September 11 Ideas
for the
Middle School ELA Classroom
9/11 Themes
Focus on the Helpers & Volunteers, Sacrifice, Service, Kindness, Peace
The Man in the Red Bandana video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWKPjSirbcU
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Online Articles
Text Sets available at www.newsela.com (free— just sign up, login, and search for “September 11, 2001” or “Patriot Day” to find many choices for your grade level.
Leveled texts also found at www.commonlit.org, specifically at
https://www.commonlit.org/en/texts?searched_from=sidebar&query=9%2F11
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Short Stories
Read the picture book Fireboat aloud (Puffin, 2002).
YouTube read-aloud & images located at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39KcDdCW6I8
Read aloud this one for a different perspective:
Saved by the Boats: The Heroic Sea Evacuation of September 11 by Julie A. Gassman, Steve Moors
Accompanying YouTube / History Channel documentary
“BOATLIFT, An Untold Tale of 9/11 Resilience” located at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDOrzF7B2Kg
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Read aloud the picture book Fourteen Cows for America by Carmen Agra Deedy
YouTube read-aloud & images located at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QVhwCHeIX8
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Poems
“The Names” poem by Billy Collins
See / hear him read it aloud as he connects it with reflections of 9/11
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/poetry-names
Poem text located here:
https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-names-3/
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Song Lyrics & Videos
Listen: “Our City, Our Story” 9/11 Series
Listen & choose ahead of time
A summary of each episode is included to help you decide!
https://www.911memorial.org/our-city-our-story-podcast-series
Or, just do a search in your Podcast APP (itunes, stitcher, etc.)
Compare the tone of these two songs (original & remake)
Simon & Garfunkel: “The Sound of Silence” video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zLfCnGVeL4
Disturbed: “The Sound of Silence” video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9Dg-g7t2l4
“The Sound of Silence” Lyrics:
https://www.google.com/search?q=the+sound+of+silence+lyrics&oq=the+sound+of+silence+lyrics&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i64.162673j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
“Into the Fire”
Bruce Springsteen’s video “Into the Fire”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylt1ZqPZYOc
Song lyrics found here:
https://www.google.com/search?q=bruce+springsteen%27s+lyrics+into+the+fire&spell=1&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjClcjM2abdAhUL2qwKHX20AjAQBQgmKAA&biw=1279&bih=627
View lyrics / listen to the song “Believe” by Yellowcard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq0wkNt7r5g
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Thought-Provoking 9/11 Memorable Quotes
Use in a gallery walk with writing and discussion as a way to close the unit
https://www.success.com/13-thoughtful-quotes-to-remember-911/
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