Stage 6 | History

Course: Year 11 Modern History Stage 6 Year 11 Duration 4 weeks/ 20 lessons

Investigating Modern History- The Nature of Modern History

Option: An integration of 4.History, Memory 5.Commemoration of the
Past
Title: ‘Re-remembering the Twin Horrors’: The act that terrorised the world
Content Focus: Students investigate methods and issues associated with the expression of memories about the past. The Historical concepts
and skills content is to be integrated as appropriate. Students investigate ways in which the past is represented and commemorated.

Content
Students investigate:
o The nature of history compared to memoir, including oral
accounts and national ceremonies
o The contribution of oral history to our understanding of the
past
o The tensions between national memory and different
perspectives on the past
o An example of how memory can turn into myth
o How history is represented through ONE of the following:
memorials, museums, the media, film, documentaries and
online
Rationale
The historical study of 9/11 and terrorism is highly emotive, engaging,
graphical and relevant to the current political and cultural climate of
Australia. Students explore a range of perspectives on the terrorist attack
through primary and secondary sources of interviews, media, videos and
images. Students explore the purpose and creation of historical narratives
and how they can be ideologically or politically motivated, as well as
excluding of individual narratives. Students explore the tensions between
historical narratives, memory and groups within society such as Muslims,
women and those experiencing ‘survivor guilt’ in order to reflect on how the
‘remembrance of history’ is constructed. The long-term effects of 9/11
continue to reach into the present and the hysteria of ‘terrorism’ within
Australia. The unit will prepare students with the necessary critical and
analytical skills for the Year 12 Syllabus which addresses power and
authority and historical acts of terror.

Outcomes Key questions

Ø Analyses and interprets different types of sources for
evidence to support an historical account or argument
MH11-6
Ø Discusses and evaluates differing interpretations and
representations of the past MH11-7
Ø What are the limitations and advantages of historical
narratives created by historians in comparison to history
created through oral accounts and memoirs?
Ø What are the motivations of historians and what role do they
play in shaping the way we remember events, societies and
individuals?
Ø Communicates historical understanding, using
historical knowledge, concepts and terms, in
appropriate and well-structured forms MH11-9
Ø Discusses contemporary methods and issues involved
in the investigation of modern history MH11-10
Ø How did 9/11 shape the modern world culturally, politically or
socially?
Ø How is history represented within the 9/11 museum? Is it
ethical and justifiable for victims, survivors and their families?
What effect does it have on society?
Ø Are museums created to ensure history remains history or are
they politically or mythically driven?
Ø Why do tensions exist between the national memory and
different individuals or groups in society? How do individual
narratives contest national memories?
Historical Concepts and Skills
o Causation, Continuity and Change, perspectives, Significance,
Contestability
Analysis and use of sources: Students explore a range of primary
and secondary sources through a variety of perspectives and use these
sources as evidence to develop reasoned claims. Students will explore
the concerns of utilizing sources in historical investigation and their
value for historical inquiry.(ACHM007, ACHMH009, ACHM001).
Historical interpretation: Students will analyze the impact of 9/11
