September 11
(6-12)
Kindness
Towers Here
Objectives:
To
reinforce the concepts that each of us has an
impact upon one another and that each of us can
make a difference….To remind all members of
the learning community that each person has a
story to share…To practice all components of
the writing process.
Time Needed:
This
lesson could be completed in 3 classroom periods
or it may be an ongoing project.
Materials:
*** A one-dimensional format requires paper, pens,
inspiration, creativity, a teacher-written prototype,
and teacher-collected stories regarding heroicism
particular to September 11th and stories about
random acts of kindness. (The Chicken Soup books
and local newspapers are good resources.)
(If
the polished piece is to be completed in WORD,
Publisher or hard copy PowerPoint, computers are
necessary.)
*** A 3-D format would require all of the above
plus boxes or cardboard to construct 2 towers.
Lesson:
At
the start of this lesson, which truly could be
modified for any grade level, students will be
introduced to the project “KINDNESS TOWERS
HERE”as a teacher-developed approach to commemorating
September 11th. The unit will focus on the positive
impact that each individual can have on others.
It will demonstrate that we can be heroes in our
own lives and in the lives of others when we make
the choice to be kind. Students will be asked
to consider John Donne’s quote “No man (or
woman) is an island”. Discussion about the
quotation and about students’ recollections and
feelings regarding September 11th will be generated.
Then students will work in triads for prewriting,the
first step of the writing process.(Students may
need a quick review of the writing process components
at the beginning of the year.) Each triad will
be given three different stories: one regarding
the heroicism surrounding September 11th, another
about any random act of kindness and the last
one would be a teacher-written model describing
the kindness of a student. Students will read
and discuss the stories. Then each student in
the triad will orally share his/her own story
regarding the kindness theme with the other members
of the group. The listeners may direct follow-up
questions to the storyteller which will assist
each writer in developing the details for his/her
story.
Next, students will work independently to write
their first drafts of their own kindness stories.
Revising, teacher- and peer-conferencing, more
revising and publishing the polished pieces will
follow. The publishing segment will take two forms:
- Students
will share their pieces aloud within the classroom
and perhaps within the larger learning community
and
- S
tudents will display their stories in the shape
of two towers either on the wall or on the cardboard
structures. They might also be shared on parents’
night and/or in the local newspaper. Teachers
would also be invited to add their stories to
the towers.
VARIATION: A multi-generational approach could
also be applied to this project. High school students
could collaborate with senior citizens at local
senior centers or with younger students in elementary
or middle school to complete the KINDNESS TOWERS
HERE story towers.
*For
extra credit, students will be invited to submit
their own ideas for projects to further honor
the people who lost their lives, the heroes of
the tragedy and the American spirit.
Submitted by: Karen Rezendes,
Alternative Center for Education, Danbury, CT