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Remember
September 11
(3-5)
America
Changed
(n37)
Subject
English
Objective
Students
will identify changes they've seen in their city,
state, country over the past year and use poetry
to further reflect upon these changes.
Time
Needed
45
minutes
Materials
Index
cards
Lesson
Background:
Ask students to recall memories from 9/11 and
describe feelings from that day, as well as how
they felt after the day (during winter break,
spring, summer, and so on)
Procedure:
1. Read the 9/11 poem from J.T. Stepanek Mattie's
book, Hope
through Heartsongs, or similar poem, aloud.
2. Ask students to share with a partner similarities/differences/
responses to the 9/11 poem.
3. Write words from student responses or Mattie's
poem that associate with change on index cards.
4. Write the word CHANGE on the board with to
sub sections, POSITIVE and NEGATIVE.
5. Change can be either positive or negative.
Ask students to share with each other possible
positive and negative changes that have occurred
since 9/11. Volunteers may come to the board and
list their changes under the appropriate column.
6. Once volunteers have all shared, ask students
to use their index card words, shared ideas, or
positive/negative responses to write their own
poem about Change in America since 9/11. Poems
can be free verse or acrostic.
7. Students may share poems with partner or entire
class upon completion. Some students may choose
to illustrate poems.
Extended Activity:
Create a class book of poems based upon this topic.
Read more of Mattie's poems on peace and it's
potential world impact.
Write Mattie a letter about personal changes student's
have experienced since 9/11.
Write a song based on a class poem about change.
Share the song with another class.
Hold a community/ school poetry reading on September
11, 2002.
Source:
Jenean Watrous, Tierra Pacifica, Santa Cruz, CA
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