As September 11th is coming to a near, former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, gathered blocks from the World Trade Center site to discuss a plan to teach middle and high school students about the 2001 terrorist attacks.
Schools in New York City, California, New Jersey, Alabama, Indiana, Illinois, and Kansas is expected to test out the 9/11 curriculum this year. This will be the first educational plan focusing on the attacks.
This plan that will be introduced to middle and high school students was developed by the help of educators, more than 70 interviews with witnesses, family members of victims, and politicians including Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton, the New York senator at the time of the attacks.
Students will be able to map global terrorist activity, watch videos, and incorporate interactive exercises through the curriculum. A range of viewpoints are reflected in the curriculum, such as Muslim scholors. These viewpoints will spark discussions between students. Within the new curriculum are images that can be challenging and drastic. Nothing will be sugarcoated. Teachers will be introduced to the new plan and interacting along with the students and producing extensive lesson plans regarding the 9/11 attacks. Some students may be too young to have strong memories of the attacks, so therefore one of the main goals of the curriculum is to develop a connection to what actually happened.
"In a few years, we will be teaching students who were not even alive at the time of the attacks," said Anthony Gardner, the executive director of the September 11 Education Trust.
As the threat of terrorism and war is still continuing in Afghanistan and Iraq, students will be able to think critcally about the attacks as a historical event and one that will be part of our future. Students in the middle and high schools will be able to think about September 11 and all that it meant and all that it means to the present.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Denise,
ReplyDeleteWhat are your thoughts regarding this article? Personally, I have mixed emotions. My 8th graders were in kindergarten when 9/11 happened. My 6th graders were only 2 or 3 years old. At any rate, none of them remember it. They only know what they've heard. I, on the other hand, remember exactly where I was. It's like people who can tell you where they were when JFK was shot (I'm too young!).
Coming from the educator's aspect, I think it is very important that our students learn about the events that have led up to our current political situation -- the War in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, I am just not sure how in depth we should go. Yes, I agree that it needs to be age appropriate and maturity appropriate.
In my school, we will be honoring all those who died in the attacks with a moment of silence and prayer. (Remember I teach in a Catholic School.) Last year, my students, who are now in 6th grade, wrote letters and cards to 2 of my friends who have been serving in Afghanistan. In a few weeks they will both be home and plan to come and speak to the students.
At any rate, I do think we need to remember all those innocent people who were killed. May they rest in peace.
Hello Denise,
ReplyDeleteI am glad to hear that schools are beginning to teach about what took place on 9/11. I hope the textbooks do not water down the facts about why these extremist did this and why we went to war. Many textbooks are written from a political correct standpoint or from view the other might have against a political party. I hope this material is not like that. I hope by teaching this teacher incorporate some patriotism too. They should bring in vets to guest speak to the students that are old enough to understand what war is. I had a teacher bring some WWII vets when I was in grade school and it was amazing. It was one of those school memories that will last a life time.
As always you need to be sensitive and if parents feel their children are too young for this type of discussion then they should be able to opt out, but if taught correctly this might be a defining moment for them.
I like the idea of contacting troops and showing support during this time and a link you can use it on the Armed Forces Services Site. There are many avenues a lesson like this could from diversity understanding to culture norms and military service.
9/11 will be a day where we all remember the exact place you where. I rememeber when it happened and I said to myself this is history and this will make the textbooks one day and here it is. It somewhat suprises me that after only 8 years we are starting to teach it. I think it is important to teach about this because it is very important and still is with our current political and military status. I think this could be difficult to teach properly because it is a hard subject and the students learning about it may remember it or know soldiers fighting right now. I hope the curriculum is very honest but sensative at the same time. What do you think? Do you think middle school and high school students should be learning this right now. On a side note, with 9/11 tomorrow I still struggle if I mention it to my students. They weren't even born yet but it feels like yesterday to me. I think it is just easy to not discuss it at all but is this the right decision? Should elementary students be exposed to this in school and if so, how?
ReplyDelete