community conversations for kids 9/11 toolkit

8/3/2019 Community Conversations for Kids 9/11 Toolkit

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/community-conversations-for-kids-911-toolkit 1/11

9/11 National Day of Service

and Remembrance

www.nyhumanities.org/conversations



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Community Conversations provides an opportunity for people come together forthoughtful discussion and dialogue about their shared values as Americans—past,present, and future. Focused on central themes in American life such as service,freedom and democracy, Community Conversations allows New Yorkers to join indiscussions that offer an alternative to received wisdom and provide the chance to

take part in a shared national dialogue.

Community Conversations are stand-alone, text-based discussions led by a facilitatorfrom the local community. Each toolkit includes a text that tackles an importantaspect of American life and encourages community dialogue.

Your Community Conversation should last between 60 and 90 minutes withoutinterruption. Discussions should be guided by a facilitator and focused on the textand the theme.

Hold your conversation in a room where a group of 10-30 participants can hear eachother clearly. Use the tips sheets for host sites and facilitators included in this toolkitfor ideas about how to encourage everyone to participate in the discussion.

A good facilitator is the key to making a Community Conversation successful. Thefacilitator should be someone in your community who enjoys working with people, isinterested in what others have to say, and believes in the merit of conversation-

based programs. The facilitator does not need to be someone with an advanceddegree in the humanities, but rather someone who has some experience leading open conversations and who is enthusiastic about learning how to facilitate. Weencourage all prospective facilitators to attend one of the Council’s free facilitationwebinars* to learn more about best practices for guiding successful and meaningfuldiscussions.*Facilitators at featured sites must attend a facilitation webinar.

September Roses by Jeanette WinterTips for Facilitating a Community Conversation for Kids About 9/11Tips for Facilitating Tips for Hosting

Sample ScheduleParticipant EvaluationKeep the Conversation Going Partners

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New York Council for the Humanities | T 212.233.1131 | www.nyhumanities.org



3New York Council for the Humanities | T 212.233.1131 | www.nyhumanities.org

This Community Conversations for Kids toolkit focuses on the 9/11 National Day of Service andRemembrance. The text for this conversation is by Jeanette Winter, a high-qualitybook that is appropriate for 8- to 12-year-olds.

is available for free from the Council for any Community Conversations for Kids host site. This book was originally published by Frances Foster Books, Farrar Straus Giroux in 2004 andwas reprinted by the Council in 2011 for the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks.

September Roses tells the story of two African women who travel to New YorkCity for a flower show and arrive onSeptember 11, 2001. Strangers to thecity, the women are shown kindness bya stranger, and later repay that kindnessby creating a memorial to the fallentowers with their flowers.

Rather than focusing on destruction or sadness, September Roses highlightsthe ways people from diversebackgrounds came together to helpeach other in the aftermath of the day'sevents.



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• Why would a stranger offer the sisters a place to sleep? Do you think this would normally happen? Wasthere something different about this particular time?

• Would you offer your home to a stranger? When?

• Some of the illustrations in this book are in color, while others are in black and white. Why does the

author do this?

• The first few pages of the book talk about how far away from New York the sisters live. Why do you thinkthat’s important to the story? Why is it important to know that these women were not from New York?

• Why do you think the author chooses not to share the specific events of 9/11?

• Why do you think that so many people went to Union Square after 9/11? Why were the roses neededthere?

• In the illustration of the roses in the shape of the Twin Towers, there are many people standing around to

look at them. How do you think those people felt about seeing the roses in that shape?

• Why do you think the sisters made the roses into that shape? Do you think their work helped the people

gathered in the park? How?

• After 9/11, people from all over the world showed their support for the United States, including these

sisters from South Africa. Why do you think people from other countries wanted to help Americansaffected by the attacks?

• 9/11 has now been named a day of “service and remembrance.” How can service help us remember?

• Many of the stories that people tell about 9/11 are about the good things that other people did to help

strangers or people in need. Why did so many people—like the man at the airport—feel the desire to help?Have you ever wanted to help someone who you never met? When?

• Can you think of some other times when something terrible has inspired people to do good things?

• Have you ever volunteered to help when something bad has happened? What made you want to help?

• How do you think Americans should honor 9/11? What is your community doing to remember that day?

• Are there ways that we can continue to remember 9/11 by serving our communities?



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• Community Conversations should focus on the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance and the

shared reading, not on personal 9/11 experiences.

• Ask if any participants or their family members have been directly affected by the events of 9/11. If a

participant indicates that they experienced a loss (relative, friend, neighbor, home) offer a brief condolence

and thank them for their participation.

• Remember that ten years later, adults may experience the feelings of their “younger selves” on September 11,

2001 and may also remember the reactions of significant others in their lives.

• Be sure that there is ample opportunity for socializing after the conversation. Being with friends and family

after a conversation allows for further support and discussion.

