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Observance of Patriot Day

Resources compiled by Deborah Granger, Ed.D., Orange County Department of Education

Overview of Patriot Day

Patriot Day is observed on September 11th.

On September 11, 2001, four planes were hijacked. The hijackers then deliberately flew three

of the planes into two important buildings, the Pentagon in Washington DC and the Twin

Towers of the World Trade Center in New York. The fourth crashed into a field near Shanksville,

Pennsylvania. The loss of life and damage that these hijackings caused form the biggest act of

terrorism ever on United States soil. Nearly 3000 people died in the attacks and the economic

impact was immense.

The attacks have greatly increased attention to national security in the United States. This has had huge implications for United States national and international politics. This is particularly true for the relationships between the United States and Islamic countries in the Middle East.

On September 11, 2001, two hijacked civilian aircraft crashed into the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. A third hijacked aircraft crashed into the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C. And a forth hijacked aircraft crashed in southwestern Pennsylvania after passengers tried to take control of the aircraft in order to prevent the hijackers from crashing the aircraft into an important symbol of democracy and freedom. Thousands of innocent people lost their lives in this tragedy.

The most potent symbols of the events that happened on September 11, 2001, are pictures and

videos of planes flying into buildings, of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center engulfed in

smoke and later collapsing and of people falling from buildings. Pictures taken of damaged

buildings and relatives looking for loved ones in the days and weeks after the attacks are also

often shown. The flag of the United States is often displayed around images of the events on

September 11, 2001. This is to remind Americans that their country remained strong in the face

of massive terrorist attacks.

Patriot Day was signed into law on December 18, 2001, as a day to remember those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on our country.

On Patriot Day, Americans should fly their flags at half-staff and observe a moment of silence to

honor those individuals who lost their lives as a result of the terrorist attacks. Many people

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observe a moment of silence at 8:46 AM (Eastern Daylight Time). This marks the time that the

first plane flew into the World Trade Center. Some communities, particularly in the areas

directly affected by the attacks, hold special church services or prayer meetings. People who

personally experienced the events in 2001 or lost loved ones in them, may lay flowers or visit

memorials. Patriot Day is not a federal holiday and schools and businesses do not close.

The President is requested to issue each year a proclamation calling on:

1. State and local governments and the people of the United States to observe Patriot Day with appropriate programs and activities;

2. All departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the United States and interested organizations and individuals to display the flag of the United States at half-staff on Patriot Day in honor of the individuals who lost their lives as a result of the terrorist attacks against the United States that occurred on September 11, 2001;

3. The people of the United States to observe a moment of silence on Patriot Day in honor of the individuals who lost their lives as a result of the terrorist attacks against the United States that occurred on September 11, 2001.

In 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act which recognizes September 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance, calling upon Americans to make an enduring commitment to serve their community and our Nation.

(Sources: Calendar-updates.com: http://www.calendar-updates.com/info/holidays/us/patriot.aspx, Timeanddate.com: http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/patriot-day)

SEPTEMBER 11 ONLINE LESSON PLANS and RESOURCES

The following lessons, activities, and resources support understanding of the events of 9/11/2011, and their impact on the U.S. School personnel and teachers are invited to explore these resources in considering their approach to commemorating Patriot Day on September 11th.

911 Memorial: Grades 6 – 12: http://www.911memorial.org/spirit-volunteerism-video In addition to 911 Memorial virtual resources, an 8 minute video with lesson guide highlights moving stories of individuals who were moved to make a positive difference in the aftermath of 911.

PBS: America Responds: Grades 2 – 12: http://www.pbs.org/americaresponds/educators.html PBS offers a variety of lesson plans for educators. Those plans include A World At Peace (for grades 2-6), Tolerance in Times of Trial (grades 6-12), Emergency Preparedness (grades 6-8), Taming Terrorism (grades 9-12), and more.

Beyond Blame: Reacting to the Terrorist Attack: Grades 6 – 12: http://www2.edc.org/beyondblame/beyondblame.pdf The Education Development Center created this 25-page curriculum for middle and high school students in response to concern that the terrorist attacks created a hostile climate for Arab

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Americans -- much like the climate Japanese Americans faced following the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Who Are the Arab Americans?: http://www.tolerance.org/activity/who-are-arab-americansActivity ideas designed to challenge student misperceptions about people of Arab descent -- from the Web site Teaching Tolerance.

Dear Teacher: Letters on the Eve of the Japanese American Imprisonment: Grades 6 – 8: http://downloads.ncss.org/lessons/dearteacher.pdf A classroom lesson focused on letters sent by Japanese American middle school students to their teacher in the days following the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Reflecting on September 11: Grades 9 – 12: http://www.crf-usa.org/reflection-on-september-11/reflecting-on-september-11.html The Constitutional Rights Foundation has assembled a series of online lessons designed to help young people deal with terrorism, reactions to tragedy, information and disinformation, civil liberties, Islamic issues, and international law.

Teaching September 11: Younger students and their parents: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/july-dec02/teaching911.html This lesson from PBS's Online News Hour provides classroom discussion resources for talking about the recent controversy over the 9/11 resources published for teachers on the NEA's Web site.

Helping America Cope: Grades 1 - 6: http://www.7-dippity.com/other/op_freedownloads.html This updated guide contains activities to help children cope with the anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The guide is designed for use with children six to 12 years of age; however, many of the activities have effectively been adapted for use with older children.

