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Video Roundups: Teaching 9/11

The thirteenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks is approaching, and teachers may be wondering how to teach this extremely delicate moment of history in the classroom. There are a lot of documentaries out there that show the graphic horrors of what happened that day, but there are a few kid-geared videos out there that can help teach students what happened on 9/11.

Education World has rounded up three educational kid-friendly videos on 9/11 for teachers to show in their classroom. With each video, there is a description, grade level, and "sensitivity factor", which aims to tell teachers whether or not it is graphic, or if it is watered down to the younger crowd.

 

What Happened? The Story of September 11, 2001

Source: Nick News

Grade Level: 6-8

Run Time: 22:29

Description: Follow the story of what happened on the morning of 9/11 with Linda Ellerbee, popular children news reporter for Nickelodeon. The video also features kids who were there and tell their stories and experiences during that moment in history.

Sensitivity Factor: Medium. The video is geared towards middle school students, but shows live footage of the Twin Towers burning, collapsing, and people running away covered in debris. It also features intense and emotional stories by bystanders and those whose family was on the planes. 

 

The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby

Source: Brain Pop

Grade Level: 2-5

Run Time: Approx. 6 minutes

Description: A cartoon character, Tim, along with his character robot friend, Moby, tell the story of 9/11, as they travel around downtown Manhattan. 

Sensitivity Factor: High. The entire video is animated, so there is no real, graphic footage of the actual event, so it is less dramatic. The main character, Tim, does not hide any of the facts, talking about terrorism, al Qaeda, and what happened on September 11 and afterwards. The video does not shy away from any of the facts, but presents it in a kid-friendly, censored kind of way. 

 

Remembering 9/11

Source: SchoolTube

Grade Level: 6-12

Run Time: 25:04

Description: Learn about the events of September 11 through interviews of people who were in the towers, kids who were younger and didn't understand what was going on, police officers, and more. 

Sensitivity Factor: Low. This is a graphic video, with emotional stories, pictures of debris, and more. This video is definiitely geared towards the older crowd of students who are looking for more of an in-depth, serious resource concerning 9/11. 

 

Article by Kassondra Granata, EducationWorld Contributor