Reading

The Looming Tower, chapters 19-20
9-11 Commission Report, Chapter 1, "We Have Some Planes" | link

Introduction

It is 9:00 p.m. on September 11 2001, and President George W. Bush has just addressed the nation on the terrible events of the day. Vice President Dick Cheney notes that the President’s mood is somber. But, the day is not over yet. That evening, Bush staffers ask you to attend a small meeting of top advisors that Bush is calling his “war council.” The group includes Vice President Cheney, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, General Hugh Shelton, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Richard Myers, Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet, Attorney General John Ashcroft, FBI Director Robert Mueller, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, and White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card.

After meeting for more than an hour, the group asks you to prepare a digital film that provides a snapshot of the day’s events. Specifically, President Bush wants an authoritative, but brief account of what happened on 9-11. Using all available sources, he asks you to examine the planning, execution, and impact of 9-11. The film you produce should not exceed ten minutes in length, but it must include maps, photographs, video footage and other ancillary materials. Deadline: ASAP.

Directions | Each group will present two items to me for grading by October 16 at midnight.

First, each group will submit a script for a digital video on the assigned topic.
- The script must be written in GOOGLE DOCS so that I may see what each group member contributed.
- The script should be written in a style that makes it appropriate for a film. The script should make a clear argument and present a compelling narrative arc with a beginning, middle, and end.
- The script should include footnotes in Chicago Humanities Style citing any secondary or primary works consulted.

Second, each group will submit a digital video on the assigned topic.
- This video may be made in Microsoft Movie Maker, Photostory, Apple iMovie, or any other software program that can produce a film which may be posted on YouTube.
- Your film must be based on your written script; it must take no more than 10 minutes to watch; and, it must include appropriate photographs, maps, and archival clips.
- For guidance on designing your video see: http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/
- For two examples of projects completed last term see: Dust Bowl | Mississippi River Flood
- You will post your finished video to http://www.youtube.com and send me the link. All videos are due by October 16 at midnight. No late assignments will be accepted.

Additional Resources

The September 11 Digital Archive (created by the Center for History and New Media)
http://911digitalarchive.org/

The September 11, 2001 Web Archive (created by the Library of Congress)
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/lcwa/html/sept11/sept11-overview.html

The September 11 Television Archive (created by archive.org)
http://www.archive.org/details/sept_11_tv_archive