9/11

In remembrances of 9/11 I browsed my little library for some books to read aloud to my class.
Here are some of the books I purchased over the years:

This one is my favorite!!!!!

I read America Under Attack to my kids and had a great discussion! I love that the story is written as a narrative. The illustrations are wonderful and really help bring 9/11 alive for the kids.

Some discussion questions to get the students thinking & talking:

1. Where were you and/or your family on 9/11?
2. What is your reaction when watching the September 11th attacks specials on TV & the News?
3. How did the events of those days effect your family? How did they effect the life of your community?
4. Do you think a terror attack can happen today?
5. Do you think America is more or less vulnerable now?
6. What can America do to better protect her citizens?
7.  Do you think future generations should or should not learn about 9/11? Why?
8. How should future generations be better educated about the events of September 11th?
9. Why do you think September 11th is now know as Patriot Day?
10. Should 9/11 be a national holiday? Why?
11. Do you think that as time goes on American perception of the 9/11 attacks change, or be forgotten? Why?
12. How has September 11 impacted American culture?
13. What can Americans do to remember the September 11 events?
14. What can America do to prevent future attacks?
15. History tends to repeat itself. What can we & you do to prevent it from happening again?

Another (very powerful) activity I like doing with my kids (works for all grade levels) is letting them break into small groups (3-4 at most) and ask them the following:
If 9/11 was featured as a movie, what sound track would follow along?
The kids need to think about music, songs, lyrics, artists, and melodies they are familiar with, list them chronologically to match the order of the events. For each song they pick they need to justify their choice.
The students absolutely love this activity as it lets them make text-to-self & text-to-world connections, work with their friends, and express themselves in their own way.
This activity exhibits higher order thinking skills.

Here are the forms I give the kids to work with

I just found this wonderful poem by Sonya Sones about 9/11 and I can't wait to share it with my kids!

to give voice to those who were lost on 911…

Voices

I am the one

who’d just fallen
in love.

I am the one
who was pregnant
with twins.

I am the one
who’d traveled from Kansas
to see the view from the top.

We are just some
of thousands more,
of thousands and thousands more.

I am the one
who’d just
gotten engaged.

I am the one
whose birthday
it was.

I am the one
who’d donated blood
only the day before.

We are just some
of thousands more,
of thousands and thousands more.

I am the one
who had such a bad cold
that I almost called in sick.

I am the one
who fought with my wife
before I came to work.

I am the one
who’d just found out
my cancer was in remission.

We are just some
of thousands more,
of thousands and thousands more.

I am the one
who would have met
the man of my dreams tomorrow.

I am the one
who would have been
Bar Mitzvahed on Saturday night.

I am the one
who would have discovered
a simple cure for Aids.

We are just some
of thousands more,
of thousands and thousands more.

I am the one
who looked up from my desk
and first saw the plane bearing down.

I am the one
whose heart gave out
just before it struck.

I am the one
who thought of my dog
waiting for me to come home.

I am the one
who held my daughter close to me
and prayed.

I am the one
who phoned my son
and didn’t know what to say.

I am the one
who reached out in the dark
to find a hand to hold.

We are just some
of thousands more,
of thousands and thousands more.

We are the ones
who were blown
through the glass.

We are the ones
who were
buried alive.

We are the ones
who did not die fast,
the ones who felt the fire.

We are just some
of thousands more,
of thousands and thousands more.

We are the ones
who rushed in
to help.

We are the ones
who were on
those planes.

We are the ones
who can’t
rest in peace.

We are
the ones
who loved them.

We are
the ones
they loved.

We are just some
of millions more,
of millions and millions more.

What do you read with your kids?
What are you planning to do with 9/11?
Please leave your comments sharing your thoughts about the books above, and your ideas!