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Resources for Coping with Fear, Terrorism, and War

For children's and young adult books on coping, culture, and comfort, see the list compiled by our school librarian.

Sections on this page:

Lesson Plans Background Information
Crisis Management Talking with Children and Adolescents
Caring for Yourself Planning for the 9/11 Anniversary
Activism/Helping Out More Resources

Lesson Plans

Bank Street Lesson Plans on the New York Times Learning Network
Bank Street experts create daily lesson plans for the New York Times Learning Network site for students, parents, and teachers. Some lesson plans are highlighted below, but you may also want to visit the main site (http://www.nytimes.com/learning/index.html) and search for lesson plans on other topics.

Facing Fear: Helping Young People Deal With Terrorism and Other Tragic Events
http://www.redcross.org/disaster/masters/facingfear/
Facing Fear was developed to address a demand by educators and caregivers of children for materials to help children cope in uncertain times. The curriculum is a supplement to Masters of Disaster™, children's natural hazard safety curriculum. The format and components are similar, including ready-to-go lesson plans, activities and demonstrations that can be incorporated within core subject areas. Lessons are aligned with national health, social studies, and language arts standards.

Rethinking Schools: Teaching About the War
http://www.rethinkingschools.org/war/index.shtml
This site includes materials that focus specifically on Iraq and the unfolding situation between Iraq and the United States, as well as articles that address the more general issues of armed conflict and society's priorities.

Children's Music Network
http://cmnonline.org/Peace.htm
This site lists several resources, including links to songs about peace, justice, compassion, conflict resolution, nonviolence, anti-bias, fear, grief, bullying, patriotic songs, and the global family.

CNN Presents Classroom Edition - Educator Guide Showdown Iraq: Five Questions
http://www.cnn.com/2002/fyi/lesson.plans/11/15/showdown.iraq.overview/
Grades 7-12
This educator guide, designed to be used with a videotape of the program Showdown with Iraq, includes guiding questions, background information, and suggested activities.

DEBATING IRAQ: Discussion Questions, Role Plays, and Vocabulary Development
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/lessonplans/middle_east/iraq.html
This lesson plan is most appropriate for US History/Government or World History classes. It not only focuses on the current debate on Iraq, but it also encourages students to examine America's new security strategy in the post-Cold War era.

Tolerance in Times of Trial
http://www.pbs.org/americaresponds/tolerance.html
Grade Level: Middle and High (6-12)
Use the treatment of citizens of Japanese and German ancestry during World War II looking specifically at media portrayals of these groups and internment camps as historical examples of ethnic conflict during times of trial; explore the problems inherent in assigning blame to populations or nations of people. Students will also look at contemporary examples of ethnic conflict, discrimination, and stereotyping at home and abroad. There are several other lesson plans on this site.

Terror and Tolerance
http://downloads.ncss.org/lessons/dearteacher.pdf
This article discusses the illegal imprisonment of American citizens of Japanese descent during World War II. It contains suggestions for classroom teaching with the use of primary historical documents: letters written by Japanese American middle school students to their teacher in Seattle, Washington in 1942 and 1943. The article, "'Dear Teacher': Letters on the Eve of the Japanese American Imprisonment" by Yoon K. Pak, was just published in Middle Level Learning, an insert to the September 2001 issue of Social Education, the flagship publication of National Council for the Social Studies.

Bias Against Arab and Muslim Americans: How to challenge it in your classroom
http://www.tolerance.org/teach/current/event.jsp?cid=249
As the public recovers from its initial shock over the terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington D.C. and talk of a U.S. response increases in intensity and volume, the danger of scapegoating Arab Americans may emerge not only in towns and cities but also in our classrooms.

Suggested Lessons for Teachers
http://www.esrnational.org/wtclessons.htm
Several useful classroom activity ideas for different age groups from the group Educators for Social Responsibility.

United Nations Peace Education Curriculum
http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/peace/frame3.htm
This extensive site includes a theoretical background for peace education, as well as a curriculum with units designed for particular age levels: Unit One (ages 8-12) Ecological Thinking and Respect for Life; Unit Two (ages 11-16) Tolerance and Respect for Dignity and Identity; Unit Three (ages 12+) Critical Thinking and Active Nonviolence; Unit Four (ages 14+) Social Justice and Civic Responsibility; Unit Five (ages 14+) Leadership and Global Citizenship.

