Attack on the United States (Fall 2001 )
In the weeks following the September 11 attacks, the Choices Education Program posted a framework of policy options to help teachers and students address the issues raised by these attacks in a construction manner in classrooms.
To assist students in understanding the issues, Choices asked several of the Watson Institute researchers to respond to a series of questions. Students and teachers may find these interviews helpful as they consider the issues addressed in Responding to Terrorism: Challenges for Democracy.
Materials posted - September 2001
It is hard for all of us—student and adult—to come to terms with the events of September 11 and their aftermath. In recent years, when an international crisis presented itself, the Choices Program has posted curricular resources to its web site to assist high school teachers in addressing the issues with their students.
The Choices Program has been built on a belief in the responsibility—not just the right—of all citizens in a democracy to voice their opinions and be heard. Inherent in this belief is a commitment to informed, reasoned, and respectful dialogue among people who hold differing perspectives on the issues of the day.
We have posted several resources to this site designed for use at this time when as a nation we were considering how to respond. They include:
POLICY OPTIONS: The format of alternative policy directions that appears at the heart of every Choices curriculum unit is designed to help students to think about divergent policy alternatives, each driven by different underlying values, each with pros and cons, risks and tradeoffs. We have applied this approach to the current crisis. The Options provided were developed with input from the research staff at the Institute. Also included on this site is a suggested lesson plan.
INTERVIEWS: Choices is a program of the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University. This is an international research institution with research staff working on a wide range of international issues. In the week following the 9.11 attacks, we asked several of these researchers to respond to a series of questions. These interviews provide very useful background for your students as they consider the options. You may also find the questions useful as a focus for discussion in your classroom.
Additionally, the Watson Institute has initiated a section on its website. This site contains links to several English language foreign news sources that your students may wish to monitor. The site will be added to as appropriate in the coming days and weeks.
The coming weeks will most likely be a time of heightened public debate in the United States. Encourage your students to communicate their views to elected officials and policy makers.
Students can find contact information for the White House at http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ and their U.S. Senators and their Representatives at http://thomas.loc.gov/.
Supplemental Materials
See Supplemental Materials on terrorism for links to additional web resources. These resources are continually updated.
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Review a list of Choices publications: In addition to its online resources, the Choices Program publishes a wide range of curriculum units on historical turning points and current issues. All published units include extensive background readings and accompanying lesson plans. Ordering is available online.