This week I had the opportunity to visit the Flight 93 National Memorial in preparation for Discovery Education’s livestream broadcast from Shanksville Stonycreek High School for classrooms around the world. It was an absolutely beautiful Friday afternoon in rural Pennsylvania when I visited the site for the first time. I grew up about an hour from Shanksville and remember exactly, vividly, where I was ten years ago when the attacks of September 11 occurred. I am honored to be able to moderate a live panel discussion on September 7, 2011 for teachers and students around the world. In my own preparation for the event, I have been reading everything I can find. In particular, I have focused on resources that help all of us make meaning of September 11 for children too young to truly remember.
So, here are eleven resources that I found to be helpful. I hope they help as you talk to your children and students about the terrible events that took place ten years ago and the remarkable heroism that followed.
- Discovery Education’s Rise, Reconnect and Remember – Four live broadcasts featuring members of the community who were personally affected by September 11th (also includes a free 9/11 Discussion Guide)
- September 11th Personal Stories of Transformation
- Interactive 911 Timeline
- Lesson Plans and Other Resources for Teachers
- 911 Materials for Teachers from the US Department of Education
- The Best Sites to Help Teach About 9/11 from Larry Ferlazzo
- The Learning Network from the NY Times
- When Students Have No Memory of September 11 by Ben Johnson
- How to Help Your Students Observe the 9/11 Anniversary by Suzie Boss
- Lessons and resources at Education World
- CNN Student News – a personal favorite of my wife who teaches sixth grade in PA