Learning about September 11 in 5th grade?

[rin]

My SIL is very upset because her 5th grade son was taught about 9/11 in school today, including his teacher showing them footage of the planes crashing into the towers.

At what age would you consider it appropriate for children to be taught about 9/11 in school? Would you be comfortable with your 5th grade child learning about it? Would it make a difference for you if they showed footage or not?

[queenmama]

I don't think that's too young to be learning about it but I vote H#LL NO on showing footage. I don't even like watching the footage. Seeing it happen in real time was once too many. I wouldn't subject my 10-year-old to that.

Lara

[HannaAddict]

I don't think that's too young to be learning about it but I vote H#LL NO on showing footage. I don't even like watching the footage. Seeing it happen in real time was once too many. I wouldn't subject my 10-year-old to that.

Lara

Agree. Not too young at all, my kids listen to the news on NPR and ask questions and have known about it for quite a long time (1st grader and 4th grader) but I'd like a heads-up by the school in elementary for showing footage of the impact etc. Middle school I would not be as surprised.

[JBaxter]

My oldest was 10 when the towers fell. So no I don't believe its to young. DS3 is 9 almost 10 and we discussed it I showed him pictures his brothers took the summer before the attack from the top of the trade center observation area.

[JustMe]

I agree that 5th grade is not too young, but also agree that showing footage is not okay.

IMHO, I do think there should be communication home to parents that this is going to happen, along with some of the details about what will be discussed. I am bigger on school-home communication than most, though.

I also think it is important to consider if the kids/students have relatives in NYC b/c it could be exceptionally scary for those who do.

[AnnieW625]

I don't think it is too young. I don't think I would be really up in arms about the footage because it is what happened. It was shocking to everyone. I was 24 and it was shocking to me then and sad now. I do agree though that the parents probably should have been informed.

[KrisM]

Not too young to learn about it. I wouldn't be happy with the footage being shown. Just because it happened, doesn't mean you have to show it. What if someone had footage of the classroom at Sandy Hook? Would you want that shown?

[TwinFoxes]

Not too young to learn about it. I wouldn't be happy with the footage being shown. Just because it happened, doesn't mean you have to show it.

:yeahthat: There are lots of graphic images from the Holocaust, Vietnam and Syria. I wouldn't expect those to be shown to 10 year olds.

I feel sorry for any parents who have airplane trips scheduled!

[hbridge]

:yeahthat: I feel sorry for any parents who have airplane trips scheduled!

For the kids, learning about 9/11 is no different from learning about WW2 and I think it should be covered at every grade level in an appropriate manner. I also would not have a problem with a 5th grader being shown footage of the planes hitting the towers...

That being said, DH left for a 16 hour international flight a few years ago on 9/11 and I was so grateful that the school did NOT discuss the history of the day. DC were upset enough about their dad leaving...

I think the schools are trying hard to inform, but not to scare.

[NJ_Mom2011]

I also think it is important to consider if the kids/students have relatives in NYC b/c it could be exceptionally scary for those who do.
:yeahthat:
Absolutely. The World Trade Center site is just a block away from me; I know people who worked in the World Trade Center on that day (their office got out as their building collapsed in the afternoon, thank goodness); and people from my town died on that day. From previous experience, I have seen people, especially around my age group or older, get upset if the topic is casually raised.

Any elementary school teacher from my town should talk about this subject with particular sensitivity, but I think that it is okay to talk about it in fifth grade. I don't think showing footage to fifth graders would be smart, and likely extremely insensitive given that there is a high chance that some students would have a connection to the events of that day.

[Momit]

I agree that 5th grade is not too young, but also agree that showing footage is not okay.

IMHO, I do think there should be communication home to parents that this is going to happen, along with some of the details about what will be discussed. I am bigger on school-home communication than most, though.

I also think it is important to consider if the kids/students have relatives in NYC b/c it could be exceptionally scary for those who do.

I completely agree.

[westwoodmom04]

I'm okay with both the discussion (our school began discussing it in first grade, at an appropriate level) and with the footage being shown in fifth grade, regardless of where they live. Although it seems like yesterday to many of us, its been twelve years and that is a long time. Kids in elementary school today weren't even alive when these events occurred.

