Teaching about the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks can provide your students with historical insights and foster critical thinking skills. Retro Report offers free lesson plans and activities designed to help students engage with the events of 9/11 from multiple perspectives. Find the resource collection here.
1. 9/11 Heroes: Surviving the Biggest Attack on U.S. Soil
Laura McFarren, a Retro Report Ambassador in Derby, Kansas, posted on X: “@RetroReport has a great 9/11 unit. I used it last fall and plan to use it again….packed full of primary sources.”
Overview: Lesson Plan 1 focuses on 9/11 Heroes; Lesson Plan 2 considers the aftermath of the attacks. Using primary sources and firsthand accounts, students will learn about the events from various perspectives. They will be asked to analyze how different types of primary sources contribute to historical understanding.
Recommended Subjects and Grades:
- Social Studies – U.S. History, Government/Civics
- Grades 6-12
Objective:
- Determine the advantages and disadvantages of relying on primary sources in conducting historical research.
Activities:
- Watch the film. Have students watch “9/11 Heroes: Surviving the Biggest Attack on U.S. Soil“an 11-minute video. Analyze it using different lenses: Editing, images, storyline/historical facts, and human behavior.
- Analyze political cartoons. Students will select and interpret political cartoons and explore their commentary on 9/11. The graphics are available in a slide deck.
- Write a blackout poem. Have students read and analyze commentary pieces from The Miami Herald, ESPN and other sources to create a blackout poem reflecting on the events of 9/11.
2. Two Decades of War
Last year Dr. Shelina Warren, a Retro Report ambassador, shared her experience using these resources.
Overview: This lesson explores the impact of the U.S. military response to 9/11, focusing on the war in Afghanistan and its consequences. Students engage in a Structured Academic Controversy to debate whether the U.S. should have withdrawn from Afghanistan.
Recommended Subjects and Grades:
- Social Studies – U.S. History, World History, Government/Civics
- Grades 6-12
Objective:
- Synthesize arguments from different viewpoints and advocate for a resolution to the controversy.
Activities:
- Watch the film: Visit “How the Military Response to 9/11 Led to Two Decades of War in Afghanistan“and have students watch the 11-minute film. Ask them to write down key events.
- Structured Academic Controversy: Form groups to explore opposing positions on the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, using the suggested articles to support their arguments.
- Consensus Building: Have students debate and attempt to reach a consensus on the essential question, crafting a consensus statement with supporting evidence.
3. The Sleeper Cell That Wasn’t
Overview: This lesson plan examines the case of Karim Koubriti, wrongly accused of being part of a terrorist sleeper cell after 9/11. It highlights issues related to justice and the impact of mistaken identity and false evidence.
Recommended Subjects and Grades:
- Social Studies – U.S. History, Government/Civics
- Grades 6-12
Objective:
- Analyze the implications of this case on the broader context of the government’s war on terror and on judicial integrity.
Activities:
- Watch the film: Visit “Wrongly Accused of Terrorism: The Sleeper Cell That Wasn’t.“Have students watch the 11-minute video and identify significant events.
- Investigation activity: Investigate the case details, discussing its impact on the accused and on broader legal practices.
- Analyze testimonials: Have students examine reports of Islamophobia and share their understanding of the treatment of Muslims and Arab Americans after 9/11.
4. The War on Terror and the Debate Over Torture
Overview: This lesson plan explores the U.S. military’s use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” in the war on terror, a phrase often regarded as synonymous with torture. Students evaluate different perspectives and historical events related to this issue.
Recommended Subjects and Grades:
- Social Studies – U.S. History, Government/Civics
- Grades 9-12
Objective: Examine events related to the use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” and assess viewpoints on legal and moral concerns.
Activities:
- Watch the film: Visit “He’s the Only C.I.A. Contractor Convicted in a Torture-Related Case” and have students watch the 13-minute video.
- Interactive timeline: Analyze a timeline of events and debates surrounding “enhanced interrogation techniques.”
- Drawing together perspectives: Have students write an article or essay evaluating different perspectives on the use of “enhanced interrogation techniques.”
DAGMAR ROTHSCHILD is an education intern at Retro Report. She is an undergraduate at Georgetown, studying International Relations.
Stay up to date. Subscribe to our newsletters.
