Lessons

Lesson Plan
Title:      Intro to Transcendentalism                                    Subject/Course: English Topic(s):      Transcendentalism                                            Grade:  11
Summary of Lesson/Overview: This lesson is an introduction to the Transcendentalist movement of thought and literature. In it, students will learn the fundamental moral code and behaviors of Transcendentalist thinkers like Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson, while making Transcendentalist changes to their own lives. Through a process of reading, discussing, writing, and getting in tune with nature--while putting distance between themselves and society--students will begin to understand and adopt a Transcendental mindset.
Lesson Goals (stated in student-friendly terms) Common Core State Standards (complete language from standards)
Lesson Goals 1. Students will learn the fundamental beliefs of transcendental thought. 2. Students will think through a transcendental lens, seeing things as a transcendentalist might. 3. Students will emulate transcendental thought and action in their writing, as well as their personal lives. 4. Students will work collaboratively to determine a list of wilderness survival essentials. 5. Students will reflect on new experiences, and compare them to determine what has changed.	CCSS 1. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.2 Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text. 2. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.9 Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics 3. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences. ·         CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3b Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. ·         CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3d Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters. ·         CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3e Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.
Essential Questions (open-ended, no “right” answer)
1. Which is more real—the senses we perceive, or the thoughts we have about them, and why? 2. If you were to live in a cabin for two years, what would your essentials be? Why? 3. How do Emerson and Thoreau’s views differ from your own? How are they the same?
Procedures/Activities
What YOU will do: ·         Project and read the introduction to Emerson’s lecture “The Transcendentalist” ·         Facilitate discussion of the traits that Emerson denotes as being Idealist, or Transcendentalist, in nature. o   Clearly differentiate between perception of the senses and perception of the mind. o   What is “individual culture?” ·         Read an excerpt from Henry David Thoreau’s Walden. ·         Open a discussion of Thoreau’s explanation for his trip into the woods. ·         Pass out the handout “Thoreau’s Packing List Activity.” ·         Tell students to create a list of items that they would bring on a two-year trip into the forest, before grouping them for discussion of their choices. ·         Introduce the “Transcendental Challenge,” a week-long activity that involves getting in tune with the self and with nature, while sacrificing certain symbols of modern society, such as the Internet and cell phones. ·         Lead students into the forest surrounding campus, allowing them to get in touch with nature. What STUDENTS will do: ·         Read or listen to the introduction to “The Transcendentalist.” ·         Discuss properties of transcendentalism and how they can apply it to their lives. ·         Create a list of essentials (or luxuries!) that they would bring with them on a two-year journey into the forest. ·         Discuss their items with a small group of other students. ·         Each group will collaboratively decide on a list of 5 necessary items to share with the class. ·         Participate in the Transcendental Challenge, doing 5 different activities over a week and writing a reflection of at least one paragraph after each activity. ·         On their journey into the forest, students will write a poem about their new connection to nature and their slight separation from modern vices (and devices).
Goals/Assessment Alignment (Products/Performances)
Goals 1. Students will create a list of “essential” items for the students’ hypothetical two-year outings. 2. Students will participate in a variety of activities that may help them connect with nature. 3. Students will apply their knowledge of transcendental thought and action to a poem, written in or immediately after a trek through the forest.	Assessment (formative or summative) 1. The list of items will assess what the students value most, and their final lists outline what they deem most worthy of bringing. 2. Regular reflections will follow the completion of each Transcendental Challenge. 3.These poems should reflect the knowledge of transcendental theory gained throughout the lesson, as well as a reflection on the aspects of modern society that they have become accustomed to.
Materials
·         Pencils / Pens ·         Paper ·         “Thoreau’s Packing List” activity sheet ·         “Transcendental Challenge” handout ·         “Transcendentalism in the Woods” handout
References
·         Emerson, Ralph Waldo. “The Transcendentalist.” Boston: James Munroe and Company, 1849. Print. ·         Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2004. Print.
Additional Notes

Rationale:

This lesson will provide key insight into the Transcendentalist movement, by using Emerson’s lecture as a jumping point into the main theory behind the movement. From there, students are able to discuss the fairly-dense language to decipher its meaning. With this foundational knowledge, the students will have to have the tools to make informed decisions on their “packing list” activity, which puts the students in a position where they can embrace and use what they have learned about living as a Transcendentalist.

The Transcendental Challenge is a fantastic way to immerse the students in the Transcendental lifestyle. By encouraging the students to sacrifice modern luxuries and beliefs, they are free to experience the independence felt by thinkers like Emerson and Thoreau. This will hopefully broaden their views on life and make them all more well-rounded individuals.

