The document provides instructions for a lesson on Henry David Thoreau's essay "Civil Disobedience". Students are asked to complete a bell ringer activity explaining connections between Thoreau's ideas and modern events or issues. They will then have individual time to annotate and analyze their assigned excerpt from the essay. Following this, students will meet in groups based on the excerpt they received to create a poster and 5 minute lesson presenting their excerpt and its key ideas to the class. The document includes examples of expectations for the group work and presentation.

2. Good Morning!
 Today, you need:
 Your journal
 Have your Character Soundtrack out
 Bell Ringer:
 Get a slip of paper from Mrs. Singer
 Glue this in your notebook.
 Explain your quote in one paragraph (7 sent.):
 What does it mean?
 Who might this quote be talking about?
 Does it/Can it relate to the real world or can you think of
examples?
 Write the quote in your own words.

3. With the neighbor to your left:
 Read your quote.
 Explain what your quote is about.
 Listen to your neighbor do the same.
 Write two sentences summarizing and explaining your
neighbor’s quote.

4. Civil Disobedience
The refusal to obey certain laws or
governmental demands for the purpose
of influencing legislation or government
policy, characterized by use of
nonviolent techniques

5. Henry David Thoreau
(1817- 1862)
 an American author, naturalist,
transcendentalist, tax resister,
development critic, surveyor,
sage writer and philosopher. He
is best known for his book
Walden, a reflection upon simple
living in natural surroundings,
and his essay, Civil
Disobedience, an argument for
individual resistance to civil
government in moral opposition
to an unjust state.

6. Transcendentalism…
 is a very formal word that describes a very simple idea. People, men
and women equally, have knowledge about themselves and the world
around them that "transcends" or goes beyond what they can see,
hear, taste, touch or feel.
 This knowledge comes through intuition and imagination not through
logic or the senses. People can trust themselves to be their own
authority on what is right. A TRANSCENDENTALIST is a person who
accepts these ideas not as religious beliefs but as a way of
understanding life relationships.
 Among the transcendentalists' core beliefs was the inherent
goodness of both people and nature. They believe that society and its
institutions—particularly organized religion and political parties—
ultimately corrupt the purity of the individual. They have faith that
people are at their best when truly "self-reliant" and independent. It is
only from such real individuals that true community could be formed.

7. A Short Biography
 Of the men and women who made Concord the center of
Transcendentalism, only Thoreau was born there.
 He attended Harvard
 He might have made a career as a school teacher, but he
resigned rather than inflict corporal punishment.
 He was also a tutor, surveyor, and pencil manufacturer.

8. Abolitionist
 In the 1850’s, he became an outspoken abolitionist.
 He was effective enough to be summoned to fill in for
Frederick Douglas at a convention in Boston.
 He was an active abolitionist, assisting in the
movement of slaves toward freedom through the
Underground Railroad.

9. “Resistance to Civil
Government”
 On a trip into town to get a shoe fixed, Thoreau was
asked to pay his poll-tax.
 He refused, saying he did not wish to support a
government waging war against Mexico or one that
supported slavery.
 He spent one night in jail. Someone, probably his
mother, paid the poll tax for him.

10. Walden
 On July 4, 1845, Thoreau moved into woods owned by
Ralph Waldo Emerson to write A Week on the Concord
and Merrimack Rivers.
 He built a cabin and worked to be self-sufficient.
 Some have suggested that he was declaring his
independence from society.
 Thoreau maintains that the date was “by accident.”

11. Thoreau’s Journal
 Thoreau kept a journal while he lived in
the woods; this journal became the
basis of Walden.
 After two years, two months, and two
days, Thoreau left the woods, returning
to care for Emerson’s household.
 He both went to and left Walden Pond
for practical reasons.

12. "I went to the woods because I wished to live
deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and
see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not,
when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not
wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I
wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite
necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the
marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to
put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and
shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its
lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to
get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish
its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it
by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in
my next excursion."
― Henry David Thoreau, Walden: Or, Life in the Woods

13. "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to
front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn
what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that
I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is
so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was
quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the
marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to
rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close,
to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and,
if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine
meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it
were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a

14. 1) What does it mean to live deliberately?
2) What do you think Thoreau meant by the essential facts of life?
Why?
3) What does Thoreau mean when he says, “and not when I came to
die, discover that I had not lived.”
4) What is resignation?
5) What does Thoreau mean by the following:
a) I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.
b) To live sturdily and Spartan-like.
c) To cut a broad swath and shave close.
d) To drive life into a corner and reduce it to its lowest terms.
e) We live meanly like ants.
Are they metaphors? Similes? How do they help to illustrate
the writer’s point?

