Answer Close-Reading Questions
Have students write their responses, or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.
• Summarize the section “Terror From the Sky.” (Summarizing)
On the morning of September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four airplanes. When the first one hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m., many people thought it was an accident. When a second plane flew into the South Tower shortly after, people realized that the U.S. was being attacked. A third plane crashed into the Pentagon, just outside Washington, D.C. The fourth plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after passengers battled the terrorists and kept the plane from hitting its target, which may have been the U.S. Capitol or the White House. Back in New York City, both of the towers collapsed and people had to run for their lives. The terrorist group Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attacks.
• What is Al Qaeda? (Key Details)
Osama bin Laden, a millionaire from Saudi Arabia, founded Al Qaeda in the late 1980s. The terrorist group follows an extreme form of Islam that most Muslim people do not agree with. It has violently attacked several countries for what it considers crimes against Islam. At the time of 9/11, it was mostly working from Afghanistan.
• How does Richard Viglione Jr.’s account help you understand the events of 9/11? (Primary Sources)
Viglione explains how he was working at an investment bank across the street from the Twin Towers that morning. His account helps me understand how surprising the events were. He describes the sounds of the collision and ringing phones. He provides a timeline of the events and shows how scared and confused everyone was because “nobody had experienced anything like this before.” His description of crossing the Brooklyn Bridge with two strangers and getting a ride home shows how people worked together to help each other after the attacks.