I'm a year 6 (11 year olds) teacher in the UK doing a modern history topic on the events of 9/11.
I would like the children to see some form of visual documentary of that day but I've heard this documentary has a lot of graphic language in it; is that true?
If it is does anyone know of a doc suitable for children of that age.
Thanks.
Stu
language is not that bad to be honest, and hearing a bad word here or there is likely the last thing kids will take away from the experience of watching this documentary. why not just preview it and see for yourself?
shareI watched the DVD last night. I owuld only show an edited version of the film to children not because of the language but because it will be too intense to see the whole 2 hours at once.
It is an incredibly moving film that should be seen by everyone but perhaps a couple of years later than your class, saty 13 or 14.
For 11 year olds I would remove:
1) The pre September 11th training section where the new firemen are being shown photographs of burnt bodies and injuries caused by fire
2) The explanation that the bangs they can hear throughout the September 11th section are people hitting the ground outside.
3) Get consent from parents for the film where there is VERY UNDERSTANDABLY use of *beep* and *beep* from the guys going through hell.
4) As I said for 11 year olds make it less intense by cutting it down to lose intensity, removing some of the scenes of people running form the buildings, people crying in the streets covered in rubble etc.
Prepare for a class in tears.
shareThe pure emotion and shock and awe contained in this documentary is one that will leave even yourself in tears.
Personally, I have seen this documentary several times (I am a CT analyst, I like to remind myself as to why I do it).
Personally, not suitable. The repeated sounds of people hitting the ground at high speed, the sound of death as the buildings collapse. Not one I would suggest personally. I would speak with a clinical psychologist before proceeding further.
Honestly. Bad language is the last thing you should worry about.
Are we just trying to hide them from children that already know them ? Hoping they won't learn them until they're 18 years old ? Don't really get it.
With everything going on in the world. I find it kinda redundant hiding from words.
I'd recommend seeing the film for yourself and making up your own mind first. It's pretty heavy.
shareI would recomend "Though a Child's Eyes: September 11, 2001
Very good, very touching.
Peace.
"There's Got to be More to This Camouflage, More than Just Colour and Shade..."
I dont think many parents would object to their children seeing this documentary. at least not in the uk.
late for the sky
If language is the first priority on your mind, then what are you doing showing a 9/11 doc in the first place.
There is language, but nothing an 11 year old hasn't heard already.
I saw this documentary when I was young and i'm fine.
This video shows the true horror and chaos the was September 11th. It should be shown unedited to all children so they can see the heroism and selflessness and overall goodness of people in extraordinary circumstances.
The mild language should not be a problem b/c kids already use whatever words are in the film. And the graphic scenes should be explained to kids that this is reality and not Hollywood.
September 11th should always be remembered and not only on the 11th.
Yes there is a fair bit of swearing in this film
shareThe language is a lot less prevelant then you may expect in the circumstances.
I think the one issue which some of the more perceptive children might pick up on is the when they're talking about the fire company priest that died. You actually see a still photo of them carrying him out of the building.... He'd already passed away at this stage, and wheras it's not gory or grusome (that's not the Naudet's style) he is quite clearly dead.
However I think the powerful story of two brothers seperated by the chaos is one they'll really get behind.
If they're 11 years old, chances are they've already been exposed to that sort of language already, so I don't think it would be a big deal.
I think the documentary would be good as it would show just what happened that day, from the fire department's POV. As well, it would be interesting for them to see the inner workings of an actual firehouse (i.e. the scenes that took place in the three months before the attack, when Tony seemed to always miss the fire calls).
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Look for a documentary on the History Channel.
They have a few good ones, 102 minutes that changed the world is one.
THere are a others that they show on a regular basis.
This is certainly not fit for school. Too many "Oh sh*ts" and "What the f*ucks" for school.
If you can't say it at school, then you shouldn't show it either.
Maybe if you had a DVD player that mutes certain language, you could show it. It is very powerful.
Although this post is over two years old and the answer is already past it's use-by date..I am appalled that any teacher worth his/her salt would not review any film, book or other material for themselves first. Surely you wouldn't take the word of a bunch of people you have never met, from the internet no less, as a basis for what you show your class (no offense to those who all those who answered this thread - who are quite honest in their answers).
Do your own research and watch it yourself is the only answer for you or anyone else that asks this type of question. Otherwise god help our children and save them from the ignorance or laziness of our teachers.
I agree that a professional teacher knows the difference between what's appropriate and what isn't appropriate for the children in that class. Part of me says that if you have to ask, then maybe it isn't appropriate.
Now, having said that, the language in the documentary is totally not the point. Sort of like watching 'Saving Private Ryan'. It's a major historical disaster, of COURSE the language is going to be rough. But even if the firefighters use rough language every day, at this point I don't think the kids the Original Poster is talking about are hearing anything out of the ordinary. My point is that the whole event is completely out of the ordinary, just like D-Day was.
I saw this for the first time last night on the 10th anniversary of the attack. I was overwhelmed by it. I would say the intensity of the story could be very troubling for an 11 year old. The language wouldn't be my first thought for a young person, the destruction and sense of loss would by my first concern. There are a few F-bombs dropped but as other posters have said it's nothing that an 11 year old hasn't heard already.
There were two moments during this documentary that I treasure. The first is when the two Naudet brothers are reunited after being separated. (This isn't really a spoiler since they are both on camera after the events). The second is when I learned that although around 3,000 people died that day, possibly 20,000 people were safely evacuated from these two buildings. I didn't know this before.
I visited the WTC not long before the attacks. In the train station underneath the plaza and in the lobbies of the buildings I saw at least 3,000 people. The place was very, very busy even at street level. On a business day there must have been thousands more above ground level. It's a miracle, and a tribute to the brave firemen who went up into the burning buildings and evacuated people that 6 or 7 times more people weren't killed.
Clearly 10 years later this won't matter much to the OP but I was 12 at the time of the attacks and watched the original airing of this 6 months later. While it was intense I was not traumatized by seeing it. I had watched the events happen live though so maybe showing the film now to kids that age would be different as they weren't witnesses to it in real time. As a firefighters daughter I've always felt this film captures the spirit of first responders and their willingness to charge in when everyone else's running out. Looking forward to watching the 15 years later update next week.
share