I have wanted this book for years and I recently got my hands on a copy of "The Man Who Walked Between the Towers". My class was mesmerized when I read it. I honestly had no intentions of doing a writing project about this but sometimes my best ideas come from spur of the moment thinking.
We had read about the Statue of Liberty and how it was a gift from the French nearly 100 years after we signed the Declaration of Independence. My kids made the connection between the Statue of Liberty and Philippe Petit who walked between the towers: both were done by the French.
I struggle talking about 9-11. I feel torn between wanting to tell my kids how terrified I was the day those towers fell. I was in high school. I remember watching my teachers try to comfort us and keep their composure. I remember being picked up by my mom in a panic. I don't think I've ever watched the news so intently. The plane that landed in Somerset was not far from my home. It was gut retching. My students were not alive for any of this. I am actually teaching them about history that I was a part of before their time.
I tried to direct their attention to not only the terrible actions that were inflicted on our nation that day but the positive moments the towers brought in the past. We worked on writing a simplistic informational piece on the man who walked over 1,000 feet in the air with a 28 foot pole.
I was so impressed with their writing. I always make my students try writing on their own first. I won't help them until they have made an attempt on their own. Once they think their sloppy copy is ready for the final drafting stage, they have a mini conference with me. We discuss what they did well, what they should improve upon, and then get their "fancy" copy.
For it only being the 2nd full week of school, I was really proud of how well they did. I'd love to hear what you do/did for Patriot Day!
