We're Going to Do Something

We're Going to Do Something

Lesson Plan: We Are Going To Do Something
Grade Level: 6-8 grades
Time Requirement: 2 hours
Settings:  Learning Center, Flight Path/Overlook, Visitor Center (can be adapted for distance learning)

Our educational programs are aligned to Common Core State Standards for Reading in History and Social Studies, English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies

Standard – CC.8.5.6-8.C
Identify key steps in a text’s description of a process related to history/social studies.

Standard – CC.1.2.6-8.C
Analyze in detail how a key individual, event or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text.

Standard – CC.1.4.6-8.A
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information clearly.

 

This program utilizes multimedia, exhibits, oral presentations and the memorial landscape to deliver a unique learning opportunity. The overall objective of this program is to expose students to how people remember the event of September 11 with special emphasis on the story of Flight 93 and the actions of the passengers and crewmembers.

Flight 93 National Memorial Learning Center is a classroom where teachers, students, park rangers and volunteers identify and explore the story of Flight 93 and September 11. Upon arrival to the park the teachers will bring their students to this center. They will then review tribute items, watch a video, and are given a workbook and orientation of what will happen within the next two hours of their visit.

Program Objectives: Students will be able to:

1. Discuss what it means to be courageous/brave
2. List two architectural features of Flight 93 National Memorial and how they honor the passengers and crew members
3. Name the four targets selected by the terrorist on September 11
4. Describe what information was gathered from the 37 messages and phone calls
5. Discuss how the information gathered led to the action taken by the passengers and crew

Materials Needed (On-Site):

1. Video of Temporary Memorials through the years
2. Sampling of tributes left at the park
3. Flip chart, easel, whiteboard or open wall space
4. Student/Teacher workbook/worksheet
5. Dial and Discover from Anywhere handout

Pre-Visit: Reflections of September11: This lesson gives context about the September 11, 2001, attacks and that day’s timeline of events, including all three sites of the attacks. Images of September 11, tributes, and eyewitness accounts are used to capture the essence of that day. Images of actual comment cards, artwork and poetry created by children and left at the memorial as tributes to honor the heroes will be used in group discussion.

On-Site Visit Overview: This portion of the field trip is divided into three parts “America Is Under Attack,” “In the Cockpit,” and “A Field of Honor Forever”. The field trip experience will start in the Learning Center. There the students will be oriented to the site, logistics of the day explained, and they will receive a workbook/factsheet to record information. They will also receive the Dial and Discover from Anywhere handout. After a short movie the students will walk along the flight path to the overlook. Once there a ranger will give an oral presentation followed by a trip to the park visitor center. The students will have time to explore the exhibits to learn the story of flight 93. The group will then return to the Learning Center for conclusions and wrap up.

America Is Under Attack: After the presentation on the flight path overlook the students will enter the visitor center. By using the various exhibits and cellphone tour the students will gather information on the targeted sites chosen by the terrorists and record their findings.

In the Cockpit: The students are to continue to explore the exhibits in the visitor center. They will search for words and evidence of action taken by the passengers and crew. This evidence, in the form of messages sent via phone and words recorded on the cockpit voice recorder, will be documented in the workbook/factsheet provided.

A Field of Honor Forever: This segment of the program refers to the memorial landscape and design of Flight 93 National Memorial. The students will use the cellphone tour numbers to investigate the meaning of the specific design and representation of architectural features. The students will be given a listing of the numbers, and they are to record within their workbook/factsheet their findings.

Post Visit: Remember Them: This activity will give the students a chance to be creative by writing a poem, song, story or drawing or painting a picture as a tribute and remembrance. These can be shared on the park’s social media sites and website as a collage image or post. Images can be emailed to the Education Program Specialist.