Background Information

Many of the sites listed above have extensive background information on the current conflicts. These sites may also be useful:

War and Peace: Resources Related to the Current Iraq Crisis
http://lii.org/warandpeace
This extensive index to related web sites includes sections on Background on Iraq, Chemical and Biological Weapons, Iraqi Perspectives, Oil and Energy Issues, Sanctions and Resolutions, Weapons Inspections, Civil Defense and Emergency Preparedness, Commentary and Public Opinion, Homeland Security Advisory System (Terrorism "Color Codes"), Nonviolence and Pacifism, Peace Movements and Activism, Religious Perspectives, and Terrorism Safety Measures.

Government Views of Iraq
http://www.ccny.cuny.edu/library/Divisions/Government/Iraqbib.html
This site from The City College of New York includes links to U.S. Congressional Hearings and government documents about Iraq from the United States, Britain and the United Nations. These resources include general background information and the sanctions imposed upon Iraq after its invasion of Kuwait in 1990, as well as the subsequent Oil-for-Food Programme agreed to by the United Nations Secretariat and Iraq.

100 Questions and Answers About Arab Americans: A Journalist's Guide
http://www.freep.com/jobspage/arabs/index.htm
This site is a good source of background information from the Detroit Press.

American Arab Anti Discrimination Committee
http://www.adc.org/
This site contains a letter with advice for teachers and advice for Arab-American parents.

Faces of Afghanistan
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/uimonen/index.html
This is a photo essay of the journalist's 1996 trip to Afghanistan.

How Airport Security Works
http://www.howstuffworks.com/airport-security.htm

Crisis Management

NEA Crisis Communications Guide and Toolkit
http://www.nea.org/crisis/
Contains four sections: Being Prepared Before a Crisis, Being Responsive During a Crisis, Moving Beyond Crisis, and Tools for Educators.

American Academy of Pediatrics: Family Readiness Kit, Preparing to Handle Disasters
http://www.aap.org/family/frk/frkit.htm
This kit is for parents to use at home to help prepare for most kinds of disasters.

Talking With Children and Adolescents

Betty DeGeneres talks with Virginia Casper About how to talk to children about war and terrorism
http://www.hrc.org/Content/ContentGroups/Column/Virginia_Casper.htm
In this column, Betty DeGeneres speaks with Virginia Casper, a developmental psychologist, director of the Infant and Parent Development and Early Intervention Program at Bank Street College of Education and author of Gay Parents/Straight Schools. Casper and her partner are the mothers of a teen-age boy. DeGeneres and Casper spoke about whether children should see images of war and terrorism, how to talk to them about the Sept. 11 attacks, how to avoid fueling anti-Arab prejudices, the experience of gay and lesbian families in these times and the importance of finding a source of personal strength.

A War in Iraq: Tackling Tough Issues with Kids
http://aboutourkids.org/articles/war_iraq.html
This article suggests answers to several questions parents and teachers may have about talking about war with children.

Coping With a National Tragedy, and Coping in Unsettling Times
http://www.nasponline.org/neat/crisis_0911.html || http://www.nasponline.org/NEAT/unsettlingtimes.html
These online guides from the National Association of School Psychologists are available in several languages. Topics include: Children and Fear of War and Terrorism - Tips for Parents and Teachers, Promoting Tolerance and Peace in Children, Helping Children Manage Strong Emotional Reactions, Preventing Suicide, and Cultural Responses to Trauma and Crisis Response.

Zero to Three: Coping After a Traumatic Event
http://www.zerotothree.org/ztt_parentAZ.html
Scroll down the list of parent topics to "Trauma" to find the link to this section.

NAEYC: Supporting Young Children During War and Conflict
http://www.naeyc.org/resources/news/Supporting_Children.htm
Provides specific strategies for working with young children.

Sesame Workshop: Talking With Children About War
http://www.sesameworkshop.org/parents/advice/article.php?contentId=7896160
This guide includes: What to Say When Your Child Cries “I’m Scared!”, When to Seek Professional Advice, and Suggestions for Books You Can Read With Your Child.

PBS Parents: Work It Out Through Play
http://www.pbs.org/parents/issuesadvice/war/play.html
For many children, play and art will be very powerful tools for working out feelings about war, violence and daily life. For young children, it's a way they work out meaning, feel in control and develop a sense of safety. Watching them play is a way to learn what they know -- and what they need. Other sections of this site include: Talking and Listening, Age-by-Age Insights, and Answering Tough Questions.

Crisis Management Institute: Guidelines for Talking With Children About War
http://www.cmionline.org/downloads2.html
Includes guidelines for parents, as well as guidelines for teachers speaking with elementary students and high school students. There is also a section on thoughts for school administrators.

