Curated OER
Fact and Fiction in Little Women
Students read excerpts from the novel "Little Women." Students work in groups to research, analyze, and answer the questions included in the instructional activity. After research, students write a paper and include a bibliography. The...
Curated OER
A Different Drummer
Eighth graders investigate philosophy and meditation techniques by discussing Emerson and Thoreau. In this philosophical traditions lesson plan, 8th graders identify the men Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, their work,...
Curated OER
Henry David Thoreau
Learners explore the life and philosophy of Henry David Thoreau. Students watch a slide show on Henry David Thoreau. They visit a quiet, tranquil location and observe nature. After reading and discussing Thoreau's works, learners create...
Curated OER
Great Philsophers Revisited
Learners work together to research the great philsophers of literature. With a focus on Emerson or Thoreau, they describe his ideas of transcendentalism or civil disobedience, respectively. In groups, they create a short video clip to...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Examining Transcendentalism
Interactive instructional activity that allows students to view the works and ideas of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau through the popular culture of their time. Students use multiple genres to grasp the concepts of...
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University: Transcendentalism: Ideas and Thought
This resource provides information about American Transcendentalism, and biographies of people who followed this philosophy.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Louisa May Alcott: Transcendentalism
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...
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: American Literature and Composition: Transcendentalism
This is an introduction to the Transcendentalism period (1836-1860) in American Literature. It focuses on the beliefs and characteristics of transcendentalism and its leading authors: Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson and...
Washington State University
Washington State University: Literary Movements: American Transcendentalism
A site from Washington State University detailing the emergence of transcendentalism, and quotes from major authors of the time.
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...
The Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson
Rwe.org: Timeline of Ralph Waldo Emerson
A chronology of events in the life of Ralph Waldo Emerson and his associates. Also includes information about Emerson's philosophy, speaking engagements, and publications.
Other
Biography: Ralph Waldo Emerson
This website from a professor at Brandeis University provides a biography on Ralph Waldo Emerson in which his childhood, writing career, and his transcendentalist views are discussed. Included are links to related essays and a list of...
University of South Florida
Educational Technology Clearinghouse: Lit2 Go: Ralph Waldo Emerson: History
The complete text of Emerson's essay, "History." The text can be read online or downloaded in MP3 or PDF format, or viewed as a webpage. In addition, the essay has downloadable support material which focuses on various reading and math...
Department of Defense
Do Dea: Contemplation and Argumentation
In this self-guided unit, you will read Romantic and Transcendental literature and you will practice the art of persuasion using rhetorical devices, appeals, and refutation while avoiding logical fallacies. By the end of the unit, you...
Virginia Commonwealth University
American Transcendentalism Web: Ralph Waldo Emerson
This resource includes a short biography of Emerson and links to related sites.
Stanford University
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Ralph Waldo Emerson
At this website, read about the significant events in Emerson's life and learn about the major themes present in his writing.
Texas A&M University
American Transcendentalism Web
A scholarly site with many articles about American transcendental authors, their work, and philosophy.
Academy of American Poets
Poets.org: Ralph Waldo Emerson
This Poets.org entry for the 19th century American poet, essayist, and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) provides biographical information, a select bibliography, and contemporary photograph as well as links to related writers...
Cengage Learning
Houghton Mifflin: Emerson's Major Themes
Houghton Mifflin site has an entry that discusses major themes, historical issues, writing style, audience, and literary criticism for Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882). Contains discussion/study questions and a bibliography.
University of Groningen
American History: Essays: Philosophy and Literature: Two Philosophies
Explains what the 'Scottish philosophy' was and how well it fitted with American sensibilities in the 1800s. Over time it evolved into the American philosophy of Pragmatism. The other philosophy that took hold in some groups of society...
Lumen Learning
Lumen: The Romantic Period, 1820 1860: Essayists and Poets
This lesson focuses on the Romantic Period's essayists and poets such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, the Brahmin Poets, and more.
Lumen Learning
Lumen: American Romanticism: "Nature" by Ralph Waldo Emerson
This is the text of the essay "Nature" by Ralph Waldo Emerson, the foundation of transcendentalism, a belief system that espouses a non-traditional appreciation of nature. Transcendentalism suggests that the divine, or God, suffuses...
Other
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Transcendentalist Philosopher
Information and activity ideas pertaining to the famous American thinker. The yellow, left side of the page contains teaching ideas, and the white, right side of the page contains background.
Lumen Learning
Lumen: Romanticism: "The American Scholar" by Ralph Waldo Emerson
"The American Scholar" is a speech given by Ralph Waldo Emerson on August 31, 1837, to the Phi Beta Kappa Society at Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was invited to speak in recognition of his groundbreaking work "Nature" in which he...