How do we teach our children about 9/11?

2016-09-11T13:29:41-04:00

I spoke to a 5th grade class in 2010 about our military in Iraq and Afghanistan. On the way to the school, I realized my audience were all 1 year old or less on 9/11. They would have no context and connection to what was going on in the world because it's the only world they ever knew. It was incredibly challenging.

How do we educate our future Americans about 9/11?
What have your personal experiences been?
What should the lesson be?
What are some good resources?
What message works?

Response by Capt Brandon Charters made Sep 11 at 2016 1:49 PM

2016-09-11T13:49:30-04:00

History & cultural differences in freedoms across the world need to be focused on here. It's helpful to start by explaining the US values & freedoms are not always shared across the world. There will always be people wanting to bring harm to our country and 9/11 is a prime example of this. WWII (Pearl Harbor) has a lot we can learn from here as well.

Response by SFC Pete Kain made Sep 11 at 2016 3:23 PM

2016-09-11T15:23:57-04:00

Right now kids love hamburgers BUT do not understand where the meat comes from. Not a whole lot that can be done, unless you want to get down to the harsh realities. Liberals would explode if that happens.

Response by TSgt William Meyer made Sep 11 at 2016 4:25 PM

2016-09-11T16:25:06-04:00

I was a NYC Police Officer that day, I was a first responder, and I also responded to the first bombing years before. My children all lived thru those terrible days, especially not knowing if I was down there when the towers collapsed, I wasn't but I lost 13 friends, cops, firemen and NYS Court officers. Soon after I was activated with my guard unit and stayed active for 18 months, I missed many of their funerals, but I remember them every day.

Response by COL William Oseles made Sep 11 at 2016 4:50 PM

2016-09-11T16:50:38-04:00

How you educate them is important, and they need to be exposed to the back ground of why we went into the Global War on Terrorism (to hell with the PC Overseas Contingency operations).

It is important to differentiate between the Islamic Terrorists and the Religion of Islam. Every religion can be taken to extremes to justify actions but that does not make the religion itself guilty unless the religion IS to perpetuate attacks on innocents.

The tin foil brigade is constantly pushing the idea that our Government did it or it was the Israelis. That needs to be countered with facts.

The recent story on the timeline for GW and what the people with him went through is a worth while read for students I think.

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Sep 12 at 2016 7:00 AM

2016-09-12T07:00:10-04:00

This is something that schools need to tell about, not try to sweep it under the rug.

Response by LTC Andrew Addison made Sep 13 at 2016 6:58 AM

2016-09-13T06:58:59-04:00

I thought about this since I am working towards being a teacher. A good resource might be to talk to some of the 3,000+ children that lost a parent on 9/11. By now, most of these kids are grown up and they might be open to sharing their thoughts with the right person or people on this forum.

Response by Lisa Werth made Sep 13 at 2016 8:05 AM

2016-09-13T08:05:55-04:00

A few years ago Washington DC had an Earth Quake, and I was a nanny to two AF kids who had a friend (another AF kid) over for a play date. It took us a few seconds to realize what it was and after we got our bearings right after it happened one of the older ones going into 4th grade at the time said at first I thought we were under attack again. This is the first time they ever directly made any reference to war or attacks even though their parents did work at the Pentagon. The guest friend said me too... I quietly made my way to a computer to email the parents to make sure "It was just an earthquake." How odd to think that an earthquake is a lessor of evils.

We teach children about this just as we taught them about Vietnam, Korea, World Wars I and II, Civil War, Revolutionary War, and all the other things related to conflict.

As I work with children I know there are a lot of resources out there.

As to what message works, it depends on the nature of the child, and so one uses a variety of ways to give them a message. I firmly believe in talking about it, because they know it happened. Hiding it does not help and can do more harm than good.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 13 at 2016 10:15 AM

2016-09-13T10:15:54-04:00

We don't hold back the truth. How it started in thevery 1980s with Afghanistan and the Russians. After that we left them with nothing. In Iraq we put sanctions that cost the Iraqi people hundreds of thousands of lives of Muslim men, women, and children. Most of all, we teach them about radical Islam. Don't just talk about 911, make sure they understand what caused it.

Response by PO1 Roger Waddle made Sep 13 at 2016 10:30 AM

2016-09-13T10:30:10-04:00

We should teach them the " pledge of allegiance, " and to worship God as we were the rest will fall in place

Response by CPL Johnny Doughey made Sep 13 at 2016 11:03 AM

2016-09-13T11:03:05-04:00

Good morning!
I think the best way to educate kids these days is through the use media technology, and if possible paint the picture from both sides of the fence.
You are facing the challenge as the WWI, WWII, Korea and Viet Nam vets who taught their new respective generations.
Kids seem to respond best when learning about any subject in a "story format."
Above all else, speak with the children, not to them or at them.
Good luck!

