Answer Close-Reading Questions
Have students write their responses, or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.
• Summarize the article’s introduction. (Summarizing)
On September 11, 2001, “the world changed forever” when two planes crashed into the Twin Towers in New York City. As thousands of office workers evacuated, hundreds of first responders went in to help. Both towers collapsed within two hours of the first attack, and more than 2,400 people died. Another hijacked plane struck the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. On a fourth plane, passengers resisted the terrorists before it crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. The terrorist group Al Qaeda claimed responsibility. In response, the U.S. military invaded Afghanistan on October 7, 2001. The war lasted 20 years. Effects of the terrorist attacks include heightened security measures and laws that gave the government more power over Americans’ privacy rights.
• How does Sung Yim’s account help you understand the events of 9/11? (Primary Sources)
Kira Shim’s interview with Sung Yim helps me understand how the day started normally for most people and the confusion that occurred after the first plane hit the North Tower. He explains how after finding his fiancée, they saw “a stampede of people” and reached the Staten Island Ferry station, which “was completely dark,” with everything “coated in dust and debris.”
• What details support Kira Shim’s idea that “9/11 is a reminder of the importance of compassion, understanding, and the American spirit”? (Text Evidence)
Yim details how he helped other people at the ferry station cover their faces with wet cloth to prevent breathing in dangerous dust. He notes that thousands of people managed to stay calm at the station and also remarks on the bravery of first responders. Kira says the events “brought different communities together.” After 9/11, Yim decided to become a U.S. citizen.