How do I teach 9/11 in a way that shows multiple perspectives?
I recently came across StoryCorps recordings of people talking about 9/11. These are 2-4 minute clips of survivors, family members, and community members all sharing their remembrances from that day. The following are five curated clips that I had student listen to. Students were asked to jot down at least one point that stuck out to them from each clip and then at the end, they were given about 10 minutes to write a letter to one of these five people. I intentionally played the clips in the order below because I wanted the juxtaposition of stories that included more than just loved ones remembering those they lost. I thought it was important for students to hear about those effected by loss and by prejudice in the wake of 9/11. Students, in their writing, grappled with feelings of guilt and ostracism, as well as empathizing with survivor's guilt and loss. More than half my students have lost family or friends to gun violence in Philadelphia (where I currently teach) and many students choose to relate the loss portrayed in these clips with their own stories of loss. As an added bonus, content standards and skills that were used included analysis of primary sources (clips), synthesis of information (notes and writing), and argumentative writing (letters).