This article discusses a problem teachers encounter relating to how to teach the delicate topics of 9/11 and Iraq war. Five years after the September 11 terrorist attacks, and in the midst of intensifying debate over the nation's approach to battling terrorism, teachers around the country are trying to determine how, and when, to teach about events that are still fresh in the nation's collective memory, even as they worry about the likelihood of controversy and conflict. With few sufficiently updated textbooks to guide the lessons--even Hollywood was slow to memorialize the events of 9/11 in film--many teachers have been left to figure out for themselves how best to incorporate the conflicts into history, government, geography, and other courses. This article also presents some suggestions to help teachers become more effective in teaching this topic.