Ahimsa Summer Institute 2005 lesson plan
Andy Davidson
Title:A Different Drummer
Grade level:8th
Subject:U.S. History or Language Arts (American Literature 19th century)
Time/Duration:1-2 periods
Goals & Outcomes:
The goals of the lesson fall within the domain of knowledge and cultural understanding. Of specific importance is student understanding based on the following curriculum strand:
Ethical Literacy
- The ways in which different societies have tried to resolve ethical issues.
- Examine major religious and philosophical traditions in Westernand non-Western societies and particularly in their efforts to establish standards of behavior and values for achieving the good life and a good society.
- How the ideas people profess affect their behavior.
- Understand the connection between ideas and actions.
Objectives:
Students will be able to correctly:
- Identify Emerson & Thoreau and define transcendentalism
- Explain Emerson & Thoreau’s beliefs on various issues (right & wrong, nature, social reform etc.)
- Explain and give examples of the importance of civil disobedience and personal response to “unjust laws”
- List examples of civil disobedience and accomplishments from 19th & 20th century
California State Standard
Identify common themes in American art as well as transcendentalism and individualism (e.g., writings about and by Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.)
Summary of lesson:
Students will view a Power Point presentation on Emerson & Thoreau, provide written responses to primary source quotations and self-study questions, answer review questions, and create a chart (or essay) on Thoreau’s ideas. Students will have opportunities throughout the lesson to discuss, ask questions, and work individually and in groups as needed to further their comprehension and mastery of the content.
Questions to consider:
According to Emerson and Thoreau,
- How does a single individual recognize what is wrong and what is right?
- At what point, and by what right, does a person's conscience carry more authority than the law?
- List some examples of what can be accomplished by acts of civil disobedience?
- What is important about the idea of civil disobedience in our own time?
Materials needed:
- Computer & projector for Power Point presentation
- Copies of review and self-study questions
- Chart-making materials
Vocabulary:
transcendentalism: a belief that the most important truths in life transcend or go beyond human reason, stressed emotion over reason,
a belief that an individual has control over his or her life
Interdisciplinary approach:
Language Arts (American Literature - 19th century)
Assessment:
- Answers to self-study &review questions
- Assignment/Project-Thoreau Chart or Essay
- Selected questions from test or quiz
- Informal assessment during class discussion
Instructional Agenda
Warm Up (Introduction/Hook)
- Students read and respond to Thoreau’s “Different Drummer” quote followed by class or small group discussion with clarification by the teacher. Discussion could focus on the idea of people following their conscience, not going along with the crowd, standing up for a cause etc. Teacher should encourage students to think of examples or reflect on situations when doing this would be difficult. Teacher should emphasize the concept that individual action is the starting point for collective action (basis for 19th century social reform and 20th century protests (Gandhi, King, Chavez).
Lesson/Activity
- Students view the Power Point presentation (A Different Drummer) as a class. Students respond to Emerson & Thoreau quotes and self-study questions in the presentation and answer review questions independently
- Teachers unfamiliar with Emerson, Thoreau and the 19th century transcendentalist movement can find an overview from various sources such as
- This lesson is designed on the Explicit Direct Instruction model. Consequently, teachers have numerous opportunities to clarify information and check for student understanding by using the self-study questions embedded in the Power Point presentation.
Independent Practice
- Students answer the review questions individually at the end of the presentation
Conclusion
- Students work individually or in groups on Thoreau chart activity
- Students work individually on Thoreau essay
Reflection
Asstudents develop an understanding and appreciation of civil disobedience, and nonviolent social protest they will discover how they can take action individually, and collectively to change and improve society.
References of all sources
Castillo, Davidson, Stoff, The American Nation, Prentice Hall, 2000, p. 341-343
Emerson quotes,
“Inner light” quote, Collected Essays,
“Spirit” quote, Self Reliance
“Nature” quote, Nature, published as part of Nature; Addresses and Lectures
Thoreau quotes,
“A Different Drummer”, conclusion of Walden
“Law” quote, attributed March 30, 1851-Journals (?)
