September 17, 2001

THE POWER OF WORDS
Exploring Responses to the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001

Grades:  6-8,9-12

Subjects:  American History, Current Events, Language Arts, Social Studies

Related New York Times Article
"Bush Warns That Coming Conflict Will Not Be Short", By ELAINE SCIOLINO, September 17, 2001

Overview of Lesson Plan: In this lesson, students respond, in writing and in discussions, to statements of various world leaders about the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. They then keep quotation scrapbooks, responding to various quotations about the attacks that they read in the news.

Suggested Time Allowance: 45 minutes

Objectives: Students will:

  1. Consider President Bush's declaration that the United States is at war.
  2. Learn about some of the United States' and other countries' responses to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 by reading and discussing "Bush Warns That Coming Conflict Will Not Be Short."
  3. Interpret and react to quotations of different world leaders in response to the terrorist attacks in both writing and discussion.
  4. Develop a quotation scrapbook related to the terrorist attacks, sharing personal reactions for each quotation.

RESOURCES / MATERIALS:

ACTIVITIES / PROCEDURES:

  1. WARM-UP/DO NOW: In their journals, students respond to the following prompt (written on the board prior to class): "Shortly after the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, President Bush said, 'We're at war. There's been an act of war declared upon America by terrorists, and we will respond accordingly.' How does this quotation make you feel? Why did President Bush announce that the United States is at war? What does that mean to you?" After students write, encourage them to share their answers with the class.
  2. As a class, read and discuss "Bush Warns That Coming Conflict Will Not Be Short," focusing on the following questions:
    1. What did President Bush say in his weekly radio address?
    2. How will this war be different than past wars, according to President Bush?
    3. What has Congress done to support President Bush's position?
    4. How do Americans feel about taking military action against terrorists, according to this article?
    5. Who is the prime suspect in the terrorist attacks?
    6. What did Colin Powell ask Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to do?
    7. How will Pakistan aid the United States in its war against terrorism?
    8. According to Krista McFaren, why are the streets so empty?
    9. What renovations will take place at the Pentagon? How much will these renovations cost?
    10. What steps have been taking place in New York in order to try to return the city to normalcy?
  3. Divide students into groups of three. Give each student a piece of paper with a quotation from a world leader about the terrorist attacks written at the top. Students have two minutes to respond, in any written way they wish, to the quotations on their papers. After two minutes, students exchange papers and respond to another quotation, and then repeat this process again so that all three students in the group have responded to all three quotatons. Then, groups conduct a short discussion about their responses, with each group member acting as recorder for one of the three topics, writing down new ideas brought up in discussion, as well as points of agreement or disagreement regarding each quotation. Allow students four minutes per topic, announcing when to switch their discussions to a different quotation. Then, reconvene the entire class for a round-table discussion, focusing on the following questions:
    • How do the responses of these world leaders make you feel?
    • Do you think the responses are a genuine reflection of the person's feelings or a political gesture?
    • What do you think will be the relationship between each leader's statement and how he will actually respond if asked to support or join the United States in a war?
    • Why do you think so many world leaders are united in their response to this event?
  4. WRAP-UP/HOMEWORK: Each student keeps a scrapbook of quotations that he or she hears in the news or read in the paper about this event. Quotations may be from world leaders, mental health professionals, survivors of the attacks, family members of victims, or any other person who publicly expresses an opinion on these events. Students should write each quotation on a different page, and under each quote students should write a short personal response. Students should also include any photographs, illustrations, newspaper headlines or other appropriate material on each page. Once scrapbooks have eight to ten pages, students should put covers on them and submit them for a grade. You might also establish a "Wall of Quotations" in the classroom where students can post quotations and responses.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

EVALUATION / ASSESSMENT:
Students will be evaluated based on initial journal response, participation in group and class discussions, and individual quotation scrapbook project.

VOCABULARY:
steel, beachheads, fundamentalist, diplomatic, coalition, envoys, retaliating, fiscal, surveillance, fatigues, debris, harbor, eradicate, steadfastly, covert

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:

  1. Create a profile of Osama bin Laden (this may take one of many forms, such as a video, an essay, or a poster). Address the following questions in your profile: Where did or does bin Laden get his money? What is his military training? Why was he exiled from Saudi Arabia? With what terrorist attacks has he been associated? What public statements has he made against the United States or other countries?
  2. Do you think that it is appropriate to "return to a state of normalcy" now, or is it too soon for people to completely recover from these events? What do you think "normalcy" will come to mean? Write a letter to the editor of your school or local paper explaining your position. (You might also submit a letter to The Learning Network for possible publication on the site at http://www.nytimes.com/learning/students/leetters/submit.html.)
  3. Explore ways in which your school community can help those directly affected in the attacks. Consider a story you have heard in the news that moved you, and organize a service project so that you and your classmates can respond to help the people involved (some suggestions include food or clothing drives, letter-writing campaigns and fundraisers).
  4. What is a "hero"? Describe in words the characteristics that comprise a hero. Your response may take many forms, such as a poem, a short story, or a journal. You may want to focus on specific acts of heroism you have heard about or witnessed since the terrorist attacks took place, or offer more general descriptions of a hero.
  5. Read the story "On the Rainy River" from the book "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien. Write an essay defending or challenging O'Brien's final decision to go to war. Would you go to war if you were drafted tomorrow? Why or why not? How are your reasons different than or similar to Tim O'Brien's?
  6. Research draft policies in your country (if you country does not have a draft, research one that does). Write an essay that answers the following questions: When was the last draft in your country? Who is eligible to be drafted? What are the penalties for "draft dodging"? Why does this country have a draft?

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS:
American History- Research the history of war in the United States. Create an illustrated timeline of significant wars in United States history, both officially declared (such as World War II) and unofficial (such as Vietnam). Next to each war, include an explanation of the significance of the reason the war was fought, figures on soldiers who fought in the war as well as military and civilian casualties, and results of the war (what was lost and gained politically, socially, or economically).

Geography- Create a map of the Middle East, labeling the strategic locations cited in the article. In another color, label other areas that you think would be significant in a conflict in the region, and briefly describe each location's significance.

Health- What are the different emotional responses that you and those around you are having to the events of September 11, 2001? Invite a mental health professional to visit your school and conduct a grief counseling workshop with you and your classmates addressing the feelings of anger, denial, guilt, and other feelings that are natural in such a situation. If possible, have the professional train you and your classmates as "peer counselors" so that you can provide assistance to other students as well (keeping in mind that therapy should only be conducted by a professional, and that your ability to counsel other students should be limited to those skills specifically taught to you by a professional).

Journalism- Create a photojournal of American flags and other patriotic objects that are being displayed throughout the United States. Include newspaper photos or pictures from Web sites, as well as your own photographs taken around your community.

Science- Officials say that some terrorist organizations have biological weapons at their disposal. Learn about the dangers of biological warfare and give a presentation on this topic to your class.

Copyright 2001
The New York Times Company

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