We are starting our first unit by focusing on 9/11, terrorism, and current developments regarding the U.S.'s war on terrorism. In some ways it seems cliche to start off by talking about the events of 9/11 but given its huge impact on American foreign and domestic policy I feel that it is important for students who were born shortly before or shortly after the 9/11 attacks to understand the changes in how state and non-state actors influence each other in the modern world.
It should be noted that this unit will focus on radical Islamic terrorism because too often citizens in the U.S. conflate all Muslims with being terrorists. Terrorism is not unique to Islam and violence has/is engaged by by other religions such as Hindu Nationalists, fundamentalist Christians, ultra-orthodox Jews, and Buddhists particularly in SE Asia. Between this unit on terrorism and our upcoming unit on religions of the world, it is my goal that students begin to make aware of the distinction between individuals who are Muslims through faith and Islamic organizations with whom the U.S. government is wagging its "war on terrorism."
Students will be interviewing and collecting oral histories from at least two different people to learn about their personal experiences with the terrorist attacks on 9/11. In class we will be watching the documentary 9/11 made by the film makers Jules & Gedeon Naudet and James Hanlon. The film makers were originally making a documentary about the life of a NYC rookie fire fighter and their subject's firehouse happened to one of the first firehouses called to respond to the airplane crash into Tower 1.
This film does contain some strong language and cursing from firefighters and New Yorkers as they watch and respond to the events occurring on September 11, 2001.
Due (Monday 9/14): Two oral histories regarding 9/11. Extra copies of the form can be downloaded below use only the first page. We will complete the second page in class on Monday (9/14).
It should be noted that this unit will focus on radical Islamic terrorism because too often citizens in the U.S. conflate all Muslims with being terrorists. Terrorism is not unique to Islam and violence has/is engaged by by other religions such as Hindu Nationalists, fundamentalist Christians, ultra-orthodox Jews, and Buddhists particularly in SE Asia. Between this unit on terrorism and our upcoming unit on religions of the world, it is my goal that students begin to make aware of the distinction between individuals who are Muslims through faith and Islamic organizations with whom the U.S. government is wagging its "war on terrorism."
Students will be interviewing and collecting oral histories from at least two different people to learn about their personal experiences with the terrorist attacks on 9/11. In class we will be watching the documentary 9/11 made by the film makers Jules & Gedeon Naudet and James Hanlon. The film makers were originally making a documentary about the life of a NYC rookie fire fighter and their subject's firehouse happened to one of the first firehouses called to respond to the airplane crash into Tower 1.
This film does contain some strong language and cursing from firefighters and New Yorkers as they watch and respond to the events occurring on September 11, 2001.
Due (Monday 9/14): Two oral histories regarding 9/11. Extra copies of the form can be downloaded below use only the first page. We will complete the second page in class on Monday (9/14).
911oralhistoryinterviews.pdf |