An 11-page packet contains three activities designed for readers of Henry David Thoreau's Walden and Civil Disobedience. In one exercise, groups debate whether Thoreau would today be considered liberal or conservative. For another,...

Those new to teaching an AP level language and composition prep course and seasoned veterans will find much to treasure in a unit that is designed to help young language scholars develop the skills they need to analyze the language...

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...

The second module in a series for high school seniors focuses on tracking the central idea of a text across genres and from multiple author and character perspectives. Twelfth graders read a speech by Benazir Bhutto entitled "Ideas Live...

The American Dream is a goal that many pursue, but is it truly attainable for all people? An in-depth lesson explores the plight of migrants in twentieth-century America. The resource includes a video and author biographies and...

A proponent of social and environmental rights, Henry David Thoreau is featured in this brief biography highlighting his contributions to literature. See Teaching Tips and Author Questions for discussion ideas.

Here you can find a series of movie clips with children's author Richard Smith portraying Henry David Thoreau. These clips portray Thoreau on a personal level as he answers numerous questions about his life and work.

This lesson plan discusses teaching students the themes found in Henry David Thoreau. Describes historical perspectives and influences, form, style, and artistic conventions, and the original audience for his work. Includes study...

Ralph W. Emerson, Robert L. Stevenson, and John Burroughs offer three different views of the famous writer and environmentalist.

This lesson from a unit on American Transcendentalism focuses on Henry David Thoreau's Walden, a book about his living a frugal life in a secluded life in a cabin on Walden Pond. Links are provided to a Discovery Education video about...

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...

This lesson from a unit on American Transcendentalism focuses on civil disobedience using "Essay on Civil Disobedience" by Henry David Thoreau and "Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr. Links are provided to each of the...

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...

A learning module that begins with "Excerpt from Walden" by Henry David Thoreau, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through free...

A learning module that begins with "Excerpt from Walden: Where I Lived and What I Lived For" by Henry David Thoreau, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a...

A learning module that begins with Henry David Thoreau's "Excerpt from 'Civil Disobedience'" accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online...

Thoughtful history from the National Humanities Center of important figures in the early conservation movement in America: Bradford, Morton, Edwards, Thoreau, Emerson, Muir, and Leopold. Follow-up study suggestions include students...

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...

This is a collection of two video lessons about Louisa May Alcott and her works especially "Little Women."