Teaching 9/11 - Past to Present

Title: America Is Under Attack: September 11, 2001 : The Day the Towers Fell. 

Author: Don Brown

Copyright: Jacket Illustration, 2011

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, New York

Reading Level: Lexile: 840
Genre: Nonfiction

Summary:  As the Common Core has started to focus more on English Language Arts and Mathematics compared to Science, Social Studies, and the Arts, it is always a wonderful idea to incorporate some of those less focused on subjects in one that students spend a lot of time on!  This is a prime example of one way to incorporate some Social Studies into English Language Arts.  Author Don Brown provides an age-appropriate book for Elementary students to read about a historical day that ended up changing America.  The book provides appropriate descriptions of the terrible events of 9/11 in the form of a heart-filled story - while first-responders, other heroes, the survivors and the victims - are a main focus, and not the terrorists.  The story has appropriate rich and eloquent watercolor pictures of the events, which help young readers visualize the events being described. Brown created those watercolors himself, and these pictures can also aid students struggling with comprehension.

Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud.

Personally, I think this book would be incredibly effective in the classroom if it were to be read as a read aloud, preferably on the anniversary of 9/11 as it would highlight the history of the day.  Also, the book is just the right length to be delivered this way.

Key Vocabulary Words:

• Hijacking 
• Loomed
• Hurtled
• Inferno
• Dazed
• Deliberate
• Demolished

Electronic Resources:

I personally do not believe showing students videos of 9/11 is appropriate, because the book explains almost everything that should be known to young Elementary students about 9/11.  The ending of the book is quite sad, so I think it would brighten students up to show them the 9/11 memorial websites. The book does not discuss memorials, and this will let students know that we still honor the victims every day.

Here are some websites:

9/11 Memorial - Manhattan
Flight 93 Memorial
9/11 Memorial - Pentagon

Increasing Comprehension Skills:

Before Read Aloud: 

• These words are listed throughout the book, especially hijacking, and should be understood by the students before the reading.  Have this list of key vocabulary words for the students in a warm-up activity before the read-aloud by completing a worksheet, preferably something such as a crossword puzzle, or an activity using dictionaries.   Go over the words briefly with the class, writing down definitions on your whiteboard.  

• Use the vocabulary activity I suggested.  After the vocabulary activity is completed, I strongly suggest briefly asking and calling on students regarding what they know about 9/11.  I would tie in an appropriate brief description of where you were and how the tragedy affected you when it happened. This will help students in a writing activity I am suggesting for after the lesson.

During the Read Aloud:

• Pause and point out the words when coming across them and ask class to give the definitions of the word. 

• Ask students while pausing between turning pages what they think the characters in the book are feeling.  This helps students make connections.

After the Read Aloud:

• Go over the vocabulary words briefly before completing lesson activities.

• Have students create a summary of the story.  I suggest using a graphic organizer to guide the students. One graphic organizer which could be useful is the Summary Star.

Writing Activity:
The horrific events of 9/11 has impacted pretty much everyone in America.  Just think about the safety measures in airports.  Think about Iraq.  For a writing activity, I suggest students should write about how 9/11 has impacted them personally.  They can be as creative as they want with this! Repeat a few things you said earlier to the class regarding how you were personally impacted by 9/11.  This activity will help students open their eyes to how past historical events relate to the present day.

Tiffany Tidbit: Just like many people alive during the time, 9/11 struck me right in the heart.  I was only in second grade with 9/11 happened.  I was in class, and my dad picked me up from school and told me what happened.  I was very upset.  I still vividly remember that day.  It is so important to teach 9/11 to students, and I can't reiterate enough how important it is to focus on the positive if you use this novel to teach your class about 9/11.  I hope this posting was enjoyable!