11th Grade Terrorism And Its Challenges Lesson Plan (History)

Topic: Terrorism and Its Challenges

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to describe the events of 9/11 and the US response to those events.

Materials

• Images of the World Trade Center towers before and after the 9/11 attacks
• News clips or videos of US officials discussing the 9/11 attacks and the US response
• Handouts with key terms and definitions related to terrorism

Warm-up

• Review the terms "terrorism" and "terrorist" and ask students to provide examples of terrorists or terrorist groups.
• Ask students what they know about the 9/11 attacks and the US response to those attacks.

Direct Instruction

• Begin by showing a brief video or documentary about the 9/11 attacks and the US response to those attacks.
• As the video plays, ask students to pay close attention and take notes on key information and events.
• After the video has finished, lead a discussion with students about the information presented in the video. Ask students to share their thoughts and feelings about the events shown in the video, and ask them to provide additional details or information if possible.
• Use the notes taken by students as a starting point for the discussion, and encourage students to share their own insights and ideas about the events shown in the video.

Guided Practice

• Next, divide students into small groups and provide each group with a set of graphic images (e.g. photos, drawings, paintings) depicting key events and aspects of the 9/11 attacks and the US response to those attacks.
• Ask each group to review the images and identify any key information or details that they can glean from the images.
• Have each group share their identified key information and details with the class, and use this information as a starting point for a second round of discussion and analysis.
• During the discussion, encourage students to use the identified information as a basis for developing their own theories and explanations of the events shown in the video.

Independent Practice

• Next, provide each student with a blank timeline and a set of pens, markers, or colored pencils.
• Ask students to use the information and ideas discussed in the previous activities as a starting point for creating a timeline of the key events and aspects of the 9/11 attacks and the US response to those attacks.
• Encourage students to use their own analysis and interpretation of the events to fill in the timeline, and to include any additional details and information that they have gleaned from other sources (e.g. research, conversations with peers and teachers).
• As students complete their timelines, allow them to share their timelines with small groups or the class for review and discussion.

Closure

• To conclude the lesson, ask students to reflect on what they have learned about the events of 9/11 and the US response to those attacks.
• Ask students to describe or summarize their timelines in their own words, and to discuss any additional insights or takeaways they gained from sharing their timelines with their peers.

Assessment

• Evaluate students' participation in creating their timelines, their understanding of the events of 9/11, and their ability to explain the US response to those attacks, based on their participation in class discussions, their completion of the independent practice assignment, and their participation in the group presentation.