on society and to what extent it changed societies values. Students
assess the continuity of these values within our current society and
the ‘terrorist threat’ . Students form judgements and historical
arguments about the representation /interpretations of 9/11.
(ACHM001, ACHM001).
Historical investigation and research: Students will undertake a
research task, guided with historical inquiry questions and a research
plan (ACHM004).
Explanation and communication: Students demonstrate their
knowledge and understanding of the issues at stake with history and
memory through the construction of arguments supported by
evidence and using historical concepts, terms and knowledge
(ACHM013, ACHM014)
Diversity of Learners
Gifted and Talented Students:
o Differentiation: to accommodate for the capacity of G&T
learners to learn faster, solve problems and manipulate or
make connections between abstract ideas.
Learning Across the Curriculum
Sustainability: Students will implicitly explore the effects of the ‘Twin-
Tower’ bombings on the environment.
Critical and Creative Thinking: Students delve deeply into the
implications of the 9/11 bombings for society, survivors and families of
victims using interpretation and evidence based arguments.
Ethical Understanding: Students explore a diverse range of perspectives
such as the role of women in the 9/11 heroic savings, the motivations of Al-
Qaeda and the long-term effects for those of a Muslim faith.
Information and Communication Technology Capability: Students
utilize ICT as part of their historical inquiry process through engagement
with digital sources and digital to tools to demonstrate understanding.
Literacy: Students utilize their literal skills to interpret, analyze and
extrapolate meaning from sources through their historical inquiry of
evaluating authority, reliability, relevance and accuracy. Students create and
engage with texts which requires the use of text structure, logical sequences,
evidence and correct metalanguage.
Numeracy: Students are to explore statistical information and graphs in
order to reach conclusions and interpretations.
Key Terms
Media
Memoir Public Narrative
Memories Afghanistan
Collective Memory Sociological
 o Students to be provided extension activities, reading or National Ceremony Terrorism
questions to deal with the topic in a deep, contestable and Commemoration Al-Qaeda
abstract way Museum Twin-Towers
o Students to be provided a choice in consolidating their Perspectives Ground-Zero
learning Primary Source Re-remembering
o Students are to deal with abstract ideas and perspectives on Secondary Source Historical Narrative
the memory of 9/11 through focusing on the tragedy as a Political America
political motivation to enter Afghanistan Ideological George W Bush
o Students to engage with collaborative learning to teach Propaganda Myth
students with diverse learning needs as well as independent Oral History Historical Truth
research tasks Interpretation Victim
Analysis Survivor
Students with Special Education Needs Contestability Flashbulb Memories
o Support of SLSO and individual academic plan with Ethical Islamic Extremism
necessary reasonable adjustments
o Class setting: Ensuring the class environment suits the
learning needs example: seating the student at the front, back
or beside a peer and the teacher
o Class ‘quiet-area’ within the lesson for sensory overload
o Instructional strategies: Using relevant language and tone,
providing alternative activities to suit the child’s strengths and
needs
o Range of pedagogical strategies and activities to suit the
learning needs of all students
o Using graphic organizers, maps, scaffolds, visual aids
o Assistive technology as needed such as reading programs,
audio devices, enlarging character keys

