September 11: A Testimony

This book serves as a testament to those who lost their lives, to those who fought to save them, and to those who are endeavoring to rebuild. More than 135 stunning photographs from Reuters, the world's leading news-gathering organization, are the focus of the book. All royalties from this book are being donated to disaster relief funds, along with additional contributions from Reuters and from Prentice Hall, the book's publishers. Note: Some of the images in this book may be disturbing.

To buy this book, click here or on the book cover.

Enrichment Activities
Internet Resources
Books on September 11

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Enrichment Activities

Themes of September 11: A Testimony
The photographs in this book reflect three themes: endurance, resolve, and determination. Have students define the three themes and find examples of each in the book.

Writing to a Picture
Have students select a photograph from the book that has meaning for them and use the a handout to organize their thoughts. Students can choose to write a poem, new lyrics to a favorite piece of music, or a short story that summarizes the photo and/or the feelings it communicates.

Activities to Honor Heroes
After exploring the photographs in the books, students can choose a way to honor the people depicted in the photos: create a postage stamp, design a tee shirt, or make a poster that highlights the contribution of the person/people in the photo.

Creating a New World
Students are asked to create a better town or country in these two writing assignments.

Write a Newspaper Article
Instruct students about the basics of good journalism. Assign them a photograph from September 11: A Testimony to report on. Use the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How graphic organizer to aid in constructing the article. Compile all of the class's stories to create a newspaper.

Personal Memoirs
The occurrences on September 11, 2001 affected everyone. Have students write a short memoir on their own experiences and feelings from that period of history. Place a copy of each memoir into an envelope, seal it, label it with the student's name, and write instructions on the envelope not to open it for ten years. Note: My fifth-grade teacher did this for my class when John F. Kennedy was assassinated. I found the envelope a few years ago when I was cleaning out a drawer. It was a surprising peek into my past and I greatly appreciated her thoughtfulness.

September 11 Book
Send students out to interview family members, people in the community, or other students about their remembrances of September 11. Combine the interviews with artwork and poetry and publish them in a book to share with all.