September 11 - Again - So Soon??
© Irene Taylor
It is September 11, 2004 - three years after that fateful day. Can any of us forget the horror and utter disbelief we shared as those planes hit the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and of course the field in Pennsylvania? I remember it being the perfect day - crisp and clear and blue sky that went on forever. Perhaps it was such a day to give our eyes a rest and some beauty before seeing the horrors that awaited us.
I watched some of the September 11 memorial at Ground Zero this morning - and the same feelings of sadness and disbelief were still there. But I was heartened today to hear of a new shift in the focus of this sad day. Several groups, including one called One Day's Pay: http://www.onedayspay.org/ are hoping to shift the focus of September 11 from one of destruction and devastation to one of hope and a spirit of community. This is a very positive move in my mind, and one that I think teachers can share in their classrooms.
For three years now, we've been wrestling with how and what to teach about this fateful day. For those wanting to focus on the traditional, the website 9/11 As History: http://www.familiesandwork.org/911ah/911... offers many resources that teachers and parents can use. There are lesson plans to download: http://www.familiesandwork.org/911ah/les... , reading tips for parents, and works by students themselves on how September 11 affected them.
For those who are looking for ways to bring a commitment to community service and a focus on helping, here are a few other sites to consider.
One Day's Pay: http://www.onedayspay.org/ has a wealth of resources for those looking to focus on service, charity and compassion. There are great links to service organizations, to volunteer opportunities and to ways to donate both time and money to a cause.
Servenet: http://www.servenet.org/ is another great resource for both teachers and parents. It has links to volunteer agencies and other ways to contribute.
National Youth Service Day 2005: http://www.ysa.org/nysd/lead_agencies/la... is billed as "the largest service event in the world". Check out this website for ways to become involved in this worldwide service day.
On September 10, 2004, the U.S. Senate passed a unanimous resolution making September 11 a National Day of Service. A similar measure in currently in the U.S. House of Representatives. Why not join in - in your school, or your town?
