09/11/2026
25 years later, September 11, 2001 remains a moment that shaped our history.
Today, Ms. Tyson’s English classes took time to reflect on President George W. Bush’s September 11th address to the nation, examining his message through annotations and rhetorical choices to understand what he wanted Americans to know, believe, and feel in the aftermath of the attacks.
Some classes took the challenge a step further by examining Bush’s speech alongside Alan Jackson’s “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” or Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American).” Students explored how different voices responded to the same historical event, and how those different perspectives shaped the messages being communicated.
All students were encouraged to interview someone alive during September 11, 2001 and reflect on how themes in President Bush’s speech show up in personal memories, especially as her students were born between 2008-2011!