Ground Zero History of 9/11 Nonfiction Readings & Activities
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Ground Zero History of 9/11 Nonfiction Readings & Activities

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Contents
Description
Format
Rights

Ground Zero History of 9/11 Texts & Activities – Snapshot of Included Resources:

  • 15 Informational Texts
  • Variety of Text Features
  • A & B Response Formats
  • 15 Extension Activities
  • Pair Texts with Nonfiction Readings
  • Topics cover events preceding 9/11, events during 9/11, and the aftermath of the attacks
  • Google Slides™ Links for Google Drive™
  • Standards-aligned Resources
  • Answer Keys for Applicable Activities!
For the novel, Ground Zero by Alan Gratz, these 15 nonfiction readings and 15 extension activities will build your students’ knowledge about the history of the terrorist attacks that occurred in the United States on September 11, 2001. The materials will place 9/11 in a larger historical context and offer a thoughtful view of the tragedy with readings that explain key events preceding the attacks, the attacks themselves, and the consequences of them still unfolding decades later. The comprehensive set of materials provide students with various opportunities to synthesize across texts as they engage in close reading and analysis. By the end of a unit of study, students will have developed their ability to think critically and make connections between texts and will have expanded their understanding of the history of the September 11th attacks.
 
Nonfiction Readings: The 15 nonfiction texts about the history of the September 11th attacks includes two sets of questions – one comprehension set and one analysis set – that will develop essential skills aligned to the reading of informational and historical texts under the Common Core State Standards. The readings also allow for differentiation, accommodation, and flexible implementation. After working with these texts over the course of a unit, you can be confident your students will have mastered numerous skills and built their background knowledge on numerous topics, including:
  • Modern History of Afghanistan
  • Afghanistan & the Rise of Al-Qaeda
  • Terrorism Grows Around the Globe
  • World Trade Center Becomes a Target
  • 9/11 Attacks
  • Attack on the World Trade Center, Pentagon Attack, Flight 93 (3)
  • First Responders, Heroes & Patriot Day
  • Ground Zero Recovery
  • The War on Terror & War in Afghanistan (2)
  • Post 9/11 United States & The Patriot Act (2)
  • 20 Years Later
 
Extension Activities: With a diverse set of materials, such as historical documents, a speech, a podcast, documentaries, oral histories, debate, and much more, the activities will engage all learners and deepen their knowledge about this tragic but consequential event. By using a variety of sources in such a variety of ways for close reading, students will grow their ability to comprehend, analyze, and synthesize texts. Each will also provide a student to think critically and practice essential skills aligned to the reading of informational and historical texts under the Common Core State Standards. Plus, the resource allow for differentiation, accommodation, and flexible implementation and cover a range of topics related to 9/11, including:
  • Extension Activity 1: Afghanistan Country Study (Research)
  • Extension Activity 2: U.S. Soviet-Afghan War Objectives (Historical Document Analysis)
  • Extension Activity 3: Terrorism Investigation Brief (Research)
  • Extension Activity 4: Presidential Daily Brief 08/06/01 (Historical Document Analysis)
  • Extension Activity 5: The Man in the Red Bandana Documentary
  • Extension Activity 6: President Bush Addresses the Nation (Speech Analysis)
  • Extension Activity 7: September 11th Oral Histories
  • Extension Activity 8: Honoring Heroes (Letter Writing, Civic Engagement)
  • Extension Activity 9: The Weight of Dust Podcast
  • Extension Activity 10: War on Terror Leaflets (Historical Document Analysis)
  • Extension Activity 11: Examining the Drone Strike Policy (Historical Document Analysis)
  • Extension Activity 12: The Privacy Debate
  • Extension Activity 13: War in Afghanistan Statistics (Research)
  • Extension Activity 14: TED Talk – What It’s Like to Be Muslim in America
  • Extension Activity 15: Breaking News Report (Current Events Research)
 
Digital Links: This resource is also technology friendly! It can be utilized in classrooms where computers or tablets are central to instruction because the resource has been adapted for digital completion. The resource includes links for students to complete the student pages in Google Slides™. For instance, students can work with the documents in Google Drive™ or via Google Classroom. With these links, you can have students complete their work online. (NOTE: Not all assignments are conducive to digital completion; however, the pages are still provided in the digital format.) There are links for every student work page, making the format friendly not only for technology but also trees.
 
