Two Years Later: A Brief Overview of School-Related Lesson Plans for Remembering September 11

(Posted August 11, 2003)

Philip J. Lazarus, Ph.D., NCSP
Associate Professor and Director of the School Psychology Training Program,
Florida International University

In order to help teachers respond to the anniversary of September 11, educational associations, civic organizations and the media have produced relevant lesson plans. For example, the Families and Work Institute developed a program entitled “9/11 as History” with teaching activities for educators. The lessons follow a curriculum template and are tied to national educational standards. At the elementary grade level there are four types of lessons. These address primary concerns of safety and fear of the unknown through self-expression and communication. These include:

1. safety and fear
2. interaction with others and empathy skills
3. heroes, and
4. reflective processing and resiliency.

At the middle school and high school level these lessons deal with more complex issues and encourage critical thinking and include:

1. diversity and compassion,
2. values,
3. social and civic action,
4. understanding current events and media awareness, and
5. history and international studies.

To access these lesson plans go to: http://www.familiesandwork.org/911ah/lessonindex.html

The National Education Association Health Information Network has posted a set of units on their website developed by the American Red Cross called “Facing Fear: Helping Children Deal with Terrorism and Tragic Events.” The site includes contributions from other organizations as well. In these lessons, students learn to cope with feelings of loss and anger, discover how to discern facts from fiction, and consider positive actions in the aftermath of the national tragedy. The lesson plans are tailored for grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, or 9-12. To access this site, go to: http://neahin.org/programs/schoolsafety/september11/index.htm

The New York Times developed a lesson plan in partnership with the Bank Street College of Education in New York City. The purpose is to share through discussion and writing students’ feelings about terrorism and related issues such as national security and media coverage. This lesson is both fact-based and opinion-based because students are required to learn the history of the terrorist attacks and then respond to questions. These include: “What kind of acts are considered terrorist acts? What is the difference between a terrorist act and a crime that is similar in nature? When else in American history have terrorists acts occurred? How are they similar? How do they differ?” The New York Times  also has a link to other related information on the web such as The U.S. State Department Counter terrorism Office and the State Department Report on Global Terrorism. The lesson plan and other activities can be accessed at: http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20010912wednesday.html

Teachers may find some of these curriculum ideas very useful as they wrestle with how to teach their students about this national tragedy. Some of the lessons cut across disciplines and encompass art, music, literature, social studies, and world history. For example, one lesson plan from the American Red Cross teaches students about the painting Guernica by Pablo Picasso which depicts the bombing of a Basque town during the Spanish Civil War. They are shown the painting and asked to interpret its meaning. Students are asked if they were creating a Guernica-type painting depicting 9-11 what would they include in the painting. Murals may then be created of the event. Many of the lesson plans contain other related ideas. The students might search the Internet to find out how other artists interpret Guernica, or they might be asked to paint a Guernica-style mural showing scenes of peace rather than war. They might be asked to find music that evokes the expression of the painting or asked to write a poem that creates a similar feeling. Students can research the Spanish Civil War and compare the reactions to this historical event with those our citizens are having today.

Teaching students about man’s inhumanity to his fellow man is no easy task. Discussing the nature of hatred and terrorism perhaps can be counterbalanced by depicting the human qualities of heroism, faith, courage, civic duty, and generosity of spirit shown in the aftermath of our national tragedy. Perhaps these lesson plans may make a small difference in teaching a number of complex issues. Take a look!

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