Texts and Resources About September 11th

There was recently a 听产测 asking for poetry examples that could be used around the anniversary of 9/11. The Twitter community rallied and shared poems and songs, books, short stories and more! Here is the collection of texts and teaching ideas from the #楼凤天堂village:

Books

This book is about the journey of a boy turning eleven on 9/11.聽 shares that it would be a great mentor text.

then added that he would聽recommend . This book looks at the days leading up to the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and how that day impacted the lives of four middle schoolers. He also shared this聽 put together by educator .

by Cheryl Somers Aubin and聽 by Mordicai Gerstein, were suggested by saying “Both of these books have beautiful imagery. Building background knowledge is so important.”聽The Survivor Tree takes the reader on a journey of hope and healing that parallels our nation鈥檚 own journey following the events of September 11, 2001.聽The Man Who Walked Between the Towers聽shares the 1974 story of聽French aerialist Philippe Petit who threw a tightrope between the two towers of the World Trade Center and spent an hour walking, dancing, and performing high-wire tricks a quarter mile in the sky.聽 also commented that The Survivor Tree is beautiful.

suggests聽pulling an excerpt from the novel. The narrator of this book is a middle school student who wasn鈥檛 born at the time of 9/11, but her father is connected to the tragedy.聽 also recommended this book.

shared this title, saying this is a 9/11 novel but one of the character鈥檚 perspective is written in verse. It lends itself very well to pulling pieces out for figurative language use.

Poems and Anthologies

Lucille Clifton created a manuscript of seven poems, one for each day of the week, entitled 鈥淪eptember Suite鈥� in response to the events that transpired on September 11th.聽 suggested that the class first read and analyze the poems together, and then students choose a week in their own life to capture.

This poem is dedicated to the victims of September 11 and to their survivors. said it might be a good choice for the remembrance of this day.

shared a , on “Poetry of September 11.” It is a guide to poetry written in the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

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mentioned this piece in which Szymborska’s overall tone throughout the poem is trying to pay respect without describing how it ultimately ended for them.

reminds us to read this poem. Peacemaker Mattie Stepanek wrote this poem when he was 11 years old.

shared this anthology. These聽poems and illustrations will help children all over the world get through difficult times and continue “to live,” “to laugh,” and “to sing.”

suggested a聽close reading of this poem and using it to illustrate examples of figurative language.

comments that since the poem is long, the class can select stanzas to examine based on their assignments.

shared the anthology “.”

Songs

This song shared by 听补苍诲听 is a beautiful text when analyzed about firefighters coming together to try to save lives.

mentioned this song that was written by Jackson as a way for him to make sense of what was happening in the wake of the attacks.聽听补苍诲听 also shared this title.

Performances and Videos

shares a reading of a poem he wrote based on his firsthand experiences on 9/11 and the article in Esquire about “.”

shared a slam poem he used with his ninth grade students.

comments on the heroism shown in this video.聽Tom Hanks narrates the epic story of the 9/11 boatlift that evacuated half a million people from the stricken piers and seawalls of Lower Manhattan.