Project Cope
http://www.nymc.edu/wihd/projectcope/pc/index.html
Project Cope is a national clearinghouse for resources in the aftermath of disaster, with an emphasis on special and vulnerable populations, including children and adults with disabilities and children with prior trauma, including children in foster care.

National Mental Health Association: Coping With Disaster
http://www.nmha.org/reassurance/anniversary/index.cfm
There are several short guides on this site. They include: Helping Children Cope With Loss Resulting from War or Terrorism; Coping with War-Related Stress: Information for Military Families and Communities; and Tips for College Students on Coping with the War and Terrorism.

Disaster Recovery: Children's Needs
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/fcs/humandev/disint.html
Detailed essays on recognizing stress in children, outreach for children, strategies for parents and teachers, and benefits of play in children and age-specific interventions.

Talking With Children When Disaster Strikes
http://www.tpt.org/TPTspecial_edition/walsh.html
Brief, age-specific suggestions.

Talking to Children About Violence and Other Sensitive and Complex Issues in the World
http://www.esrnational.org/guide.htm
A lengthy list of questions and answers about how to handle talking with children.

New York State Department of Education: Crisis Advisory to Schools
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/crisis/

Caring for Yourself

APA Online: Help With Trauma
http://www.apa.org/psychnet/coverage.html
This page offers several resources for coping with the trauma of terrorism.

Managing Stress Reactions
http://www.nea.org/crisis/index.html
This guide from the NEA gives you some ideas for nurturing your own emotional health.

Planning for the 9/11 Anniversary

Project Liberty
http://www.projectliberty.state.ny.us/DOE/anniversaryplanning2.htm
Excellent suggestions for honoring the second anniversary of September 11th. This site emphasizes the importance of acknowledging the day and focusing on growth and renewal. Provides links to other relevant sites.

Families and Work Institute
http://www.familiesandwork.org/911ah/911ashistory.html
Lesson plans for the first anniversary of September 11th. All grade levels included. Topics covered: heroes, values, social and civic action, and resiliency.

Education World
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson277.shtml
5 new lesson plans and activities to commemorate the first anniversary of September 11th. They focus on patriotism, tolerance, and justice.

National Association of School Psychologists
http://www.nasponline.org/neat/911memorial.html
Excellent tips for teachers on how to prepare for and handle students' reactions to the September 11th anniversary. Activities, lesson plans, and links to other useful sites included.

About Our Kids.Org
http://aboutourkids.org
This site offers articles and a manual on how to help students and educators deal with the anniversary of September 11th.

Resources from the New York City Board of Education
http://www.nycenet.edu/offices/spss/wtc_needs/911dlst.asp
Resources put out last year by the Board of Education for the first anniversary of 9/11 are still pertinent this year. These include Guidelines for New York City Public School Administrators in Preparing for the One-Year Anniversary of September 11th, as well as Planning for the Anniversary of Traumatic Events -September 11, 2002- A Practical Guide for Educators.

Educators for Social Responsibility
http://www.esrnational.org/wtclessons.htm
These resources include A Summer of Renewal: A Guide for Reflection: Integrating the Events of September 11, as well as ESR's guide Responding to Violent Events by Building Community: Action Ideas for Students and Schools, and much more.

Scholastic America
http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/911/index.htm
This site reflects on the anniversary of 9/11 -- how students marked the day and how government officials, like President Bush, honored those who died.

International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc. September 11th Annniversary
http://www.icisf.org/9_11anniv.htm
This page provides a link to an article on what to expect and how to cope on the anniversary of a disaster.

National Mental Health Association
http://www.nmha.org/reassurance/anniversary/index.cfm
Strategies for adults, employers, and doctors on how to talk with children, employees, and patients about stress related issues caused by September 11th and its anniversary.

Activism/Helping Out

American Tragedy
http://helping.org/
Find out how you can help the victims

Memorials/Activities/Rituals Following Traumatic Events: Suggestions for Schools
http://www.nasponline.org/neat/memorials.html

Global SchoolNet
http://www.globalschoolnet.org/
Global SchoolNet has set up a space on the web to allow kids around the world to send their messages of hope, support, and condolences to those affected by the September 11th tragedy.

US Department of Education
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/os/september11/index.html
The US Department of Education has a Web site providing resources and information about White House initiatives to promote such things as the Freedom Timeline, America's Fund for Afghan Children, and Friendship Through Education.

Other Lists of Resources

Education World
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr369.shtml









For more information, contact: cvanhouten@bankstreet.edu
Last Modified: April 9, 2005
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