Discussing 9/11 in the Classroom

As a child, I remember several events quite clearly.  Some are good; others aren't.  One memory that comes to mind every year happened when I was in 5th grade.  We were changing classes, and suddenly, the teachers announced that something had happened. They said though that we would find out when we got home.

I have a very active imagination.  Off went my brain thinking through every possibility of what had occurred.  I doubt that I really learned much that day.  My main worry was "Did something happen to my family?"

When I got home, both of my parents were there.  I hugged them frantically relieved they were okay.  Then I turned to the TV that was on.  I watched in horror as a plane barreled into one of the twin towers and then watched the next clip of the towers collapsing.

The relief that I felt for my family being there was quickly replaced with questions, anger, and hurt for those involved.  Why would anyone do that? It broke my heart to think of all the people whose families were not okay.

The next day, my English 5th grade teacher veered away from her lesson plan.  She sat us down, and she answered our questions about the tragedy that had happened.  As a class, we were hurting.  We were in Virginia, but it still impacted us.  She allowed us to discuss our feelings and allowed us to understand more deeply what had happened.

As a teacher today, it shocked me when I realized that my children were born after September 11.  They did not experience the tragedy America felt, but it had been such a crucial part of my life.

Most September 11's, I have tried to do a brief lesson about what had happened on that day. Usually, I read The Man who Walked Between the Towers, a picture book about a tight-roper who walked between the twin towers while they were still under construction and ends with "Now the towers are no longer there." Some children chime in with what happened, but others have absolutely no idea.

As a teacher, I can see myself reading Towers Falling to my children so that each of them has a better understanding of what exactly happened.  I first heard about this book at a reading conference.  At least two teachers recommended it highly and other teachers agreed.  With such high recommendation, I knew I needed to read it.

This book takes place in 2016 in New York, 15 years after September 11.  Deja transfers to a new school that can see the New York skyline across the river.  The teacher points out that the skyline has changed.  This then begins a cross-curricula study of what happened and why it is important to study it today.

Deja has never heard about the towers falling.  At first, this homeless girl really does not care.  However, as she learns more about what happened and who was involved, she realizes that she is more connected to it than she thought at first. The book brings in personal accounts of that day that brings the event to life in a way that a child can understand.

The part that hit home the most was when I realized that Deja's teacher was in fifth grade when the planes hit...just like me.  She watched the planes and the towers collapse from her classroom window.  As I remembered my own 5th grade experience that day, I can only imagine the agony and turmoil of those children asking "Is my family okay?"

This book would be an excellent teaching tool in the classroom, especially for upper elementary.  I want to be like my own teacher and the teacher in the book who had the patience to explain and answer all of their children's question about September 11, 2001.  Through this book, I have a better foundation to do so.

Not only does this book cover September 11, it also covers other important topics: meaning of being an American, race and religion perceptions (one of Deja's close friends is Muslim), and homelessness.

At the same time, I do not think this book would have the same value if a child read this completely independently. To truly appreciate this, a child would need an adult who experienced this event to share where he was on that fateful day.  History is alive, and children can see that through the eyes of others.

To me, the author achieved her goal of, "creat[ing] a book that teachers could teach.  A book that didn't shy away from the tragedy but instead gave a sense of how citizens expressing our American identity were strong, brave, and triumphant."