No Prep Patriot Day Activity — 9/11 for Kids

With September just around the corner and all of the back to school excitement in the air, you may not have had the chance to plan your lesson for Patriot Day.

After the Twin Towers were attacked on September 11th, 2001, that day was made a holiday named Patriot Day. Every year, schools honor the events of 9/11 and remember the Americans and heroes who lost their lives on that tragic day.

Teaching younger students about 9/11 is a big responsibility, but an important one. Kids these days were not alive for the events of September 11th, and they may not have had many discussions about the difficult topic at home.

This No Prep Patriot Day Activity makes teaching these heavy concepts to your students easy while helping them think critically about September 11. The flip-flap format helps students stay engaged and remember the fallen heroes of that day. Best of all, it is totally no prep. It gives you and your class a ton of value without adding more planning onto your 9/11 lesson.

What’s included in the No Prep Patriot Day Activity?

This printable, no prep Patriot Day activity is a time-saving way to teach your class about 9/11. It helps them reflect and describe their feelings about 9/11 while tying into their lessons. Students get the chance to color, draw, craft, and write about the events of September 11th, but there is very little prep involved for you. Simply print and go!

Here is what the activity includes:

●       Watercolor Craft — This craft uses simple supplies, including a plastic baggy, paper, and markers. The instructions show students how to create a beautiful watercolor background with patriotic colors. On top of their watercolor art, they can write “Always Remember Sept. 11th”.

●       3 Interesting Facts about 9/11 — After watching a video, reading a book, or a lesson about 9/11, students can write down 3 facts that they have learned about the day that the Twin Towers were attacked.

●       HERO Acrostic Poem — Students can get creative with words by making an acrostic poem with “hero”.

●       Draw a picture — Students get to illustrate what 9/11 means to them. This drawing is fairly open-ended and helps them reflect on everything they’ve learned about the events of September 11.

●       Heroes Can Have Are — This portion lets them practice their verb tenses by describing what a hero means to them!

●       “When I think about 9/11 I feel… because…” — This part of the activity lets students reflect on their emotions and make sense of them. It’s a great way to help them process their feelings and understand what makes this day so significant.

Plus, this resource comes with a digital version of the activity, making it a great option for classes that are still doing distance learning!

How does the digital version of the 9/11 for kids activity work?

For distance learning, I have also included a digital version of this Patriot Day activity! The digital version is in Google Slides and makes a remote lesson on 9/11 a breeze. Students can click through the tabs on Google Slides and complete each section of the activity, just as they would on the paper version. The slides contain premade text boxes so that students know exactly what to fill out. You can also edit the directions on each slide to customize the lesson to your class!

What can you pair with this Patriot Day Activity?

I like to pair this Patriot Day Activity with another resource that helps students learn about the events of September 11th. Since 9/11 can be difficult for younger kids to understand and process, combining this flip-flap with a second activity is a great way to reinforce what they learned and help them to further reflect on Patriot Day. Here are some great options:

●       A book about 9/11 for kids

●       A video about September 11th (You can find very informative videos about 9/11 for kids on Youtube. BrainPOP also has a great video that’s definitely worth checking out!)

●       Observing a moment of silence at 8:46am

●       You can find some great lesson plans for Patriot Day online. These are especially helpful if you are new to teaching this day, as they will help guide you through the difficult themes

Conclusion

9/11 can be a difficult subject for kids, but this flip-flap Patriot Day activity is a fantastic way to help them learn about the day and reflect on their emotions. Students get to color, draw, and write about the themes and heroes. I recommend pairing this activity with an educational book, video, or other resource to round out their understanding of September 11th.

How do you like to teach your students about 9/11 in the classroom? I’d love to hear your thoughts!