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| (courtersy of US National Park Service) |
It is hard to believe that eleven years have passed since what may be considered the darkest day in the history of our country. This year the commemoration for the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and The Pentagon will include memorial services, television programs, and many speeches.
An article in USA Today noted that September 11th “was a memory for teachers but for students, its history.” Many elementary students had not yet been born in 2001 and even high school seniors were only eight or nine years old on the day of the attacks. Students need to know what happened and why. The question is – how to teach it. For most teachers and students, September 11 is at the beginning of the school year and a heavy and somber topic to address right at the beginning of the semester. Since history is often best told in stories, students should be given the opportunity to read, see and hear about survivors, first responders, and families of victims.
There have been a considerable number of books published in recent years that deal with all of the above aspects of 9/11. CBS News has released a book and DVD entitled “What we Saw; The Events of September 11, 2001 In Words, Pictures, and Video.” (Simon and Schuster ISBN 9781454626667)Another noteworthy book is “Angel in the Rubble: The Miraculous Rescue of 9/11’s Last Survivor.” (Howard Pub. ISBN 9481451635201). Also take a look at “After the Fall: New Yorkers Remember September 2001 and the Years that Followed (New Press. ISBN 9781595586476) Check with your school and well as your local public library to see what is available and what might age appropriate for your students.
For a more uplifting story, I recommend Jim Defede’s book,” The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland. Published in 2003 by Harper Paperbacks, this book chronicles the generosity and kindness of the townspeople of Gander, Newfoundland, who went out of their way to accommodate and befriend over 6000 travelers who made an unexpected stop on September 11, 2001.
For those teachers who are seeking an interdisciplinary approach to teaching about September 11th, please take a look at “The GUYS”, a play written by Anne Nelson. It deals with a NYC fire captain who has to deal with the grief of losing his men and having to prepare eulogies for their funerals. “The Guys” was made into a movie starring Sigourney Weaver and Anthony LaPaglia.
Finally there are dozens of web sites with teacher’s materials, photo and lesson plans suggestions for classroom teachers. As educators we have an obligation to keep September 11 in the public conscience. Students should learn more about the events as they mature and can understand more.
You can find 9/11 material at the web addresses below.
http://www.learnabout9-11.org/
Lastly, the September 11 Memorial in New York City is now open to the public. You can obtain information by visiting their web site at http://www.911memorial.org/.
Copyright 2012 Jeffrey A. Margolis
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