“Nature” quote, Walden
"Unjust law quote", Civil Disobedience
Self Study Questions
Warm Up
Read the quotation below and explain what it means in your own words. Be ready to discuss your explanation with the class or in a small group.
“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured and far away.” Henry David Thoreau
1.The transcendentalist believed that
a.the most important truths in life transcend or go beyond human reason.
b.emotion was more important than reason.
c.an individual had control over his or her life.
d.social reform was a way to improve America.
e.all of the above
“A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within.”
2.The quote by Emerson is an example of his belief in an individual’s
a.physical strength.
b.inner light.
c.faith in the government.
d.right to bear arms.
“Nature always wears the color of the spirit.”
3.The quote by Emerson reveals his view that
a.nature contained valuable resources that mankind should exploit.
b.people should live apart from nature.
c.nature held higher values that came from God.
d.natural disasters were dangerous to mankind.
4.Thoreau believed that the United States was a great country due to the growth of cities and the increasing number of factories. (True or False)
5.According to Thoreau, trying to get rich and acquire material wealth was a man’s purpose in life. (True or False)
6.Thoreau believed that an individual must decide what is right and wrong. (True or False)
“The law will never make men free, it is men who have got to make the law free.”
7.What do you think Thoreau was trying to say about the law? Think about the problems of the mid-19th century to help clarify your response.
“A lake is the landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature. It is Earth's eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.”
8.Thoreau is saying that the beauty of nature can lead a person to examine them self in an introspective way. (True or False)
9.What 19th century issues or problems did Thoreau disagree with?
10.What actions did Thoreau take to improve society?
Review Questions
Answer the following questions using the information you learned from the presentation.
1.According to Emerson and Thoreau, could the actions of a single individual make a difference in society? Explain how.
2.How did Thoreau believe an individual should respond to an unjust law? Do you agree? Explain your answer
3.Identify examples of civil disobedience in the 19th century and what was accomplished through nonviolent protest in the 20th century?
4.List some examples of injustice from today. How should individuals respond? What can be accomplished by acts of civil disobedience to solve these problems?
Self-Study Question Answer Key
1. E
2.B
3.C
4.False
5.False
6.True
7.Responses will vary. Possible answers should reflect an awareness of the limitations or fallibility of the law (laws can be wrong, example Fugitive Slave Laws of the 1800s etc.)
8.True
9.Opposed Mexican War because he felt it promoted slavery. Opposed slavery. Thoreau believed that the growth of industry and the rise of cities were ruining the nation.
10.Refused to pay taxes to support the Mexican War (spent the night in jail), Wrote essays, books, and gave lectures. Spoke out against the Fugitive Slave Law. Worked as a conductor on the Underground Railroad helping escaped slaves reach freedom. Thoreau urged people to live as simply as possible and spent a year living on Walden Pond in a cabin that he built.
Review Question Answer Key
1.Both were transcendentalists and believed that an individual had control over his or her life. Emerson urged people to use the “inner light” to guide their lives and improve society. Thoreau believed that an individual must decide what is right and wrong according to the dictates of their conscience.
2.Thoreau argued that people had a right and a duty to disobey unjust laws if their consciences demanded it. Student response will vary about agreeing or disagreeing with Thoreau. Explanations should support the opinions they express.
3.19th century - Thoreau going to jail for refusing to pay taxes he felt supported an unjust war. Abolition movement (Underground Railroad). 20th century - Gandhi and Indian independence, King and African American civil rights, Chavez and the cause of migrant farm workers.
4.Student responses will vary. Possible answers might include peaceful non-violent protest, fasting, non-cooperation, going to prison. Acts of civil disobedience have been effective in the past. "Nonviolent activists display a willingness to sacrifice and remain dignified and disciplined in the face of repression, they are often able to win sympathy and political support from bystanders." (The Power of Nonviolence, David Cortright, article from The Nation, posted January 31, 2002 (February 18, 2002 issue)