Teaching About the September 11th Attacks

What happened on 9/11?

On September 11, 2001 .... Terrorists attacked the US.  They hijacked 4 airplanes in mid-flight, and flew two of the planes into two skyscrapers at the World Trade Center in New York City.  The impact caused the buildings to catch fire and collapse.  Another plane destroyed part of the Pentagon (the U.S military headquarters) in Arlington, Virginia.  The 4th plane crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Officials believe that the terrorists intended to destroy either the White House or the U.S Capitol building.  Passengers on the plane fought the terrorists and prevented them from reaching their goal.  In all nearly 3,000 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks.
When people think of 9/11, they commonly think of NYC, but let's not forget the other two planes that carried victims that day.

Who attacked the United States?

A total of 19 terrorists hijacked the 4 planes on 9/11.  All of the men were from nations in the Middle East.  They belonged to a Terrorist group called Al Qaeda, and were led by Osama Bin Laden.  Al Qaeda practices an extreme version of the religion of Islam.  The group is intensely opposed to the US and other western, democratic nations.  They are especially against the military presence of these countries in Arab nations.  Since the group's creation by Bin Laden in the late 1980's, Al Qaeda has helped coordinate and fund numerous bombings worldwide.

How did America respond to September 11th?

In October 2001, the U.S and it allies invaded Afghanistan, where Al Qaeda was based.  The extreme Islamic group that ran Afghanistan's government, known as the Taliban, was protecting Bin Laden and allowing Al Qaeda to run training camps in the country.  U.S-led forces soon brought down the Taliban.  They are still working to help rebuild and stabilize the nation.  Since 2001, many Al Qaeda members have been captured or killed.  On May 1, 2011, U.S troops killed Bin Laden when he was hiding in Pakistan.

The U.S invaded Iraq in 2003.  Then-President Bush and other U.S leaders believed that the country's dictator, Saddam Hussein, was hiding terrible weapons that could be given to terrorists.  Hussein was captured and later put to death by an Iraqi Court.  No weapons of mass destruction were found.

How did America change after September 11th?

Following 9/11, the U.S government  took many steps to try to make the country safer.  It tightened security at airports and in public buildings.  For example, no longer could you drop off or meet loved ones at the airport gate.  A new cabinet-level department, the Department of Homeland Security, was created.  It works to protect the U.S from terrorism.

September 11th Unit Study Resources

• I Survived the Attacks of September 11th (I Survived book)
• Nine, Ten
• Infographic Timeline
• Factual Video
• Flight 93 video
• 102 Minutes that Changed America video
• Coloring Page
• Online learning / games (Scholastic)
• Lessons from the 9/11 Memorial Museum (broken down by grade level)
• .....whole host of other resources to select from

**If you only choose one resource, we recommend the Memorial Museum, as it has excellent resources.**

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Pick up a printable copy of this unit in the Humanities Unit Study Bundle!

Includes seventeen unit studies covering history and language arts based topics. Each unit addresses a new topic, spanning ancient through modern history and various writing styles.

• Each unit has introductory text, which will give the student basic background information about the topic at hand.
• There are photographs and illustrations, and we have also included primary documents when available.
• After this text, there are featured videos, which augment the background information and help make the topic more accessible for more visual students.
• You will also find a short list of reading books.
• There are vocabulary words, places, and people to identify.
• Reading comprehension, critical thinking questions, and writing assignments are included.
• We add fun with hands-on activities and extra videos to watch that will bring the era to life.
• Some units also have cooking projects.

These studies are directed toward upper grades students, but some have resources for younger students so that the whole family can work together. Our family has used unit studies as curriculum for many years, and we hope that your family will enjoy these, too!