Hello My Fantastical Students,
If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.
It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.
-Henry David Thoreau
Thank you for your patience during my absence. Please check this blog regularly incase I post assignments or resources you need in preparation for class the next day. I am depending on your diligence during this unit, so you fully comprehend the effects of transcendentalism on today’s society.
The following assignment is due Wednesday, February 28. You will not be able to watch this in class, so make sure you watch all four clips before you enter class Wednesday. Write a 3-4 line summary for each video, so you will be turning in 4 summaries on Wednesday to the sub.
These videos will help you understand the reading you will be doing in class. You will be reading a very significant non fiction piece written by Henry David Thoreau titled Civil Disobedience. As you read this week’s selection analyze how transcendentalism influenced life as you know it today and over the past century. As AP students you must know Thoreau and other authors from this era and their works. Here is a man who decided to not accept new technologies his generation was experiencing like the post office. He decided to live in the woods for two years with no technologies to reflect on life. Will you do that today? What would Thoreau think of today’s advancements? Allow his thoughts to make you reflect on your life and society. Enjoy his essays, as I always have.
Transcendentalism
American Literature
Transcendentalism is an American philosophy that was popular in New England during the 1830’s. Transcendentalists argued for trusting one’s own intuition above established authority, glorifying nature over industrialization, and following one’s conscience even if it means breaking the law. Transcendentalists fought for the abolition of slavery and women’s rights just to name a few of their causes. The writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau influenced such men as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi. In this brief unit, we will be discussing the following questions and pondering the following ideas.
Essential Questions: (Just think about these questions as we work through this unit.)
- What is the nature of humankind?
- Who determines right and wrong for the individual?
- What is the individual’s obligation to society?
- At what point is it necessary to break the law?
- Where is the individual closest to the divine?
- How much of one’s values must one compromise to live in society?
I will be in this week to collect all the work turned in. Feel free to email me with any questions and concerns.
From Transcendentalism to Civil Disobedience:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJL9S0J8-4k
Kind of boring overview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo_4yUTpmYI
Mark Ruffalo reading Civil Disobedience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9z0o_MAU0ao
To show or not to show? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elrTpoY6AYQ
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