GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) - 9/11 happened 11 years ago and there is an entire generation of students who were not alive when it happened. They have to learn about, so we visit the 7th grade class of Barbara Dodge at Martin Luther King Jr. Academy to find out what the students are learning.
The students are shown videos of the towers and are taught the timeline of the events. This is not the first time they have seen this footage or heard the stories, but since most were one or two-years-old at the time they don't remember it actually happening.
"9/11 means to me that we need to appreciate the time we have with our family and friends because you never know what is going to happen," says Kavariay Libbette, age 12.
"I don't know what it means to me", says Zyaisha Clemon, "but it is kind of sad to see all those people die."
Alim Price was only 11 months old in 2001. He asks, "Why would people come and destroy a building for no reason?" But he does understand why he is learning about it, "Because kids need to know what happened this day and why armies are going and fighting to save our country."
Teacher Barbara Dodge has a challenge; she must teach a subject that still brings her to tears to a class that does not share the same pain. "Because the kids were so young I don't think they realized it and when we started to watch the footage they had seen it on TV before." She says, "they got a better sense that even though it was a dark day the love of the nation and country came together."
The students at Martin Luther King Jr. Academy are doing more than just learning about 9/11, they are also writing letters to soldiers to thank them. Each students is writing two letters for a total of 911.