Sixth Graders Look at History Through Newspapers
On the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, sixth graders turned to a low-tech source for information: newspapers, which captured a snapshot of what that day was like for people all over the country.
Over the summer, students read “Eleven” by Tom Rogers, a book that follows the story of a fictional boy who turns 11 years old on Sept. 11, 2001. The book provided students with historical context and an idea of how people of all ages responded to the events.
Before digging into the subject matter, students learned how to read a newspaper, a new skill for many of them. They discussed how to physically unfold the paper and navigate through it, starting at the front page, flipping through different sections and finding whole articles.
As they read through newspapers that were published in 2001, sixth graders not only learned about the events in New York, but about the responses from around the United States and the rest of the world. The different sections gave students a broader picture of what else was happening during that time. By examining the sports section, for example, students learned about how sports teams throughout the country had to decide whether to cancel or reschedule games or go on as usual while taking a moment of recognition for those lost. Other sections and articles described citizens’ reaction to the events of the day, including a shattered sense of security and a desire to help; one article reported many volunteers stepping up to donate blood to the injured. Newspapers also reported on stock markets closing, gas prices rising and traffic gridlocking as people fled Manhattan.
Sixth graders will continue to practice their research skills as they work on their sustainability and waste projects, inspired by the novel “Trash” by Andy Mulligan.
