Remembrance – How One 9/11 Widow Fought for a Memorial to Honor Those Lost

Remembrance is remembering or showing respect for someone who has died. It can also mean cherishing an item or photo that reminds you of something or someone.

Remembrance
Grade Level: K-12
 
Character Skills
  • Respect
  • Caring
SEL Skills
  • Self-Awareness
  • Self-Management
Academic Skills
  • Critical and Creative Thinking 
  • Curiosity and Passion

Definitions

Respect
  • Follow the Golden Rule.
  • Be accepting of differences.
  • Be courteous to others.
  • Deal peacefully with anger, insults, and disagreements.
  • Be considerate of others’ feelings.
Caring
  • Be kind.
  • Be compassionate.
  • Express gratitude.
  • Forgive others.
  • Be considerate of others’ feelings.
Self-Awareness

Identify and understand emotions, values, attitudes, motivations, mindsets, and personal attributes.

Self-Management 

Regulate emotions, attitudes, and actions and resist negative emotions and impulses.

Critical and Creative Thinking

Acquire, remember, understand, and apply knowledge.

Curiosity and Passion

Enthusiastic to understand more about themselves, others, and the world around them.

Share This Activity
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Students will explore the concept of remembrance and the importance of remembering loved ones after they have left us.

activiate prior knowledge

Activate Prior Knowledge

  • What is something you love and respect about your family that you always want to remember?
  • What is the definition of remembrance?
    • Remembrance means to honor and remember something important to us.
Kindness 101

Kindness 101 Video

discussion

Discussion Prompts

  • Why do we save things from people who are gone?
  • In the video, Monica said, “We don’t build over crying souls.” What did she mean by this statement?
  • How does having something to remember someone by help us heal?
  • Monica talks about how she does not want the memorial to be all sad. How do we honor our emotions while we honor the memory of a loved one?
materials

Activity Materials

  • Plastic jars/vases or glass canning jars
    • Have students bring in empty plastic jars (peanut butter, etc.) until everyone has one.
    • Plastic vases
  • Paint
  • Paintbrushes
activity

Activity: Memorial Vase

  • The vase can be for someone they have lost or in memory of 9/11.
  • Students can paint the vase however they desire to honor someone’s or something’s memory. They can include details of what was important to that person or thing.
  • Follow-up questions:
    •  How did it feel to create your memorial vase?
    • What things are important to you as you remember the subject of your memorial vase?
journal prompts

Journal Prompts

K-5

  • September 11 is a Day of Remembrance. As we honor those who lost their lives, list everything you are thankful for.
  • What other “days of remembrance” do you honor? Why are they important to you?
  • Who do you want to remember and honor?

6-12

  • September 11 is a Day of Remembrance. As we honor those who lost their lives, list everything you are thankful for.
  • What other “days of remembrance” do you honor? Why are they important to you?
  • How do people find peace when someone they love passes away?
family connection

Family Connection

Educators: Copy the Family Connection and email it to parents or click here to download a PDF version to email or print.

Watch
Watch the video as a family: https://youtu.be/gE5ATaDFtbQ

Discuss
Use these questions to start meaningful conversations about remembrance.

  • How do you think the impact of 9/11 varies from generation to generation?
  • What is the power of remembrance? Why is it important?

Activity

  • Pick or purchase flowers to put into the memorial vases created at school and place them somewhere in your home in remembrance of a loved one.

More Kindness 101

CHARACTER COUNTS! Lessons and Activities