Lesson 3

Participate in a Digital Conversation with Someone Who Remembers September 11, 2001

Students read about effective listening and questioning techniques and put these techniques into practice as they listen to memories from people who experienced September 11, 2001 and follow up with questions of their own.

Engage

Students select one or more articles from the The Art of Listening page at Psychology Today. As they read, they should construct a list of five Big Ideas that might help them as they listen to others talk about experiences of September 11, 2001 which may bring up many different emotions. The provided graphic organizer is a place for students to note their findings.

Sharing Our Stories

Teacher should model how to use Flipgrid September 11 Memories by viewing one video and using the “Reply” function to respond appropriately and with empathy.

Reply

To respond to an existing video, encourage students to reply by summarizing first, then adding their comments and questions:

Summarize. What is the central message of this video?

Connect. What is one connection you can make between what the speaker said and what you learned?

Reflect. How might the speaker’s personal life experiences have affected his/ her memories of September 11?

Respond. How did the speaker’s tone help the listener connect emotionally to the video?

Wonder. What questions do you have after listening?

Teachers may want to share a copy of this Google Doc Flipgrid Assignment Sheet to support student work.

Create

To create an new Flipgrid video entry, learners might engage with parents and family members to capture their memories using the Flipgrid tool:

How old were you on September 11, 2001?
Where were you on September 11, 2001?
What do you remember about media reports of the attacks?
What images stick in your mind about the attacks on September 11, 2001?
How did you feel when the attacks occurred?
What personal story might you relate about September 11, 2001?
What personal or national changes have you felt or observed since September 11, 2001?

Students can complete a Flipgrid by interviewing parents and family members at home. They can individually view the 9/11 Flipgrid if 1:1 personal technology devices are available. In a computer lab, students can work with a partner or individually. Teachers can use random selection and full class viewing if there is only one computer available for the class to use.

Reflect

After completing this activity, engage in dialogue by responding to these questions:

What is the purpose of listening to different perspectives of an historical event such as September 11?
What assumptions did you make about each person on the Flipgrid before viewing? Were your assumptions different after viewing?
Write one or two lingering questions that you have about September 11 after reading, analyzing and viewing first hand responses. How can you go about finding answers to those questions?