Walden Woods Project
19th Century Lessons for 21st Century Lives
The words of Henry David Thoreau on Civil Disobedience seem particularly relevant today, as are his writings and those of other transcendental thinkers who ask what it mean to live deliberately and what are the responsibilities of...
Brown University
The Candidates and Their Values: Election 2016
Voting for the next president of the United States is about finding the candidate who most closely aligns with your own values and sense of democracy. High schoolers become acquainted with the candidates from the 2016 election with a...
Curated OER
Finding Self-Reliance
Fourth graders relate what is read to their own experiences and feelings and use active listening to respond to other students' comments. After a lecture/demo, 4th graders utilize an Active Listening Chart imbedded in this plan to gain...
Curated OER
The Scarlet Letter and Transcendentalism
Enhance your unit on The Scarlet Letter with a thorough and applicable lesson. Learners use the anchor text in this unit plan that asks them to consider the Transcendental concepts intertwined within Nathaniel...
Curated OER
Self Reliance
Students thinking is stimulated and has them reflect on looking after themselves and to not always rely on others for your needs. A story is read to them or they read it and reflect on the it. They put on a play in a small group and...
Annenberg Foundation
Modernist Portraits
How did literature reflect people's attitudes in post-World War I America? A lesson explores the topic using a variety of activities. Individuals watch and respond to a video; read author biographies and engage in discussion; write...
Curated OER
Americans
Students explore what it means to be an "American" in the eyes of people from other cultures. In this geography and cultural lesson, students discuss values that they have. Students read about behaviors that other cultures have noticed...
Curated OER
Obstacle Soccer
Students practice soccer dribbling, passing, and trapping skills, which enhance students' self-reliance, trust and independence.
Curated OER
Breaking Free From Conformity: A study in modern day Transcendentalism
Students begin with a journal entry on the topic "Why does Ralph Waldo Emerson advocate self-reliance?" They listen to Gavin Degraw's "I Want to Be." Students write their interpretation of the song. Students write an essay about Liars...
Curated OER
The Ballad of the Sad Café
Students view the film "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe" and analyze it for stereotypes of mountain and hillbilly communities. They identify and discuss Appalachian values represented in the film and write a report on their observations.
Curated OER
Heritage: 'And Should We Die...' Attributes of the Pio
Eighth graders use comprehension strategies after reading to reflect on, consolidate, and extend meaning. They show various attributes of the pioneers through character sketches.
Curated OER
Marching to the Beat of a Different Drum
Henry David Thoreau and Linda Ronstadt? Ann Tyler and Pete Townshend? Joyce Carol Oates and Pearl Jam? This richly detailed plan pairs classic literature with contemporary music and asks learners to analyze how the theme of conformity is...
Curated OER
Americans
Students examine what it means to be "American" in the eyes of people from other cultures. They explain how people from other cultures may view Americans as a group as being different from themselves and explain why understanding their...
Curated OER
American Transcendentalism and Buddhism:
High schoolers study American transcendentalism through readings of Emerson and Thoreau. They make cognitive connections to the similarities to Buddhism in these writings. The connection of the literary movement is explained in the art...
Curated OER
Keys' Desert Queen Ranch
Learners complete a variety of activities that go along with the study of and possible field trip to Keys' Desert Queen Ranch in Joshua Tree National Park, east of Los Angeles.
Curated OER
Bi-Lateral Systems of Government
Students discover how Aboriginal forms of Government can be adapted and how the Navajo's have utilized government.
Curated OER
Wilma Mankiller and the Cherokee Nation
Students examine how Wilma Mankiller became the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. They listen to a teacher-led lecture, write a letter to President Andrew Jackson, participate in a jigsaw activity, conduct research,...
Curated OER
Individualism
Students demonstrate knowledge of the understanding of American individualism, specifically four areas: decision making, expressing opinions, competition, and obligation.
Curated OER
Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Students examine the philanthropic acts of Jane Addams. They identify a current problem in their community and develop ways to help. They also examine the work done in the Hull House in Chicago.
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: America in Class: Individualism in Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self Reliance"
Lesson on Emerson's views about self-reliance and individualism and how embracing those ideas affects society. Contents include teacher notes, vocabulary, background information, text analysis and Close reading questions.
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: American Transcendentalism: Ralph Waldo Emerson
This lesson from a unit on American Transcendentalism focuses on Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of the leading transcendentalists. It features a link to his biography, and to an excerpt from his essay "Self Reliance." It also offers a quiz...