EAL/D Students
o Teacher to provide learning scaffolds, glossaries, visual aids
o Students are encouraged to use dictionaries within the class
o Scaffolds on learning structure
 o Provided guide questions to structure their literary thinking
and analyzing skills
o Providing a range of learning activities which allows them to
consolidate or express their learning
o Support from SLSO
o Provided a range of reading, writing, summarizing techniques

Weekly Content Students learn to Teaching and Learning Strategies Resources

Week 1 How and why • Graffiti Wall Recall: Students to enter classroom Newspaper Articles
‘Remembering the aspects of history and use newspaper source materials which are
forgotten history’ are omitted and enlarged and stuck on different walls in the o https://www.telegraph.co.k
how they could classroom. Students use sticky-notes to brainstorm /news/worldnews/septembe
alter a historical key questions : What do you already know about r-11-attacks/8745304 911-
narrative these images? What do you think happened? What Newspaper-front-pages-
would you like to know? What do the covers the-day-after-September-
suggest? 11.html

• Introduction: A brainstorm on what students

outlined in ‘Graffiti Wall Recall’
• Inquiry question: How do you know about the
terriost attacks? Is it through historical facts, your
own memory or perhaps the memories of others?

• Clarifying question:
• What is terrorism? How do we define it in realm of BBC History and Terrorism
• The o Describe the 9/11 attacks? How was terrorism represented in definitions
historical terrorism the newspaper covers?
context of and ‘Al- • Pair-work on BBC: Blackout-poetry to answer the
9/11 and the Qaeda’ clarifying questions and apply it to newspaper
 lead up to covers (terrorism definition & Al-Qaeda as a o https://www.bbc.co.uk/hist
the terrorist o Explain symbol of terrorism) ory/ recent/ sept_11/
attack Inc. why the changing_faces_04.shtml
the Twin- • Complete learning scaffold while watching
intelligence Towers and YouTube Video to assess the political and cultural YouTube Video on Al-Qaeda
before the the motivations of Al-Qaeda https://www.youtube.com/
attack Pentagon watch?v= fPBipm1LGQI
were a ‘’We’ve been focusing on this perpetrator Osama Bin
• The nature, target. What Laden for 3 years, and yet we didn’t see this one coming’’ ‘ Who were Al-Qaeda?’-
belief were Al- – Vincent Cannistraro – Former Chief of CIA Counter- Scaffold worksheet
systems and Qaeda’s Terrorism Operation
the political motivations
views of ? • Class Google- Drive Document: Working in groups
terrorist in response to the above quotation and assessing
group ‘Al- o Research whether the United States ‘seen it coming’ and
Qaeda’ and Explain provide evidence through research
the
intelligence • Students work in groups to contribute to Google
• The relations prior to the Drive document by researching the following Research Cheat sheet provided
between the terriost significant individuals and how they foreseen or Guide websites:
‘Al-Qaeda’ attack and were made aware of the future attacks. Options to http://edition.cnn.com/2003/US
group and form a research: /11/06/massoud.cable/
America judgement A) Ahmad Shah Massoud
on why a B) Mr. George W Bush http://www.historycommons.org
• The terrorist nation C) Doug Menarchik /entity
operation might D) Osama Bin Laden’s 9/11 Warnings .jsp?entity=doug_menarchik_1
and the choose to E) Optional focus
events on omit • Research must include : Name of individual/group/ https://www.wanttoknow.info/911
the day of historical or event whistlebloweredmonds
the terrorist events from • Rough dates/ Warning or evidence of attack/
attack its history Significance https://www.bbc.co.uk/programme
s /b065sx7b
 o Why might Differentiation: Utilize the direct link to a Differentiation for learners
nations/ testimony which was declared after the 9/11 event archived testimony
survivors made by workers at the Airport who reported seeing http://911digitalarchive.org/items/s
and their two men taking images of the security system prior how/96 764
families to attack
‘Remember
to forget’ ? Class discussion: explore Google-Drive document as a
this aspect class
of history • Discuss how these findings contest the historical Interactive timeline
narrative of 9/11
• What implications do they have for national https://timeline.911memorial.org
memory /#Timeline/2

