One view on teaching about the tenth anniversary of 9/11

I have snapshots in my mind of a 16-year-old, curly haired girl doodling in her notebook, desperately trying to avoid being called on in Spanish class.  Her biology teacher bursts through the door, interrupting her stupor with the words “a plane just crashed into one of the Twin Towers.” Today, that girl is a 26-year-old teacher standing in front of a room full of students who do not have such snapshots. None of them were beyond the age of 3 when the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, occurred. In a few more years, I will face students who will only know 9/11 as a historical event that happened before they were born.

These past and present snapshots remind me it is essential that middle school educators take into account that while our mental snapshots of 9/11 are our own, for our students these snapshots have been handed down to them in an album created by others. Yet despite the fact that these snapshots were not taken by our students, we must realize they are affecting the conclusions students draw about 9/11. We must encourage our students to develop multiple perspectives about 9/11 and draw their own conclusions. (Teaching Tolerance blogger Jacqueline Yahn on the tenth anniversary of 9/11)

To read more, click the second paragraph of hyperlinked text above.

9/11 resources

Whether it’s with a moment of silence or an outpouring of service, schools across the country are considering how to help their students observe the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. A wide range of resources are available to assist educators as they seek learning opportunities around this emotion-charged date. (Suzie Boss at Edutopia)

Follow the hyperlinked text above to learn more about the resources Boss suggests.