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Unit Plan

Classroom Activities for Walden and Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau

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This Classroom Activities for Walden and Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau unit plan also includes:

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, individuals create a list of items they would take with them to live in the woods for a year. They then reduce their lives to these bare essentials for a week, keeping a daily journal about their experiences. The final activity has class members investigate protest songs, then pairs write, draw, or film a protest about an issue that concerns them.

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CCSS: Adaptable
Concepts
henry david thoreau, walden, civil disobedience, transcendentalism, self reflection, self discipline, debate, the industrial revolution, mahatma gandhi, martin luther king jr., non-violent protest, protest songs, protests
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Instructional Ideas
  • Locate and prepare copies of "Fortunate Son" by CCR, "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" by Bob Dylan, and Tracey Chapman's "Why"
Classroom Considerations
  • Presumes class members are familiar with the debate format
  • Page numbers come from the Enriched Classic edition
  • Groups require devices with internet
  • Requires copies
Pros
  • The activities ask readers to consider the peaceful protest espoused by Thoreau, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King
  • Each activity comes with detailed directions
Cons
  • None