Culturally Responsive 9/11 Teaching Resources
Compiled by Amaarah DeCuir, Ed.D.
Compiled by Amaarah DeCuir, Ed.D.
This year’s 20th anniversary of September 11th is likely to generate increased public attention and our nation’s educators need to be supported as they prepare themselves and their students for such a pivotal commemorative experience. September 11th is not only a major event in U.S. history, it also continues to impact our social, cultural, and political realities both within the nation and globally.
Research on Muslim Student Experiences in Public Schools
Early research from my study of Muslim student experiences in public schools indicates that Muslim students face increased anti-Muslim racism during 9/11 commemorative lessons in recent years. This is consistent with research conducted by the Institute of Social Policy and Understanding which documents the spike in anti-Muslim hate and bigotry stemming, most recently, from the 9/11 attacks. Muslim students share that during 9/11 lessons peers call out insulting language, teachers stare at them, and lesson plans fail to distinguish the differences between extremists and the faithful followers of Islam. This is not right; all students deserve a safe and equitable learning experience. |
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Culturally Responsive Teaching for 9/11 Commemorations
To combat this reality in our schools, my recent work as a scholar-activist is to mobilize resources to envision Culturally Responsive Teaching practices for 9/11 commemorative lessons. On Wednesday, August 18, 2021, I presented a webinar with the Virginia Department of Education, EdEquity series, to train educators across the state in Culturally Responsive and Inclusive teaching practices for 9/11 commemorative lessons. |
The information slides help illustrate the key points named in the presentation.
"Lessons about 9/11 often provoke harassment of Muslim Students" Click on the link above to read my article, published by The Conversation, an academic outlet that publishes academic-news content, where I discuss my research and recommendations for teaching about 9/11. |
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Confronting Anti-Muslim Racism during 9/11 Commemorations
For educators seeking additional information on confronting anti-Muslim racism during 9/11 commemorative lessons, I invite you to complete a 40-minute recorded professional development training. In this video I demonstrate how the tenets of Culturally Responsive Teaching can be used to identify specific teaching strategies that can serve to disrupt anti-Muslim racism in the classroom. The training provides relevant statistics to validate the urgency of this work and unique content to help educators center Muslim stories of service, heroism, loss, and concerns of personal safety when teaching about 9/11. For educators that have less experience including Muslim content in their Culturally Responsive Teaching practices, this video offers relevant suggestions, expert content, and recommended resources for more information. |
Teaching 9/11
Top of Mind with Julie Rose, BYU Radio
September 11th is and will always be a heavy day for Americans. For school teachers, it poses a particular challenge. How can they observe the anniversary in a way that’s meaningful for students, but doesn’t create trauma? American University professor Amaarah DeCuir’s research finds that well-meaning school activities commemorating 9/11 often lead to bullying and insults aimed at Muslim students. DeCuir lectures in the school of education at American University and is developing resources for teaching 9/11 in K-12 classrooms. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Click here to listen to the Nationwide Radio Broadcast.
Top of Mind with Julie Rose, BYU Radio
September 11th is and will always be a heavy day for Americans. For school teachers, it poses a particular challenge. How can they observe the anniversary in a way that’s meaningful for students, but doesn’t create trauma? American University professor Amaarah DeCuir’s research finds that well-meaning school activities commemorating 9/11 often lead to bullying and insults aimed at Muslim students. DeCuir lectures in the school of education at American University and is developing resources for teaching 9/11 in K-12 classrooms. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Click here to listen to the Nationwide Radio Broadcast.
9/11 Teaching Resources
Classroom educators have asked for recommended 9/11 lesson plans. Attached, please find a compilation of publicly available K-12 lessons for teaching about 9/11. The document is sorted by lessons that are Culturally Responsive and do not reproduce anti-Muslim racism, and it includes nonexamples of lessons that are not recommended for classroom instruction. Teaching resources and reading materials are also included in the document. If you would like to share a Culturally Responsive and Inclusive 9/11 teaching resource that should be included in this compilation, please email me at [email protected]. Other Resources: Teaching Beyond September 11th |
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News Coverage
In Advance Local, "Alabama teachers must discuss 9/11. Here’s how a researcher recommends approaching the topic."
In ArkLaTex, "Teaching 9/11:20 years later, a fresh and painful memory is also a history lesson."
In The Conversation, "Lessons about 9/11 often provoke harassment of Muslim Students."
In The New Arab, "Muslim Advocates share tips on teaching about 9/11 to Muslim Students."
In The Virginia Pilot, "Lessons on Sept. 11 attacks trigger bullying of Muslim students."
In Yahoo News, "Lessons on Sept. 11 attacks trigger bullying of Muslim students."
In Advance Local, "Alabama teachers must discuss 9/11. Here’s how a researcher recommends approaching the topic."
In ArkLaTex, "Teaching 9/11:20 years later, a fresh and painful memory is also a history lesson."
In The Conversation, "Lessons about 9/11 often provoke harassment of Muslim Students."
In The New Arab, "Muslim Advocates share tips on teaching about 9/11 to Muslim Students."
In The Virginia Pilot, "Lessons on Sept. 11 attacks trigger bullying of Muslim students."
In Yahoo News, "Lessons on Sept. 11 attacks trigger bullying of Muslim students."
For more information
Thank you for your intentions to create Culturally Responsive classroom experiences during 9/11 commemorative lessons. Together, we can work to advance the equity that all of our students deserve to experience, particularly our Muslim students who have faced increased hate and bigotry in past years on this date. For more information about this project, contact Amaarah DeCuir, Ed.D. at [email protected].
These resources are made available by a generous grant from the Center for Islam in the Contemporary World. To learn more about the center’s programs and services, please click here.
Thank you for your intentions to create Culturally Responsive classroom experiences during 9/11 commemorative lessons. Together, we can work to advance the equity that all of our students deserve to experience, particularly our Muslim students who have faced increased hate and bigotry in past years on this date. For more information about this project, contact Amaarah DeCuir, Ed.D. at [email protected].
These resources are made available by a generous grant from the Center for Islam in the Contemporary World. To learn more about the center’s programs and services, please click here.