Students Learn, Remember Accounts of 9/11

Evie, a 5th grader at Timber Ridge, interviewed her mom about what she remembers about 9/11/2001. She then shared her learning with classmates.

As the nation approaches the 20-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States, students throughout the district are learning about the impact of the day’s events and how it changed the course of American history going forward.

In Troy Ellerbroek’s fifth grade classroom at Timber Ridge Elementary, his students have only read about or heard recollections of 9/11 from adults in their lives. Ellerbroek designed a multitude of learning activities for students to expand their knowledge and understanding of the day.

“Students were asked to interview someone who watched or learned about 9/11 on the day it happened,” Ellerbroek said. “For many, it was a grown up in their lives who may have been in college, at work, or school. Students asked them where they were, how they learned about 9/11, what they remembered feeling, and how, 20 years later, they reflect on the day.”

These first-hand accounts provided students with rich material for sharing with classmates, including the front page newspaper stories from national newspapers, artifacts collected by one student’s stepmom. Students also participated in group readings of age-appropriate books, such as “Survivor Tree” by Marcie Colleen, and “Ground Zero” by Alan Gratz. Ellerbroek utilized resources from the 9/11 Memorial & Museum site, like the 9/11 Memorial & Museum‘s Anniversary in the Schools Webinar, which students watched during the week. 

Students shared how hearing these stories and learning changed their learning and appreciation for first responders and others who stepped forward to help during times of crisis.