Approaching Walden 2008 Curriculum Units

Subject: English, 10^th grade

Author: AnneMarie Dull

School: High School for Environmental Studies, New York, NY

The Catcher in the Rye: A “Place-Based” Approach

This unit plan for The Catcher in the Rye intends to use an observational, journal-writing approach to studying the novel. Directed towards tenth-grade students at a high school in New York City, this approach to the novel will involve students tracking Holden Caulfield’s observations of his environment and the people he is surrounded by. In addition, students will make their own observations about key aspects of the novel, and use the novel and the journal writing activity to make observations about their own world and the people in it. This plan will allow students to closely examine parts of New York City seen in the novel and the parts of New York City they experience on a daily basis. Students will join Holden Caulfield as he searches for a “home,” for that “peaceful place” he desperately searches for in the loud and busy city, and in turn, will be prompted to find and closely observe their own “peaceful place.”

Subject: Early American Literature, 10^th through 12^th grade

Author: Shannon L. Johnson

School: Valley High School, West Des Moines, IA

From Desperate to Deliberate: Trancendentalism’s 19^th Century Lessons for 21^st Century Lives

This unit on Transcendentalism attempts to make students more aware of not only the ideas of the Transcendentalists, but also the ways in which their ideas can be meaningful to individuals in the 21^st century. Students will be introduced to the key ideas of Transcendentalism and participate in a brief research project and presentation to get a better understanding of the historical and social contexts that influenced the Transcendentalist writers. The first set of lessons focuses on Emerson’s “Self-Reliance” and the need for individuals to trust themselves and their ideas. Next, we’ll explore the relationship between individuals and nature through Emerson’s “Of Nature” and Thoreau’s essay “Walking,” nature journaling, and a field trip to a county park. Selections from Walden will help students to understand the Transcendentalist desire to live deliberately and what that might mean for their own lives. An excerpt from “Civil Disobedience” will allow students to discuss the transition from self to societal reform and how that affects the responsibilities of individuals within a society. As a culmination to the unit, students will complete a final project that asks students to connect their learning to their own lives as they demonstrate their understanding of the Transcendentalists and their ideas.

Subject: Honors English, 10^th grade

Author: Kati Kager

School: Chippewa High School, Doylestown, OH

Transcending Writing Modes: Making the Writing Real

“How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.” –Thoreau

This project, intended for grade 10 students, consists of two separate units. The first unit deals with three writing modes: expository, narrative, and persuasive, and in this section students will practice the writing modes with prompts inspired either by quotes from Thoreau or Emerson. The second unit consists of a small research paper entitled “History It’s Where You Live”, in which students will have the opportunity to use primary as well as non-Internet sources as a valuable part of their research. Both of these units will help students utilize state standards and essential skills needed to be successful in completing Ohio’s state-wide graduation test.

Subject: American Literature, 11^th grade

Author: Deborah Papin

School: Indian River Central High School, Philadelphia, NY

A Life Worth Living

The activities in this unit will be interspersed throughout the year. Walden-inspired activities will begin the first full week of school even as we are working on other literary units. These activities will include weekly quotes, place-based assignments and journaling related to key Thoreauvian concepts.   One of the main objectives is to encourage students to think about their own ethics and philosophies of life. Throughout earlier units, there will be opportunities to touch on the philosophies of Emerson and Thoreau in order to “prime” students for the unit-presented here- focusing on their works. My objective is for students to gradually dip into Walden before taking the full plunge, hopefully making for a more enjoyable swim. After completing the unit on Emerson and Thoreau, there will be continued opportunities to revisit their key philosophies as we continue with other literary works and our continued search for the ingredients of “the life worth living.” During our second quarter of school, we will spend 2- 3 weeks on the Transcendental unit, covering excerpts of Emerson’s Nature and Self-Reliance and Thoreau’s Walden and Civil Disobedience. This project emphasizes differentiated learning activities and the incorporation of technology as a means of engaging learners and drawing on multiple intelligences. During the unit, students will engage in group work, jigsaw activities, “think-tac-toes” and other lessons utilizing technology and differentiation strategies.

Subject: Intermediate English as a Second Language/Interdisciplinary

author: Caroline Whalen

school: Framingham High School, Framingham, MA

New England Foliage Unit

This unit is designed for Intermediate English as a Second Language class with a Math, Science and Technology theme. The main question of the unit is What makes New England unique from other places in the world? The overarching hope is to encourage international students to become acquainted with the nature of the part of the United States in which they now live, while developing their vocabulary and writing skills. Students will learn about seasonal changes in New England and their impact on local animals, species of common trees and plants in the area, etc. While learning the names of common trees in New England, students will be responsible for collecting and displaying leaf samples, completing an essay about the weather and a making a short presentation on the project. Another included activity is a field trip to a local nature reservation. Although the unit will include quotations and short writings from American writers such as Henry David Thoreau, the bulk of the readings will be science related. Journaling will be used throughout the unit to help students develop their descriptive writing and observation skills.