Volume 2, Number 1, Oct 2001

Beyond Blame: Reacting to a Terrorist Attack (a curriculum module)

In response to the terrorist tragedy of September 11 and subsequent attacks against Arab-Americans, the Education Development Center of Massachusetts has developed a free 30-page curriculum for middle and high school students focused on issues of justice and mislaid blame. Beyond Blame: Reacting to the Terrorist Attack, which is co-sponsored by The Justice Project and the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF), was designed by a team of EDC researchers and curriculum writers who were concerned that the terrorist attacks have created a hostile climate for Arab-Americans--much like the climate Japanese-Americans faced following the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The curriculum features three lessons, designed to stimulate student reflection, discussion, and writing. Lesson 1, "What is Justice? What is the Injustice Here?", guides students through a discussion of the events of September 11th and reports of subsequent attacks and threats made against innocent people perceived to be of Arab descent. Lesson 2, "Has the Past Been Just?", examines parallels between today's events and the internment of Japanese-Americans in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor. Lesson 3, "How Can You Prevent Injustice?" leads students through a discussion of the kinds of actions they can take to prevent injustice, discrimination, and mislaid blame. While the curriculum is designed for young people, ideas from it can be adapted to other groups.

The curriculum is available for download as a pdf file, or you can request to have a word document version emailed to you. For more information, visit the EDC website at https://secure.edc.org/publications/prodview.asp?1479.

Page last updated 11/27/2005

A project of Campus Conflict Resolution Resources.
Supported by a FIPSE grant from the US Department of Education
and seed money from the Hewlett Foundation-funded CRInfo project.

Correspondence to CMHE Report
(Attn: Bill Warters)
Campus Conflict Resolution Resources Project
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Wayne State University
Detroit, MI 48201.

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