May 31, 2002

OBJECTS OF MEMORY
Considering How Single Objects Can Memorialize Important Historic Events

Grades:  6-8,9-12

Subjects:  American History, Global History, Language Arts, Social Studies

Related New York Times Article
"Editorial: The Last Steel Column", May 31, 2002

Overview of Lesson Plan:: In this lesson, students consider the importance of individual artifacts in memorializing important historic events. Through creating their own memorials to significant events in American or global history, students learn how objects can be transformed into tools for preserving the memory of people, places and events.

SUGGESTED TIME ALLOWANCE: 1 hour

OBJECTIVES:
Students will:

  1. Reflect on the personal, national and global significance of the removal of the last steel beam from the World Trade Center site.
  2. Consider the historic import of this event by reading and discussing the New York Times editorial "The Last Steel Column."
  3. Research other significant events in American or global history; work in groups to plan memorials of these events through objects.
  4. Individually create memorial objects; compose explanations of their significance to the events they are memorializing; display their memorials.

RESOURCES / MATERIALS:

ACTIVITIES / PROCEDURES:

  1. WARM-UP/DO-NOW: Prior to class, display in the classroom a photograph of the removal of the last steel column from the World Trade Center site, either copied for each student, copied large enough for all students to see, on a computer screen or on a transparency (http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/29/nyregion/29GIRD.html). Upon entering class, students respond to the following prompt in their journals (written on the board prior to class): "What is happening in this photograph? How does this photograph make you feel? What does the object of the photograph represent to you? What is its significance to the United States? What is its significance to the world?" After a few minutes, ask students to share their responses with the class.
  2. As a class, read the editorial "The Last Steel Column," focusing on the following questions:
    1. What has long been an emblem of New York City's power, according to this editorial? What more recent emblem does the writer feel represents this power?
    2. What happened in New York City on May 30, 2002?
    3. What did observers in helicopters see on September 11, 2001?
    4. How long did the clean-up of the World Trade Center site take? How many "man-hours" did it take? How did this differ than what was expected?
    5. How does the writer describe those who participated in the clean-up effort? How have they "dealt with the tragedy"? Why might they be seen as "our surrogates"?
    6. According to the author, what is the symbolic significance of the removal of this column? Why is this event "not only an ending but a beginning," and for whom?
    7. What does the writer aim to do by ending the editorial with the words "The ground is open"?
  3. As a class, discuss ways in which objects can memorialize entire historic events. In what ways did the final beam to be removed from the World Trade Center site represent the events of September 11, 2001 and the many events that followed, both in the United States and around the world? Explain to the class that today they will be exploring how other significant events in history can be represented by individual objects and then will be creating their own "memorials" to those events. First, brainstorm on the board a list of significant events in history in the past 100 years that had an international impact. (Possible events might include the Holocaust, man's first walk on the moon, the sinking of the Titanic, civil wars in Africa, the dropping of the first atomic bomb, the Montgomery bus boycott, the assassinations of world leaders, and Pakistan's succession from India.) Divide students into small groups of three or four, and have each select a different event from the board as the focus of their research. Using all available resources, each group finds the answers to the following questions (written on the board for easier student access):
    • In what ways was this event significant, on national and international levels, at the time that it happened?
    • How does this event still resonate today? (In other words, how does it still affect us?)
    • Was there any warning that this event would happen? If so, how did people respond to these signs? If not, what were people's reactions when the event occurred?
    • How has this event already been memorialized?
    After concluding their research, each group plans the creation of a memorial to their historic event. The memorial will contain three or four objects, one created by each group member. Objects may be replicas of actual artifacts preserved from the event, or students may imagine an artifact that might have been part of the event and create an original object themselves. Groups should use the following questions to brainstorm objects:
    • What aspect(s) do you want to memorialize about this event (e.g. the place, the people, its historical impact)?
    • What objects did you learn about that seem like compelling ones with which to memorialize this event? Why?
    • What other objects would have likely been present at this event? Which of these objects do you think would be significant?
    • Do you want to choose objects that all relate to a common theme (e.g., "heroism"), or do you want each object to represent a different aspect of the event?
    Before the end of class, each group member chooses the object for which he or she will be responsible.
  4. WRAP-UP/HOMEWORK: Each student creates a replica of the memorial object he or she chose, along with a one-page explanation of the significance of the object (Out of respect to the memory of the event, students should indicate whether their object represents a real artifact or is one that they invented. If it is real, facts should be provided. If it is not, students may suggest the significance that such an object may have had in this event.) In a later class, groups assemble their memorials and display them around the room for other students in their class or other classes to see.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