[tabegle]

Last year on the anniversary, I was surprised, almost appalled, to hear my 3.5 year old daughter telling me what she learned in preschool about 9/11. However, after letting it sink in, it is important that our children learn about American history, keeping the knowledge age appropriate.

[KrystalS]

My DD is in 4th grade and they were also shown the footage. I wasn't surprised that they talked about it but I have to admit I was a little shocked they showed the video. DD talked about it all afternoon/evening, I could tell she was trying to make sense of it all. It's hard to explain something like that to a 9yr old. She found the footage of people jumping out of the windows particularly disturbing. To some extent I can understand showing the plane crashing, but a lot of that coverage is just too much for children.

[oneplustwo]

I disagree that learning about 9/11 is no different from WWII for kids. One event took place so long ago, very, very few living adults have directly experienced it. 9/11 is so recent that many families have been directly affected by it, experienced it, suffered losses from it and are still traumatized by it. I think to some extent how it is approached in schools can vary depending on where you live. If you are in the Boston or NYC area, I find it very hard to imagine a school showing footage or even teaching about 9/11 at the elementary school level without prior notification to families, letting families opt out if needed, identifying the kids whose families may have personal ties to the event or who could have issues of anxiety, etc. over it, and so on.

The kids in elementary schools now weren't alive when 9/11 happened, but their parents were, their older siblings in middle school, high school and beyond were, and every adult in their community was.

[oneplustwo]

I also agree with a PP that you wouldn't show footage or graphic pictures from the Holocaust or other disturbing events to 4th or 5th graders, certainly not without proper preparation and working with families first.

[Ceepa]

Fifth grade is not too young to learn about 9/11. I wouldn't want them watching footage on loop, though.

[elektra]

I agree with most everyone else here- ok to learn about it, not ok with the plane crash footage.
I asked DD about whether or not they talked about it in school yesterday (she is in first grade) and she couldn't remember if they did. I was hoping they would on some level actually. I mentioned it to her but for whatever reason we didn't end up getting into discussing it as much as I was expecting.

[wellyes]

Last year on the anniversary, I was surprised, almost appalled, to hear my 3.5 year old daughter telling me what she learned in preschool about 9/11. However, after letting it sink in, it is important that our children learn about American history, keeping the knowledge age appropriate.

3.5? That is nuts. A kid that age doesn't even really understand basic geography (I live in a house, on a street, which is part of a town, which is in a state, which is part of America). What would they even tell a preschooler about 9/11?

[BunnyBee]

I don't know. 5th seems young because I want to protect MY BABIES, but I'm trying to think of what I learned in 5th... There wasn't a large scale tragedy as recent, but we saw the atomic bomb film. September 11 is a seminally critical event in US History in current times. We are still fighting the war it started. It'd be like trying to cover WW2 without discussing Pearl Harbor. Having footage and 24/7 HD filming is a recent phenomenon. How do you teach history without teaching about wars and death?

[westwoodmom04]

I'm okay with both the discussion (our school began discussing it in first grade, at an appropriate level) and with the footage being shown in fifth grade, regardless of where they live. Although it seems like yesterday to many of us, its been twelve years and that is a long time. Kids in elementary school today weren't even alive when these events occurred.

Just for the record, I was living in Boston at the time, a close friend of mine from college died in the towers, and many people from my hometown in New Jersey died that day. However, if we truly mean "Never Forget" we need to teach our children about what happened that day; and how truly horrible it was. I don't think young children should be exposed to the footage, but I would have absolutely no objection to my kids seeing in fifth grade.

[wellyes]

My DD is in 4th grade and they were also shown the footage. I wasn't surprised that they talked about it but I have to admit I was a little shocked they showed the video. DD talked about it all afternoon/evening, I could tell she was trying to make sense of it all. It's hard to explain something like that to a 9yr old. She found the footage of people jumping out of the windows particularly disturbing. To some extent I can understand showing the plane crashing, but a lot of that coverage is just too much for children.

Yikes, they showed people jumping? WHY?
Showing the plane hit has educational value in explaining war, terrorism, our political landscape and issues, etc.
Showing the aftermath of the attack, what is the value for young children? Adults do it to honor the dead, or from morbid curiosity, or both. For a 9 year old, though..... wallowing in gruesome details like that is not appropriate IMO.

