Professor Analyzes Gaps in Teaching 9/11 and War on Terror

A professor has identified key shortcomings in how U.S. Schools teach about the September 11 attacks and the global war on terror. Jeremy Stoddard, a professor of curriculum and instruction at the University of Wisconsin's Center for Education Research, spoke with NPR about the challenges educators face.

Many current teachers have direct memories of the 2001 attacks. They often focus on conveying their personal shock, highlighting the heroes of the day like firefighters and first responders, and emphasizing a national sense of unity. Stoddard notes a tension is emerging as a larger proportion of newer teachers either lack direct memory or were very young at the time. This shifts the fundamental question: should 9/11 be taught primarily as commemorative history or as a starting point for examining its complex legacies?

State Standards Create a Patchwork

Approaches to teaching 9/11 vary significantly by state, influenced by differing curriculum standards. In some states, standards are merely a guide. Others have specific mandates. Florida, for example, now has state legislation requiring every school to teach about the attacks for 45 minutes on the anniversary. Stoddard points out a logistical challenge with this timing. The anniversary falls in September, which is "nowhere near" the period when U.S.

Recommendations for Classroom Inquiry

Stoddard warns against treating 9/11 solely as an emotional, collective memory moment. He argues this approach risks leaving students disconnected from subsequent events and can make them vulnerable to conspiracy theories found online. "If they're interested and they want to learn more about it, if they start searching, that's what they're going to find, likely," he told NPR.

His recommendation is to use the day's events as a starting point for inquiry. Teachers can connect it to preceding history, such as the U.S. Role in Afghanistan in the 1970s, or to the response and its lasting impacts. This method helps students understand connections between past and present, which Stoddard calls a core goal of teaching history.

Critical Topics Often Omitted

Stoddard identifies specific topics frequently left out of classroom discussions. The portrayal of Muslim Americans and Arab Americans in the wake of the attacks is one significant gap. He suggests using primary sources, such as Arab American magazines from the period or speeches from President George W. Bush, which show an awareness of and attempts to counter rising prejudice. He links this historical context to contemporary issues, including the portrayal of refugees from Afghanistan and ongoing Middle East conflicts.

When compared to other historical tragedies like Pearl Harbor, Stoddard finds 9/11's integration into the national narrative less clear. Pearl Harbor became part of the larger story of U.S. Entry into World War II. In contrast, while 9/11 led to the global war on terror, its daily impact on most Americans was less pervasive than a world war. Consequently, most U.S. History textbooks relegate it to a unit on the Bush administration, still struggling to define its place in the longer narrative of American history.