A generation born into 9/11

And as the date’s 10th anniversary approaches, local elementary schools are focusing on positivity while they explore the issue with a generation of students who don’t remember the day — but have grown up amid its fallout.

Most elementary school students’ views on Sept. 11 come from their parents, Worley said.

She said she reads her students a story about Sept. 11 and has them complete a writing assignment on the anniversary of the attacks.

Worley said she likes to keep her Sept. 11 lessons optimistic.

“We focus on the positive things that came out of it, not the scary details,” she said.

LEARN NC, a program of the UNC School of Education, researches ways to teach controversial issues such as Sept. 11 and shares them with teachers.

LEARN NC Managing Editor Emily Jack said the most important thing to remember when tackling topics like Sept. 11 is to establish an atmosphere of respect and listening.

“It’s important to anchor students back to the root issues instead of opinions,” Jack said.

“You have to be prepared for feelings but focused on facts.”

North Carolina fourth grade education curriculum does not include a 9/11 component, said Stephanie Knott, spokeswsoman for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.

But Courtney Horne, a fourth grade teacher at Frank Porter Graham Elementary School in Chapel Hill, said she plans to touch on the topic with her students anyway.

“Instead of scaring them, I want us to talk about how we can make the world a better place from where we are,” she said.

Sept. 11 can serve as a springboard for learning other lessons, said Jennifer Job, a Ph.D candidate in the School of Education.

“You have to teach it like any other historical event,” Job said.

She said the day offers opportunities to teach lessons on respect and avoiding hatefulness.

“They can talk about how to make peace. Just because a few bad people did this doesn’t mean we hate all Muslims.

“It’s a great opportunity to bring in a cultural perspective.”

Miriam, a fifth grader at Seawell Elementary, said she hasn’t talked about the attacks much at school.

“I just know that two terrorists got on a plane and crashed into the twin towers,” she said.

Her classmate, Elijah, added that he knew Osama bin Laden was behind the attacks.

“I think that we should do a little more in the future to stop people like bin Laden from acting up again,” he said.

Contact the City Editor

at city@dailytarheel.com.