5D · Intergenerational Memory

Writing as Reflection: Stories of 9/11

Working with a 9/11-related mentor text, students explore observation, voice, dialogue, perspective, reflection, and the craft of meaningful storytelling.

Legacy Middle School (6–8) Multi-day unit Activity / Project

Essential question

Through writing, how can I play a role in helping others explore difficult histories?

Learning objectives

  • Students will strengthen narrative, informational, explanatory, and reflective writing skills.
  • Students will develop close-reading, observation, and literary analysis through the use of mentor texts.
  • Students will build listening, interviewing, note-taking, and questioning skills.
  • Students will explore perspective, voice, dialogue, point of view, and narrative structure.

Activities

Activity 1 20 min

Read with Curiosity

Encourage students to read the story, "Through the Eyes of a Child," with curiosity, following the characters, noticing the emotional progression, and watching the narrative unfold. Invite students to connect with the story emotionally before examining how it was written, reinforcing the idea that thoughtful writing grows from thoughtful reading.

Activity 2 20 min

Reflective Questions

Once students finish reading the story, guide them through considering what happened, why the story resonates, what questions it raises, and what experiences remain with them after the final page. Questions to guide your inquiry: What moments stayed with me after reading the story? Which characters or experiences felt most memorable? What emotions surfaced while reading? What questions do I have after finishing the story? What surprised me? What themes or ideas seem most important? What parts of the story reminded me of my own life or community? Why do I think this story is worth telling?

Activity 3 30 min

Craft Exploration

Begin exploring various decisions the author made about craft and the art of storytelling. Guide students as they look for deliberate choices that shape the reader’s experience, including small decisions that work together to create a larger whole. Return to selected excerpts from the story as craft-focused passages that illustrate various elements of the author’s choices. For instance, you may choose to examine how the author introduces characters, establishes setting, develops dialogue, controls pacing, builds emotion, and moves naturally between observation and reflection. Craft explorations can include: Beginning a story about a difficult moment or history that includes an engaging opening. Establishing setting through meaningful details. Using dialogue to reveal character and advance the narrative. Showing through action, description, and sensory detail. Developing believable characters through words and behavior. Exploring perspective and point of view. Organizing events through purposeful sequencing. Weaving reflection naturally into narrative. Identifying recurring themes and meaningful details. Examining how endings leave readers with lasting ideas.

Activity 4 30 min

First Draft Writing

Remind students of the difficult history associated with the story, "Through the Eyes of a Child." Many people across the country and the world found themselves called to create stories, sculptures, and works of art in order to process, grieve, and mark the events of September 11, 2001. As you offer them this reminder, invite them to draw inspiration from the same cultural experience, even if they were not yet born at the time. Guide students as they discover and convey an authentic story they find worth telling. Depending on age, setting, and instructional goals, participants may explore a variety of writing genres, including: Personal narratives Fiction Reflective journals Letters Poetry Informational writing Feature article style Encourage participants to experiment, take creative risks, and recognize that strong writing often develops through exploration rather than certainty.

Activity 5 30 min

Review and Polish

Encourage students to view review and revision as an opportunity for discovery rather than correction. Writers revisit their work with fresh eyes, share their early drafts with small cohorts for review, and consider how clarity, organization, voice, detail, and purpose can strengthen communication and deepen meaning. As they seek your feedback and feedback from peers, they get a first-hand glimpse at the ways different audiences experience their work. Through thoughtful revision, writers begin recognizing that every edit or revision is another opportunity to communicate more creatively and intentionally. This activity emphasizes that revision is about clarifying as well as amplifying ideas and messages. Strategies may include the following: Peer review and collaborative feedback. Revision for organization and flow. Clarifying audience and purpose. Strengthening voice and perspective. Expanding meaningful details. Improving dialogue and description. Refining word choice and sentence fluency. Reflecting on the writer’s intentions. Editing for clarity and conventions.

Activity 6 60 min

Sharing and Delivering

By sharing their work, writers discover ways in which their experiences, observations, questions, and ideas encourage deeper conversations and understanding. For many participants, this phase will represent an important moment of personal growth, especially if they have never shared their writing in front of a group before. Sharing any creative endeavor can feel vulnerable. It requires courage to present our thoughts in front of others, especially when those thoughts emerge from meaningful experiences, difficult moments, or personal reflection.

Grades 6-8 discussion questions

  1. What moments stayed with me after reading the story, "Through the Eyes of a Child"?
  2. Which characters or experiences felt most memorable?
  3. What emotions surfaced while reading?
  4. What questions do I have after finishing the story?
  5. What surprised me?
  6. What themes or ideas seem most important?
  7. What parts of the story reminded me of my own life or community?
  8. Why do I think this story is worth telling?
  9. What writing choices stood out to me?
  10. How did the opening invite me into the story?
  11. What details helped me visualize people, places, or events?
  12. How did dialogue deepen my understanding of the characters?
  13. Where did the author show emotion instead of simply describing it?
  14. What moments of reflection felt especially meaningful?
  15. Which writing techniques would I like to try in my own work?
  16. How does studying another writer's craft help me grow as a writer?

Primary source

Artifact

"Through the Eyes of a Child," by author Corinne Litzenberg, serves as the mentor text for readers and writers. The story comes from the author's lived experience as an educator on 9/11 and in the months that followed.
Read the story and consider the following: What moments stayed with me after reading the story? Which characters or experiences felt most memorable? What emotions surfaced while reading? What questions do I have after finishing the story? What surprised me? What themes or ideas seem most important? What parts of the story reminded me of my own life or community? Why do I think this story is worth telling?

Assessment options

  • Reading assessment (grade 6-8)
  • Writing first draft (grade 6-8)
  • Peer review and revision (grade 6-8)
  • Writing final draft (grade 6-8)
  • Sharing and group participation (grade 6-8)