Lesson Plan: 9/11 Heroes

Subjects:

Social Studies – U.S. History, Government/Civics

Grade Level:

6-12

Note: Resources in this lesson contain descriptions and depictions of the 9/11 attacks, including several personal narrations of the events. Please have this in mind when using the activity with students.

Lesson Duration:

Two class periods

Essential Questions:

• What are primary sources and how do they contribute to one’s understanding of historical events?
• What can the experiences of first responders and others who witnessed the 9/11 terrorist attacks tell us about the event from an historical perspective?
• How can primary source materials like narratives, video, audio, and artifacts contribute to our understanding of the 9/11 attacks and aftermath?

Lesson Objectives:

Students will:

• Examine the 9/11 attacks from multiple perspectives using a variety of primary sources.
• Determine the advantages and disadvantages of relying on primary sources in conducting historical research.
• Conduct an interview and create their own primary source material related to the 9/11 attacks.

Materials:

• Retro Report film “9/11 Heroes: Surviving the Biggest Attack on U.S. Soil” (Transcript; Transcripción en Español)
• Student Activity handout
• Internet access for accompanying resources, including those below:
  • Research Guides | Library of Congress
  • September 11 Television Archive | Internet Archive
  • 9/11 Archive  | Library of Congress
  • Archived 9/11 Headlines | Newseum
  • 9/11 Memorial Museum Artifact Collection
  • Graphic organizer

Procedure:

1. On their own or in small groups, students will consult the Library of Congress resource to remind themselves what constitutes a primary source, and provide examples. As students prepare to watch the film, they will hypothesize what types of primary sources they will encounter.
2. Either on their own or as a full class, students will view the film “9/11 Heroes: Surviving the Biggest Attack on U.S. Soil” (duration: 11:51) and answer the questions that accompany the film.
   1. The questions are a mix of recall and analysis of the facts presented, and analysis of the types of primary sources they witnessed.
3. The next portion of the lesson asks students to use multiple primary source collections, including a television archive, multimedia collection, newspaper headlines, and photos of physical artifacts.
   1. Students will reflect on both the nature of the source and what they can learn about the events of 9/11 from that source.
   2. Students will summarize their learning about the events of 9/11 and advocate for why it is or is not an important part of the curriculum
   3. Students will reflect on the advantages and disadvantages of using primary sources as a means of investigating events.

Extension Activity:

The following activity should be introduced and modeled in class, but students will likely need to complete the assignment as homework.

• Acting as an historian, and a creator of primary sources, students will conduct an interview with a relative, neighbor or friend who remembers 9/11. The key here is that the interview subject must be able to provide a first-person account of their memories of Sept. 11, 2001.
• Additional resources are provided below to help students with interviewing skills and strategies. The teacher may want to spend extra time in class modeling question techniques or helping students plan their interview subject and questions. The space provided on the Student Activity sheet is where students will record their summarized thoughts and reflection.
• Teachers can choose to have students create a larger scale project or showcase of interviews. This can be done with recording and digital audio editing software, video interviews, website creation, etc.
• Additional Resources for conducting interviews:
  • How to Help Students Develop Interviewing Skills | Edutopia
  • Tips for Effective Interviews | Storycorps

About the Author:

David Olson is the Director of Education for Retro Report. Prior to joining Retro Report, David was an award-winning teacher of U.S. History, A.P. U.S. Government and Politics and Criminal Justice at a public high school in Madison, Wisc.

Standards

Common Core Standards:

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.2: Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.6: Compare the point of view of two or more authors for how they treat the same or similar topics, including which details they include and emphasize in their respective accounts.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.9: Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and secondary sources.

C-3 Framework Standards for Social Studies:

• D2.His.10.9-12. Detect possible limitations in various kinds of historical evidence and differing secondary interpretations.
• D2.His.16.9-12. Integrate evidence from multiple relevant historical sources and interpretations into a reasoned argument about the past.
• D2.His.12.9-12. Use questions generated about multiple historical sources to pursue further inquiry and investigate additional sources.
• D2.His.1.9-12. Evaluate how historical events and developments were shaped by unique circumstances of time and place as well as broader historical contexts.
• D1.4.9-12. Explain how supporting questions contribute to an inquiry and how, through engaging source work, new compelling and supporting questions emerge.
• D1.2.9-12. Explain points of agreement and disagreement experts have about interpretations and applications of disciplinary concepts and ideas associated with a compelling question.

AP U.S. History

• Period 9: 1980-Present