Interactive timeline:
Interactive timeline on the day of the bombings including
audio recordings, videos and images. Timeline covers all
aspects of society on the day of 9/11 and the activity of
terrorist for context.
Week 2 o Class concept-map: ‘Coogle-It’ : Create a class
‘The relationship
topic-map together with the central focus ‘National
between individual
narratives and public Narratives and History’. Class to be divided into
narratives’ three sections and each group allotted either
• Role of history o Explain the ‘history’, ‘memory’ or ‘narrative’ which they will Coogle-It concept map
in shaping a purpose of brainstorm together and use this to contribute to the https://coggle.it
national history and
motivations of map on smart-board. Students encouraged to list
narrative and
contribution of historians. down what they think it means, who it is for, its
oral accounts Students learn purpose, who is it created by or images.
to answer
• Purpose/ questions such o Class discussion and exploration of concept map,
Limitations/ as who is
history for?
teacher to define ‘history’ as an evidence-based
Advantages of
What role does process and representation of an event over a period
history,
history have in of time. History is factual, description of an events,
 memoirs and shaping a causes, often objective and helps us understand the
national national present through its lessons.
ceremonies narrative?
o Memory as the personal representations or
o Explain why recollections of individuals, or groups (collective
• How memory oral accounts memory) that experienced the event (emotive,
can turn into of survivors, subjective, interpretation, eye-witness)
myth families of o Narrative is a ‘story’ or ‘nations-story’ which
victims, and
leaders are
people or historians piece and weave together to
• Role of media
in shaping important for make sense of a catastrophe or event Inc. causes and
modern understanding effects, impact of it on the nation, important events/
national the 9/11 event people worth remembering
historical
narratives and o Explain the
limitations and
Critical thinking questions: What is the role of a
the way we
remember advantages of historian in creating national narratives ? How might
historical history, memories and oral accounts of an event impact or Historical accounts of 9/11
events memory(oral enhance history? How should historians deal with sources
traditions) and memories and use them in the creation of ‘history’?
national
ceremonies
What is the significance of memoirs and how do they https://www.history.com/topics/9-
contribute to our understanding of the past? 11-attacks
o Explain how
memory is o Annotation of historical handouts: 1) Historical https://historynewsnetwork.org/arti
fallible and facts and sequence of events 2) Historical voices/ cle/257
can develop
into myth; The
statements on 9/11
Memories of o Students annotate and highlight the types of Oral accounts and memoirs
Bush language and tone used, the purpose of the
documents http://911digitalarchive.org/files/or
o Students to explore the role of a historian in iginal/54a96f4a3503f35b12cdece1
o Identify the
role of media
reporting historical events d4be28c4.tif
in shaping the o Students to also annotate 2 primary personal
historical memoir sources (handout) http://911digitalarchive.org/files/or
narrative o Students to watch 2 short interviews by iginal
survivors/eye-witnesses and note-take as above; the /59f213e52bcce94346580b8f49bb
language, tone, effect e4a1.tif
 o Students read two written testimonies by eye-
witnesses on what they remember about 9/11 and Written testimonies
what they were doing http://911digitalarchive.org/items/s
o Students reflect on the dispatch call of 9/11 only how/
plane survivor 96221
http://911digitalarchive.org/items/s
Contrast and Compare the historical aspects of 9/11 and how/
the memory/ oral accounts of it. What are the effects, the 96223
tone, impact on the reader? Strengths/ Limitations?
Dispatch call of only 9/11
History Memoirs survivor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
language =QdW6-Jmf4QA
Tone
Effect
Advantages
Disadvantages

Fallible memories activity: Teacher is to read a list of

words associated with the 9/11 attack in order such as: Al-
Qaeda, Explosions, Pentagon, Plane crash, Fire,
Destruction, Terrorism, Hijacked Plane, North Tower,
South Tower, Destruction, Death, Fire Brigades, War
against America.
o Teacher to repeat twice and students have 1 minute
to write down as many words as possible that they
remember
o Class to compare list with each other and the
original list provided by teacher
o Teacher to explore the notion of how memory is not
always accurate and we only remember ‘flashbulb
 moments’ and our mind associates new images,
concepts and emotions with these memories
Class discussion and note-taking on:
o Memory and errors of omission: when eye-
witnesses or survivors forget important details of
what happened
o Error of commission: The creation of false
memories through enhancing memory with details
that never really happened
o Students explore how memories can distort or
contradict historical facts and become historical
myth
Group Work
o Students to work in groups on a ‘’Dear Mr.
President, How did you hear the news? ‘’ source
cards
o Take notes on the date of the memory, what
happened, where was Mr. President and how did he
hear about the attack?
o Reflection on the different memories and focus on ‘’Dear Mr. President, How did
the changing of details you hear the news?’’ – Printed
o How did Bush watch 9/11 if there was no footage of Source Cards (attached)
the first plane crash? Explore why memory may be
distorted and why might history need memory?
How should we treat memories

Consolidating activity
o Students choose: Write a guide for historians on the
purpose of history and how memories/ oral accounts
should be utilized and why/why not they are
necessary/Inc. implications
 o Create PowerPoint presentation on the role and
nature of history and memories and their
implications, evidence?
o Illustrate their knowledge

