![\"Michael](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/REG-L-TeachingSept11th-04.jpg\")
Michael Kurtz, Gov. Mifflin High School social studies teacher and department chairperson, during a visit to the White House with students. (Courtesy of Michael Kurtz)<\/p>\nFor those who lived through it, Sept. 11, 2001, is likely a day that remains etched in their mind.<\/p>\n
They can recall the terror, the confusion and the anger that the terrorist attacks on the United States elicited. The site of the smoking, crumbling Twin Towers produced images they\u2019ll never forget, and the story of the heroics of the passengers on Flight 93 is one they\u2019ll always remember.<\/p>\n
And they\u2019re keenly aware of the aftermath, the feeling of the country coming together and the changes that resulted from that devastating day.<\/p>\n
But not everyone has those memories. The attacks took place 25 years ago, which means many people alive today didn\u2019t experience them. That includes all of the students \u2014 and some of the younger teachers \u2014 in Berks County schools. For them the event is a historical one, not a personal one.<\/p>\n
What they know about Sept. 11 has been learned, not lived.<\/p>\n
With that in mind, the Reading Eagle reached out to a handful of local educators to ask how they teach about one of the country\u2019s most defining moments.<\/p>\n
Gov. Mifflin High School<\/p>\n
The Gov. Mifflin School District reworked its social studies curriculum about 15 years ago, and Michael Kurtz had a hand in it.<\/p>\n
The high school social studies teacher and department chairperson said the district breaks up teaching U.S. history over three years: seventh, eighth and ninth grades.<\/p>\n
At the high school level, the focus is on modern history, spanning from about 1900 to the present. And that span is taught in reverse, Kurtz said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ending is the beginning,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Michael Kurtz, Gov. Mifflin High School social studies teacher and department chairperson, during a visit to the White House with students. (Courtesy of Michael Kurtz)<\/p>\n
The first unit ninth-graders learn addresses modern issues, including terrorism.<\/p>\n
In particular, the week containing Sept. 11 is spent focused on the terror attacks. Students delve into the history of the Middle East and U.S. involvement there, as well as the foundations of Al-Qaeda and the rise of Osama Bin Laden.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey get the deep dive I think people really need,\u201d Kurtz said.<\/p>\n
When it comes to lessons on the actually Sept. 11 attacks, Kurtz said he likes to lean on first-person experiences. He asks his students to speak with their parents and grandparents and then write a story about how the attacks impacted their family.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost of history is older, but with modern history you can tell personal stories,\u201d he said. \u201cYou can talk to people who lived it. It\u2019s fresh and it\u2019s relevant, I love it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kurtz said Sept. 11 lessons also have a focus on the long-lasting impact it had and changes it elicited. They also stress the lives lost, and the brave men and women who gave everything trying to help.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe thing I want them to take away is to remember and honor the sacrifices people had to make,\u201d he said. \u201cI just think remembering is really important because if you don\u2019t remember where you\u2019ve been, how the heck will you know where we\u2019re going?\u201d<\/p>\n
Kutztown Middle School<\/p>\n
The Sept. 11 attacks aren\u2019t directly in John Noll Jr.\u2019s Kutztown Middle School curriculum.<\/p>\n
He teaches U.S. history from exploration to reconstruction, a span that falls well short of 2001. But on the anniversary each year, he puts his normal lessons on pause to reflect the momentous event.<\/p>\n
He does so chiefly by examining artifacts.<\/p>\n
Students are shown a \u201c60 Minutes\u201d clip about the planning and designing of the Sept. 11 museum in New York.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt shows what the curators and family members thought was important to pick and show,\u201d Noll said.<\/p>\n
![\"John](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/REG-L-TeachingSept11th-02.jpg\")
John Noll Jr., history teacher at Kutztown Middle School (DAVID MEKEEL \u2013 READING EAGLE)<\/p>\n
The segment includes discussions about whether or not to include displays about sensitive topics such as the hijackers. Should they show photos of them and share information about their backgrounds?<\/p>\n
\u201cThose are the questions they had to decide on,\u201d Noll said.<\/p>\n
The museum ended up including those kinds of display in an alcove with a warning sign about the nature of the exhibits.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe family members decided it was important or people to know who did this,\u201d Noll said.<\/p>\n
