Dr. David Childs, Ph.D.
Northern Kentucky University
What happened on that day?
On Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001 the al-Qaeda terrorist network successfully executed attacks against the United States using four commercial airplanes. The airplanes were used as missiles to commit suicide bombings on several key buildings in the US. The most damage was done in New York as they completely destroyed the twin towers at the World Trade center. The attacks killed 2,996 people, injured over 6,000 others, and caused at least $10 billion in infrastructure and property damage. The death toll increased even after the initial attacks, as additional people died of cancer and respiratory diseases related to the debris from the destroyed buildings in the months and years following the attacks.
Where were you during 911?
For some, they were wrapping up the third period of seventh grade science class. Others were starting out their morning working at the office when they received “the call.” Still others were starting a routine day on their college campus. But for others, they have no recollection of the events, because they were not even born yet.
Lived Experience or Recent History
These events are for some people a lived experience in recent history and for others a historical event that they read about in history textbooks or learn of the events on an online resource. Many people across the US did not live through the events we know today as 911. Lauren Camera has written an article to this effect in USA Today entitled How to Teach 9/11 to Students With No Memory of It. Because we are in a time period where there are more and more people that do not have a vivid memory or lived experience of that time period, there will be more and more people who honestly do not know what happened unless they are taught information about 911. One of the important aspects of the field of history is that it reminds society of significant past events (Good and bad), events that had such an impact on people’s lives at the time that it would be a travesty for people to forget. September 11 is one of those events in history, that as long as the world exists, we should always remember.
Conclusion
For many, it is obvious why we should remember and continue to make it a part of the collective memory of the United States (Much like the American Civil War or World War II). But a number of today’s young people may sincerely not understand why it is so important. That is why a good social studies education is so essential today, indeed the job of the classroom teacher is evermore critical. In many cases, the first time students will hear about September 11 is from their social studies teacher. Below I have provided lesson plans and resources that teachers can use to teach students about 911 and even get the conversation started.
Lesson Plans and Teacher Resources
Lesson Plans
Lesson Plans- 911 Memorial Museum
Middle School Lesson Plans- 911 Museum
9/11 Lesson Plans- National Education Association (NEA)
9/11 Lesson Plans- Scholastic
9/11 Classroom Activities- Newsweek
9/11 Lesson Plans- Teacher Planet
9/11 Lessons- Education World
9/11 Lessons- Tomorrow Together
9/11 Lesson- Teach Hub.com
9/11 Anniversary Teaching Guide- Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility
Footage/News Clips
Remembering 9/11: Watch Today Show’s live broadcast of Twin Towers on Sept. 11, 2001
9/11 FOIA Videos: Street-Level Footage, Aerial Shots (Viewer Warning)
Second Plane Hits South Tower
Remembering 9/11 | Archive Footage We Will Never Forget
Articles
Photos: Remembering those lost on 9/11
The Names on the Memorial
How to Teach 9/11 to Students With No Memory of It
The 9/11 Anniversary in the Classroom- PBS News Hour
While America Slept: The True Story of 9/11
References
September 11 Attacks- The History Channel
September 11 Attacks- Encyclopedia Britannica
History of the 9/11 Attacks
Discussion Questions
1. Where were you on September 11, 2001 when the terrorist attacks occurred?
2. Why do you think important events are often so quickly forgotten?
3. View some of the resources provided above (Articles, footage, news reports, images). What thoughts and emotions come to mind as you examine the material?
4. What are creative ways teachers might begin discussion about 911? For those currently teaching in the classroom, what are lessons or activities you have tried that have been effective in teaching about September 11?
I have little to no recollection of 9/11 as I was in first grade. What I do remember however is all of the older kids talking about it on the bus the next morning and afternoon. I also remember the conversations I heard from my family, the devastation and anger in their voices. While I don’t remember a whole lot of the actual event I remember the aftermath. What I find the most interesting, is that from now on, all of our K-12 students, none of them will have lived through it, every student I teach, it will be merely a matter of history rather than a lived experience.
What Happened on September 11th?For many of us, the events of September 11 represent a prime example of living through significant history. Everthing that happens is a part of history, however, 9/11 is cemented in the minds of many generations. At times, it can be hard to believe how much time has passed since its occurrence. This is apparent in many classrooms today as some students might be hearing about this event for the first time within the confines of a classroom. Our responsibility, as teachers, is to ensure that this point in history is not forgotten and detail its importance and continuing relevancy.
