9/11: Teaching what she lived through

A Corbin High School Social Studies teacher takes time out in her political science and advance world civilization each September to teach a moment in history that she lived but her students have only read about.

Cheryl Tinsley, who has taught at Corbin for 12 years and been in education for 24 years, said history books have begun to include the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001

“I always stop and teach it over two days,” Tinsley said. “The reason is that the students in my classes today were not even alive when it happened. They are just reading it from a history book.”

Tinsley said she goes beyond the history books to tell the stories of the 2,977 people killed when terrorists hijacked four different commercial jets early that morning.

One airliner was crashed into each of the World Trade Center towers, while a third crashed into the “E wing” of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.

The fourth, United Flight 93, became famous as, “the flight that fought back.” Black box recordings recovered after the plane crashed into a field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania after passengers and crew attempt to regain control from the terrorists.

“I explain to them that 2,977 people died just because they went to work that morning,” Tinsley explained noting that part of the lesson involves videos made by family members of the victims as they listen to the black box recordings from the flight.

“It got the kids tearing up,” Tinsley said of watching the interviews.

In addition, Tinsley said she plays a portion of NBC’s “Today Show” from that day as it updates the story of the attacks, along with clips from WKYT featuring Bill Bryant and Barbara Bailey to provide the local perspective.

In addition to video of the planes crashing into the towers and the towers collapsing, the coverage features scenes of individuals who were trapped on the floors above the fires electing to jump in order to escape.

Tinsley said she also uses the virtual tour of the 9/11 Museum to tour the museum with the assistance of a National Park Ranger.

As a homework assignment, Tinsley said she asks her students to go home and interview two people, including a family member, who are old enough to remember the attack. She asks that one of the people be over 50, while the other may have been in junior high or high school at the time.

Tinsley said she has also brought in various speakers to give their perspectives of where they were, what they were doing, and how they reacted upon hearing the news of the attack and the events of the day.

“I had a lady come in who was supposed to be working in the north tower that day,” Tinsley said. “She was delayed getting to work because her child was sick.”

Tinsley said she also discusses the terrorism aspect and the fact that all 20 hijackers involved were Muslim.

In addition, Tinsley said she brings up that some have voiced that the United States brought the attack upon itself through its constant involvement in affairs throughout the world, especially in the Middle East.

Finally, Tinsley said she shows the students President George W. Bush’s speech from Ground Zero, noting it shaped the country’s response.

“I want them to take away how this shook us to think we could be attacked on our homeland,” Tinsley said. “I don’t hold anything back!”