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Interactive
Curated OER

Thoreau, Emerson, and Transcendentalism

For Students 10th - Higher Ed
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...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Henry David Thoreau: Author, Philosopher, and Abolitionist

For Teachers 3rd - 7th Standards
What would Henry David Thoreau think of life in 21st-Century America? Pupils investigate the abolitionist using primary and secondary materials. They analyze what Thoreau would think of the changes to American lifestyles since the time...
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Unit Plan
Simon & Schuster

Classroom Activities for Walden and Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
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,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Revisiting Walden Pond in 2003

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students make lists of things they would take with them if they were about to set off to live for a year in the woods. They read Thoreau's Walden Pond and compare and discuss their lists and the actual list of items Thoreau took with him...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Legacy of Emerson and Thoreau

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders are introduced to Transcendentalism through the writing of Emerson and Thoreau. They keep a journal in which they respond to quotes and prompts. Students write longer essays on conformity, being alone and a "field...
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Study Guide
Penguin Books

A Teacher's Guide to the Signet Classics Edition of Walden and "Civil Disobedience" by Henry David Thoreau

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed Standards
According to Henry David Thoreau, every citizen must object to unjust laws. The teacher's guide to Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" begins with a detailed essay synopsis to help readers understand Thoreau's rationale in the challenging...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Year in Review: The Memoir

For Teachers 9th - 12th
If you are planning a unit on memoir and autobiographical narrative, you should consider this resource. Using Internet research skills, pupils review works by James Frey and Henry David Thoreau. In response to these works, learners...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Approaching Walden

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders examine their natural surroundings as a way to begin thinking about an abstract idea. They analyze and compare or contrast the rhetorical stategies of two essayists. Students interpret and evaluate images culled from...
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Interactive
Curated OER

Thoreau, Emerson, and Transcendentalism

For Students 9th - Higher Ed
In this online interactive reading comprehension worksheet, students respond to 13 multiple choice questions based on the Transcendentalist literary movement. Students may submit their answers to be scored.
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Activity
Shmoop

ELA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.10

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Assess whether your class members can comprehend complex informational text with a series of drills based on selections from Emerson, Thoreau, and G.K. Chesterton. The exercises could also be used for group work or a full-class discussion.
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Unit Plan
Walden Woods Project

19th Century Lessons for 21st Century Lives

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Walden the Ballad of Thoreau

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students role play to become familiar with the life of Thoreau. In this Thoreau lesson plan, students view a video of the Walden play about Thoreau.  Students perform and promote the play as a school event.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Walden

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students participate in a panel discussion on materialism, assuming the identities of Henry David Thoreau and other experts on materialism.  In this Walden lesson, students create a panel discussion of prominent people, including Henry...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Walden: Study Questions and Essay Topics

For Students 10th - 12th
In this Walden worksheet, students discuss the experience of Thoreau at Walden Pond and evaluate the importance of the experiment. Students write essays which discuss the details, the genres, the mythological references, and the author...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Living Thoreau As A Means Of Approaching Walden

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the essays and life of Thoreau in order to appreciate his point of view and understand his way of thinking. They participate in various activities and writing assignments to gain a similar perspective. Students write...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Unit on Henry David Thoreau

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers investigate the writings of Thoreau in order to better comprehend his impact on American Literature and unique writing style. Working to evaluate the different pieces of writing, they read the essays in order to create...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Approaching Walden: Paths to Emerson and Thoreau

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore readings from Emerson, Thoreau and Melville. In preparation for writing, students sit in a quiet, tranquil location and observe their surroundings. Later, they recreate the experience by putting it into words. ...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Henry David Thoreau

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students 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, students create...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Literature of Democracy

For Teachers 12th
Read excerpts from Ralph Waldo Emerson's speech "American Scholar" to address and analyze passages from American literary works. Seniors will discuss three quotations from the text and read excerpts from the address. They then work in...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Henry David Thoreau's Philosophy

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students research and report on the life and times of Henry David Thoreau. In this Thoreau research lesson, students visit the given website and freewrite about Thoreau's life and home. Students work in groups to research and report on...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where's Walden and Why Henry?

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders understand how Thoreau can serve as both inspiration and model for the investigation of home places. They explore ways to become better observers of natural and cultural history. Students find out how to connect with their...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Finding Comfort in an Unfamiliar Landscape

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students recognize the writings of a prominent American writer. They analyze written text making connections to personal prior experience. Students discuss in small and large groups their findings. They organize ideas in writing using...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Approaching Walden: From Emerson to Thoreau"

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine selected local leaves in greater detail in the classroom by using more analytical drawing techniques. They use Thoreau's drawing of a Scarlett Oak as their model. Students choose a leave from a box of leaves removed...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Finding Walden: Using Henry David Thoreau in Nature And Writing

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders appreciate and better understand nature by reflecting on Henry David Thoreau's quotes, making observations of the outside world, and using nature in their writings of stories and/or poems.

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