[vonfirmath]

My SIL is very upset because her 5th grade son was taught about 9/11 in school today, including his teacher showing them footage of the planes crashing into the towers.

At what age would you consider it appropriate for children to be taught about 9/11 in school? Would you be comfortable with your 5th grade child learning about it? Would it make a difference for you if they showed footage or not?

At AWANAs last night, our 3rd and 4th graders knew about 9-11. They were asking for prayers for the survivors, etc. I think its appropriate for schools to assume 5th graders will know.

I am planning on starting to bring it up over the summer for my son. He'll be 2nd grade next year.

Footage... Depends on the footage. Some would be appropriate. Some not. But it would be very easy to misstep and go beyond someone's comfort zone in a classroom setting.

[NJ_Mom2011]

Yikes, they showed people jumping? WHY?
Showing the plane hit has educational value in explaining war, terrorism, our political landscape and issues, etc.
Showing the aftermath of the attack, what is the value for young children? Adults do it to honor the dead, or from morbid curiosity, or both. For a 9 year old, though..... wallowing in gruesome details like that is not appropriate IMO.

:yeahthat::yeahthat: That 4th grade teacher is off the reservation there. Wow. I can only imagine that it would be okay to show people jumping only if it were a college level class.

[AngB]

Ok to learn about it, I'd be ok with the footage (not the stuff with people jumping out of the buildings though), but to me, it is regional. I didn't even know what the "World Trade Center" was until the planes hit the buildings, (I was a senior in hs at the time),I mean I'd seen the buildings on tv and stuff but didn't know their names and they didn't really have any significance to me until I learned more about it watching footage that day. I don't know anyone who was lost or even anyone who knows someone.

Four years ago, my group of 6th graders thought 9-11 was important because it was "Jordan's birthday". We read an age appropriate weekly reader type article about it, and Pearl Harbor, and compared/contrasted the days. None of the kids were affected by it really, to them it had happened a long time ago, far away from from us.

[wellyes]

I don't know. 5th seems young because I want to protect MY BABIES, but I'm trying to think of what I learned in 5th... There wasn't a large scale tragedy as recent, but we saw the atomic bomb film. September 11 is a seminally critical event in US History in current times. We are still fighting the war it started. It'd be like trying to cover WW2 without discussing Pearl Harbor. Having footage and 24/7 HD filming is a recent phenomenon. How do you teach history without teaching about wars and death?

I think Pearl Harbor, atomic bomb footage, and 9/11 are all absolutely worth teaching. But showing the video of the victims of the attacks?

For Pearl Harbor, if we had - say - audio of the young men reacting as their ships sunk, would we play that in a classroom?

Images of the destroyed cities of Hiroshima or Dresden are common, but showing the civilians who died or suffered gruesome burns are generally not. It's out there, it's important, but it is not shown in elementary school classrooms- and I think most agree it shouldn't be.

I don't think the victims of 9/11 should be more on display in a classroom.

[mom2binsd]

I agree that it's important for our children to learn about 9/11, but am not bothered by them showing the footage. My children (age 7 and 10) have seen the footage, honestly I think most children have seen that footage, some may not have known what it was exactly, but the image of the twin towers especially is one that is almost iconic and is everywhere. My children know what happened that day, we have talked about what happened to the people who were on the airplanes and in the buildings, we have talked about the first responders and DD watched a show with me about a man who was led out of the buildings with his seeing eye dog.

9/11 is a major part of US history, and in today's digital, immediate media world our children will be exposed to more and more information, in more detail than we were. I think in 5th grade it would be irresponsible not to discuss it, whether the images should be shown, that is a personal preference.


I would much rather they get a full explanation of the images and what they mean rather than seeing glimpses of them on a tv (heck they have tv's in DQ, stores, sports venues etc.)

I also gave my children an explanation of Sandy Hook the night it happened, as they were going to be away from me for the weekend and I knew my XH wouldn't limit their exposure to screens and I wanted them to hear it from me so they could ask questions.

I would imagine if you took a poll of 5th graders and showed them the twin towers on that day the majority of them would have already seen that image and could tell you who was responsible for the terrorism act.

