Students who were years away from even being born learned about the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 through personal stories, video, articles, projects and insightful conversation throughout the Massapequa School District on the 25th anniversary.

At the elementary schools, the history of 9/11 was taught through the themes of resilience, teamwork and unity, with conversations about helping others and acts of heroism. Students at Berner Middle School and Massapequa High School’s main and Ames campuses explored the terrorist attacks on a more in-depth level, discussing the events of the day, its causes and the aftermath. Many teachers shared personal stories of where they were and what they were doing when they found out.

Ninth grade social studies teacher Patti McMahon said it is important for students to learn from people with personal experiences. She welcomed school security guard Steve Miller to talk to her classes. The retired 23-year member of the New York City Police Department responded to the World Trade Center even though he was off from work that day, and worked at the pile for 44 days. Some of the artifacts he showed students included a helmet, a Pepsi can from the 1970s that was in one of the tower’s walls, the bandana he wore that day and a book his picture appears in.

“It’s really important to humanize these stories as much as we can,” Ms. McMahon said. “It was the unthinkable.”

Tara Camilleri continued a tradition of having her students take part in the Remember the Sky project, an homage to the clear blue sky on the morning on Sept. 1, 2001. Her students went outside with their Chromebooks, took various pictures of the sky, then returned to the classroom to create a mock social media post.

Paul Corr’s ninth graders interviewed a family member about the events of 9/11 along with their own experiences and personal feelings. During class, they shared what they had learned. Kimberly Simpson-O’Brien spoke about the importance of passing history on down to the next generation. After showing a video of her 8-year-old son and his knowledge of 9/11, she then had her students create their own stories on how they would explain the tragedy to someone else.

At the high school, seniors in Daniel Bachman’s Advanced Placement Government class explored the debate on healthcare funding for 9/11 first responders. After watching three videos, students worked in pairs to create an argument in favor of the funding, using evidence. In Greg Kearney and Dr. Will Hahn’s 10th grade Global History class, students looked a map that showed the location of airplanes across the country hour by hour before and after the attacks. They then learned about Operation Yellow Ribbon in Gander, Newfoundland to support the passengers who were stranded there for several days after planes flying over the Atlantic Ocean were forced to land at the international airport there. Students explored 9/11 from the perspective of goodwill and humanity.

United States History teacher Melissa Zuena showed her students a recent documentary, “9/11, United We Stand: 25 Years Later.” David Summers explored the causes of the terrorist attacks with his 11th graders, as they studied the period from the World Trade Center bombing in 1993 up to the 9/11 attacks.

Jason Gelardi, curriculum associate for social studies, said he was incredibly proud of his teachers for the care and dedication they put into their Sept. 11 lessons.

“While that work today surrounds a day of solemnity and remembrance, it is a testament to our teachers, some of whom have deeply personal connections to Sept. 11, that they are able to deliver this instruction with such passion, honesty and purpose,” Mr. Gelardi said. “Through their lessons and their willingness to share their own experiences, they are helping foster the next generation’s understanding of Sept. 11 and a deep appreciation for our first responders, for those we lost, and for the extraordinary American spirit of unity, resilience and compassion that followed.”

MSD: Lessons Learned from 9/11