Smithsonian's History Explorer Resources Related To "September 11: Bearing Witness to History"

September 11, 2001

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 14:37:49 GMT

September 11, 2001 was a shocking day in American history. By using this OurStory module from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, children and adults can start discussing the events of that day through children's literature, museum objects, and hands-on activities. Focused around The Little Chapel that Stood a work of children's literature about a Ground Zero chapel that became a hub of rescue and recovery efforts, the module includes links to hands-on activities and a list of recommended readings for further exploration.

History Explorer Podcast: Objects from September 11

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 10:06:44 GMT

In this episode of the History Explorer podcast series, James Gardner, Former Senior Scholar and Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs, discusses the Museum's collection efforts and object stories following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The resource includes a teachers guide and student worksheet.

September 11: Teaching Contemporary History Online Conference

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 14:39:17 GMT

In August 2011, the National Museum of American History, National September 11 Memorial & Museum, Pentagon Memorial Fund, and Flight 93 National Memorial, offered an online conference, September 11: Teaching Contemporary History, for K-12 teachers. This website includes the conferense sessions, which highlighted resources available at each organization, provided background information on September 11, and encouraged conversations on how to document, preserve, and interpreted recent history and current events. The site also includes frequently asked questions about September 11 and the memorial sites, K-12 resources from the Museum and the memorial sites, timelines of the events at each site, and access to an online community group for further discussion about September 11.

New American Roles

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 14:56:37 GMT

Students will learn about the United States' role as the world's only superpower folling the collapse of the Soviet Union, American involvement in the Persian Gulf War, the global war on terrorism that began with the attacks on September 11, 2001 and the invasion of Iraq in this section of the online exhibition The Price of Freedom: Americans at War. Americans struggled to define the roles they should play in the community of nations and fought to defend their interests against threats at home as well as abroad. A non-flash version of this site is available: New American Roles.

Students’ Response to 9/11: A Documentary Report

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 12:05:20 GMT

Have students document the national response to the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001 using polls, comment cards from teenagers, and their own recollections. This lesson plan (which includes background information and full-color primary sources) was produced to accompany the exhibition The Price of Freedom: Americans at War, by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

Teaching 9/11

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 15:04:01 GMT

This site from the National September 11 Memorial and Museum provides links to all of the educational materials from the museum, including commemorative materials for students in upper elementary grades through high school, which focus on ways people chose to respond to 9/11 through art; two short films, 9/11 Stories of Survival and Loss and The Spirit of Volunteerism: 9/11 and Beyond;guidelines for discussing 9/11 in the classroom; and a teaching guide with lesson plans on conducting oral history and learning from objects and memorials.

Flight 93 National Memorial

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 14:46:12 GMT

This site from the National Park Service provides information on the memorial design; guides for parents, children, and young adults designed to facilitate conversation about the events of 9/11 and the meaning of the memorial; a video of interviews with former students from Shanksville-Stonycreek School, near the crash site; a virtual tour; and visitor information.

Pentagon 9/11 Memorial

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 14:58:40 GMT

The Pentagon Memorial Fund’s Web site offers an interactive map of the memorial, a video and other information about events on 9/11 both at and beyond the Pentagon, a space to read and share personal stories, and links to related organizations.

The September 11 Digital Archive

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 14:36:10 GMT

The September 11 Digital Archive uses electronic media to collect, preserve, and present the history of September 11, 2001 and its aftermath. The Archive contains more than 150,000 digital items, a tally that includes more than 40,000 emails and other electronic communications, more than 40,000 first-hand stories, and more than 15,000 digital images. Produced by the Center for History and New Media and American Social History Project/Center for Media and Learning, students can use the archive to browse, research and share their memories of the tragic event by uploading images, documents, and other digital files. Some of the material included in the archive may not be suitable for young children.