Why my teaching of 9/11 is different to everything else I teach

What is the first significant world event that you remember?

For me, it is the death of Princess Diana in 1997.

Do you remember 9/11?

There’s not one current student in high school who can respond affirmatively to the question above - they’re all too young.

This completely transforms the way I teach about the 9/11 attacks within my history elective terrorise unit.

For, with this event, it is personal history.

I remember watching it on tv.

I know where I was when I saw the buildings fall.

I witnessed the fallout over the next few days.

I know what the world was like before 9/11 and how the world transformed afterward.

I can only do this for a select few events in the history syllabus.

For me, 9/11 is living history.

Therefore, to a degree, I am a primary source.

I can only imagine that some of my colleagues have similar feelings when it comes to events like the Vietnam conflict or the Cold War.

As I get older, and my students get - proportionally to myself - younger, I imagine that these opportunities to become an active player in my history lessons will only increase.