• Refrain from using photos, news clippings and video of 9/11 or graphic images of destruction; focus on

rebuilding and resilience.

• Participants may be apprehensive about discussing this topic. Explain that the Conversation is about

September Roses by Jeanette Winter and ideas/thoughts related to this text. While 9/11 is the centerpiece of

this discussion, the conversation is not meant to traumatize or relive those events, but to learn from it through

thoughtful dialogue.• Talk about safety measures, courageous acts and volunteer efforts following the event. Describe changes that

make our world a safer place, new policies and safety procedures (such as airplane screening and safety

drills).

• Participants may want to start a “where were you when…” conversation. These conversations can be powerful

for some, but difficult and personal for others. Ask the group to share these stories after the conversation, and

refocus the discussion on service and the text.

• Ask participants, “Does anyone want to add anything we haven’t talked about?” or “Are we missing anything

here?”

• Tell participants that it is not unusual to think about 9/11 after the Conversation. Encourage them to talk to

friends and family members.

• Suggest they “do something” after the Conversation to help another person or share their thoughts and ideas,

or make a contribution to a cause important to them.

Developed in consultation with Donna A. Gaffney, DNSc, PMHCNS-BC, FAAN




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Community Conversations are simple gatherings that encourage thoughtful, engaged dialogue using ashort reading to foster discussion. The goal is a comfortable, lively discussion free of bias and judgment. We hope the following suggestions will help you create an inviting environment for you andyour community.

• Expect a healthy conversation to last between 60 and 90 minutes.

• Read the text several times, paying attention to the parts that were difficult or that made you pause. These will be the

places that generate the most conversation.

• Use the sample questions in this toolkit as a starting point for writing questions that will resonate with your group.

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Decide how you will begin the conversation. The first few questions will set the tone for the discussion, so think aboutwhat themes in the text you would like to explore.

• Prepare about three times as many questions as you think you’ll cover with the group. You won’t get to everything, but

extra planning will help you follow the natural progression of the conversation.

• Plan a closing question or exercise that signals the end of the formal discussion, but encourages the group to keep the

conversation going at home or among friends.

• Arrange chairs in a circle or semi-circle so that participants can easily see one another and be heard by all.

• Start by establishing some basic guidelines with the group. For example, “be respectful,” “make sure that everyone has

a turn to speak,” and “focus your comments on the reading.”

• Introduce yourself at the beginning of the session and ask each participant to do the same. Keep introductions short.

• Begin by reading the whole text aloud together. This allows everyone to have the opportunity to hear a fluent reader and

invites people with lower levels of literacy to actively participate.• Plan an opening activity to help participants get comfortable: ask a discussion question and encourage participants to

share their thoughts in pairs and report back to the group.

• Ask short, open-ended questions that don’t have a right or wrong answer.

• Invite the participants to interpret the text in their own ways.

• Focus on places where opinions may differ (not on facts that cannot be disputed).

• Look for ways to connect the subject matter to everyday life.

• Encourage participants to form their own questions.

• Prioritize keeping the conversation going over getting to all of your questions.

• Use the text as a neutral place if the conversation gets heated.

• Focus on listening, not teaching.

• Be flexible and let your questions follow the natural course of conversation. Don’t feel that you need to ask every

question you’ve prepared or in the order you planned.

• When the conversation in flowing, share your opinion last or not at all.

• Avoid answering your own questions. If there is a lull in the conversation, let people think about their answers before you

move on.

• Look at the person speaking, and try not to cross your arms or legs. Address group members by their first names.




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• Find a facilitator who is a good fit for your group. (The host-site coordinator and the facilitator can be the same

person.) The success of your conversation is highly dependent on the skill of your facilitator.

o Look for someone who is open, friendly, and enjoys working with people. Your facilitator should believe in the

program and share your enthusiasm for doing it!

o Look for someone who is interested in what others have to say. Keep in mind, the facilitator is not there toteach the text or lecture on the topic, but rather to ask questions and let the group do the talking.

o Look for someone who is willing to learn how to be a facilitator and can commit to doing the training webinar

(if you are a featured site).

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Plan to begin publicizing your discussion at least three weeks in advance. The Council provides templates for pressreleases, fliers, and Community Conversation logos on our website (link).

• For public conversations, make fliers and post them at local libraries, community centers, coffee houses, school

campuses, churches, veterans or union halls, and store bulletin boards. Be sure to get permission to leave or postfliers. Make every effort to draw a diverse audience to your program so that a variety of perspectives arerepresented in the discussion.

• If your conversation is for a closed group (staff, club, etc.), consider including the discussion at a time when you

already meet, such as at a staff meeting. You may consider including the conversation on the day of a plannedservice project, either to start or conclude the project.

• Consider making fliers with the time, date, and location on one side and the text on the other.

