Remembering How 9/11 Shaped American History
September 11, 2001 … the day that changed America forever. Few events have changed our country in the way that the horrific timeline of that September morning did. Because this topic can be difficult for students to study, teachers need quality resources to help them build meaningful lessons regarding this chapter in America’s history. The following resources from icurio can help teachers approach this task appropriately.
Introduction for a lesson on 9/11:
Associated Press: September 11: Ten Years Later: A Lasting Impact (Middle/High)
- The first resource from this site, a video titled Video: Sept. 11, 2001 shows a timeline of events from 9/11 and the number of people who lost their lives. The video length is 1 minute 45 seconds, and it provides a great starting point for a lesson on 9/11.
- The 14th resource, a video titled Video: 9/11 Generation, includes students explaining their thoughts about being called the “9/11 Generation”. The length of the video is 1 minute 35 seconds, and it shows the emotion of other students related to this topic.
Core instructional piece for a lesson on 9/11:
- 9/11 Memorial: Teach + Learn (Elem/Middle/High). Teachers can use the variety of materials on this site to develop lessons or share with students. The site includes a timeline for students, and information on rescue and recovery efforts that took place following 9/11. The National September 11 Memorial and Museum are also highlighted on this site.
- Teachinghistory: Spotlight on 9/11 in the Classroom: In Remembrance (Elem/Middle/High). There are a wide variety of teaching and learning materials about 9/11 on this site.
- One notable lesson involves an oral history project involving middle school students who interview friends and family about their memories of 9/11.
Academic practice for a lesson on 9/11:
- Readworks: Always Remember (Elem/Middle). This non-fiction reading comprehension passage discusses the events of September 11, 2001, and contains questions and a teacher’s guide. The resource could be used by teachers as the basis for classroom discussion or individually by students. Free registration is required to access the passage and question set.
- Awesome Stories: America Attacked: 9/11 (Middle/High). This learning module focuses on the events of September 11, 2001 within 12 chapters. This resource contains 12 brief digital chapters, along with photos and videos, and it could be used as part of a whole class lesson, divided up for small group work or used individually by students. Free registration may be required to access some features of the site.