Write Letters to Commemorate 9/11

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Students commemorate the 9/11 anniversary by writing letters to fire, police, or emergency medical personnel in their communities or to the service men and women who fight terrorism overseas.

Subjects: Language Arts, Educational Technology, Social Studies

Grade Levels: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

• write thoughtful letters,
• use the correct "friendly letter" form, and
• spell accurately and write neatly.

Keywords
letter, writing, community, military, September, 9/11, 911, fire, police, army, navy, marine, memorial, terrorism

Materials Needed

• pencils or pens
• paper
• Friendly Letter Format (optional)

Procedure

Write letters to local fire, police, and emergency service personnel.
The 9/11 anniversary is the perfect time for students to write letters of appreciation to those people who serve their community as paid or volunteer fire fighters, police officers, or emergency service personnel. In their letters, students can explain why they have chosen the anniversary of the September 11 attack to write letters; thinking about the anniversary has reminded them that it is important to show their appreciation to people who work hard to make their community a safe place to live.

Write letters to men and women in the military service.
Thousands of men and women from the United States and other nations are serving their countries overseas. Many of those service men and women are thousands of miles from their homes and families. Students might write letters to military personnel to thank them for the sacrifices they are making to ensure that the world is a safer place for all of us. If you live in or near a community that has a military base, officials on that base should be able to provide instructions for communicating with base personnel who are serving around the world.

Copies of the letters students write might be displayed on a bulletin board that commemorates 9/11.

Assessment
Encourage students to express their thoughts and feelings. They should use their best spelling and handwriting.

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