Noll said his lesson then transitions into having students choose items they think should be included in a museum dedicated to Sept. 11, utilizing the Smithsonian Institution\u2019s online collection.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt gets them away from a textbook and really focuses on how to honor people,\u201d he said. \u201cHow can objects communicate about people\u2019s experiences on that day? A simple object can tell a story.\u201d<\/p>\n
Noll said his Sept. 11 lesson also focuses on how the event changed the world, delving into things like increased security at public events and having to take off your shoes at an airport.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt takes an event that is historic for them and connects it with what they\u2019re doing today,\u201d he said. \u201cTo me, it\u2019s not about rewatching the planes hit the building time and time again. It\u2019s about how did it change the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Noll said he also thinks it\u2019s important to share personal stories with students. He encourages them to talk to members of their family about Sept. 11 and shares his own recollections.<\/p>\n
\u201cI try to find stories for everything I teach,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd these aren\u2019t things I had to research, they\u2019re things I experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Noll said students take the lessons to heart.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe students definitely take it seriously,\u201d he said. \u201cThey understand the significance of the event.\u201d<\/p>\n
Green Valley Elementary School<\/p>\n
The elementary school curriculum in the Wilson School District doesn\u2019t include much about Sept. 11.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not always digging deep into in the classroom,\u201d Green Valley Elementary School Principal Dr. Jon Stenger said.<\/p>\n
But that doesn\u2019t mean the anniversary goes by without attention.<\/p>\n
Each Wilson school recognizes Sept. 11 in its own way. At Green Valley, it\u2019s through a ceremony focused on first responders.<\/p>\n
![\"Dr.](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/REG-L-TeachingSept11th-01.jpg\")
Dr. Jon Stenger, principal of Green Valley Elementary School (DAVID MEKEEL \u2013 READING EAGLE)<\/p>\n
Each Sept. 11, students gather in front of the school. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts present the American flag, and there\u2019s a moment of silence and a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.<\/p>\n
Stenger said he reads a brief message recognizing the tragic incident and remembering all those who lost their lives.<\/p>\n
Then, things shift.<\/p>\n
Stenger said the ceremony moves on to look at the positive moments that surrounded the horrific tragedy.<\/p>\n
\u201cAmericans learned a lot about themselves,\u201d he said. \u201cA lot of people stepped up to help, and they\u2019re still stepping up to keep us safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
In particular, students rally around local heroes. Emergency responders are invited to the ceremony, giving the school community a chance to thank them.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve gotten positive feedback on the ceremony, on the way it was focus on the positives,\u201d Stenger said. \u201cWith kids ages 5 to 11, I think they can relate to the positive message a little better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stenger said he is impressed each year with how students reacts to the ceremony with respect and reverence. And that\u2019s the whole idea.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would hope it helps give them an understanding of the significance of the day,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd that they understand that, while there was something that was negative, that was tragic, that there was a response and that people helped.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/REG-L-TeachingSept11th-03.jpg\")
A previous September 11th ceremony held at Green Valley Elementary School. (Courtesy of the Wilson School District)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For those who lived through it, Sept. 11, 2001, is likely a day that remains etched in their…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":285092,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[349,182,139,28,128,130,129,706],"class_list":["post-285091","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-reading","tag-berks-county","tag-local-news","tag-news","tag-pennsylvania","tag-reading-city","tag-reading-city-headlines","tag-reading-city-news","tag-top-stories-reg"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/285091","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=285091"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/285091\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/285092"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=285091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=285091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=285091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}