• Be sure to choose a room with good acoustics so that everyone, including people who may be hard of hearing, can

hear each other. Choose a room that is free of other distractions.• Seat participants in a circle or semi-circle so everyone can make eye contact with each other.

• Create a welcome table with copies of the text near the entrance to the room. Provide nametags and ask

participants to use their first names. You may also want to include other literature or pamphlets from your

organization related to the theme of the discussion.

• Make more than enough copies of the text so that everyone has a copy. Invite participants to take an extra copy

after the discussion and share it with a friend or family member. It’s a great way to keep the conversation going!

• Test any audiovisual equipment ahead of time to make sure that the volume is loud enough for everyone to hear.

Don’t play off of built-in computer speakers—it’s difficult to hear in large groups and people may feel uncomfortablesaying so.

• Provide light refreshments like juice, coffee or tea, and cookies. You can use the stipend to cover the cost of drinks

and snacks.

• Make sure the facilitator has a view of a clock or other time-keeping device. If you are not the facilitator, seat

yourself across from him or her so that you can easily make eye-contact.

• Decide whether you will ask participants to fill out an evaluation form. Have copies on hand to distribute after the

discussion has concluded. The Council has included a short evaluation form in this toolkit that you can use, or you

can design your own. Be sure to share participant feedback, formal and informal, on the host-site coordinatorevaluation form (provide link).

• Keep accurate attendance data for your own records to report back to the Council. The Council does not require you

to share names or contact information of attendees.

• If you are a featured site, complete the online evaluation for host-site coordinators within two weeks of the event. New York Council for the Humanities | T 212.233.1131 | www.nyhumanities.org



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• How can you serve your community?

• How does service help communities cometogether?

• What kinds of service could our communitydo together?

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Activate prior knowledge:

• What is service? What does it mean to serve yourcommunity?

• What do you know about September 11th, 2001?

• Ask students to write down one or two surprising facts or quotes from the story as they listen.

• Did everyone understand the vocabulary?

• Are there any phrases that need furtherclarification?

• Use the discussion questions in the toolkit andadd your own.

• Focus on questions that ask kids to interpret theactions and events in the texts and how they feelabout what is going on.

Comprehension and Collaboration and Conventions of Standard English




9New York Council for the Humanities | T 212.233.1131 | www.nyhumanities.org

Name: ________________________________

Please answer the following questions about today’s conversation on the events of 9/11.

No Not really A little bit Yes



Not at all Not very much A little bit A lot

No Maybe Yes

No Maybe Yes



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Explore more of what the Council has to offer!These grants and programs support conversation-based programming.

• Series of thematically linked texts over the course of four, five, or

six sessions.

• Themes include: Serving, Working, Making Sense of the Civil War,

and Lincoln on the Civil War.

• Healing, Muslim Journeys, and Growing & Aging coming in 2013.

• A forum for parents and their 9- to 11-year old children to come

together to talk about books and ideas.

• Six 90-minute sessions is co-facilitated by a librarian and a

humanities scholar from the local community.• Explore key themes in American life such as courage, freedom,

and being American.

• Organizations may design their own series of conversation-based

programming about important humanities ideas or texts.

• Grants of $300 – $10,000 may be awarded.

• Over 200 humanities-based lectures on a wide variety of topics.

• Bring a lecture on service to your organization or school:

- Violence on Film: 9/11 on Film

-How Cartoonists Responded to 9/11

- Learning About Islam and Reaching Across Faith Divides:Americans Respond to 9/11

• 90-minute discussion guided by a scholar-facilitator.

• Centered on a short text, focused on American identity.

• Talk more about service with some of these Conversations:

- What Is an American?

- Collaboration and Conflict: Robert Frost’s “Mending Wall” - The Art of Losing - American Dreamer: Immigration Politics of Hyphenation

Visit us at www.nyhumanities.org for all program information, guidelines, and application forms.Any not-for-profit organization in New York State is eligible to apply for Council grants and programs.

Discuss ideas based on a short text,led by a scholar-facilitator

www.nyhumanities.org/programs/cb

Read and talk about books andideas in a group setting

www.nyhumanities.org/adultrd

Family reading and discussionprogram for parents and kids

www.nyhumanities.org/together

Funding for projects using humanities to engage the public

www.nyhumanities.org/grants

Lectures on humanities topics

www.nyhumanities.org/speakers




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Executive Director, the Interfaith Center of New York

Assistant Professor of English, St. Francis College

Advisory Board, Families of September 11

Manager of School and Family Programs, National September 11 Memorial & Museum

Prepare New York Education Direction, the Interfaith Center of New York

Director, 4 Action Initiative and Advisory Board, Families of September 11

Author and editor-in-chief of “Does This Make Sense” (www.doesthismakesense.com)

Co-founder & Vice President, MyGoodDeed, and President, Winuk Communications, Inc.


community conversations for kids 9/11 toolkit

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