He saved a group of men under fire from the Viet Cong, and he urged those fleeing the burning Trade Center Towers on 9/11 to "be calm, be strong." Rick Rescorla was last seen going back into the twin towers to bring others to safety. Learners examine two documents about the brave man, including a military report of his action in Vietnam, to discuss what it means to live a life of service. 

Concepts

september 11th, the vietnam war, community service, service learning, service learning projects, primary source analysis, primary sources

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Instructional Ideas

• Offer the lesson to begin a unit on service or to commemorate 9/11

Classroom Considerations

• Documents discuss details of the 9/11 attacks that may be disturbing for younger class members
• Pupils need computer access 

Pros

• Documents personalize concepts that are abstract
• Activity offers a rich set of discussion questions to promote connections

Cons

• None

Common Core

RH.6-8.1 RH.6-8.3 RH.6-8.9 RH.6-8.10