[tabegle]

3.5? That is nuts. A kid that age doesn't even really understand basic geography (I live in a house, on a street, which is part of a town, which is in a state, which is part of America). What would they even tell a preschooler about 9/11?

It was more in terms of "bad guys took some planes". I'm not too sure of the extent, but my dd seemed pretty impressed with telling me the story at the time. I didn't want to press her, and at the moment, I was still pretty shocked that she was told anything. After I let it sink in I realized, as much as we want to protect our children, we can't always, and we need to prepare them for life throwing them curves. She took it in stride and didn't seem to be bothered by it so I let it be.

Yesterday when the kids came home, (ds is now in the same preschool classroom as dd) the kids didn't say anything about 9/11 to me.

[Indianamom2]

For the kids, learning about 9/11 is no different from learning about WW2 and I think it should be covered at every grade level in an appropriate manner. I also would not have a problem with a 5th grader being shown footage of the planes hitting the towers....

I know it's extremely upsetting to all of us and for good reason, but it will not be the same for kids of this age. They didn't experience it firsthand and it simply doesn't have the same emotional impact on them. I personally think it's important to show some of the images of what happened so that it is never forgotten. This terrorist act impacted the history and future of our country forever and for many of these kids, it may help explain why their mom or dad or older brother/sister is in the military and why they have to be so far away fighting in a war they don't truly understand.

Yes, there will be sensitive kids who will be upset, but it will not impact them the way that those who witnessed it will be impacted. I think a parental heads-up would be appropriate, but I wouldn't be upset about it happening in the proper context.

I wanted to add, I don't think it is appropriate to discuss this in much detail at all with kids under the third grade age level. But above that...it's history that they need to know and understand.

[secchick]

I agree with most everyone else here- ok to learn about it, not ok with the plane crash footage.
I asked DD about whether or not they talked about it in school yesterday (she is in first grade) and she couldn't remember if they did. I was hoping they would on some level actually. I mentioned it to her but for whatever reason we didn't end up getting into discussing it as much as I was expecting.

My DD in 2nd did speak about it at home last night. She learned at school that two planes went into the WTC and one in DC, and one crashed in PA. We talked a little about who did it and why, and a bit about what happened on Flight 93, and how their actions likely saved many people. It hurt my heart that we live in a world where we have to discuss such things with our children, and made me a little sad that she lost some of her innocence yesterday, but I also think that her school did it in an entirely age appropriate way.

I do not object to the footage being shown to 5th graders. I know it is horriffic, but I feel that it is something that we do have to remember. I wouldn't show it multiple times, but I think I would also show other footage about the first responders and emphasize how many people came to help.

[wellyes]

It was more in terms of "bad guys took some planes". I'm not too sure of the extent, but my dd seemed pretty impressed with telling me the story at the time. I didn't want to press her, and at the moment, I was still pretty shocked that she was told anything. After I let it sink in I realized, as much as we want to protect our children, we can't always, and we need to prepare them for life throwing them curves. She took it in stride and didn't seem to be bothered by it so I let it be.

Yesterday when the kids came home, (ds is now in the same preschool classroom as dd) the kids didn't say anything about 9/11 to me.

I think you handled it just right.

Maybe I'm unusual here, but, I don't really understand why 9/11 seems to be more important to teach than the two wars we've fought since. It is easier to teach - and the subject matter is more visceral - but I don't think it's more important.

[crayonblue]

My DD is in 4th. I re-watch the CNN news from 9/11 every year. She has seen a few minutes of the news report for the past few years before leaving for school. If her school chooses to show footage in 5th or later, I would not object.

Yesterday when DD came home from school I asked if they talked about 9/11 and she said of course, that she has learned about it every year in school.

[Nooknookmom]

My SIL is very upset because her 5th grade son was taught about 9/11 in school today, including his teacher showing them footage of the planes crashing into the towers.

At what age would you consider it appropriate for children to be taught about 9/11 in school? Would you be comfortable with your 5th grade child learning about it? Would it make a difference for you if they showed footage or not?

DD1 (now 18) was in first grade and had the same teacher as DD2 on 9/11 & was watching the news at home with me when the planes hit.

I'm a big believer in explaining things like that as early as they can comprehend (my mom swept things under the rug).

