Remembering 9/11: A Middle School ELA Approach for September 11th

    

     Everyone can tell you where they were on September 11, 2001.  I was sitting in my high school French class, on my way to a Jimmy Buffet concert in Indianapolis that evening.  The first plane hit while we were in study hall and because everyone thought it was an accident, we didn't turn on the tvs until the second plane hit.    Then it became very real that this wasn't an accident at all.  We sat in French class absolutely mesmerized at what was happening.
    Three years ago when talking about this day with a group of seventh graders I realized these events were just stories to my kids, like learning about anything "in the past."  They knew about the day only through stories they've heard and historical fiction novels they've read.
     I guess to some I wasn't directly affected by the events on 9/11, but in a way, we all were, though.  I was seventeen and it was the first time I realized there was a world much larger than the world I experienced everyday. Because someone invaded that world in such a tragic way, I sat glued to the tv, soaking in very piece of information I could, just trying to understand what had happened and why.  I guess I felt like learning as much as I could might help me be more empathetic to those who lost loved ones.
     I suppose that's why I feel so passionate about making sure that my students understand what exactly is being remembered and honored.  My goal as a Language Arts teacher is to make my students more empathetic towards others, from any event, situation, or story.  This why I carefully structure my class on September 11th each year.
    First, I have students complete activities in this Hyperdoc, created by Katherine Baker.  Students have to think about what they already know about the events from 9/11, choose a few videos to watch, do a little research, and post their findings and reflections to a Padlet.  Starting with this activity gives every student some background knowledge. (Be sure to make a copy of the Hyperdoc and update with your own Padlet link before sharing with students.)

The illustrations in the book are gorgeous.

    Next, we read a short picture book called Saved by the Boats, which tells the story of the several boats that heroically helped the people on Manhattan island return home after all other forms of transportation had been shut down.  I love this because it brings in a perspective that most students haven't heard of until now.  While I'm reading, I ask students to write down at least 10 facts mentioned the story. (We use this story for other things throughout the year, so this quick read sets up other lessons in the year.)
    Then, I put a picture from the day on the board.  This particular one seems to generate a lot of discussion.  I ask students to pick someone from the photo and write a from their perspective.  We do a quick mini-lesson review on mood and tone so that students know what emotions to convey, and what tone they need to have as the author.  Their one requirement is to include at least 5 facts from the book in their writing piece.  After 15 minutes of writing, I ask students to share.  (This year I want to try Barry Lane's Human Tableau, where the students come up and mimic the picture.  Then, I call out a person and they read their character's story.  He did it at a workshop this summer with a picture from the Holocaust and it was absolutely breathtaking.)

My students always point out the man going
 in the other direction.  It leads to lots of discussion
 on those who went back to help others.

      Finally, we end class with a close reading of the poem "The Names" by Billy Collins.  It leads to a really good discussion on the different ways we remember people, and I let the kids create a memorial for something or someone special to them.
     I've had two-hour classes for the past two years, so doing all of this in one period was very much possible.  I am back to a more traditional schedule (59 minute periods), so I plan on doing the first two activities on September 11th, and then completing the last two activities on September 12th.  That breakdown just makes sense for me.  I can easily see where you could go into depth with one of these activities and it could last whole period.  If you like any of these ideas, feel free to use them any way you wish.  Hope this helps give you an idea on how to make September 11th relevant and thoughtful for your middle schoolers.

Love and Sparkle,