Response by SCPO Wayne Clark made Sep 13 at 2016 11:39 AM

2016-09-13T11:39:16-04:00

I was on USS Peleliu for the initial response to 9/11. My then 11 year old son made the Tiger Cruise from Pearl Harbor back to San Diego. We talked a lot about what happened and he got to meet and talk with Sailors and Marines who had been there. Then I had the privilege of addressing his class. The kids seemed to appreciate having someone speak from experience.
I have a new 6 year old step-daughter. She's curious about nearly everything, including my shadowbox. I answer the questions she asks as best I can. I don't feel the need to expose her to the full depth of evil of humanity at her age. The conversations range as her little mind makes connections between one thing and another. The depth of her perception as she makes those connections astounds me and helps me think outside the box a bit about it.
In both cases, I have found that treating it conversationally and answering the questions that come to mind honestly, but in an age appropriate manner, is the best policy.

Response by 1SG Jay Vanderford made Sep 13 at 2016 11:45 AM

2016-09-13T11:45:13-04:00

I would guard about telling the truth about being at war with Islam, your teachings will not go far because we cannot tell the truth about who we are at war with for some reason, but most importantly, I teach my grandchildren to shoot and survive and as long as there are followers of Mohammad on the planet, Infidels lives are in jeopardy. There it is, truth, and 9/11 was heinous, but I believe we are headed for something that will make that look like a trial run, stay thirsty my friends.

Response by MCPO Tom Miller made Sep 13 at 2016 2:10 PM

2016-09-13T14:10:17-04:00

Today all resemblances to teaching patriotic history has been dumbed down drastically! With this CORE program and PC socialism has created havoc within pride of country! Our children are aware of 911 as a big event but unaware of why our liberty and history makes our way of life so special with confused reality! Past and present go together to ensure why we are so blessed for a complete understanding!

Response by SGT Catherine Talento made Sep 13 at 2016 4:56 PM

2016-09-13T16:56:33-04:00

I have found when talking to my students that if you share your story of that day it gives them the ability to ask questions about what and why it happened. Be honest with them and they will respond.

Response by A1C Lisa Casserly made Sep 13 at 2016 7:14 PM

2016-09-13T19:14:49-04:00

An interesting question, and one that kind of has historical precedence... I believe this is going to be the history class lesson/essay for the future; much as the assassination of President Kennedy was for our generation. You know what I mean: Go home and ask your parents/grandparents where they were on that day, what they were doing, how they felt. I can only tell you what my personal experience was: I had just sent the five children out the door to school. Patrick was in Kindergarten. Jon in 2nd grade. Shealynn in 4th grade. James in 6th grade, and DiAnn in 7th. (All grade school here in our little town!) And, as I always did, I waved them goodbye, giving everyone a hug and kiss and wish for a good day at school, then went to the living room and turned on the TV so I could see the Local Forecast at 8:20 am, in the midst of Good Morning America. Just as it was coming on, the phone rang. I went to pick it up... beginning my second task of the morning ritual - talking to my sister. And she asked - HAVE YOU SEEN IT? DO YOU HAVE THE TV ON? And I continued to the television, where they were talking about a plane crashing into the first tower. I remember asking if it was an accident, or on purpose. They were showing live footage of the smoke rolling out of the tower, when the second plane crashed in... and I knew there was no way it was an accident. I remember thinking that there are pivotal moments in history, and that most times you don't know that you are witnessing one, but I had no doubt that this was EXACTLY one of those moments.

In the wake of it, I feel bad for my children. They don't really remember the days before. That blissfully ignorant feeling of safety that we all had, the sense that terrorist attacks just could not happen here. The children are all grown up now. Di is 28, James is 27, Shea is 25, Jon is 23 and Patrick just turned 21. Four of the five grew up to enlist. James and Patrick in the USAF, Jon and Shea in the Army. Both Jon and Shea have been to Afghanistan, and Shealynn is now our Wounded Warrior. If not for 9/11, I am sure James and Jon would have enlisted, but I think Shea and Patrick would have gone to college instead.

What was the point of this? In hindsight, I think we are going to find that the attacks on 9-11 are going to be seen as the opening salvos in a new crusade, the beginning of Islam's war to conquer the world. Of course, the vast majority of people still have their heads in the sand, unwilling to believe that THIS is EXACTLY what Islam preaches, teaches, and has as its ultimate goal. They seem incapable of wrapping their mind around the idea that there actually are people with goals like a bad cartoon character!! If you think about it, every terrorist group has a GOAL. The IRA wanted the English out of Ireland. The PLO wanted the Jews out of the Holy Land. So what do these Islamic terrorists want? And the only answer comes from their own writings, they want complete and utter subjugation of the entire world, and everyone either converted or dead.

