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TERRORISM TODAY

UNIT 1: ORIGINS OF TERROR

September 11, 2001 has come to define U.S. domestic and foreign policy in the 21st century.  The event also ushered in an era of New Terrorism.  This unit will explore the political, historical, and emotional impact of 9/11 and then trace back the roots of terrorism beginning in antiquity and through the French Revolution.  While terrorism is not a new phenomenon, there is still a struggle in creating a comprehensive definition. This complication is, in part, due to perspective.  Students will explore why some groups are labeled freedom fighters, some extremists, and other terrorists.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

  • Can one event define a generation?

  • What was the historical and emotional impact of 9/11?

  • What is terrorism?

  • Why is terrorism difficult to define?

  • What are the common traits of violent extremists?

  • What ideologies do terrorists subscribe to?

  • How do individuals, groups, or states justify terrorism?

Essential Questions

VIDEOS

Videos
9/11 Video Timeline: How the Day Unfolded
9/11 Survivor Stanley Praimnath

  • Praimnath was on the 81st floor of the South Tower on 9/11

President George W. Bush: The 9/11 Interview

  • Did President Bush make the right decisions following the attacks on the WTC and the Pentagon?

Crash Course: Terrorism, War, and Bush 43

  • How did 9/11 change the course of history?

How Decades of Instability Gave Rise to al-Qaeda

  • What factors led to the growth of al-Qaeda?

  • What were the aims of al-Qaeda?

Osama Bin Laden Interview with CNN (1997)

  • Why does OBL declare jihad against the U.S.?

  • What image does OBL want to present about himself to the world?

When is something 'terrorism'?

  • What is terrorism?

  • Why is there inconsistency in the definition?

What is a terrorist? by Petra Bartosiewicz

  • Who defines terrorism and why does it matter?

UNIT SOURCES

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Sources
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