So I personally DD2 watch a piece on it last year (she was 5) with footage because it was all over the news anyway and I wanted to explain it myself. The kid is VERY factual.

They saw a short piece on it yesterday....my DD was already prepared for it....said she felt the sad parts but wanted to be able to help the people still in need.

I have no issue at all with how it was handled.

Now our PTA fundraiser is another story!

[codex57]

I was in 5th grade when we saw the Challenger explode. Live. I'm fine. If anything, I've got a healthy respect for how hard it is to go up in space (video games make it look so easy), the sacrifices astronauts make, etc.

I think 5th grade is fine for 9/11 and even footage. Now, ideally, maybe not planes crashing into the towers, but do we even have footage of that? The burning aftermath is ok. It was a horrible event. It shocked everyone. Doesn't mean we shouldn't remember how horrible it was.

The duck your head in the sand/white washing mentality made WWII much worse than it could have been. Didn't help the Vietnam situation any (I personally know people "displaced" by the Communist; not just in Vietnam). I don't know people who survived concentration camps or were persecuted by Saddam, but there are some really bad people out there that sometimes, you just have to suck it up and get rid of. For US national security. It's an actual, delicate, thing. Not some fake concept to justify some not so pleasant actions.

[vonfirmath]

There is footage of the second plane crashing into towers.

I remember turning on the radio and Kirby Wilbur was talking about what a slow news day it was. And then, when the first happened, it was just an accident. The last time a plane had flown into a building was the Empire State Building on XXX Day... etc. And there were cameras on the first tower when the second plane struck. when the second tower struck, I knew we were at war. This was not an accident anymore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lKZqqSI9-s

[crayonblue]

There is footage of the second plane crashing into towers.

I remember turning on the radio and Kirby Wilbur was talking about what a slow news day it was. And then, when the first happened, it was just an accident. The last time a plane had flown into a building was the Empire State Building on XXX Day... etc. And there were cameras on the first tower when the second plane struck. when the second tower struck, I knew we were at war. This was not an accident anymore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lKZqqSI9-s

There is also footage of the 1st plane crashing into the tower. A french (?) team was doing a documentary on NYC firefighters and they were out on a call and the plane swooped right over their heads. The camera man quickly moved the camera up and caught the 1st plane hitting. Incredible documentary.

[StantonHyde]

I think it is a little different when discussing it in schools that are far away from the East Coast. Yes, kids may know someone who was impacted in a small or large way, but it isn't part of the public experience the way it is if you are within a 100 mile radius of where any of the planes went down.

As for showing footage--yes, I think showing the planes crash into the towers is ok. Continuing past that to the people falling/jumping out of buildings is not good. The planes are enough to show the kids what happened.

And as for WWII seeming so far away, *I* learned about WWII and concentration camps when I was 7--so 1972. At that point, the war was only 20 years prior and LOTS of people I knew had been through it. Not to mention the Viet Nam war--which was still going on when I was born. Not every child is fortunate to be born in "peace time".

[SnuggleBuggles]

Ds1 is 6th grade and they have talked about it every year. This year was the first year they sent home a note the day before about it. They did see videos for the first time this year. It was very impactful and meaningful to him. I would have been ok in grade 4, provided there was a heads up.

[mommylamb]

My grandparents were Holocaust survivors, as were pretty much all of their friends, so from an early age I was exposed to some of the horrors of this world. While people didn't talk about details, I saw the numbers tattooed on some of my grandparents' friends (neither of my grandparents had number tattoos), and I knew bits and pieces of what had happened. So, I guess this is the perspective from which I come to this. I feel that children need to be taught even recent history, even when it isn't comfortable. And, I believe there are ways of teaching this that are appropriate and less scary to them personally (though being scared isn't necessarily a bad thing all together). I think it is entirely appropriate to teach 10 year olds about September 11, and while I do not think the footage is necessary, I don't think portions of the footage are problematic to that lesson.

I do think that showing people jumping from the buildings is a step too far. I mean really, why would you need to show that much of the footage? I also think that if you go there as a teacher, you have to really be prepared to explain the context of all that happened and the world history leading up to it, otherwise you are likely to create a bunch of kids who think Islam is evil, end of story.

