I know exactly where I was when it happened. On the early morning on September 11, 2001 I was sitting in front of a computer on the fifth floor of a large building in the middle of downtown Cincinnati. Reading the morning paper online, a news alert popped up on the screen; one of the twin towers in New York had been hit by a jet plane! I couldn't believe what I was reading. I found the nearest television just in time to see a plane hit the other tower and that's when I and everyone else in our country realized that this was no random accident. The U.S. was being attacked! It is a moment I will NEVER forget.
Although I absolutely loved the story The Man Who Walked between the Towers written and illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein, reading it was bitter sweet. The book chronicles the death defying stunt done by tight rope walker Phillipe Petit in 1974. While the towers were still being built, Monsieur Petit decided he would do what no one else had ever done. With the help of a few friends, Phillip snuck to the very top of one of the Twin Towers, fed a wire across the two buildings and walked, ran and danced across it for an hour! All this while people watched from below and police waited on either side of his wire. He even laid down on the wire to rest when he grew tired. What an amazing feat! And the only punishment Monsieur Petit received was to entertain the children of New York, which he did happily!
This story touched my heart in so many ways. Although I am not a native New Yorker, nor have I ever been there, I was definitely affected by the devastation that took place on the day the Twin Towers burned to the ground. So many lives lost but never forgotten. I believe that this story is a great way to celebrate what was once a symbol of strength and prosperity in our nation. It is also a great way to open up the lines of communication with children about the tragedy that took place on September 11, 2001. They should know why we now, as a nation, solemnly celebrate those that lost their lives, those that sacrificed their lives and those that saved lives when that date comes around every year.
Reflective Reading
- Have you ever done something that you were afraid to do?
- Did you overcome your fear? If so, how did you do it?
- If you had the chance, would you do it again?
- What other things are you afraid of ?
- What aren't you afraid of that other people may be afraid of?
- Ask your family and friends about what they're afraid of. You may be surprised by their answers.
- You'll find that everyone is afraid of something, and that's okay :-)
Active Reading
- Like a lot of kids, when I was little I was afraid of the dark. Are you?
- Let's try something.
- Go to your bedroom and take a good look around.
- Try to take a picture in your head of how your room looks.
- Now, turn the light off and see if you can still picture what your room looks like?
- Without turning the light back on, go into a different room and draw picture of what your room looks like.
- When you are done with your drawing, go back into your room and turn the light on.
- Does your room look like the picture that you drew?
- What did you forget? What did you remember?
- Try this with other rooms in your house.
Resources
Gerstein, M. (2003) The man who walked between the towers. New York; Roaring Brook Press.
I remember September 11, 2001 as if it were yesterday. I got a call from my aunt that one of her twin sons who joined the Fire Department died when they crashed into the twin towers. I was frantic because my older sister Claire worked in an opposite Verizon building. Thank-God she was not hurt just a little shaken up. On response to your book I will get a copy because I think children would love to hear how a Man did such a feat for children. I being an New Yorker all my life would loved this book.
ReplyDeleteI have two ways you could use this book for your children in your class. First, I would have them see a video of September 11, them have them write their feelings and write someone who survived a letter to cheer them up. Next, I would have them look up on the computer all about acrobats and wire acts around the world and write a story about what they learned. Hope this helps you. Great blog.
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