Lesson 2: Minnesotans on 9/11

Minnesota Social Studies Standards
History Standard:  “The end of the Cold War, shifting geopolitical dynamics, the intensification of the global economy, and rapidly changing technologies have given renewed urgency to debates about the United States’ identity, values and role in the world. (The United States in a New Global Age)”

History Standard:  “Globalization, the spread of capitalism and the end of the Cold War have shaped a contemporary world still characterized by rapid technological change, dramatic increases in global population and economic growth coupled with persistent economic and social disparities and cultural conflict. (The New Global Era: 1989- Present)”

Geography Standard:   “Processes of cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and control of the earth’s surface.” 


Learning Objective
Students will learn about 9/11 through the eyes of five Minnesotans whose lives were dramatically changed by their experience on that day or its aftermath. 

Suggested Short Homework assignment to be completed before lesson is taught
Ask a family member about their memories of September 11. (Note: This assignment was also an option for Lesson 1.)
Timeline Activity

Introduction/Warm-up
“Where Were You?” Discussion.  Have students share their conversations with their parents/family members about where they were on 9/11 and what they remember.   After students share, make the transition to, “Now, we are going to continue this topic by learning about where five Minnesotans were on 9/11 and how it profoundly changed their lives.” 

Explain that the Minnesota Military Museum and Library located at Camp Ripley interviewed the Minnesotans who they will see in the lesson.  Background information from the website

“In anticipation of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the Minnesota Military Museum launched a sweeping, statewide initiative to gather Minnesota stories - from service members & civilians - about America’s longest war. Minnesotans found themselves on the frontline in 2001. The resulting 20-year Global War on Terror has been increasingly fought by the citizen-soldiers of the Reserves and National Guard. Thousands of servicemen and servicewomen from the state have been deployed overseas; placing tremendous strain on their families.”

Today you will hear from

  • Mr. Scott Wallace, a Vietnam veteran and businessman who was inside the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City

  • Chief Master Sergeant Jeffrey Rosenthal, a member of the 133rd Airlift Wing of Minnesota National Guard

  • Ms. Mariah Jacobsen, who was a junior in high school in St. Paul, Minnesota

  • Dr. Andrew Baker, a forensic pathologist who helped identify the remains of the victims of the Pentagon attack 

PPT with the above information and the interviewees’ pictures

Teacher instruction
Show the video clips below. 

Scott Wallace
https://vimeo.com/twelveplus/review/477281334/4fecb287cb (Need to make public)

  • Intro :20 - 2:09; 

  • background of job:  7:05 - 8:50; 

  • Why he’s in NY: 12:12 - 15:04

  • Why he got lucky:  16:14 - 24:48 - up through firemen

  • Smell - getting out - fear tower will fall while he’s escaping - what he sees when he gets out:  24:58 - 30:19

Jeffrey Rosenthal
Video Link

  • Show video 0-3:14 

  • Play the conversation between Air Traffic Control and Rosenthal’s flight:
    GOFER 06  (stop at 2:25)

  • Show rest of Rosenthal video 3:15 - 5:55

Mariah Jacobson
https://vimeo.com/twelveplus/review/497070030/8105205a9b (Need to make public)
watch until 7:30 (her experience at school and her nagging feeling that there’s something more that has to do with her)

Andrew Baker
https://vimeo.com/twelveplus/review/494826927/f3b8d2f08c (Need to make public)
Watch from 7:53 - 13:45; Dr. Baker learns of the attack on the Pentagon while he is jogging

Wrap-Up or optional homework to lead into next lesson
Have students read a few paragraphs about what Patricia Baker from rural Minnesota was supposed to be doing on September 11, 2011:


Patricia Baker transcript (partial) 

Background:  The interviewer asks Lt. Col. Baker how 9/11 was “supposed” to be for her:

RD: Help me just- take a crack at finishing a sentence for me. 9/11 for you personally- 9/11 was…

PB: Supposed to be graduation day. It was supposed to be the day where we were at the museum at Fort Rucker, and we were supposed to be in a ceremony, in uniforms just like the one that I'm wearing today, of course with a few less ribbons and badges, but we were supposed to be graduating from the captain's career course, we're supposed to be walking across stage, getting certificates, and congratulations, and sent off to our next duty assignments.

RD: And instead of that, how did it- that day, unfold for you?

PB: Instead of that I got up, I got dressed in my class A uniform, similar to what I have on except it was green then, and I left my friend’s house, I had a couple of friends who lived on post. I left my friend’s house, I'm driving my car across the installation to the museum, and I'm listening to the radio, I listened to MPR almost every day, in my vehicle. I was listening to MPR that day at Fort Rucker, driving towards the museum, and the radio announcer just matter-of-factly said that the Twin Towers had been hit. And I kept driving, I didn't stop the car, I kept driving, and as I got to the museum, I looked around the parking lot, and it was almost vacant. There should have been a hundred people there, and it was almost vacant. A few minutes after when the ceremony should have started, a couple of others that should have been graduating with me showed up. They must have also been on post that day. And we just looked at each other, we got out of our vehicles, we stared at each other, and we said, ‘what just happened?’ I looked over my shoulder, past the helicopters that are on display at the museum, and I saw that the pylons were all up at the gate. So, the pylons were up at the gate, nobody was entering or exiting post. It had been locked down. And instead of a ceremony, we drove over to the headquarters building where we knew that the administrative staff would be giving our class paperwork to go on to our next duty assignments, and that's what we did. There was no ceremony. The world changed. 

Or, if you are planning on teaching Lesson 3, have students learn background information about David Nguyen

NOTE: If you are only teaching this lesson, you and your students will undoubtedly want to know how Mariah Jacobsen’s story ends.  This information is also in Lesson 5. 

Mariah, who was adopted as an infant, finds out that her birth father was Tom Burnett, Jr., a passenger on Flight 93 that crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. 

Play
https://vimeo.com/twelveplus/review/497070030/8105205a9b (Need to make public)

Mariah Jacobsen explains that when she was a freshman in college in 2003 she learned that Tom Burnett, Jr. was her birth father. 

  • Play 7:37 - 9:11

  • Play 10:35 - 13:00

  • Play 15:02 - 16:59

Transcript of Burnett’s call to Deena, his wife, who was at home in San Francisco with their three small children. Deena had been a flight attendant.  
Transcript
(This transcript is also listed in the PPT in Lesson 1 as a resource to use.)