DS1 (6 years old) was in the room the other day when the news was on and he happened to see some of the pictures of the people killed by chemical weapons in Syria. He immediately clued into it and started asking questions, and we talked about it for a little while. I didn't go into excessive detail, but I tried to do my best to explain. I didn't want to just change the channel because he was in the room. Sometimes the world is a scary place, and I wanted him to know that mommy and daddy would always do everything in our power to keep him safe.

[NJ_Mom2011]

I think it is a little different when discussing it in schools that are far away from the East Coast. Yes, kids may know someone who was impacted in a small or large way, but it isn't part of the public experience the way it is if you are within a 100 mile radius of where any of the planes went down.
.

I think that I am having a very strong view about the discussion of showing kids gruesome film of people jumping off the Twin Towers, partly because I walk by that WTC site everyday to get to work. Yes, I see everyday pictures of the Twin Towers being blown up, because I see vendors selling for profit such photos to tourists. I see people directly affected by this tragedy all the time -- just yesterday I saw some 9/11 widowers and their children wandering around trying to find the entrance to the 9/11 memorial.

The problem of showing graphic films to kids is often they don't have the maturity to process such things. Can a 5th grader determine that this is not a cool Hollywood special effect, but real life? If these children do see it as the tragic event that it was, do they have the maturity to process the fact that 3000 people died that day? Kids can feel anger, extreme sadness, confusion, and guilt when hearing about such events, are these 5th graders capable of processing these emotions? Will these kids become desensitized? Does an elementary school teacher, who has the responsibility of teaching in short blocks of about 25 minutes, have the time to put this in all of context, between first recess and lunch? Does this 5th grade teacher have the training to put this gruesome film in context (I am not sure how well 9/11 is covered in teacher's college)?

More importantly, what does the school gain from showing this video of people against their wills plummeting to their deaths? Will the kids now score higher on history tests? What knowledge is learned from this video, as it is highly unlikely any child would be in the 9/11 victims' scenario (in a high-rise building under terrrorist attack). Will the kids feel more pity, even though they were already taught that 3000 people died? What about the ethics of the people who were filmed dying their day? We don't anything about their personal lives, we do know that they never consented to having their last desparate moments of lives filmed. At least for me, I would not wish that the only thing that most people know of my life was being filmed jumping off a building.

This film is available anytime for any person on Youtube. Parents can show their children this gruesome film if they so wish. Even better, they should bring their children here to the WTC Memorial. But such video is just not suitable for an average 5th grade class.

[westwoodmom04]

I think that I am having a very strong view about the discussion of showing kids gruesome filmage of people jumping off the Twin Towers, partly because I walk by that WTC site everyday to get to work. Yes, I see everyday pictures of the Twin Towers being blown up, because I see vendors selling for profit such photos to tourists. I see people directly affected by this tragedy all the time -- just yesterday I saw the 9/11 widowers and their children wandering around trying to find the entrance to the 9/11 memorial.

The problem of showing graphic films to kids is often they don't have the maturity to process such things. Can a 5th grader determine that this is not a cool Hollywood special effect, but real life? If these children do see it as the tragic event that it was, do they have the maturity to process the fact that 3000 people died that day? Kids can feel anger, extreme sadness, confusion, and guilt when hearing about such events, are these 5th graders capable of processing these emotions? Will these kids become desensitized? Does an elementary school teacher, who has the responsibility of teaching in short blocks of about 25 minutes, have the time to put this in all of context, between first recess and lunch? Does this 5th grade teacher have the training to put these gruesome deaths in context (I am not sure how well 9/11 is covered in teacher's college)?

More importantly, what does the school gain from showing footage of people against their wills plummeting to their deaths? Will the kids now score higher on history tests? What knowledge is learned from this film, as it is highly unlikely any child would be in the 9/11 victims' scenario (in a high-rise building under terrrorist attack). Will the kids feel more pity, even though they were already taught that 3000 people died? What about the ethics of the people who were filmed dying their day? We don't anything about their personal lives, we do know that they never consented to having their last desparate moments of lives filmed. At least for me, I would not wish that the only thing that most people know of my life was being filmed jumping off a building.

