Psychology TEKS 113.36
(1) The individual in society. The student understands the dynamics of the relationships between self and others to be a contributing member of the community. The student is expected to:
(A) participate in class as a leader and a follower
(B) adjust behavior appropriately to fit various situations;
(C) contribute to the development of a supportive climate in groups; and
(D) accept and fulfill social responsibilities associated with citizenship in a group setting.

(2) The individual in society. The student understands that beliefs, decisions, and actions have consequences. The student is expected to:
(A) predict the likely outcome of given courses of action in particular situations;
(B) evaluate the predicted outcomes of given courses of actions in particular situations based on an understanding of the development of morality.

Journalism TEKS 110.62
The student is expected to:
(A) locate information sources and researches to prepare to investigate a topic;
(C) evaluate and confirm the validity of background information from a variety of sources such as other qualified persons, media sources, books, and reports;

Objectives:
After completing this unit on 9/11 & terrorism, students will be able to:
~explain the events and the impact they had on both the city of New York and America
~demonstrate understanding of the historical events that contributed to the development of terrorism as it emerged in the 21st century
~demonstrate appreciation for the job that local police, fire and first responders of our community through letters that will be delivered to them.

Students in both my psychology and journalism classes will be watching the documentary 9/11 by documentarians Jules & Gideon Gaudot. The two brothers had planned to do a coming of age story following a New York City fire cadet from academy to his first fire which turned out to be the Twin Towers. As a result, one of the brothers was actually in Tower 1 after the planes had crashed into the buildings. The film follows the members of one fire house and their experiences.
The seniors were in second grade when 9/11 occurred and this will be the first time they will have been exposed to the ‘real time’ story of the event.
After viewing the documentary I will share my experiences and my son’s with some of the firefighters who survived this horror that we had the opportunity to meet. I will share personal pictures from 2003 & 2004.
After this we will watch a film that traces the historical background of terrorism as it has evolved in our time.
Evaluation:
Students will journal responses, participate in class discussions and produce written expressions of appreciation for local first responders.