A theme is a central idea, subject, or message in a story. Many stories have more than one important theme. For this activity, students will identify and illustrate 2 of the themes in Towers Falling. Teachers may want the students to identify and illustrate 2 themes, one for each cell, or identify one theme and show two examples of it, one example per cell.
Oftentimes it is difficult for children to understand what history has to do with them, and why they have to learn about it. One of the main themes of this book is that history is alive, personal, and relevant. Deja sees this first hand when she learns how September 11th had an impact on so many in one way or another, including her father, herself, Miss Garcia, Sabeen, and Ben.
Deja’s family is going through some hard times, but they always help one another and love one another. The family structures are all different in the book, and the reader is exposed to different family situations and make ups.
When Deja begins at her new school, she has no desire to make friends. However, she forms a very special bond with Ben and Sabeen, who are both very different from her and each other. In the classroom, Miss Garcia puts a big emphasis on social units and how important they are to have in life.
Deja and her friends are all from different backgrounds, and heritage is important and celebrated in Deja’s school. Deja learns to embrace these differences while also developing a deep sense of pride in her country and being an American.
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Due Date:
Objective: Create a storyboard that identifies recurring themes in Towers Falling. Illustrate instances of each theme and write a short description below each cell.
Student Instructions:
Introduce students to the concept of patriotism and give a brief summary of the historical occurrences or movements that have been connected to patriotism in your nation such as the American Revolution, the Civil Rights Movement, or other noteworthy occasions.
Discuss how people's perspectives on patriotism might vary depending on their upbringings, life experiences, and worldviews. While some could see it favorably, others might have concerns or criticisms. Ask the students how they feel about their country and what experiences have shaped their feelings and thoughts.
Ask the students to analyze what are some common grounds where the entire nation comes together despite their backgrounds, ages, or origins. For instance, some nations are very serious about sports, and others about hospitality and defense.
Talk about the historical individuals in your nation who are frequently linked to patriotism. Ask students to evaluate how these individuals influenced the idea of patriotism as you explore their behaviors and convictions. Ask the students if they know of any such person and their thoughts about sacrificing life for one’s country.
Encourage pupils to consider patriotism critically. What are the advantages of patriotism, for instance? Are there any possible drawbacks associated with patriotism? Ask the students to give their analysis on the topic with some fair arguments.
Ask the students to grab some paper, colorful pencils, and paints and draw whatever they feel about their country or strongly associate themselves with. For instance, if they like the culture of their country they can draw that. If they like a specific location or a city they can paint that.
The key themes of "Towers Falling" include how 9/11 affected people and communities, how important it is to study history, how resilient people can be, and how powerful shared experiences can be. Other themes such as friendship, patriotism and identity, and family have also been explored with the help of this setting.
The book dives deeply into how 9/11 personally and emotionally affected the characters, especially Deja, as they struggled to comprehend the tragedy and its effects on their life as well as the people who experienced this tragedy firsthand hand such as Deja’s father who lost his co-workers and friends.
The importance of knowing history is highlighted since it aids the characters, particularly Deja, in making sense of their surroundings. It also emphasizes how crucial it is to take lessons from the past.