“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Readers not only identify aphorisms in Emerson's "Self Reliance," but also find evidence of transcendental elements contained in the essay. They also demonstrate consistency...

Is consistency foolish? Or is “foolish consistency . . . the hobgoblin of little minds”? Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Self Reliance” provides readers with an opportunity to reflect on their own musing about being self-reliant and about...

Tackle Transcendentalist literature with these questions. This resource provides 14 essay questions that cover different works by Thoreau and Emerson. Class members may also access an online quiz on the selection using the link at the...

In this online interactive reading comprehension worksheet, students respond to 12 multiple choice questions about Emerson's Essays. Students may submit their answers to be scored.

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...

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...

A gold mine for American history teachers, this presentation cascades through the middle of the 19th century with the central themes of moral and social reform. Between the blossoming Mormon church, the tightening of the Temperance...

What were the virtues and values that helped form America? Pupils watch and discuss a video, read biographies of early Americans, chart the differences between early American religious movements, write journals and letters, draw, and...

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...

Students 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.

Students 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 of the...

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...

Give your class a deeper understanding of the context and meaning behind early American song lyrics. By reading the lyrics to "Yankee Doodle" and  "Revolutionary Tea," high schoolers will practice analysis by examining the...

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.

The Transcendentalist movement of the 1820s-1830s promoted the ideas of intuition, independence, and inherent goodness in humans and nature. This excerpt comes from Emerson's most famous essay. "Self-Reliance," which discusses similar...

"Self-Reliance" is an essay written by American transcendentalist philosopher and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson. It contains the most thorough statement of one of Emerson's recurrent themes, the need for each individual to avoid...

Read the full text and listen to portions of Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance."

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...

Emerson's famous essay emerging from the Transcendentalist period that celebrates unfettered individualism.

This site features the author Ralph Waldo Emerson including the full text of the two essay collections: Essays, 1st Series and Essays, 2nd Series. Included in these essays are "Self Reliance" and "Politics".

Explore the impact of transcendentalism on the life of Louisa May Alcott and American society in this video [4:00] from the American Masters film Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind 'Little Women.' Emphasizing self-reliance, civil...

RWE promotes to a global audience a greater understanding of and appreciation for the life and work of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Works are available in downloadable files and many have audio features.

Activity on the religious, philosophical and literary movement of Transcendentalism founded by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Article outlines the history and main ideas as well as the far-reaching literary and societal impact of Transcendentalist...

An excellent article detailing the major events of the life and works of Henry David Thoreau. Complete with links to Thoreau's most famous works and interesting details about his life.