Task 1: Tragic Events: Remembering 9/11

I teach first grade and honestly find it difficult to discuss 9/11 with students.  Discussing any tragedy can be hard.  But when we do talk about tragedy I try to be as honest with them as possible and talk about it on their terms with words they understand.

When 9/11 first happened I did have an open discussion with my students.  We would discuss what happened, the good and the bad of it, the students would color a picture of the American Flag, and I had a story that was written specifically about 9/11 from Scholastic (I think).  We even made a red, white, and blue chain to hang in the halls of our entire school.   For a couple years after that we would continue to discuss it within our classroom and school.  As it is now ten years past, we don’t do so much with it anymore.  I do still think it is important to remember what happened that day and how we can help one another ten years later.  However, when 9/11 happened my students this year were not even born until four years later.  I don’t think I will discuss it and have to explain it all to six year olds that might come up with many questions and not really interpret the actions of that day (with no living memory).  I think they may do better learning about it through a history class as they get older. 

I agree to the eSchools article about maybe having a discussion about 9/11 in high school where students were about eight or nine at the time and may not be emotionally connected to the situation.  Although I would think this might especially be hard if you were a teacher in a high school in one of the places where the 9/11 tragedy took place and the students did have an emotional connections, (whether they knew someone part of the tragedy or witnessed it close to their homes or schools).  I would think you would have to choose words and activities carefully to not make any student have a traumatizing experience remembering the events.

Reading the other resources posted were very eye opening and made me think a little bit about teaching 9/11 differently.  I think this would be an appropriate time in school to discuss bravery, honesty, friendship, peace, and conflict and at the same time give honor to 9/11 and its heroes and victims in a different remembrance way.  I liked some of the lessons I found under one resource.  It honored 9/11 by teaching students about culture and the American Flag,