Lesson Plan
Title:      Poe and “The Fall of the House of Usher”              Subject/Course: English Topic(s):      Reading Comprehension / Individualism                                            Grade:  11
Summary of Lesson/Overview: This lesson is dedicated to exploring the work of Edgar Allan Poe and assessing how he uses imagery and figurative language, as well as precisely chosen words and phrases, to create a mood and explore the complex and fascinating areas of the human psyche. In “The Fall of the House of Usher,” Poe establishes a mood that unifies the entire work while taking a close look at the power of fear on an individual—in this case, main character Roderick Usher.  Through reading and discussion, the students will parse out this difficult-to-read text and analyze the elements at work.
Lesson Goals (stated in student-friendly terms) Common Core State Standards (complete language from standards)
Lesson Goals ·         Students will use textual evidence to analyze the setting and use of mood in the story, and will assess those statements which are implicit. ·         Students will discuss the use of setting as a means for developing the mood and theme of the work. ·         Students must assess specific word choices in order to understand their impact on the mood of the story, which figurative language and imagery are also assessed as being vehicles for viewing a situation from different perspectives. ·         Poe’s work is riddled with metaphor, and students must regard his statements (even the title of “The Fall of the House of Usher”) as having multiple interpretations, which they will explore. ·         Students will contrast this work with other Individualist and Transcendentalist writers of the same period—comparing Poe’s macabre approach to the frightening complexities of an individual with broader,  more philosophical approaches from the likes of Emerson and Thoreau.	CCSS ·         CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain. ·         CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.3 Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed). ·         CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. ·         CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.6 Analyze a case in which grasping a point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant. ·         CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.9 Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics.
Essential Questions (open-ended, no “right” answer)
1. How can you manipulate imagery and specific words / phrases to affect the mood of a story? 2. How can fear influence our lives, thoughts, and actions? 3. Is it more important to plan a literary work entirely first, or to write it as you go?
Procedures/Activities
What YOU will do: ·         Briefly discuss the life and times of Edgar Allan Poe. ·         Talk about Poe’s fascination with the inner workings of the human mind, and how it translates into his work. ·         Discuss fear—What is it? What does it do to us? What are we scared of, and why? ·         Open discussion of mood. o   Poe uses detailed imagery, precise language, and a narrator that both observes and participates in the events recounted to set the mood. ·         Discuss how the mood of a literary work affects the reader’s experience. ·         Have students read (aloud) “The Fall of the House of Usher.” o   Pause periodically for group discussion and analysis of the story’s events and mood. ·         Spend time discussing the poem within the story, and particularly how it reflects the main theme and mood of the story. ·         Give students an analysis sheet, in which they assess the story and determine which elements contribute to the mood and theme of fear. What STUDENTS will do: ·         Share their knowledge of Edgar Allan Poe, his life and times, and his artistic style. ·         Discuss fear—What is it? What does it do to us? What are we scared of, and why? ·         Discuss their experience with mood, and impact it makes on the reading experience. ·         Take turns reading “The Fall of the House of Usher,” by Edgar Allan Poe. ·         Discuss “The Haunted Palace,” Roderick Usher’s poem from within the story. ·         Discuss elements that they noticed which have an effect on the mood or theme of the story. ·         Finish reading the story for homework. ·         Complete an analysis sheet.
Goals/Assessment Alignment (Products/Performances)
Goals 1. Students will understand the role and effect of mood in a literary work. 2. Students will assess the power and impact of emotions on the individual. 3. Students will be able to identify the ways in which an author sets and manipulates moods and themes in a literary work.	Assessment (formative or summative) 1. Students will discuss what mood is and how authors implement it in their works. 2. Students will write about their worst fears and how they are affected by those fears. 3. Students will complete an analysis sheet where they identify specific methods used by Poe to set mood and theme.
Materials
·         Pencils / Pens ·         Paper ·         The Language of Literature Textbook ·         Mood / Theme analysis sheet.
References
Additional Notes

Rationale:

This lesson is intended to give the students a deeper read into Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher,” exploring the themes and styles of a man obsessed with the more macabre parts of life. Poe offers great insight into the human psyche, and how it is sometimes afflicted with unbearable feelings of sadness, regret, anger, and fear—something that, given Poe’s Romanticized style, falls neatly in line with Transcendentalist opinions about the intense pressure that builds within all individuals.

            Poe explores the power of fear and sadness to fester and corrupt their host, as Roderick Usher crumbles in his fear and reclusiveness. The story presents vivid, understandable, and relatable descriptions of the characters’ emotions, giving the students a connection to the story that can carry on with thim even after they’ve finished reading.

            To read the events of Poe’s works means to see the darker underbelly of humanity and, while it can be grotesque and upsetting, it provides a valuable lesson to the reader. Like Usher, many of Poe’s works are cautionary tales, and they can work to improve the reader’s well-being as a healthy (and a bit more happy) human being.