Dealing With Tragedy in the Classroom: Grades 1 – 5: http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/lessons/tragedy/index.html WNET in New York City offers these activities to help students cope with loss and learn how to talk to one another about their feelings.

Legacy.com: http://www.legacy.com/Sept11/Home.aspx The New York Times presents this page, which provides lists of all those killed on September 11 and a National Book of Remembrance in which Americans can write their reflections about the events of September 11.

America Responds to Terrorism: Grades 7 – 12: http://www.crf-usa.org/america-responds-to-terrorism/america-responds-to-terrorism.html The Constitutional Rights Foundation has prepared online lessons, including September 11 -- How Did You Feel?, Fact Finders -- The Media During Times of Crisis, and Analyzing Rumors and Myths.

Understanding Stereotypes: Grades 9 – 12: http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/understanding-stereotypes.cfm This lesson from Discovery.com teaches the ideas that assumptions can lead to stereotypes and unfair judgments about individuals and groups.

Chain of Hope: Grades 1 – 6: http://www.sptimes.com/News/091801/NorthPinellas/Chain_of_hope_links_s.shtml This news article from the St. Petersburg Times tells of a classroom lesson in which students created a "chain of hope." Students wrote personal messages on strips of red, white, and blue paper. They planned to send the chain to the New York City Fire Department.

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Aaron Shepherd's Reader's Theater: The War Prayer: Grades 6- 12: "The War Prayer," a short story by Mark Twain, is presented in reader's theater format on this page from Aaron Shepherd's Web site. The script is appropriate for middle and high school students.

Another Day That Will Live in Infamy: Grades: 9 - 12: http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2001/09/12/another-day-that-will-live-in-infamy/ In this lesson from the New York Times Learning Network, students are encouraged to share, through discussion and writing, their feelings about September 11, 2001.

Hooray for Heroes: Grades 2 & 3: http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=5288 This lesson challenges students to define what a hero is and to select a hero to spotlight.

An American Tragedy: September 11, 2001: Variety of lessons for elementary through secondary grades: http://www.teachervision.fen.com/us-history/tragedy/6807.html?s00 TeacherVision.com's resources include a timeline of the events of September 11, a printable map of the four hijacked airliners' routes, news and informational articles, lesson plans, and more.

One Man's Freedom Fighter Is Another Man's Terrorist: Grades 10 & 12: http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/activity/one_man_freedom/ In this WebQuest, students determine the extent of the threat to the United States from terrorism, both domestically and internationally.

Terror on Trial: Grades 8 – 12: http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2001/05/02/terror-on-trial/ In this lesson plan from the New York Time Learning Network, students examine the motivations, goals, and actions of terrorist countries.

What About You?: Grades 4 – 7: http://web.archive.org/web/20031204154326/http://4dw.net/besteacher/alien.html Teachers might use this short story about aliens to start a classroom discussion about prejudice.

Pencil Flag: All grades: http://www.pencilflag.com/p_flag.htm Have students create their own "remember" pencil flags.

USA Activities: Lower and upper elementary grades: http://www.abcteach.com/directory/theme_units/us_patriotism/ ABCteach offers activities and other resources. Included: September 11th Bookmarks.

Teaching 9/11/01: Lesson Plans and Syllabi: Grades K – 12: http://www.teaching9-11.org/categories.cfm?13 Links to lesson plans for all grades, compiled by the Clarke Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Contemporary Issues (Dickinson College).

Global Connections: The Middle East: Grades 9- 12: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/educators/index.html PBS offers a rich collection of background articles on a variety of topics ranging from U.S. Foreign Policy to Religion, lesson plans, timeline, and other resources, which are indexed to help educators quickly find topics and materials that are most relevant for their classroom needs.

United We Stand: Grades 3 – 12: http://www.phschool.com/social_studies/special_report/classroom_lessons.html Publisher Prentice Hall offers classroom lessons on understanding prejudice and students' responses to the terrorist attacks.

America Responds: Grades 2 – 6: http://www.pbs.org/americaresponds/worldatpeace.html This PBS lesson allows younger students to develop an understanding of human rights and utilizes international photos to support a creative writing assignment imagining a world at peace.

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Additional Commemoration Activity:

911 Classroom Memorial: One school took a small Statue of Liberty replica and “decorated” it with positive messages about the U.S. This simple activity can remain in a classroom throughout the year, be added to, serve as an object of discussion, etc. at many grade levels.

For Purchase:

From Social Studies School Service

The September 11th Education Program: A national interdisciplinary curriculum

Inquiry-based collaborative activities and assembly materials based on 70 interviews with survivors,

Seven curriculum units help students reflect on the impact and legacy of September 11, 2001. Units

include activities for understanding 9/11 as history, debating the government's role during disasters,

discussing the nature of heroism, evaluating foreign policy vis-a-vis national security, and clarifying how

informed citizens can take beneficial action. Relying on open-ended inquiry, activities also prompt

students to interpret photographs, video footage, and oral histories; and to document their findings by

means such as Google Earth and a timeline. Two DVDs supply interviews with survivors, rescuers,

victims' relatives, and political leaders (including Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton), plus photographs,

interview transcripts, and a video timeline of the day. A binder includes complete lesson plans and

reproducible handouts. Grades 6–12. September 11th Education Trust. ©2009

http://www.ww.socialstudies.com/c/911.html?s@.SNbotsb2Eho.

$129 for single classroom

$499 for up to 5 classrooms