‘The Falling Man’ – Richard Drew

o How does the media of 9/11 contribute to our
historical understanding of the event and a nations
‘The Falling Man’ – images
historical narrative
o Implications
o Explore Drew’s series of images captured and titled https://www.bustle.com/articles/1097
‘The Falling Man’ 48-these-4-iconic-911-photos-have-
o Used for Times Magazine stories-behind-them-that-are-
o What does the image suggest and how does it alter necessary-to-remember
the historical narrative of trauma, attack and
catastrophe https://histheoriculture.wordpress.com
/2012/01/17/photographic-review-
o Compare with other images context-within-the-falling-man-series/
o Students provided samples of images and note-take
during discussion

Homework: Students research the 9/11 national ceremony

and its nature. How is history/memory represented? How
does it influence the historical narrative or individuals with
personal memories
Week 3
Tension between
historical
narratives and
individual
narratives
• National
narrative and
 the rhetoric’s o Describe the o Inquiry learning: ‘Looking at the bigger picture’ Worksheet resource
of ‘Terror in national source analysis worksheet on the historical narrative ‘Looking at the bigger picture’
America’, narrative and
‘Hero- explain the
of America under attack by Islam and the heroism source worksheet (attached)
brigades’, rhetoric’s of fire-brigades’
‘Islamic which o Class discussion on students answers and teacher to
agenda’ and emerged and explore what ‘images’ of the 9/11 attack were
the forgotten how they prominent? Do we remember the event through the
histories impact our
memory of the
lens of these rhetoric’s? Why/Why not? How might
event this national narrative impact survivors, families of
• How the survivors or other groups of citizens within the
national o Outline society?
historical prominent o Students shown images of Postage-stamps after the
narrative images of 9/11
shaped and the effect
attack
America’s of these United America sources
cultures, values images on o Explore the notion of ‘United America’ through http://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/3
and politics America’s digital archives 1) Email 2) testimony 9933
values, culture http://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/1
Who may have been excluded from this historical 1476
and politics
narrative? George W. Bush speech
• The tensions
between the o Contest the http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speech
national historical o ‘George W. Bush The Night of 9-11-01’ speech, es/gwbush911addresstothenation.htm
memory of the national significance, value of oral accounts : ‘We will make
terrorist attack memory no distinction between the terrorists who committed https://www.nbcnews.com/card/survivor-
and Muslim through muslims-died-muslims-survived-9-11-
exploring and
these acts and those who harbor them’’ n645891
civilians and
the role of assessing how Students provided print out and listen to speech.
women it implicated Using the background knowledge, sources and
individuals or speech students construct visual organizer and fill
• Impact of groups in in:
national society
narratives on
the memory of o Assess how
survivors or the national
families of narratives may
deceased impact the
victims memories of
survivors or Cultural Social
the victims of
families

Political Exclusions?

Research source guides

(printout)
o Research task on the effects of 9/11 historical https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/9-11-
narrative and the tensions that exist as a result of anniversary
this national memory: Students include statistics, /hope-despair-being-muslim-america-
after-9-11-n645451
evidence, effects, images, graphs and how they
believe the national memory should be altered to http://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/1
include. 8682
o Work in groups, pairs or independently on topic http://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/2
choice of : Students provided key research topics 445
http://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/1
and ideas, can go beyond 991
o Create PowerPoint presentation or Prezi
http://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/1
Muslims and 9/11 991
- Mohammad Salman Hamdani http://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/2
917
- Response of Muslims to 9/11 http://edition.cnn.com/2011/US/09/05/bey
- Legislation targeting innocent Muslims after 9/11 ond. bravery.soledad.notebook/index.html
Women were heroes too
- Role of women in 9/11 https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/
- Female first responders September-11-Twin-Towers-9-11-
Survivors-Pasquale-Buzzelli.html
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/US/09/03/nea
Survivors Guilt r.death.decisions/index.html
- What is survivors guilt?
- Who did It impact?
 - How did the media treat survivors?
- Did the media play a role in ‘survivors guilt’
G & T : The connection between the national narrative
and war against Afghanistan
- Opposition to war in Afghanistan
- Effects of the 9/11 Bush speech
https://abcnews.go.com/US/September_1
1/911-anniversary-survivor-reflects-
escaping-death/story?id=14479161
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwW
zjjbIISw

Class presentation on findings

Lost histories?
- Collective memory of everyday heroes who are the
background of the national narrative
- Collective memories of those saved by ordinary
individuals
- ‘Red Bandana Man’ – documentary
- Discussion on how the national narrative may have
impacted the family of the ‘Red Bandana Man’
- How does this individual story fit in with the
broader themes of the national narrative?

