Web Site Provides September 11 Classroom Resources

The National Education Association’s Health Information Network has released a new Web site, “Remember September 11.” Designed to be a comprehensive resource site for teachers, education support professionals and parents, it includes more than 100 age-appropriate lesson plans to commemorate the first anniversary of this tragic day in U.S. history. These study guides mirror themes of democracy, patriotism and freedom.

Each lesson plan is geared to a specific age group: kindergarten through 2nd grade, 2nd through 5th, 6th through 8th, and grades 9-12. Each plan also is divided into four chapters: one that encourages students to face their personal feelings and another that provides facts about terrorism and war. A third chapter, titled “Do Something,” encourages students to be constructive in their communities. “Does your school or community have a disaster plan?” it asks. A final chapter, “In addition...” includes more than 60 links to additional resources and support material. These links will include information on how Americans plan to remember September 11, a debate on how to rebuild at Ground Zero, the current state of the war on terrorism, and information for parents. A media section includes a schedule of major September 11 broadcasts.

“Teachers can pick and choose from the available material,” said Jerry Newberry, executive director of NEA’s Health Information Network. “Some teachers may wish to devote many classroom sessions to specific lesson plans. Others may ask a few questions, then opt to move on.”

In addition to the lesson plans, the site also features the Patriot Pack – text from freedom-inspiring documents like the Gettysburg Address, the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Another link – Voices of the Past, Visions for Tomorrow – includes excerpts from some of America’s most famous speeches, among them Roosevelt’s “Four Freedoms,” Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream,” and Cesar Chavez’s “United We Stand.”

“Remember September 11” can be accessed via the NEA’s portal for members, www.OWL.org, and on the NEA Web site at www.nea.org. After September 11, the new site will serve as an ongoing resource that teachers can use during other times of crisis, tragedy and remembrance.

Posted August 23, 2002