Answer Keys: The keys provides potential answers for every question asked in every lesson where applicable (note: many extension activities do not have a key). Of course, not all analytic questions have just one answer! Part of the strength of the analysis question is the room they leave for students to demonstrate their unique thinking and use textual evidence to support their stance. Therefore, use the answers at your discretion but know they provide a solid foundation for the type of performance that makes for quality work. 
The entire resource and its inclusive set of questions allow for multiple potential uses based on your determination about when and where it would be most helpful. All aspects of the assignments, though, are aligned to the Common Core State Standards in order for students to have ample opportunities to practice and demonstrate their knowledge across numerous, essential literary skills.
 
This resource is NOT EDITABLE! It is intended to be comprehensive, but if you have particular needs for your classroom, please contact me! (lauren@lit-lessons.com)
  • ZIP file (PDFs and Word Docs for Digital Links)
  • Non-Editable
  • 16.61 MB
  • 205 Pages
  • Links for Student Pages in Google Slides™
  • This downloadable resource supplies one single-teacher license for use in your classroom. 
  • Photocopying of this product is allowed only for the classroom use of the purchaser. 
  • Replication of this product, in whole or in part, for commercial sale or broader distribution is strictly prohibited. 
  • This product also may NOT be shared electronically, digitally, or otherwise in a manner that violates the Terms of Use detailed by LIT Lessons. 
  • For explicit information on permissions, please see the Terms of Use document included with this resource. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
Contents

Ground Zero History of 9/11 Texts & Activities – Snapshot of Included Resources:

  • 15 Informational Texts
  • Variety of Text Features
  • A & B Response Formats
  • 15 Extension Activities
  • Pair Texts with Nonfiction Readings
  • Topics cover events preceding 9/11, events during 9/11, and the aftermath of the attacks
  • Google Slides™ Links for Google Drive™
  • Standards-aligned Resources
  • Answer Keys for Applicable Activities!
Description
For the novel, Ground Zero by Alan Gratz, these 15 nonfiction readings and 15 extension activities will build your students’ knowledge about the history of the terrorist attacks that occurred in the United States on September 11, 2001. The materials will place 9/11 in a larger historical context and offer a thoughtful view of the tragedy with readings that explain key events preceding the attacks, the attacks themselves, and the consequences of them still unfolding decades later. The comprehensive set of materials provide students with various opportunities to synthesize across texts as they engage in close reading and analysis. By the end of a unit of study, students will have developed their ability to think critically and make connections between texts and will have expanded their understanding of the history of the September 11th attacks.
 
Nonfiction Readings: The 15 nonfiction texts about the history of the September 11th attacks includes two sets of questions – one comprehension set and one analysis set – that will develop essential skills aligned to the reading of informational and historical texts under the Common Core State Standards. The readings also allow for differentiation, accommodation, and flexible implementation. After working with these texts over the course of a unit, you can be confident your students will have mastered numerous skills and built their background knowledge on numerous topics, including:
  • Modern History of Afghanistan
  • Afghanistan & the Rise of Al-Qaeda
  • Terrorism Grows Around the Globe
  • World Trade Center Becomes a Target
  • 9/11 Attacks
  • Attack on the World Trade Center, Pentagon Attack, Flight 93 (3)
  • First Responders, Heroes & Patriot Day
  • Ground Zero Recovery
  • The War on Terror & War in Afghanistan (2)
  • Post 9/11 United States & The Patriot Act (2)
  • 20 Years Later
 
