Megan Lavagnino leads a discussion with her 8th grade English students during a 9/11 unit, where students explore articles, video footage, and personal accounts to understand the impact of the attacks.
In 2001, eighth graders lived through 9/11 as breaking news, watching the attacks unfold live at home and at school. Fast forward twenty-four years, and Eastmont’s eighth graders encounter the same day not as a memory but as history. In Megan Lavagnino’s 1st Period English class, along with other eighth grade English classes across the district, students read articles, complete web quests, view footage, and listen to personal stories. They study 9/11 not as something they recall, but as something to remember.
Washington State’s history standards require that by the end of eighth grade, students can “analyze how a historical event in United States history helps us to understand contemporary issues and events.” In Lavagnino’s class, that means a multi-week unit culminating in an informational essay about what is now known as Patriot Day.
Before this unit, most students knew very little about the 2001 attacks or their aftermath. “I want them to remember the impact it had on the country,” said Lavagnino. She encouraged students to notice not only the loss, but the many stories of resilience. As she read aloud, students asked about motives, evacuations, and financial impact. Many also noted examples of bravery and selflessness.
For Lavagnino, the lesson goes beyond dates and facts as well, as she brought in items and anecdotes from her visit to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center site in New York City. Her purpose: showing students how one of the most defining events in modern U.S. history reshaped the nation, but also why it matters today. “This changed America,” she told her class. Through these discussions, Eastmont’s eighth graders aren’t just meeting their content standards. They are practicing the skills of analysis, reflection, and connection that define academic excellence and prepare them for their future.
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