Application: Students are to imagine they are historians re-

writing the historical narrative of 9/11 for a revised edition
of a history book.
- Students to think about what parts of the narrative
they may alter?
- What they would include instead?
- Who would they include into the narrative?
- What is the purpose of the historical narrative?
- Provide evidence
- Can be created in dot-point form
Week 4 9/11 tour questions (worksheet
The representations attached)
of history in
museums Image examples

• The • Describe the - Set up of in-class museum with images of objects

significance of role of inside the 9/11 museums, descriptions of videos and
museums and museums in documents enlarged onto walls and different sections
their role in continuing of classroom ( image examples)
continuing historical
memory and - Interactive museum experience video to be played while
narratives and
representing students enter the class and are provided a question-
memory
history guided tour worksheet
o Describe the - Teacher to include the discussion of ‘The rise of Al-
• How the way the 9/11 Qaeda’ video which describes the background of the
history of 9/11 museum terrorist organisation. Video is 7 minutes long and
is represented represents located next to a room which contains images of 9/11
in the 9/11 history attackers.
museum? - Inc. ‘The Last Night’ document created by terrorist
o Assess the group in Arabic and provided with no interpretation
• The ethical ethics of the - Complete questions and reflection circle on students
issues of the museum and
museum and its answers, thoughts, feelings
its impact on
impact on the the memory of - Teacher to focus on what is the role of a museum and
memory of survivors or what is the purpose of this particular museum?
survivors or the families of - What effect did the museum have on them?
families of victims - How is 9/11 represented , what themes are prominent
victims and how does it fit in with the historical narrative?

o Assess and - Power-point presentation on the ethical issues of

• Perspectives describe the museums, displaying objects from historical events,
and criticisms variety of who owns the objects?
of the museum perspectives
on the
• How does the museum and - How might the museum impact survivors or the families
museum fit in its criticism of victims? How are their histories represented
with the United - Students provided copy of presentation and note-take
States
 historical o Form a logical - Explore the commodities of 9/11 museum on the
narrative argument on museum websites souvenir shop : What do the items say
how the about how we should remember the event, how might
• The Past museum fits in the public feel about it?
reaching into with the
- Students watch news report on the reactions to the gift
the present and historical
narrative shop . Do we need keepsakes or souvenirs from that
its lessons
day?
o Assess how
the past is Students explore articles on the Remains Repository at the
reaching into World Trade Centre and highlight the main detailed
the present information
- Students work in groups on allocated articles and take
notes on the issues within the article, discuss the ethics
of human remains and its impact on families and friends
of victims
- Students teach the class about their article in groups

- Google Earth : to explore the 9/11 memorial outside of

the museum and explain its significance
- Explore name plaques and how they are grouped
- Memorial serving as a reminder and symbolic resting
place for victims

Class Debate: How should we remember the 9/11 event? How

should history be represented in museums? Does the museum
really tell the ‘truth’ and give lessons on the past?

