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Teaching about Tragedy

Teaching about Tragedy

After the horrifying murders of the Connecticut school children, we're hardly capable of reacting with anything other than grief, sadness and rage. But parents and teachers can and must transform the event into something meaningful for children and teens.

In the yellow box, you can download the PDF copy of "Interpreting Tragedy," the 2001 article I wrote for Social  Education, a publication of the National Council for the Social Studies. Here we see how teachers address the 9/11 tragedy through talk about sensitive topics, basic media literacy about the news media, and simple media production activities where children share their emotional responses. 

The lesson plans and resources available at MEDIA SMARTS Canada are also terrific for exploring this issue. 

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