Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Day 29!

Oh my goodness, we are almost to Day 30! You're going to make it!

Today we will continue on with some background information about Transcendentalism and the impact it had on the American mind. In specific, you will be doing two short readings about our first author, Ralph Waldo Emerson.

First,  you will be reading pages 360-361 in the text book individually. This reading is about how Emerson really started the Transcendental way of thinking, and how he impacted America and eventually the world.  Answer the questions on page 361 and discuss your answers with a partner near you.

Then, please read page 362-363 about how Emerson's "Self-Reliance" had an impact on 16 year old Charles Johnson who eventually went on to become a celebrated American author. Answer the questions on page 363 and discuss with a partner.

Once you have completed these two readings, please reflect on the following questions and answer based on the pages you have read:

1. What  are some important things to note about Ralph Waldo Emerson?

2. What impact has Emerson had on the American way of thinking?

3. Based on what you know already, do you believe the topics that he writes about are still relevant today? Why or Why not?


If you have time left over at the end of the period, you may free read. No computers!