Students will study In the Shadow of the Fallen Towers by Don Brown (HMH 2021) to learn of the events of September 11, 2001 and to consider the formation of historical memory. They will demonstrate their learning by creating a personal artifact that discusses a significant event in their lives, or another living person's life, using a timeline and personal narrative.

SUBJECT:	English / Language Arts Social Studies
GRADE LEVEL:	Middle School High School
OBJECTIVES:	Students will learn about the events and aftermath of 9/11. Students will analyze the structure of In the Shadows of the Fallen Towers for accuracy and emphasis. Students will apply their knowledge of historical memory to create a new artifact.
MATERIALS:	In the Shadow of the Fallen Towers: The Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks, Months, and Years after the 9/11 Attacks (HMH 2021) Timeline of the September 11 attacks, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_September_11_attacks. 9/11 Memorial Timeline, https://timeline.911memorial.org/#Timeline/2 "What is the Difference Between History and Memory?" The Choice Program, Brown University, https://www.choices.edu/video/what-is-the-difference-between-history-and-memory/ "Stone Mountain and Historical Memory," Student Handout B: Group Discussion and Student Handout C: Historical Memory https://www.pbs.org/pov/engage/resources/stone-mountain-and-historical-memory-who-defines-past/lesson-details/ "Graven Image" film, https://www.pbs.org/pov/watch/gravenimage/ "What is Historical Memory?" The Choice Program, Brown University, https://www.choices.edu/video/what-is-historical-memory/ "9/11: Images from New York that shocked the world," https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-14870871 Copies of Ground Zero by Alan Gratz (Scholastic 2021) Handouts: Historical Memory Project Checklist and Interview Guide View the PDF
TIME NEEDED:	Six to seven days

INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURE

Day 1

Warm Up: Ask students to write down at least 10 facts they know about the September 11 events. Use a Round Robin format to compile a table list of 10 facts that they are pretty sure are accurate and important. From the table lists, compile a list of facts that the class can agree on.

Mini-Lesson: Project Wikipedia's timeline of 9/11. Before the students read it for content, have them study its structure. How have the authors organized the information? Ask the students what they think of this method of organizing information. Would they have started or stopped at a different time, or used a different structure? Compare this timeline to the class list of 10 facts. Are they all there? Can all the items be considered facts? Project the timeline from the 9/11 Memorial website, and discuss its format, including how it compares with the Wikipedia timeline.

Show the video "What is the Difference Between History and Memory?"

Refer students to the PBS Student Handout C: Historical Memory (https://pov-tc.pbs.org/pov/downloads/2019/pov-gravenimage-lessonplan-handoutsABC.pdf). Discuss the concept of historical memory.

Assignment/Homework: Read 1–43 of In the Shadow of the Fallen Towers. Write down three things you learned, three things you want to learn more about, and at least one element from those pages for each of the three categories of historical memory (familial, cultural/religious, national).

Day 2

Warm Up: Show the video "What is Historical Memory?" Have students write at least five sentences about their reaction to this video and yesterday's video, "What is the Difference Between History and Memory?"

Mini-Lesson, Primary and Secondary Sources: Discuss the readings from the graphic novel and its status as a secondary source and a work of historical memory. Watch the BBC clip of the attack on the Twin Towers from 9/11. Have the students create a comparison of the two sources (chart, Venn diagram, etc.).

Discuss an event that they may have experienced in their lifetimes. Explain that they will create a project around an event from the last 10–15 years. If the class needs help, they can refer to this timeline from History Central for ideas: https://www.historycentral.com/Today/21st.html

Exit Ticket: Have students write down three events they would be interested in exploring. They should also add any events they do not want to be assigned (in case of triggering or other issues). When assigning students events, the instructors can differentiate the assignment by thoughtfully assigning students to different events and in groups to help support their needs. Advanced students could be assigned to read Alan Gratz's Ground Zero as a complimentary recent reflection on 9/11.

Assignment/Homework: Read 44–75, focusing on the art. How does the graphic novel format affect how they feel about the facts and events? Write at least seven observations/reactions.

Day 3

Warm Up: Pass out Student Handout B from the PBS lesson plan. Watch the 12-minute film Graven Image (https://www.pbs.org/pov/watch/gravenimage/). After the film, give the students time to fill out the handout.

Mini-Lesson: Discuss the film and the homework assignment from the previous night, referring to the idea of historical or collective memory and primary and secondary sources. Give students their assigned events and Historical Memory Project Checklist. Students may use the rest of the period to begin researching.

Exit Ticket: Students will turn in a two to three sentence summary of their project.

Homework: Finish In the Shadow of the Fallen Towers. Write at least five sentences about whether they personally prefer primary sources or secondary sources to gain information about important events and why.

Day 4–5

Research and Project Creation: Students should be encouraged to interview people who lived through their assigned event (other students, teachers, family members, community members, or leaders). Refer students to the Interview Guide when interviewing subjects.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

For more on In the Shadow of the Fallen Towers, see Suzanne Libra's curriculum ideas and book pairings and the lesson, "Analyzing How Images Memorialize Events."