9/11 assembly

[Happy36]

Hello, does anyone have any resources or ideas for a short assembly linked to 9/11, please?

Many thanks.

[anamenotanumber]

For a primary school. Sorry but I don't think that would be appropriate for the younger children at all. They won't have the emotional maturity to deal with something so recent and that involves complex issues. You will give them nightmares unnecessarily.

I find doing ww2 is fine with ks2 because it is distant from them by time but even younger ones can get freaked out by that.

[sashh]

My idea would be don't do it.

You would need a lot of time to do any justice to the subject.

[Cheebame]

I agree with the other posters. This is too big an issue to do a "short" assembly about, and too complicated an issue for small children to get to grips with. They'll learn soon enough that the world is less happy than it could be because the grown-ups can't play nicely.

[hiccupgirl]

I agree with the others too. It's not an appropriate topic for primary age children. I don't see anyway of making it work that doesn't upset the younger or more sensitive ones or that then down plays the event so much that there's no point doing it.

I have a 4 yr old starting school this year. I would be very angry with the school if he came home asking me about 9/11. When he's older (10/11+) yes but otherwise no.

[DeWee]

I think it would depend on what exactly you want them to get out of it. I think you could link it in with bullying and standing together against bullying and do the assembly about that.
If you start saying that planes flew into towers and many people were killed... no I can't even think of a way to introduce that to children as a whole, even if you're talking about junior level.

For my dc, dd1 would at primary age listened very carefully and come home with lots of questions until she was satisfied she wasn't at risk, and then been able to put it to the back of her mind.

Dd2 is going into year 6. You tell her about that and you're going to have to put up with her jumping under her desk every time an aeroplane goes overhead, probably for a good couple of weeks, similar length of time for the nightmares to stop. Probably refusing to go into anything she thinks of as tall (which may well be anything with more than 2 stories) and probably refusing to get into an aeroplane again. She'd probably get a migraine from anxiety within an hour or two of the assembly, which includes vomiting and possibly fainting. And definitely needing picking up from school.

Ds (going into year 3) would probably enjoy an assembly about it. He's fascinated about planes and also has an interest in WWII, so he would be more interested in the technical side. How did the terrorists do it? Why did the towers collapse? How do we stop it happening again? Why weren't military jets scrambled?
He would most likely spend a good new hours researching and finding out about it for himself at home.
If you went into personal stories he might well get tearful in the assembly though. If you dealt entirely on the mechanics of what happened he would be fine.

[Happy36]

It´s actually for Year 7 (I cross posted). Management has told me to do it so no choice, I´m afraid.

Thanks DeWee and others for the ideas. Please post anymore you have! Thanks.

[Cheebame]

So do you need to cover the reasons behind the attack and the historical events that led to them, or is it just of case of saying 'bad people killed good people' with no time to dwell on what led to a world in which people might choose to do that?

Assemblies aren't normally very long.

[DeWee]

Happy you've posted this in primary, which is why we've assumed that was the age you're going for.

I think that age is quite tricky. Because some will be aware of it, some will be traumatised by it.
Could you tie it into WWI/WWII? Most, if not all, should be aware of those on a basic level. Then lead into wars still happening, and use it as an example. There was an article in the Independent (I think) earlier this year showing that in the last 100 years we've only had about 3 where we didn't have armed forces deployed.
Or use the people using violence to try and get what they want approach. You could tie it into bullying-and also use it to say telling about bullying is right-if one person on the inside had told, would it have happened?

[MrsDavidBowie]

Have a look on TES website..they have lots of resources on there.

[Happy36]

Thanks MrsDavidBowie, found some excellent pictures on TES.

Cheebame I think we can do what we want...the only instruction has been, "Do an assembly on 9/11"(!)

[MyFirstName]

Not a teacher...but could you link it to the short/medium/long term impacts on everyday life of people not directly affected....ie Cover the horror of the deaths, the destruction, the resulting war...but that this impacted of Jo Bloggs in Sheffield, or John Wayne from Montana too

Immediate - flights cancelled for 3 days, bridges, tunnels closed, people's workplaces closed. The waiting for What's next

Medium - The "War on Terror" and the rhetoric that went around that and WMD - almost using the fear from 9/11 to persuade people to Iraq war a good idea

Long Term - Continued, McCarthy-esque fear of Arab states. Paranoia (or sense) around airport security etc

Just a thought.

[strawberryangel]

What is your role? Surely you have some say on what your assembly is about?

And why ask this on a parenting forum? There are lots of teaching forums.

[Happy36]

Thanks myfirstname, those are lovely ideas, also madrigal.

strawberryangel I´m a teacher. I think it´s pretty usual that a school´s senior management team chooses assembly topics.