How do we teach the younger generations? And what are the best resources? As to resources, who and what better than the actual witnesses to the events, the stories of the dead and their families; the stories of the witnesses, the first responders, the survivors, the hospital workers, the search and rescue crews, the residents of the city. And the rest of us are not worthless, either. We tell what we saw, the feeling of dull disbelief, of horror, of grief and sorrow. The feelings of anger, and our strength to stand together. For now, we tell the stories. Share our experiences, and talk to the children. Don't cover it up, don't whitewash over it, and certainly don't allow the political correctness machine to hide the truth.

Response by Vance Frickey made Sep 13 at 2016 7:16 PM

2016-09-13T19:16:37-04:00

I saw the second plane impact the World Trade Center as it happened. I was dumbfounded. The truth had yet to dawn on me that the first collision was deliberate. It was at this point it became clear the enemy were determined to strike at us at our homeland and do so with great effectiveness. Even before September 11th, 2001, I've followed unconventional warfare specifically because the enemy we face know that they can't beat us on the ground or the air, or at sea. When next they strike, the weapons they use will be terror weapons, whether more abuse of large vehicles or weapons of mass destruction.
The lesson needs to be based on facts. A war was declared on this country. It is being waged by people who are justifying their actions based on their religion. Prominent clerics in one of the two major schools of Islam, who live in what amounts to a dictatorship in which heretical opinions are not allowed to be voiced, have stated that the United States deserved to have five thousand people die in a single day. Yet, for reasons many do not understand, we sell this country powerful weapons and we buy their oil. This country is Saudi Arabia.
Fifteen of the hijackers who took US aircraft over, crashed two of them into the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon, and would have crashed one into the White House had it not been for brave American passengers on that plane who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country were from that country. Yet, Saudi Arabia is not only not punished for this, the Federal Government has so far protected them from families of the victims of its citizens' acts of terror in court - even though prominent members of the Saudi royal family were among the people who funded the attacks. Obviously there are those in the Federal government who aren't entirely committed to winning this war.
The lesson is that we're in a war against a real threat to our nation. We cannot afford to relent in our defense against this threat. We cannot afford politicians who are less than totally opposed to the threat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoyiPdEhJh4 and the other installments in "Why We Fight Now: In the Global War on Terror" show what happened, and why we're responding to that attack as we are doing. It gives our defense against terror a human face.
The message ought to be "We didn't start this fight. We intend to finish it."

Why We Fight Now: In the Global War on Terror pt.1

Remembering the famed Director Frank Capras ground breaking World War II film series, entitled Why We Fight, this new program is an original and innovative d...

Response by LCpl Bradley Otto made Sep 13 at 2016 7:39 PM

2016-09-13T19:39:46-04:00

That is truly a tough question. It's hard to keep personal opinions from leaking and in teaching you have to be as neutral as possible. You don't know if those student lost family or relitives on the day. I think in my opinion. It's a topic that can wait until they are slightly older with more critical thinking capibilites. Not to mention the grief from parents who love to attack anyone sharing an idea that isn't theirs...Never mind.

Response by MSG Dan Castaneda made Sep 13 at 2016 9:15 PM

2016-09-13T21:15:21-04:00

Tell them the truth. Islamic terrorist attacked us and will continue to attack us until we conform to an Islamic nation.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 13 at 2016 10:45 PM

2016-09-13T22:45:18-04:00

I don't think it is necessary to teach about 9/11 because terror attacks have been going on in America for hundreds of years and nothing has been said about it. I think we should be teaching more about unification America between Americans. Also, I feel that we should be rewriting History books to include complete and truthful history of the making and controlling of America, rather than beating up on Muslims and one of the thousands of terror acts that happened in America!

Response by Capt Michael Halpin made Sep 13 at 2016 10:55 PM

2016-09-13T22:55:22-04:00

We educate them in the same way I was taught about the causes of WWII and Pearl Harbor - meaning we teach them the history of it and lessons that were learned from it. History meaning the entire history from all angles, something we don't do much of these days.

Response by SPC Byron Skinner made Sep 14 at 2016 12:36 AM

2016-09-14T00:36:47-04:00

Sp4 Byron Skinner…We don't 9/11 was a generational event like Pearl Harbor, Gettysburg, Yorktown and thousands of other events in American History that changed American culture. Those bore after 9/11 will have no awareness of what thing were like before the attacks. Without anything to relate 9/11 to it is impossible for them to have the same impression as those of us who lived through. An example the largest and most significant event in the history of the World was World War II. Ask your children's social studies/history teacher what they know about WW II. Start with a simple question who was the war time leader of Japan during WW II, and what was his fate after the war?

Response by PO1 Kevin Arnold made Sep 14 at 2016 11:55 AM

2016-09-14T11:55:29-04:00

I would show them pictures of that day. Ensure they are just of the buildings not the death. If possible have a person that had someone die during 9/11 or a veteran/policeman/fireman whom was serving during this tragedy.

Response by Sam Levine made Sep 14 at 2016 10:32 PM

2016-09-14T22:32:15-04:00

I know how, but it's not going to be pretty. It's going to require creativity, faith, tact and courage.