Exploring Emerson's 'Self-Reliance'

Learning Objective

Total Time: 1 minute

Students will articulate the main ideas and themes of Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay 'Self-Reliance' and their relevance to personal and societal growth.

Assessments

Total Time: 1 minute

Students will create a digital presentation or infographic summarizing the key concepts from 'Self-Reliance' that resonate with them personally.

Key Points

Total Time: 5 minutes

• Self-Reliance: The importance of trusting oneself and individual intuition.

• Nonconformity: The value of independence and unique perspectives.

• Nature: How nature serves as a source of inspiration and a reflection of truth.

• Societal Expectations: The conflict between societal norms and personal belief.

Opening

Total Time: 5 minutes

• Start with a thought-provoking question: 'What does self-reliance mean to you?' Allow students a couple of minutes for individual reflection.

• Use a short clip (2-3 minutes) from a TED Talk discussing individualism to spark interest and relate the topic to modern contexts.

• Engage students in a brief discussion about their insights.

Introduction to New Material

Total Time: 10 minutes

• Provide an overview of Ralph Waldo Emerson's life and the Transcendentalist movement using a PowerPoint presentation.

• Introduce key quotes from 'Self-Reliance' and explain their meanings.

• Discuss the major themes: individualism, nature, confidence in one's thoughts, and the consequences of nonconformity.

• Share a visual infographic that depicts the main ideas from 'Self-Reliance'.

Guided Practice

Total Time: 15 minutes

• Divide students into small groups and assign each group a specific quote or theme from 'Self-Reliance'.

• Using their Chromebooks, have students conduct a brief research activity to interpret their assigned quote or theme and relate it to their own lives or current events.

• Each group will prepare a short 2-minute presentation to share their findings with the class, fostering collaborative learning and peer teaching.

Independent Practice

Total Time: 10 minutes

• Students will use a digital tool (like Canva or Google Slides) to create a personal reflection presentation or infographic based on 'Self-Reliance'.

• They should include at least two quotes, their interpretations, and how these ideas apply to their lives and choices.

Closing

Total Time: 5 minutes

• Facilitate a class discussion where students share their presentations/infographics and articulate how Emerson's ideas have influenced their personal beliefs.

• End with a reflective question: 'How can embracing self-reliance benefit you in today's world?' This will prompt students to think critically.

Extension Activity

Total Time: 3 minutes

• For students who finish early, encourage them to write a brief response (1-2 paragraphs) in their digital notebooks about a contemporary figure or event that exemplifies self-reliance.

Homework

Total Time: 1 minute

• Assign students to write a personal reflection journal entry about a time they chose to be self-reliant and what the outcome was. Optional: They may consider ways they can develop this quality further.

Standards Aligned

Total Time: 1 minute

• ELA.9.R.1.1: Analyze how authors use literary elements and techniques to create meaning.

• ELA.9.R.1.3: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze how it is conveyed through specific details.