This film is available anytime for any person on Youtube. Parents can show their children this gruesome footage if they so wish. Even better, they should bring their children here to the WTC Memorial. But such footage is just not suitable for an average 5th grade class.

The original post was about footage about planes crashing into the building. Someone else separately mentioned their child was shown photos or videos of people jumping. I agree with others who said most fifth graders had already seen the first, that footage is all over the tv and newspaper every September 11. The second is more of a concern; a lot would depend on context for me.

[NJ_Mom2011]

The original post was about footage about planes crashing into the building. Someone else separately mentioned their child was shown photos or videos of people jumping. I agree with others who said most fifth graders had already seen the first, that footage is all over the tv and newspaper every September 11. The second is more of a concern; a lot would depend on context for me.

Yes, I know, someone said their 4th grader saw in school the video of people jumping off the building. It is just not suitable for the elementary school crowd. I would personally complain to the school board if it happened with my child, that's how strongly I feel about it.

[sarahsthreads]

I would be (and have been) OK with both the discussion and the footage. (The planes crashing, not the people jumping out of the towers - that I would find inappropriate for an elementary or middle school classroom, honestly.)

My 4th grader has been learning bits and pieces about 9/11 in an age-appropriate manner from 2nd grade on. I'm 100% certain she's seen at least still pictures of the towers burning, if not video yet. Every year *I* remember the horror of watching it live on TV, crowded into the break room at work with our entire office, desperately worried about everyone I know who lived and worked in the area, but for *her* it's distant history. To my DD, I don't imagine that learning about 9/11 is any different than when I learned about WWII and Hiroshima at her age.

Sarah

[army_mom]

I would not have a problem with them teaching kids about it in school, thoughtfully and age appropriate of course. Our kids are do Freedom Walks at school and have big programs so they need to explain the importance of the day at age appropriate levels to the kids. I don't have a problem with video footage but I think that they should communicate with the parents (a quick email wouldn't be hard) to see if anyone in the class knew someone that was killed in the attacks so both the parents and the *teacher* can be better prepared to answer questions or deal with emotions. Parents should also expect this every year. There are also a lot of "positive" videos they can show rather than focus on planes hitting towers. Many people were heroes that day. First responders did amazing things. Average citizens did extraordinary acts. The nation came together in a way that hadn't happened had in years. I think they need to learn all of that as well as the horrible, awful events of the day in order to never forget the people that lost lives as well as those who saved lives.

I do not think showing people jumping from the towers is appropriate to show in school at ANY level.

[dogmom]

I think there have been some really thoughtful posts on this thread. The only thing that I can add is that in many ways it is a luxury to be able to shield kids from violence. I have found thinking of it on those terms makes me less fearful of it.

[fedoragirl]

The only thing that I can add is that in many ways it is a luxury to be able to shield kids from violence. I have found thinking of it on those terms makes me less fearful of it.

Succintly and beautifully said.

[kboyle]

my 5th grader did learn about 9/11 in social studies and had to conduct 2 interviews as a homework assignment in language arts. he just interviewed dh & i, but had we actually been around others that day i would have had him ask others their experience and feelings. he also learned about it last year. i have also told him about the school shootings and batman shooting in the recent years. i can't shelter my boys from violence, so i make sure to tell them about it before they learn about it on the school bus or in a way i wouldn't approve.

[123LuckyMom]

We live in MA but are both from NY. My sister-in-law was caught in the cloud from the collapsing towers and had to walk miles and miles home that day. DH had been an EMT with the NYFD for years, though he was living in Hawaii on 9/11. He knows first responders who were killed. That tragedy was very close to home for us. This summer DH wanted to see the memorial. He's really wanted to go since it first opened. We took DD and DS (almost 5) with us. I told DS about the planes and the towers. We explained about the event in age appropriate ways and answered all his questions. I wasn't thrilled about doing it, but DS processed it beautifully, and he was very taken by the memorial.

I certainly don't have a problem with 5th graders learning about the tragedy. I would not like their seeing footage of the crash, but I could learn to live with it. I would be VERY upset about a fifth grader seeing images of people jumping from the buildings! I also wouldn't like a 10 year old seeing pictures of people running from the collapse. There is something indelible about seeing those images. That is true of the Holocaust images, too. I do believe they are powerful and should be seen, but not at age 10, and especially not without prior notice to parents.

