Godwin Heights — Seventh-grader Helen Erica Vega said having the opportunity to take time out of class to discuss what happened 25 years ago gives her perspective on the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and how they changed the United States.
“It makes you put yourself in other people’s shoes about what was happening in the world at that time,” said Helen, who described the events as a painful loss for many.
Across the country last Friday, classrooms including Tiffany Charneski’s seventh-grade and Nate Jesse’s sixth-grade social studies classes at Godwin Heights Middle School paused their regular lessons to remember and discuss the events of 9/11 as the United States marked the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
Connecting the Present to the Past
Jesse, who teaches sixth grade world geography, said he often incorporates lessons on historical events, such as Constitution Day on Sept. 17 or the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7.
“It’s not necessarily directly in my curriculum, but it’s good stuff for me to pause as a social studies teacher and talk about 9/11,” Jesse said. “What do you know about 9/11? What do you know about these other parts of our nation’s history?”
On Friday, his students were highly engaged, asking questions about why people attacked the United States, why war exists, and how women are treated in some countries such as Afghanistan.
“I learned that they hijacked two planes and it started with the north tower going down and the second tower went down and it killed 3,000 people or more,” said sixth-grader Ksert Doh as he shared with other students what he had learned about the event.
Classmate Gabby Taylor said she learned the attack involved more than just the two planes that hit the World Trade Center — it also included one that went down near Philadelphia and another plane that crashed into the Pentagon.
Val Delgado explained why United Airlines Flight 93 crashed: because the passengers “tried to stop (the hijackers), so they crashed the plane.”
For many people, it was simply a normal day, Jesse told the class.
“It’s like you all came to school and were in class and suddenly a plane hit the side of the school,” he said.
He compared the day’s timeline to the school day at GHMS: the first plane hit the north tower at 8:46 a.m., or shortly after the time their first hour ends. The next plane hit during their second hour, at 9:03 a.m., he said.
“People were having to make quick decisions on what to do and not really know what was happening,” he said.
‘They’ve never lived in a world where 9/11 hasn’t happened. I think it’s similar to a kid hearing about Pearl Harbor or the assassination of John F. Kennedy.’
— seventh-grade social studies teacher Tiffany Charneski
The day’s lesson even incorporated a bit of science, as students explored the transfer of energy and considered whether a firefighter’s rescue net could have helped save lives.
Hayley McDaniel said although social studies is not her favorite subject, she does enjoy discussing current events, such as 9/11.
“I feel bad about what caused the event and the people who were hurt by it,” Hayley said.
Understanding the Impact
Charneski said it’s important to take time away from their normal social studies lessons — which in seventh grade would focus on ancient civilizations and history — so students understand the impact 9/11 had on the United States.
“I don’t know that they fully appreciate the magnitude of what that was and how it changed our country,” Charneski said. “They’ve never lived in a world where 9/11 hasn’t happened. I think it’s similar to a kid hearing about Pearl Harbor or the assassination of John F. Kennedy.”
Charneski showed her class two videos: one about the 9/11 Memorial Museum and a second featuring 9/11 survivors and family members.
She asked students to put themselves in the shoes of one survivor: “Think about just going to get your shoes out of your car and suddenly being told to run and then the force of the building pushing you so hard that your helmet cracks and falls off your head.”
Charneski also talked about how the event changed security and identification.
“Before this, if you went to the airport … if you had family members with you, they could walk through the airport right up to your gate,” she said.
Charneski’s personal experience with 9/11 shapes the way she teaches it, too. A junior at Central Michigan University when the attacks happened, she remembers how people sat in front of their televisions, fearful and uncertain about what would happen next.
“Having firsthand experience with a major historical event helps me bring a personal nature to all of my teaching,” Charneski said. “When we talk about any big events that have happened, we relate a lot back to 9/11 because although (the students) weren’t born yet, it’s close enough where it still feels impactful for them, and it’s different.”
Read more from Godwin Heights:
• Eighth-graders reenact Constitutional Convention from their own perspective
• Sixth graders travel the world… from their classroom
