In this lesson from Teaching with Primary Sources from the Library of Congress “American Memory” Collection, students will explore how the events of September 11 have impacted America. Using Library of Congress primary resources, students will analyze how the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, have changed American domestic and international policies and the of attitudes of individual Americans. The lesson culminates in students creating a 10-15 minute retrospective radio news story weaving in a variety of interviews and viewpoints based around a theme of their choice. Handouts, rubric, and links included in the 18 page pdf.

On American Identity, Diversity, and Common Ground

The anniversaries of the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, and the signing of the Constitution on September 17, 1787, provide us an opportunity to reflect upon who we are as Americans, examine our most fundamental values and principles and affirm our commitment to them, and evaluate progress toward the realization of American ideals and propose actions that might narrow the gap between these ideals and reality.

The following four lesson plan unit are designed to accomplish these goals.

This resource provides terms to know related to the concepts found in the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the Constitution.

 Students will rewrite a modern song with lyrics summarizing reasons for exploration and colonization

Students will rewrite a modern song with lyrics summarizing the Progressive Era reforms.

Students will create an interactive timeline using a variety of events taking place in American from 1820-1850. Each event will be color coded and categorized by their theme; social reform, political democratization,  economic change, agricultural innovation, market revolution, communication revolution, and transportation revolution. 

Outlines the cell cycle, recognizing mitosis as a part of asexual reproduction and the process for generating new body cells in multicellular organisms. 

Identify cell organelles, explain how the structure of an organelle determines its function, and summarize how organelles work together to carry out the functions of the cell.

Analyze overall reactions including reactants and products for photosynthesis and respiration and factors which affect their rates. (pH, temperature, light, etc.)  Conclude that energy production by organisms is vital for maintaining homeostasis and that maintenance of homeostasis is necessary for life. 

Create a 3 dimensional model using known base shapes such as square or rectangle, circle or semi-circle

Students will work individually or in pairs to design 3D-printed visual representations of one or more individual rights found in the Bill of Rights.

Students will examine the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution and determine what situations would be included within the first amendment. By analyzing differing cases and the Supreme Court rulings on those cases, students will determine if the Court is consistent in their rulings about an individual’s freedoms. Once students analyze different court cases, they will write a paper answering the driving question and create a podcast using their paper as a script.

Students will research a resource used in the creation of a capital good that has led to conflict in another country. Examples could include the mining of minerals, oil, and monocrop agriculture. They will collaborate to create an engaging news broadcast that presents their findings and answers the driving question.

Student teams will work together both inside and outside the classroom to complete a “GooseChase” scavenger hunt.  Students will demonstrate mastery of the basic principles of international trade.

Students will create a stock market portfolio and keep track of the records over a two week period. During the process, students will keep track of the stock and the price per share for each day. At the end of the two week time frame, students will create a powerpoint presentation and an audio recording discussing their portfolio in how they started and how their stocks ended at the end, what they learned about investing in the stock market (e.g. trends), and how they would potentially use the information when they get older.

Student teams will work together both inside and outside the classroom to complete a “GooseChase” scavenger hunt.  Students will demonstrate mastery of the principles of supply and demand.

Student will be able to use integration and differentiation to determine the volume of a solid.

Students will create a podcast exploring a topic of interest to them following the NYT framework. Students will enter the NYT competition (typically held in April/May).

Students will determine the most important symbol or a theme in a text, then they will use TinkerCad program to create a 3D representation of that symbol/theme. 

Using Google Tour Creator, students will create virtual tours showcasing their understanding of certain aspects of an anchor text.