"Never, Never, Never Forget 9/11"  honors heroes as we remember the attacks and the lives lost on September 11, 2001, in this free Readers Theater script.  This powerful script, told from the eyewitness Lady Liberty, includes flashback newscasts to create the feeling of current events—not history.

 Although this is a difficult topic, the extensive annotated curriculum links for easy plans will simplify your life.  Written for mature 3rd-4th graders, the script is probably best used with 5th-6th graders, middle schoolers, and possibly high schoolers or adults doing patriotic programs. 

TIME:  about 10 1/2 minutes 

CAST: 5+ (includes a chorus) 

TONE:  somber  

READABILITY:  grade 6.2 (multi-syllable vocabulary)

Here is a brief excerpt from the first page and a half of this free Readers Theater script that includes the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center and more:

Liberty:  I am Lady Liberty.  I have welcomed immigrants from across the world to the United States of America, lighting the way to freedom with my torch held high.

Chorus:  Thank you, Lady Liberty!

Liberty:  (smiles)  I have watched this nation grow and change since I was dedicated in 1886.  Standing by New York Harbor, my eyes have seen a timeline of history—from the local ferry to the international airplane.

Chorus:  What have you seen, Lady Liberty?

Liberty:  I saw the New York skyline grow like a garden of skyscrapers—including the Empire State Building and the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center.  (pause)  Now, I cry.  Never, never, never forget 9/11.

Chorus:  Never, never, never forget 9/11.  But, why?

Liberty:  Just listen to the radio flashbacks...and imagine you see what I saw.

Announcer #1:  Flashback!  This is W-H-Y Radio with up to the minute news.  At 8:46 this morning, September 11, 2001, an airline jet crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York.  The Tower blazes, with smoke billowing... 

Announcer #2:  Evacuations are under way and emergency personnel are responding.  No details are known concerning the cause of the crash.  Stay tuned and we’ll keep you up-to-date...

Liberty:  I saw the jet crash into the side of the North Tower of New York’s World Trade Center in 2001 and I cried.  Lady Liberty couldn’t stop the attack.

Chorus:  What do you mean the attack?

Announcer #1:  Flashback!  This is W-H-Y Radio with up to the minute news.   In case you missed it, at 8:46 this morning, September 11, 2001, a jet hit the North Tower of New York’s World Trade Center.  One tower of the Twin Towers is burning, with smoke rising like a dark flag.

Announcer #2:  Oh, no!  Another plane has hit the South Tower of the World Trade Center!  There has just been another explosion in the second tower, ladies and gentlemen...

Liberty:  I saw the second jet crash into the side of the second tower at 9:03 in the morning of September 11, 2001;  and I wept.  Lady Liberty felt helpless.

Chorus:  Why, Lady Liberty?

Liberty:  The Twin Towers were filled with thousands of people.  And, thousands more were on the street going to work.  There was no warning. 

Announcer #1:  Flashback!  This is W-H-Y Radio with today’s news.  The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York are both burning now.  It appears to be an act of terrorism—not an accident. 

Announcer #2:  Sirens are blasting and emergency personnel are helping as much as they can. People are running all over...

Liberty:  I watched first responders enter the burning buildings.  Firemen, policemen, and rescue workers all ignored the danger to their own lives in order to save the lives of others.  We honor them.  And, we will never forget.

Chorus:  We will never forget.  (continued...)

***Click on the PDF link below to see the full printable version of the Patriot Day Readers Theater script remembering September 11, 2001, "Never, Never, Never Forget 9/11." This PDF has extensive annotated curriculum links for easy lesson plans.

Download the PDF "Never, Never, Never Forget 9/11," a free Readers Theater script that honors the heroes and the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001.

•  Download the THINKING QUESTIONS for "Never, Never, Never Forget 9/11."

Bonus Link:  "Remembering 9-11..."

Blog post from a teacher with photos and how she used the Readers Theater "Never, Never, Never Forget 9/11" with her 6th grade class.  I discovered her post by "accident" and was greatly encouraged—especially today when I saw she had answered my comment with the words: 

"...I have checked back to your site for help with students that are below grade level and you have some great pieces that I am able to utilize with this group of students.  Thanks for a tremendous resource..." 

Sept. 12, 2012 "Remembering 9/11" from "Mrs. Beers' Language Arts Class."

Bonus Link #2:  "Boatlift–an Untold Tale of 9/11 Resilience"

"Tom Hanks narrates the epic story of the 9/11 boatlift that evacuated half a million people from the stricken piers and seawalls of Lower Manhattan."  This true documentary interviews several of the boat captains and tells a powerful story of people coming together to help those they do not know.  Includes some mature scenes of people covered with dust coming out of the disaster, but the focus is on the teamwork of people who helped.  Powerful!  People CARED about perfect strangers. TIME = about 11 minutes with a minute of credits at the end.  

(This video is not yet included in our annotated curriculum links listed at the end of the Readers Theater script for easy lesson plans.)