1.
How are you affected by nature? Do you find comfort in it? Do you reflect the moods of nature?
What is the role of nature in your life?
What is meant by an individual’s spiritual side? How do you define it?
What is the connection between the individual’s spirit and nature?
What does it mean to know something intuitively?
How do you demonstrate that you are an individual? Do you think independently of others or do you follow the crowd?
Please pass your Vocab 8 work into the center of every row for collection.
Grab your newly organized and cleaned out notebooks.
In the Literature table of contents create your first entry: “Notes: Transcendentalism”
Get out a sheet of paper labeled “Notes: Transcendentalism” and on that paper and maybe with the help of a pal you’ll have the first half of the period to answer these questions. You do not need full and complete sentences, but be ready to share your responses.

2. Transcendentalism
An important American Literary and Philosophical Movement (though NOT a religion) 1830s to 1860s

3. Transcend (v)
to go beyond a limit or range, for example, of thought or belief
So, TRANSCENDENTALISM, at its core is about “moving beyond” common experience and understanding.

4. Transcendentalism
The idea that in determining the ultimate reality of God, the universe, the self, and other important matters, one must transcend, or go beyond, everyday human experience in the physical world.
Also based on Romantic ideas
Based on intuition; optimistic
Shared the Puritan philosophy that saw signs and symbols in human events

5. Premises of Transcendentalism
There is a direct connection between the universe and the individual soul
By thinking about objects in nature, people can transcend the world and discover a union with the Over-Soul
Follow your intuition and beliefs no matter how much they differ from the social norms
All people are inherently good

6. So who were a few Transcendentalists?
Ralph Waldo Emerson (former Unitarian minister from Massachusetts who became the most well known Transcendentalist.)
Henry David Thoreau (his pupil, the son of pencil maker who dropped out of society to live a solitary and transcendent life).

7. Transcendentalists
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Henry David Thoreau

8. Why did Transcendentalism become popular?
As with Romanticism, Americans felt that there must be more to life than logical, rational experience.
The Transcendentalists sought to regain a spirituality that they thought was missing from current thought and philosophy.

9. Transcendentalism With a partner answer the following questions.
How are you affected by nature? Do you find comfort in it? Do you reflect the moods of nature?
What is the role of nature in your life?
What is meant by an individual’s spiritual side? How do you define it?
What is the connection between the individual’s spirit and nature?
What does it mean to know something intuitively?
How do you demonstrate that you are an individual? Do you think independently of others or do you follow the crowd?

10. 1.10.2019 Pick up your homework from bookcase up front.
Any late Vocab 8 work needs to go in the assignment box with a note explaining why it’s being turned in now.
Directions for the rest of the period:
You’ve got the whole period to get started on your homework, reading and completing the packet on Emerson you just picked up.
You must complete every question and note in the packet and submit it on Monday ( )
It is a difficult text that you may not understand, and therefore you may need to read more than once.
Because Emerson argues for the individual self and self-reliance you must complete this assignment completely on your own.

11. 1.17.2019 Pass in your Thoreau homework.
In your notebook you should have a sheet of paper called “Notes: Transcendentalism,” take that paper out.
Today you’re going to watch a 10 minute video that explains who Ralph Waldo Emerson is, and what he believed in. This is will help you understand his writings. As the video plays you’ll need to take notes on both who Emerson is, and what he believes.

12. What do we know about Emerson?
Who is he?
What does he believe?

14. What do we know about Emerson?
Who is he?
What does he believe?

15. Emerson & Thoreau Emerson was Thoreau’s mentor and teacher.
He’s ideas are going to be in Thoreau’s writings. So look for repeated ideas as you complete your homework.
You’re going to watch another video (this one in a bit shorter) explaining Thoreau. Again you want to divide up your notes into to columns and take note of: who is his, and what he believes in

16. What do we know about Thoreau?
Who is he?
What does he believe?

18. What do we know about Thoreau?
Who is he?
What does he believe?

19. Compare and Contrast
Emerson
Thoreau