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Local educator teaching the next generation about 9/11

Posted at 3:42 PM, Sep 11, 2020
and last updated 2020-09-11 18:09:26-04

TWIN FALLS, Idaho — 19 years ago, a tragedy struck America. Now, a local history teacher is working to make sure the next generation never forgets 9/11.

"So now, as I'm teaching history, we're constantly looking at how things that happen in the past impact us," explained Jeanie Cullip, a history teacher at Robert Stuart Middle School.

When Cullip started teaching, she realized none of her students had been born when 9/11 happened, and many of their parents hadn't even turned 18 yet. That's why she began having her students ask family members about their experiences. The idea is to allow the students to make connections with history in their own lives.

"I think if they get to be part of that story early on, I get to grab their attention," Cullip said. "It's bringing them back to making social studies relevant. 6th graders love to ask, 'Why am I even learning this? When am I going to use this?"

The idea is to allow the students to make connections with history in their own lives.

She hopes by telling these stories, her students and those who come after them won't forget what happened.

"A lot of them have noticed so far, number one they didn't realize their parents were alive during that time frame," Cullip said. "I think it's really important for them to understand their world before they were part of it."