Teachers reluctant to discuss 9/11

Teachers are reluctant to discuss the September 11 attacks on America because they fear it will provoke racism and Islamaphobia in class, according to a survey.

Those in schools with high numbers of Muslim children are particularly concerned about talking about the atrocity - despite it being arguably the defining event of the 21st century so far.

Alison Kitson, faculty director at the Institute of Education at London University, which carried out the survey, said teachers should "grasp the nettle" and tackle the subject. They should credit children with more maturity, she said.

Four in five teachers (81 per cent) said that when teaching the topic, it was a challenge to break "students' stereotypes and prejudices about other cultures".

The academics polled almost 200 teachers across the country and also visited eight schools: four in London, and one each in Leeds, Worcestershire, Oxford and Surrey.

At two schools, teachers showed "serious resistance" to raising the subject, while in another there was "some resistance" from staff.

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Alison Kitson is also the Director of Education for the "9/11 London Project":

The 9 11 London Project is an educational charity which has been set up to ensure that the legacy of 9/11 is one that builds hope from tragedy. Our mission is to develop, out of the horror of the events of 11th September 2001, an educational programme for schools, devoted to a proper understanding of what happened; and thereby help to reduce the possibilities of any similar act in the future.

Project brochure

Holy Teachings

Perhaps the teachers don't want to teach it because the official story has so many holes in it...

I created a high school lesson for this, link below

I'm a National Board Certified Teacher of Social Science and History; anyone is welcome to this lesson. Here's the intro then link to the lesson (factual claims are hyperlinked with appropriate documentation):

Van Jones, an advisor to President Obama signed a 9/11 Truth petition. Charlie Sheen challenges President Obama for a 20-minute discussion for 9/11 Truth. Who are these people? What is their evidence? What do they want?

As a teacher of high school US History courses, I attempted to professionally address this question with an appropriate classroom lesson. BTW, this issue is among the top few historical questions that my high school students want answered. I developed a critical thinking case study on 9/11; one of many lessons for students to vote on among competing supplemental lessons. The lesson has a preamble on critical thinking skills I’ll provide in a subsequent article.

Below is the strongest evidence from both the pro-government explanation and counter-government, as compiled by interested colleagues, parents, students, and my examination since 2004. My role in the lesson is to present the evidence (inviting students and parents to contribute) and guide students for their analysis under my motto Res ipsa loquitur, best translated as “the facts speak for themselves.” This worked best when I presented it to the principal and department first, then gave parents the lesson for questions and input, and then directed the lesson for students. Here it is:

9/11: Conspiracy of Terrorists or an Inside Job? In national polls from 2006, about one-third of Americans reported that 9/11 was orchestrated by the US government (here, here, here, here), while up to 84% state that our government is at least covering-up key facts of what happened. A CNN poll topped-out at 90% reporting that our government is covering-up elements of 9/11. In a 2004 Zogby poll, half of the residents of New York City reported that our government at least knew of the attacks and consciously did not prevent them, and two-thirds want a new and independent investigation. Half of victims’ family members conclude the US government was complicit in the attacks and deaths of their loved ones, according to the largest family group’s public representative.

This “9/11 Truth Movement” is growing: over 2,000 people with impressive professional backgrounds in engineering, architecture, intelligence, military, government, and various Ph.D credentials publicly refute the official explanations. Professional scientists have published literally dozens of peer-reviewed papers in argument that the three World Trade Center (WTC) buildings were destroyed by controlled demolition rather than fire-induced structural failure. Over 1,300 professional architects and engineers have compiled impressive visual demonstrations. Professional pilots have done the same. Professional firefighters, lawyers, medical professionals, military veterans, scholars, and religious leaders have also created organizations for "9/11 Truth."

This credible collection of expert witnesses is remarkable, with their conclusions reflected in the polling. An example of this expert testimony is Princeton professor of International Law Richard Falk, who poignantly refutes many aspects of the government’s explanation of 9/11. The rationality of this counter-government position is also reflected in the prestigious literary guide, Publisher’s Weekly, selecting a 9/11 Truth book as its “Pick of the Week” in November, 2008. In 2009, nine countries' major media published full and truthful representations of this information. There is also a growing number of government officials who refute the official explanations.

