
A student-created Web site. The students visited New York P.S. 89, which is located a block from Ground Zero. The site shares their interviews with students and teachers and more.
- A Tragic Day in America
This Time for Kids article reports on the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center.
- The Pentagon
The Department of Defense maintains the official Pentagon site, which includes general information about the building and its history, as well as a 24-minute virtual tour.
- 100 Questions and Answers About Arab Americans
Detroit has the largest population of Arab Americans in the United States, so it is fitting that this resource comes from the Detroit Free Press.
- Who Are the Arabs?
This resource from the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies includes In the Classroom resources.
- A Brief Illustrated Guide to Understanding Islam, Muslims, and the Koran
This Islamic guide for non-Muslims is rich in information, references, bibliography, and illustrations.
- Life After 9/11
Special reports from the PBS Online News Hour with Jim Lehrer.
- Scholars of Islam and the Tragedy of September 11
This Web page is produced through the cooperation of more than 50 professors of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies.
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Books About September 11, 2001
Teachers.net offers this list of book, including one written specifically for children. -
Behind the Headlines: September 11 Resources for Educators
These resources come from the group Teaching for Change, which promotes social and economic justice through public education.
- lii's September 11 & Beyond Librarians' Index to the Internet offers this compendium of resources on the attacks, building and remembering, more.
- Global Connections
This resource from Boston's PBS station, WGBH, offers a timeline of Middle Eastern history and resources for responding to six big-issue questions.
- America Rebuilds
A resource from PBS that documents the cleanup of the WTC site and planning for the future.
- Why the Towers Fell
This companion Web site to a NOVA (PBS) episode follows a team of forensic engineers during their in-depth investigation of the precise causes of the Twin Towers' collapse.
- Heroes of Ground Zero
This is the companion Web site to a WNET program that presents a candid account of the firefighters in two New York City firehouses as they struggle to cope in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Article by Gary Hopkins and Linda Starr
Education World®
Copyright © 2004 Education World
Links last updated 08/31/2004
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