Extension Activities: With a diverse set of materials, such as historical documents, a speech, a podcast, documentaries, oral histories, debate, and much more, the activities will engage all learners and deepen their knowledge about this tragic but consequential event. By using a variety of sources in such a variety of ways for close reading, students will grow their ability to comprehend, analyze, and synthesize texts. Each will also provide a student to think critically and practice essential skills aligned to the reading of informational and historical texts under the Common Core State Standards. Plus, the resource allow for differentiation, accommodation, and flexible implementation and cover a range of topics related to 9/11, including:
  • Extension Activity 1: Afghanistan Country Study (Research)
  • Extension Activity 2: U.S. Soviet-Afghan War Objectives (Historical Document Analysis)
  • Extension Activity 3: Terrorism Investigation Brief (Research)
  • Extension Activity 4: Presidential Daily Brief 08/06/01 (Historical Document Analysis)
  • Extension Activity 5: The Man in the Red Bandana Documentary
  • Extension Activity 6: President Bush Addresses the Nation (Speech Analysis)
  • Extension Activity 7: September 11th Oral Histories
  • Extension Activity 8: Honoring Heroes (Letter Writing, Civic Engagement)
  • Extension Activity 9: The Weight of Dust Podcast
  • Extension Activity 10: War on Terror Leaflets (Historical Document Analysis)
  • Extension Activity 11: Examining the Drone Strike Policy (Historical Document Analysis)
  • Extension Activity 12: The Privacy Debate
  • Extension Activity 13: War in Afghanistan Statistics (Research)
  • Extension Activity 14: TED Talk – What It’s Like to Be Muslim in America
  • Extension Activity 15: Breaking News Report (Current Events Research)
 
Digital Links: This resource is also technology friendly! It can be utilized in classrooms where computers or tablets are central to instruction because the resource has been adapted for digital completion. The resource includes links for students to complete the student pages in Google Slides™. For instance, students can work with the documents in Google Drive™ or via Google Classroom. With these links, you can have students complete their work online. (NOTE: Not all assignments are conducive to digital completion; however, the pages are still provided in the digital format.) There are links for every student work page, making the format friendly not only for technology but also trees.
 
Answer Keys: The keys provides potential answers for every question asked in every lesson where applicable (note: many extension activities do not have a key). Of course, not all analytic questions have just one answer! Part of the strength of the analysis question is the room they leave for students to demonstrate their unique thinking and use textual evidence to support their stance. Therefore, use the answers at your discretion but know they provide a solid foundation for the type of performance that makes for quality work. 
The entire resource and its inclusive set of questions allow for multiple potential uses based on your determination about when and where it would be most helpful. All aspects of the assignments, though, are aligned to the Common Core State Standards in order for students to have ample opportunities to practice and demonstrate their knowledge across numerous, essential literary skills.
 
This resource is NOT EDITABLE! It is intended to be comprehensive, but if you have particular needs for your classroom, please contact me! (lauren@lit-lessons.com)
Format
  • ZIP file (PDFs and Word Docs for Digital Links)
  • Non-Editable
  • 16.61 MB
  • 205 Pages
  • Links for Student Pages in Google Slides™
Rights
  • This downloadable resource supplies one single-teacher license for use in your classroom. 
  • Photocopying of this product is allowed only for the classroom use of the purchaser. 
  • Replication of this product, in whole or in part, for commercial sale or broader distribution is strictly prohibited. 
  • This product also may NOT be shared electronically, digitally, or otherwise in a manner that violates the Terms of Use detailed by LIT Lessons. 
  • For explicit information on permissions, please see the Terms of Use document included with this resource. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
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The Ground Zero Novel Study is a comprehensive set of standards-aligned instructional materials for teaching Ground Zero by Alan Gratz. With over 100+ materials, students will deeply engage with the novel and develop their literacy skills. The close reading activities, literary analysis resources, history of the September 11th attacks nonfiction readings and activities, vocabulary, assessments, and project choice board all provide opportunities for your students to practice and apply what will be their growing understanding of the novel. They also provide numerous ways for you to DIFFERENTIATE learning for your students, allowing you to choose the assignments that best support your students’ learning while being conducive to any classroom model.

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The 19 close reading lessons explicitly focus on critical Common Core State Standards to develop students’ literacy proficiency. Using Ground Zero as the foundational text for close reading, each lesson focuses on a particular skill, such as setting, conflict, tone, and plot, and provides students an opportunity to develop and demonstrate their ability to perform that skill. Each assignment also requires students to use textual evidence to support their claims. The resources could supply homework, facilitate guided reading groups, or stimulate whole class literacy discussions for each chapter grouping. You can choose the purpose that best suits your students and your classroom.

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The vocabulary resources will engage students in varied activities to expand their vocabulary. The resources include materials to help teach challenging vocabulary words in Ground Zero that will then build your students’ vocabulary. With 5 vocabulary lists of 10 words each and a crossword puzzle, practice assignment, and quiz for each set, the materials provide opportunities for differentiation to suit the needs of the classroom.

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