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Teaching 9/11 As A Model For Teaching All History

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Many teachers can remember 9/11. For an adult, this event can rest squarely in history, but also close enough that memories can spring back. Many of our students were not alive in 2001, and if they were, they might be too young to remember where they were when they heard the news.

As Americans collectively deal with the strangeness and sadness of 9/11, commemorating the day poses an even stranger disconnect between students and teachers.

Seniors in high school were only 1 or 2 years old on the day of the attacks. Middle and elementary school students will likely have no recollection. So in a way, teachers and students will be grappling with a different event: For teachers, a live memory; for students, an event that may seem as relevant or irrelevant as any historical event before their birth.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”14409″ alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” img_hover=”grow” link=”https://www.flocabulary.com/unit/week-in-rap-extra-9-11/” img_caption=”Our 9/11 lesson covers the terrorist group responsible for the attack, how the US responded and how the country and world continue to remember the lives lost that day.”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][vc_column_text]

So as the nation considers the question, “Why does 9/11 matter?” teachers and students have the unique opportunity to answer the question from very different perspectives. What could be an uncomfortable lesson becomes a moment of shared learning.

And this joint investigation approach can serve all historical lessons. When teachers and students genuinely investigate a question together from different perspectives, the discoveries will allow both teachers and students to learn.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vcex_heading text=”How will you cover 9/11 in your classes? Share your thoughts in the comments below.” italic=”true” color=”#018ed5″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vcex_heading text=”Resources to Help You and Your Students Investigate 9/11 Together” font_weight=”semibold” color=”#5523dd”][vc_empty_space height=”36px”][vcex_icon_box heading=”” icon=”fa fa-video-camera” icon_color=”#018ed5″]

We created a new edition of the The Week in Rap Extra to cover 9/11 for the classroom with a video, activities and a quiz.

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The New York Times Learning Network has compiled far and away the most comprehensive list of resources on teaching 9/11, including links to dozens of articles for primary source exploration.

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Review more 9/11 news media with the Newseum’s well curated collection.

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Larry Ferlazzo offers an extensive list of videos, articles and other teaching resources.

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Find 9/11 resources for specific topics with this easy to search database.

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Explore an interactive map at History.com, which showcases home videos of the World Trade Center attacks filmed by New Yorkers on that day.

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Study the 9/11 Commission Report with a graphic novel.

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Help students consider their emotional reactions to 9/11 with resources from the National Association of School Psychologists.

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Watch our 18 Years in Rap video and consider how events of the last 14 years have been influenced by 9/11.

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