Week 2 - The 9-11 Memorial

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 4

Global Perspectives

The 9-11 memorial

Today's Objective:

- You can identify the message in a documentary

- You can assess a documentary and identify its strengths and weaknesses

- You can assess two texts on the same topic and link them to the discussion taking into account their strengths and weaknesses

What's the function of a memorial?

The 9-11 memorial

Now follows a short clip to introduce you to the 9-11 memorial

What is its function?

What is the function of this memorial?

9/11 memorial

Based on a master plan by Daniel Libeskind, which attempts to connect the broader World Trade Center sites back to the city, the memorial is located on an eight acre site where the two towers used to sit. In 2003, an international design competition was held which eventually led to a winning scheme designed by architect Michael Arad alongside landscape architect Peter Walker.

Arad describes the design as the physical embodiment of a moment of silence which attempts to ‘make absence visible.’ The two voids in which water continuously flows into are symbolic of the emptiness felt at the loss of life. The memorial is an extraordinary examination of public space – a place where people can come to reflect on the events that took place here, as well as a new park that locals and tourists can both enjoy more generally.

Footprint, by Sara Newens

Now follows a selection of fragments taken from a short film of 20 minutes on the 9/11 memorial. The short film shows the way in which different visitors choose to grieve and honor the victims. It showcases everyday life in NYC.

The main question will be:

What is the message the documentary maker

is trying to convey?

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What's your first response to the images you've seen so far?

What is the maker trying to show with this fragment?

What do you think of this girl's response to the memorial?

Are the following people reacting / behaving any different?

The day is drawing to a close.

What does the ending suggest / mean?

Now read a short article in which the maker's intentions are mentioned. 

To what extent do they resemble your (previous) findings?

www.theatlantic.com

In what way(s) can we be critical of this documentary?

How does the following text tie in with the discussion so far?

Does it bring anything new to the table?

nypost.com

What are the strengths and weaknesses of this text?

www.ted.com

TedTalks are about "Ideas worth spreading". What was the message of this TedTalk?

What will you take away
from today's lesson?

TEACHER'S NOTE

Perhaps you could use the following text as well, although I'm not sure how it contributes to the discussion, in spite of its academic nature/quality.

pdf.sciencedirectassets.com