How Port Washington Schools Teach 9/11 to Students Who Didn’t Experience It

Students in the Port Washington Union Free School District were sitting in class fifteen years ago when two planes struck the Twin Towers at 8:46 a.m. and 9:03 a.m.

Many younger students at schools in the tristate area knew something happened, but weren’t aware of the details. Parents arrived to school to bring their children home and teachers were in the hallway speaking in hushed tones on their cell phones, unsure of which details were acceptable to share with their students. Some older classrooms turned on the news to watch the tragedy unfold while other teachers tried their best to continue on with the lesson plan.

September 11, 2001 wasn’t heavily taught in schools during that time or years following as it was something that everyone lived through.

All Long Islanders knew multiple people whose lives were changed that day and while communities and local law enforcements remind residents to “Never Forget,” it’s impossible for those who live through it to erase 9/11 from their memories.

Fifteen years have passed since the tragedy that seems like it occurred both yesterday and a lifetime ago. Students enrolled as freshmen at Paul D. Schreiber High School are the first-ever high school students that weren’t yet born on 9/11. Even the eldest high school seniors are likely too young to remember the chaos.

Port Washington Schools are now responsible for teaching this new generation about one of the most devastating moments in American history.

Port Washington Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kathleen Mooney told Patch how teachers in elementary, middle and high school teach 9/11 to their students.

“Many of our schools make announcements over the public address system in which they speak of the heroism of our first responders, some read to students or make books available to them on the subject matter and some engage in discussions and writing assignments,” Mooney said.

Discussions about 9/11 become more serious at both Weber Middle School and Schreiber High School. On Monday, both schools will conduct honorary moments of silence.

“All high school core social studies classes will discuss the attacks in great detail," Mooney added. These classes will talk about what the 9/11 attacks mean for American history, New York as a whole and the students' personal lives.

Across the country, some teachers focus solely on the patriotic response to the attacks, barely mentioning the devastation; others share their personal stories of 9/11, including their profound sadness. Still others show students the graphic television coverage of that day seared in the hearts and minds of adults who remember.

These lesson plans and classroom discussions allow the post-9/11 generation to shape their own experiences of a day, that while wasn’t experienced firsthand, they will hopefully Never Forget.

To go into deeper detail on how schools across the country teach 9/11 to students who didn’t experience it, read: How Do You Teach 9/11 to Kids Who Didn't Experience It? A Patch Investigation.