9/11 in the Classroom: Talking Points and Lesson Plans

Sept. 11, 2001 is a historical event of overwhelming importance. Teaching children about 9/11 has the power to unite and the power to divide. How a teacher approaches 9/11 is of critical importance.

Some of the curriculum available to teachers includes one developed by the September 11 Education Trust in 2009 and one recently adopted by New Jersey created by 4 Action Initiative. Brown University publishes Choices, another respected 9/11 curriculum.

Whether a 9/11 curriculum is purchased or developed independently like this teacher's effort, it should include some key elements:

9/11 Facts

The essence of the terror attacks is the foundation of a Sept. 11 curriculum: extremists conspired to attack the United States of America. For the first time in history, they used airplanes as bombs and crashed them into buildings that symbolized American power. The curriculum should explore what the World Trade Center and Pentagon represented and identify some of the suspected targets of the plane that crashed in Shanksville, Penn.

Another critical area is understanding the crux of the terrorists' objections to America's world influence.

The discussion should also identify the results of the 9/11 terror attacks. From the initial shock to the death count to the determination to bring the perpetrators to justice and to minimize future vulnerability, Americans experienced change that redefined the country. Some of these changes were legal, some were military, and some were emotional.

With significant support and minimal opposition, the United States government put in place a new security apparatus that altered Americans' fundamental freedoms.

9/11 Conflict Resolution Exercises

A well-developed 9/11 curriculum should explore conflict resolution. Tolerance is at the heart of conflict resolution. Materials from Teaching Tolerance can be useful in crafting grade-appropriate lessons for students about accepting others who are different from themselves.

Role play is also a powerful tool that helps students practice conflict resolution.

For older students, looking at the role government policies exert on promoting peace or war will help them further develop their understanding.

Security

An entire security apparatus has developed in response to 9/11. Exploring the security apparatus requires consideration of the various interests at stake. Who benefits from the security apparatus? How did 9/11 security concerns redefine fundamental rights of American citizens?

The U.S. response to 9/11 involved a novel interpretation of war. In declaring the war on terror, the U.S. looked beyond national borders. What does this mean for relations between countries? Does it make the world more or less secure?

Lasting Meaning

What 9/11 meant to those who experienced it firsthand or were alive to witness it is undoubtedly different from the meaning future generations may give to it. An effective curriculum might discuss how the needs of Americans who lived through 9/11 defined their designation of heroes and their creation of memorials. How do some of the memorials differ from one another in the way they reflect the meaning of the terrorist attacks?

The attacks might also be considered from the terrorist point of view. Al Quaeda considered the pilots who crashed the planes and their accomplices to be heroes. Does the definition of hero depend on the beholder?

What did Americans learn from the terror attacks? Is the country still in the process of finding meaning in the 9/11 experience? How has our interpretation changed over time?

How do different segments of the world community view the 9/11 attacks and the U.S. response to them?