15.  What does Thoreau mean when he says he wants to
shave life close and “reduce it to its lowest
terms?” What did he hope this would do?
 Why do you think Thoreau moved closer to nature to
conduct his experiment?
 What has your environment taught you? Have you ever
visited or lived in a different environment”? What did
that environment teach you or help you understand?
 Do you live deliberately? Deeply? Simply?

16. Reading “Civil Disobedience”
 This is a difficult, high-level text.
 It is similar to many passages you will see on EOC’s,
SAT/ACT’s, and college exams.
 If you read along, annotate, and pay attention, I
promise the text will make sense quickly (and
painlessly).
 This is a persuasive text, one that is asking us to buy
into his vision for the government and the world. Try to
think of how his view might agree or contradict our
world today

17. Good Morning!
 Today, you need:
 Your journal
 Your Thoreau passage from yesterday (front table)
 Bell Ringer:
Thoreau wrote “Civil Disobedience” almost 200 years ago. Think of at
least 3 historical or modern connections with his ideas. Explain what
they are and how they connect with his ideas about any one of the
following: government, power, self-reliance, individualism,
transcendentalism, breaking the law, going against the
government/power.
Raise your hand when you are done so that Mrs. Singer can come
check your work
 Today, I Can:
 Analyze a text for its purpose and main idea
 Support my understanding of a text through evidence-based writing and speaking

18. Individual Work
 You will have 25 minutes to
complete your annotations and
the analysis worksheet on the
back of your passage.
 You may listen to music as long
as you are working.
 Use complete sentences.
 You may write your answers in
your journal, if that is easier for
you.

19. Group Work
 You will meet with the other students who have the
same excerpt as you. There are 8 groups. Your
number is at the top of your page.
 In your group, you will combine your work to complete:
 A poster
 A 5 minute lesson on your passage
 You will receive a grade on your individual work, your
ability to collaborate and work in a group, and your
understanding of the passage when you present.

20. In your group…
 You will create an annotated paragraph from Civil
Disobedience.
 You will present your rewritten (in your own words)
paragraph to the class.
 Remember- you are teaching this paragraph, so make
sure that you include all important points and
information!
 Main idea
 Main points or evidence to back this idea up
 Vocabulary
 Literary devices
 Connections to the modern world

21. Example poster & Rubric
I can… 1 2 3 3.5 4
Contribute my
work and
understanding of
a passage to the
group poster
My work meets all
requirements. I
attempt to contribute
to the group poster
and presentation. My
group attempts to
discuss what is best,
but may just divide up
the work or not
include everyone.
My work meets all
requirements. I help
with the poster and
contribute during the
presentation. My
group attempts to
discuss what is best,
but may just divide
up the work.
My work meets all
requirements. I
contribute to the
group poster both in
content and work put
in. My group has
some conversations
about what works
best in our poster
and presentation.
My work is
thorough and
detailed. I
contribute to the
group poster both
in content and
work put in. My
group has debate
and discussion
about what works
best in our poster
and presentation.
Demonstrate my
knowledge of a
text through my
part of the
presentation
I read from my paper.
I understand my
passage, but may not
be able to clearly
explain it to others.
I look at my paper
many times. I
understand my
passage and can
explain it clearly to
others.
I only look at my
paper as a
reference. I
thoroughly
understand my
passage and can
make connections to
it.
I don’t need to
look at my paper
to explain my part
of the
presentation. I
thoroughly
understand my
passage and can
make connections
to it.

22. Each group member must
present a section (main
idea, rewritten, vocab., lit
devices, modern
connections).
Everyone must contribute to
the poster.
Make sure to discuss
whose work is best for what
section- do not just divide it
up by section!
Everyone must contribute to
the annotated passage on
the poster.
We will present on
Thursday.
ANNOTATED
Excerpt
Main Idea
Paragraph in our own words
Vocabulary Literary
Devices