ETA: We also told him about the Pentagon and the plane the passengers brought down that may have been headed to the Capitol building. I don't believe in shielding kids from the truth, but I know for myself that images have a tremendous and disturbing impact on me. I wouldn't want my 10 year old to have to grapple with them.

[niccig]

I would want to know what footage was shown before deciding whether the footage was appropriate or not. Was it a replay from a news channel only or a documentary specifically made for kids with narration explaining events? How much was shown and how was it presented?

I too am in the camp of preferring to explain difficult issues to DS before he hears bits and pieces from others and has no frame of reference for processing it. He's learned about 9/11 since pre-K

[squimp]

I do not think showing people jumping from the towers is appropriate to show in school at ANY level.

I agree and I have purposely never watched them myself. Those are real people and just thinking about it has me in tears. The descriptions that I have heard from children who actually saw that happen are more than I can bearing knowing about. My daughter does not need to know about that, yet.

She did watch a video in class but it didn't seem to have any graphic footage.

[babybunny]

https://sites.google.com/site/the4actioninitiative/

This web site has a wealth of resources for teaching about 9/11. The curriculums were developed with the help of the families of the victims of 9/11 and tested in classrooms in NJ. The hope was that this will become a national model. There was a lot of effort, and it shows.

They emphatically state that teachers should NOT be showing any graphical images..

As someone who has deep ties to the tragedy and the recovery efforts, I wanted to shield DS from learning about the horrors of that day. He came home from Pre-school on an anniversary of 9/11 knowing much more than he should know. He processed it in his way as he was going to get in his superhero outfit and go after the man in the cave. I almost had a stroke. I truly wasn't ready for that. Now five years later he has no recollection of that story. I tried to explain 9/11 to him this week. I had asked him if he wAnted to wear a Special pin to school that morning. I thought I didn't get through to him because he said, "Do I have to?". I just said no, you don't have to. But now that I think about it, why would he want to wear a pin about that day at age 8?

I can't watch the footage without getting really upset about it all over again to the point where I decided it is best not to do it. I have tortured myself on past anniversaries. I dont think it was helping the hesling process Prior to the 10th anniversary, I participated in a group session about how to handle it that was offered at work. The most valuable take away was that it was okay to avoid the triggers. I also found out that other people I held in high regard were struggling with the same issues, especially withdrawing from our significant others, having unfounded fears as the day approached, etc. So we just have to survive in this new world. For so many of us, the world will never be the same. I want to keep DS in a bubble, but that is not possible. I do find it comforting that the lessons at school will be appropriate.

[NJ_Mom2011]

Thanks babybunny for the link. I think providing a teacher with a helpful resouce would be the best way to handle any questionable approaches to teaching 9/11.

[ssand23]

We also live in New Jersey and this was something that emotionally hit close to home for everyone in our area. This is something my children grew up knowing about (my oldest still remembers all the parents showing up at school in what seemed out of the blue to one by one, pick everyone up early and there was smoke in the sky here) and all children in this area know about. I do think it's okay to discuss this with 5th graders and think some footage is okay but think that photos or footage of people jumping is very not okay for elementary school. I think in the future, this might be something that it would be good a week in advance to send a note home to give parents a heads up and see if they'd want to opt their child out of any videos being viewed.

I do think this is important to discuss with children. I asked my 6th grader if it was discussed at school on 9/11 this year and I was upset that only one of her teachers mentioned it (she switches classes all day & has 8 teachers). She said that the one teacher who did mention it had a hard time getting through the conversation with out getting choked up. I know I do, too. I knew people in the trade center that day and it's not something I'll ever forget. I think it is important to discuss with children but in a manner that is sensitive to their age.

[mommy111]

Honestly, I don't want teachers showing my kids images of airplanes hitting buildings or people jumping out of burning buildings. I never watch the footage and I'm an adult. For years after 9/11, I couldn't look at a plane in the sky without instinctively following it out of sight. I, who fly several times around the world every year for work, developed very tenuously controlled phobia of flying that is just starting to subside now more than 10 years later. I have no objection to someone talking to my child about 9/11. But video footage? No, thank you!