That's who they are and openings into their evidence. What they want is an independent investigation into 9/11 that considers their evidence rather than the government's self-study that they claim is a whitewash.

Continue reading on Examiner.com Who are 9/11 Truthers? What is the 9/11 Truth Movement? - Los Angeles LA County Nonpartisan | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/la-county-nonpartisan-in-los-angeles/who-are-9-11-truthers-what-is-the-9-11-truth-movement#ixzz1QR...

and here's the related lesson on critical thinking skills

excerpt and link:

Using critical thinking skills to evaluate policy in government and economics are central to our American way of life. Democracy only functions when citizens are responsible for understanding and speaking for our most important policies. In addition, voters, juries, and consumers all have to use critical thinking skills to consider “expert” testimony and evidence with the understanding that the information claimed to be true might be misleading or an outright lie.

This assignment has three specific objectives for your learning:

Discern fact from spin. Facts are measurable, independently verifiable, objective, and do not change no matter what is said about them. Spin is subjective, exists only when someone languages it into existence, and may or may not closely conform to factual analysis.

Participate in civil conversations based on facts. In order to ethically disagree with a position, one must be able to accurately state that position. Students will apply classical and conservative skills from the art of argumentation to hold people accountable for accurate factual information and to identify and destroy spin not based on fact.

Engage in policy decisions. Policy (what to do) is the end result of conversation. In American democracy, dissenting opinions are often as important as the majority opinion, as time and further evidence often shift our understanding. Diversity of opinion provides multiple perspectives and depth. Democracy honors all policy positions that respect factual accuracy in their premises.

Continue reading on Examiner.com Teaching 9/11, JFK assassination, and ET life as critical thinking case studies - Los Angeles LA County Nonpartisan | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/la-county-nonpartisan-in-los-angeles/teaching-9-11-jfk-assassination-and-et-life-as-critical-think...

In New Zealand

in a year 11 exam there is a section titled;

9/11

there are only 2 questions in that section

1, what is the maximum temperature of a hydrocarbon fire (or similar)

2, What is the melting point of structural steel.

that is the extent of that pertion of the exam...

I guess an enlightened member of the education department slipped that in there to give the students a chance to do thier own investigating...

rhyso, that is neat to hear about.

There are a lot of positive anecdotes to 9/11 Truth in the classroom.

Another poster on this blog has been a teacher for many years. He has run into many teachers and administrators and public who now know more about 9/11 (he disseminates often and gives away DVDs... ...many thousands of DVDs, with no exaggeration about the "many thousands").

My wife, a teacher of over 30 years, often has her High School students write a paper about 9/11. She pretty much lets students do their own thing. A lot of her students know about the cover-up and they disclose this in their assignment. One time, she had a muslim girl who was in tears about having to write a paper on 9/11, because the official storyline denigrated her culture. My wife said: "Oh. You are just looking in the wrong places. Try looking at these resources..." The girl (and her relatives) became enlightened.

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I also like this graphic...
http://education-2020.wikispaces.com/file/view/critical-thinking.jpg/169465959/critical-thinking.jpg

"Restore science to it's rightful place"

... from Obama's Inaugural Address. Why can't teachers take this approach? The laws of physics were not suspended for one day on 9/11/2001. Teach the Truth for crying out loud. Muslims didn't blow up the Towers.

Assistance from Teachers needed at AE911Truth

I am public outreach team leader at AE911Truth. Anyone who feels comfortable critiquing curriculum designed to support the OCT is invited to contact me at dslesinger@alum.mit.edu. There is such curicculum out there. Anyone who wishes to help designing curriculum is welcome to contact me, also. Thanks.

I'm a teacher and interested, David.

I'm a friend of Richard Gage, a National Board Certified Teacher, and have a lesson (linked above in my comment). I have limited time (don't we all) and will send you an e-mail.