Teaching events that were so impactfull on the history of American and the world for that matter, such as the Civiil War and the World Wars is one thing. I was not alive during those events and much of what I am teaching is based on facts from the time, logic, and the understanding of the human condition. Teaching students about an event like 9/11, where I was actually alive, aware, and emotionally involved is a whole other thing compared to the former examples of events. I believe as teachers in the field of social studies, we have many opportunities to encourage students to not only better understand our country and our world, but to be better people in general. The main positive about teaching social studies is that much of the material is relatable to student’s individual lives for much of what occurred in wars and other events in history applies too our modern world. The key to me, or the greatest thing a social studies teacher can do is not just teach the content of events in our history, but to use the content to make the world a better place through your instruction. In the case of 9/11, its provide a great opportunity to be open and candid with your students about what you were doing that day, how it made you feel, and how it impacted you in your own life. Just like war and the fight for equality, 9/11 is an event that can be used to show a more personal side of yourself to the students and in return earn respect, as well as engagement. Students must learn the content, absolutely, but a Social Studies classroom can be a place where our history is used as a guide to how to appreciate life and the others that exist within it as well. Events like 9/11 is a reminder that we are not guaranteed the next minute of our lives and the importance of how we respect, love, and appreciate one another,
When the 9/11 attacks happened I was in kindergarten. Since I was so young there isn’t much that I remember except I very vividly remember one of my teachers crying because her son worked in one of the twin towers and she had not heard from him yet. At this time, the kids in my class were all too young to know what really had happened that day. From that year on we learned about 9/11 in our history classes and would spend days talking about the different events that happened that day around the anniversary. As future teachers I think that it is very important to educate our future classes about this specific topic and make sure that they are as educated about the topic as they can be. This is an event that changed the United States forever and. we should not be afraid to teach it.
I fall under the category of people who do not have a very vivid memory of 9/11. I was only three years old when it occurred, so most of what I know about 9/11 has come from what others have told me and what I’ve learned in school. Even though I wasn’t old enough to remember it, I’m still affected and devastated by it whenever I do hear about it. I still don’t understand why someone would do something so horrible. I think it’s crucial that we still teach and inform our next generation on this major U.S tragedy. Even though it occurred 18 years ago, it still affects all of us today, and will continue to affect us. For example, airport security is much stricter than it was prior to 9/11 occurring, to insure our safety and security. It’s our job as citizens to stand for those who lost their lives and honor those that made tremendous sacrifices on that horrible day.
I was three years old when the events of September 11th, 2001 occurred. I have no memory of the day or the events from when they happened, only what I have learned in school or heard from word of mouth about the day. It is something that we talk about yearly, and while it is a tragic event, it is not one of the primary ones that stick out in my mind as I was not mature enough to comprehend what was happening at the time. I think that as time goes on and the people we are teaching in schools have less and less of a connection to the event, it will lose it’s meaning and it’s importance in the eyes of who it is being taught to about its significance in American history. We will soon hit a point where the bulk of teachers who are responsible for teaching about the date to students will not have any memory of the day, just like their students. While I believe that there are more relevant events that could be discussed instead, I still am capable of understanding why the date is important to remember, the people affected by that day are worthy of being remembered, mourned, and supported, and what it can provide us from a teaching perspective.
Unlike other big issues, I do feel as though I have learned a great deal about this tragic event in American history. I feel like my school curriculum and teachers from a young age emphasized the gravity of this event and implemented its effects. I think that this event is so substantial to the social studies curriculum just because it is so recent and has effected a large majority of our population. A big portion of our country lived through this tragic event and has suffered from it. I do feel like I know a lot more about the physicality of what happened and the tragedy within, but less of the motives and reasoning as to why it happened. This event needs to continue to be talked about, as it has radically changed the dynamic of our country. After 9/11 there grew higher security, greater awareness, deeper fear, and great financial burden. I do feel like as I’ve grown older, this is talked about less, and It’s honestly sometimes easy to forget about as we move on and focus more on the current issues in our country. This is one of the heftiest acts of terrorism our country has experienced, and the key example of understanding the idea of terrorism. I distinctly remember in elementary school always being intrigued and stunned by this event, and I remember it being a key subject to my learning. I remember interviewing my parents on where they were September 11th, I remember learning about “ground zero,” I remember taking moments of silence to acknowledge this event, and more. Overall, I’m thankful for my understanding of this event and would be interested to see the extent that students are learning about this today.
I do not remember anything about the events on 9/11. I was only about 3 or 4 years old at the time. My mother and father have told me more about 9/11 than what I have learned about in school. There is not enough talk about what exactly happened. Everyone seems to know the basics, but no details. We do not show our students pictures anymore or talk about how horrible it really was. Discussing how people died from respiratory diseases and cancer after this time and still today, really hit me hard. I never even knew this. I can’t imagine the things that students aren’t being told about it today if I didn’t even know this. I plan on using these lesson plans to teach in my classroom someday. They are great resources and should be utilized.
This article really caught my attention because as someone who clearly remembers 9/11 from 6th grade Music class, it is a good reminder that as I journey into my career as an educator, I will be working with children who have no concept of what happened or why it was such a monumentally historic event. And to think, 10 to 15 years from now, I will be teaching students whose PARENTS weren’t even alive at that time to share their glimpse of the emotional event. Something that is also just as important, if not more, as teaching about what happened on September 11 is teaching students about the aftermath of how united our American nation was while we grieved and sought answers. I still watch news highlights and documentaries from that day and more time was spent discussing the cleanup triumphs than bashing decisions made by government officials. The behavior of the media and those in office during that time is something that I want to make a point of shedding light on and to give students hope that kindness is out there and its up to them to spread it.
I was only two years old when 911 happened. I don’t have any memory of it, but I do know what happened that day because my parents have told me time and again. I grew up learning about it in school. Every year we would watch videos about that day, or we would discuss it. However as the years went by, we talked about it less and less. This year, I don’t even remember hearing anyone talk about it, or seeing anything on social media. Its something that is slowly being forgotten. I think its important to recall history and remember its repercussions. History is how we learn from our mistakes, honor those who died, and share our stories.