Interactive museum
Reflection end of Unit :
- Students are to write a reflection on what they learnt that https://www.911memorial.org/interactive-
was interesting, one thing they originally believed and museum-experience
was altered through the course of learning, memories
and their implications. https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7114
- Students to also write on the lessons of the past and how 048,-
they should be applied to our current society 74.0125731,3a,75y,321.7h,80.87t/data=!3
- How are we seeing the past reach into the present? m7!1e1!3m5!1sAF1QipMVSO3hyOWMl
rZ_S0NjXgEatk-
PnzHEWk92KtQ!2e10!3e2!7i13312!8i66
56

https://www.biography.com/news/9-11-
memorial-museum-
photos#&gid=ci01af657ac159860d&pid=
memorial-hall_credit-jin-leejpg

Museum souvenir store

https://store.911memorial.org/?utm_s
ource=.org&utm_medium=web&utm
_campaign=internal

Reactions to souvenir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KG
nJTVCwtw

Articles on remains repository

https://www.911memorial.org/remains-
repository-world-trade-center-site

https://www1.nyc.gov/site/ocme/locations
/world-trade-center-repository.page

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg2
3230961-100-picking-up-the-pieces/

https://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/06/us/wo
rld-trade-center-attack-
remains/index.html

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014
/may/10/911-victims-families-protest-
move-remains-new-york-museum

Google Earth of memorial

https://www.google.com/earth/
‘’ Dear Mr. President, How did you hear ‘the news’ ? ‘’
- On the 4th of December, 2001, president Mr. George W Bush held a town meeting and
answered questions from the audience: Jordan asked Mr. Bush on how he felt and how heard
about the attack, his response was:

‘’Well, Jordan, you’re not going to believe what state I was s in

when I heard about the terrorist attack. I was in Florida. And
my chief of staff, Andy Card—actually I was in a classroom
talking about a reading program that works. And I was sitting
outside the classroom waiting to go in, and I saw an airplane
hit the tower—the TV was obviously on, and I use[d] to fly
myself, and I said, ‘There’s one terrible pilot.’ And I said, ‘It
must have been a horrible accident.’ But I was whisked off
there—I didn’t have much time to think about it, and I was
sitting in the classroom, and Andy Card, my chief who was
sitting over here walked in and said, ‘A second plane has hit
the tower. America’s under attack’’
‘’ Dear Mr. President, How did you hear ‘the news’ ? ‘’
- On the 20th of December, 2001, the president was interviewed by leading editors of the
Washington Post for a story to be published called ’10 Days in September’. Mr. President
recalls hearing about ‘the news’ :

During his interview with Dan Balz and Bob Woodward, Bush re-
calls the moment in which he heard about the 9/11 attacks. Bush
asserts that he remembers Karl Rove, a senior adviser, reporting the
news to him and describing the accident as an airplane crash,
involving a small, twin-engine plane. He reported that it was an
American Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 767 which was flown out of
Boston’s Logan International Airport. Bush perceived the attack as a
‘pilot area’ according to the information provided to him and
recalled his reaction it in which he responded ‘’It’s unbelievable that
somebody would do this… The guy must have had a heart attack’’.
Bush was reported to be seated on a stool within a classroom when
he was made alert of the attack and then was whispered ‘’America is
under attack’’
‘
 ‘’ Dear Mr. President, How did you hear ‘the news’ ? ‘’
- On the 5th of January, 2002, Bush was once again answering questions from an audience in California
when he was questioned on his immediate response and thoughts in regards to the terrorist attack. Bush
Responded:

‘’ Anyways, I was sitting there, and my Chief of Staff

– well, first of all, when we walked into the
classroom, I had seen this plane fly into the first
building. There was a TV set on. And you know, I
thought it was pilot error and I was amazed that
anybody could make such a terrible mistake. And
something was wrong with the plane, or – anyway,
I’m sitting there, listening to the briefing, and Andy
Card came and said, ‘America is under attack’ ‘’
 ‘Looking at the BIGGER picture’

What do you see? What do you see? What do you see? What do you see?

Values emerging from the image Values emerging from the image Values emerging from the image Values emerging from the image

Link to historical narrative Link to historical narrative Link to historical narrative Link to historical narrative
Image What do you see? What values were being Link to historical narrative
embedded into society?
1. How is history represented in this museum ?

2. What are the prominent images appearing from the museum?

3. How does this museum contribute to the national narrative?

4. How might this museum impact survivors and the families of victims?

5. What are the ethical issues with the museum ?

6. How does this museum make you feel?