Welcome & task
Alone or with a partner, you will explore the ways in which Henry David Thoreau reflects the Transcendentalist emphasis on nature and initiates a long literary tradition of nature writing. Here you can see the growing emphasis on the American landscape and setting as an important focus for American writing.
Using your research as evidence, you will discuss the following prompts in small groups:
1. Discuss the ways in which Thoreau uses his focused experience at Walden Pond to reflect Transcendentalist concerns with nature. You may wish to focus on one particular aspect of the pond, one particular time of day, or one particular season. Cite specific textual examples!
2. In what ways does Thoreau bring to life the principles and philosophy Emerson articulated in Nature? Cite specific textual examples!
You will be using laptops in class, so - per usual - are expected to use the technology appropriately. Sites will be provided under the PROCESS & RESOURCES tab, but you are welcome to explore additional sites on your own, except for the "easy outs": Wikipedia, encyclopedias, etc. Use a dictionary to look up words with which you are unfamiliar. Cite your source(s) and take notes!
See the instructions under the PROCESS & RESOURCES tab to begin. Have fun exploring!
(Questions? Ask Mrs. Hultstrom!)
Using your research as evidence, you will discuss the following prompts in small groups:
1. Discuss the ways in which Thoreau uses his focused experience at Walden Pond to reflect Transcendentalist concerns with nature. You may wish to focus on one particular aspect of the pond, one particular time of day, or one particular season. Cite specific textual examples!
2. In what ways does Thoreau bring to life the principles and philosophy Emerson articulated in Nature? Cite specific textual examples!
You will be using laptops in class, so - per usual - are expected to use the technology appropriately. Sites will be provided under the PROCESS & RESOURCES tab, but you are welcome to explore additional sites on your own, except for the "easy outs": Wikipedia, encyclopedias, etc. Use a dictionary to look up words with which you are unfamiliar. Cite your source(s) and take notes!
See the instructions under the PROCESS & RESOURCES tab to begin. Have fun exploring!
(Questions? Ask Mrs. Hultstrom!)
WebQuest based on "American Transcendentalism: An Online Travel Guide," produced by students in ENGL 446, American Transcendentalism, and ENGL 447, American Literature and the Prominence of Place: A Travel Practicum. These courses were team-taught in the Department of English at Shepherd College, Shepherdstown, West Virginia, in Spring 2002 by Dr. Patricia Dwyer and Dr. Linda Tate. For more information on the course and the web project, visit "About This Site." © 2003 Linda Tate.