Roundtable: The Past, Present, and Future of September 11

How has our understanding of the September 11 attacks changed over the last ten years? What are the issues to consider when teaching contemporary history? Join a conversation with leading historians and educators to discuss the challenges of and best practices for teaching recent history and traumatic events. This roundtable introduced essential questions to be considered throughout the conference and was designed to frame the conversation for the remaining sessions.

Duration: 75 minutes

Play Recording

Panelists included:

• Sharon Leon, Director of Public Projects at the George Mason Center for History and New Media
• James Gardner, Senior Scholar, National Museum of American History
• James Loewen, author of Lies My Teacher Told Me
• Joan Brodsky Schur, educator

Panelist Questions Included:

• How has our understanding of the 9/11 attacks changed over the last ten years?
• Are there lessons learned from the teaching of past events that can inform our teaching of this one?
• What issues should we think about when teaching about September 11?
• How might we help students evaluate information they see and hear about this event?

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