EVALUATION / ASSESSMENT:
Students will be evaluated based on initial journal response, participation in class discussions, participation in group research, and thoughtful completion of their parts of their group memorials, including the creation of memorial objects and related explanations.

VOCABULARY:
emblem, muslin, expanse, disorienting, debris, dismantle, unceasing, aftermath, effaced, reluctant, touchstone

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:

  1. Create a class memorial to the events of September 11, 2001. You may want to recreate an object from one of the sites (e.g., a steel column) or create your own objects (such as pictures, a quilt or a mural) to memorialize the event. Consider what aspect of the events you want to memorialize (the buildings, the victims, the victims' families, the heroes, etc.) and how this aspect is best represented. Invite other classes to your room to see (or add to) your memorial. If possible, display it in a school or community showcase.
  2. Write a journal, editorial or article that starts where the editorial read in class ends: "The site has been cleared. The ground is open." Consider how your life has been affected by the events of September 11, 2001 and how the completion of the clean-up at the World Trade Center plays a role in your own response to this event. Alternately, use these concepts to explore your response to the closure of a personal event in your life.
  3. Research an object from United States history. Investigate the role that the object played in history, how it was acquired, built or otherwise created, and its significance. Create a poster, encyclopedia entry, children's book or other creative piece that contains the answers to these questions, as well as any other interesting information you learn about it.
  4. What should be done on the anniversary of September 11, 2001 to remember the events and people involved? Create a proposal for an event to take place in your school or community, on television, or nationwide. Consider the following issues as you create your proposal: Should the day be hopeful or somber? Should it be a national holiday? Should people look back at the event of forward to the future on this day? Include the different people who would be involved, what events would take place, how the event will be marketed, and other key planning concepts.
  5. Create a blueprint for the object that your think should replace the World Trade Center. The object may be a memorial, a new building, a park, or anything you think would be an appropriate use of the space. Make sure to take into consideration issues such as the feelings of the victims' families, the object's relationship with the rest of Manhattan (architecturally, thematically, etc.) and the object's tie to the events that happened there.

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS:
Current Events- Keep a scrapbook following the current news stories about the F.B.I., its possible knowledge of and reaction to the events of September 11, 2001, current reforms, and other related issues. Include in your scrapbook suggestions for reforms that you think will enable the F.B.I. to better protect the United States from terrorist attacks in the future.

Economics- Research the disaster relief and rebuilding efforts in the aftermath of a recent disaster, such as the Exxon-Valdez oil spill or a natural disaster such as a flood or earthquake. Create charts and graphs displaying the damage done and the cost of clean-up, including man-hours.

Health- Consider the different coping techniques cited in the article: dismantling something piece-by-piece, pushing it out of sight, and clearing the ground. Consider how these techniques relate to the way you dealt with a recent tragedy or hardship. Write a journal reflecting on these and other coping strategies. Then, discuss your ideas with a school counselor to consider whether or not your techniques have worked for you and to learn about other coping techniques you might try in difficult times in the future.

Teaching with The Times- Read the New York Times book "Portraits, 9/11/01" by Janny Scott. Compile your own booklet of profiles of people in your community based on their connection with this event. You might focus on what people were doing when the event occurred, how they felt, or how they dealt with their feelings in the days, weeks, and months that followed.

Copyright 2002
The New York Times Company
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