West Platte students and staff commemorated the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks through lessons, remembrance activities and community service.

Students and staff wore red, white and blue as classes across grade levels examined the attacks and their lasting effects through subjects ranging from government and forensic science to chemistry.

Grier’s first-grade class participated in a lesson called “Helping Hands,” focusing on [brief description of the lesson or activity].

The school’s agriculture department prepared snack baskets for area police and fire departments. The “Sweets for Servicemen” delivery thanked first responders for their service while honoring those who responded to the Sept. 11 attacks.

Forensics students studied the attacks as what the FBI has described as the largest crime scene in its history. The class discussed the challenges investigators faced while searching unstable debris, recovering evidence and working in toxic conditions.

In New York, residue from the World Trade Center towers was spread across 174 acres, according to the FBI. Fires continued burning beneath the wreckage for more than 100 days, adding to the dangers faced by investigators and recovery workers. Students also learned how forensic practices and technology had to adapt to the unprecedented scale of the investigation.

Students in Green’s government classes watched a livestream of the reading of victims’ names at the 9/11 Memorial and viewed a short video featuring primary-source audio and footage from the day of the attacks. They compared the emotions and public reactions of September 2001 with those expressed 25 years later.

Chemistry students examined how extreme heat affected the structural integrity of the World Trade Center buildings, how the attacks changed New York City’s environment and the factors that contributed to the buildings’ collapse.

Chemistry teacher Shelly Day demonstrated how heat can weaken and cause structural changes in steel without melting it.