A study in modern day Transcendentalism
The Transcendentalism Unit of English literature focuses on the two most famous American Transcendentalists, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. American Transcendentalism began in the New England region in the early 1830’s. “Transcendentalist placed great faith in higher, intuitive forms or knowledge, and urged people to have disgust for conformity and praised individuality. Transcendentalists disliked the commercial, financial side of American life. They stressed instead spiritual well-being, achieved through intellectual activity and a close relationship with nature” (Literature 103).
In his song, “I Don’t Want to Be” Gavin DeGraw represents a modern day transcendentalist resisting the pressure put on each one of us to conform and embracing his true internal spirituality and identity.
"I Don't Want to Be" encourages listeners to “be who they are” rather than internalizing expectations placed upon them by peers, popular culture, mainstream advertising and society as a whole. In particular, the song addresses the identity crisis among youth who feel pressured to conform. This song encourages youth to embrace their background and cultivate their own sense of identity and self-worth.
When we are born, the biological parent/child relationship is the only immutable condition of our existence. In the opening lines of his song Gavin talks about his relationship to his parents, a prison guard and a drug detoxification specialist. He doesn’t feel any pressure to be anything more than that. He goes on to say the only thing he “must be” is his parent’s biological child. Gavin is not saying he wants to be a prison guard or a specialist but he recognizes this fundamental aspect of his identity.
“I don’t need to be anything other than a prison guard’s son/
I don’t need to be anything other than a specialist’s son/
I don’t have to be anyone but the birth of two souls in one”
Lesson Overview:
Transcendentalism focuses on individualism. From their belief that God was within every person to their steadfast belief that every man should make decisions based on personal moral values, individualism was stressed in their lives. Thoreau and Emerson wrote extensively on what it means to be an individual, what it means to conform, and how difficult nonconformity is. Thoreau specifically uses nature to help him come to terms with what it means to be an individual and to act based on individual, moral decisions. In “I Don’t Want to Be” Gavin DeGraw explores his own identity and internal morality. Rather than make an assertive statement as to who he is, Gavin reduces his existence to the bare minimum by resisting external pressures (I don’t want to be). This lesson uses popular music to illustrate the concepts of Transcendentalism and will assist students in recognizing that the philosophy is still present in modern day life. Gavin echoes a theme of “Self-Reliance” by deriving his own sense of peace through internal reflection.
"All I have to do is think of me and I have peace of mind."
Length:
2 47 minute periods
Grades:
9-12
Other Subjects:
Language Arts
Instructional Objectives:
Students will:
· identify Transcendentalism beliefs and attitudes in present-day artistic forms
· analyze the pressures of modern day society.
· develop their own views on self-reliance, individualism, and the relationship between nature and humans.
Supplies:
“Civil-Disobedience.” <http://eserver.org/thoreau/civil.html>.
DeGraw, Gavin. “I Don’t Want To Be” Chariot. J Records, 2003.
Literature. New York: McDougal, Littell, and Co., 1987.
Student Materials:
“Self-Reliance,” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Walden, Henry David Thoreau
“Civil-Disobedience,” Henry David Thoreau
Instructional Plan:
Instructional Plan 1:
Class: English
Unit: Transcendentalism
Topic: Breaking Free From Conformity
Goals of the lesson:
The goals of this lesson are to expose students to American Transcendentalism literature and to have students apply the ideas of Transcendentalism to modern day life through music, specifically Gavin DeGraw’s song “I Don’t Want to Be”.
Learning Standards:
Language Arts IV (9-12):
Standard 1: Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process
Standard 3: Uses grammatical and mechanical conventions in written compositions
Standard 4: Gathers and uses information for research purposes
Standard 5: Uses the general skills and strategies of the reading process
Standard 6: Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of literary texts
Student Needs/Accommodations:
I will use the students’ own analysis and ability to relate to Gavin DeGraw’s song “I Don’t Want to Be” to demonstrate how society affects their everyday life. This will make the sometimes difficult philosophies of Transcendentalism more accessible to them. It will also help students understand how Transcendentalists, like Thoreau and Emerson, felt during the late 1800’s.
Objectives:
· Students will identify Transcendentalism beliefs and attitudes.
· Students will compare life in the late 1800’s to modern day society.
· Students will analyze the pressures of modern day society.
Methods:
8 minutes Start students with a journal entry question: “Why does Ralph Waldo Emerson advocate self-reliance? How do you think Emerson would feel about modern day technology (internet, magazines, cell phones, etc.)? What kinds of conformity do you see around you? How do people react to nonconformists?”
10 minutes Have students share their responses to allow them to voice their thoughts on how their peers and society pressure them to conform, and form comparisons between modern day life and life for Emerson in the late 1800’s.
4 minutes Play Gavin DeGraw’s “I Don’t Want to Be” and hand out lyrics
8 minutes Asks students to write in their own words, what they think the song is about and how it might reflect Transcendentalism.
15 minutes Students will use “Self-Reliance,” an essay written by Emerson that they read the previous night, as evidence to support how Emerson understood the affects of society on human kind. Class discussion will revolve around taking the essay and integrating Gavin DeGraw’s “I Don’t Want to Be” and current events to the ideas that Emerson believes in.
2 minutes Homework:
Have students write sentences starting with “I don’t want to be”
List pressures put on them from external sources
List who they think lie to them and/or are imposters
Assessment strategies:
The students will be assessed based upon the following criteria:
Adequate contributions to class discussion and special projects.
Depth of analysis.
Thoughtful journal response, using correct writing conventions.
General level of engagement in all activities and discussion.
Day 2
Goals of the lesson:
The goals of this lesson are to assess students’ progress with the unit and to compare how well students can make the connection between the late 1800’s and modern day society.
Learning Standards:
Language Arts IV (9-12):
Standard 1: Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process
Standard 2: Uses the stylistic and rhetorical aspects of writing
Standard 3: Uses grammatical and mechanical conventions in written compositions
Standard 4: Gathers and uses information for research purposes
Standard 6: Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of literary texts
Standard 7: Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of informational texts
Student Needs/Accommodations:
At the end of the Transcendentalism unit I will assign an essay as a major grade, along with a test covering Romanticism and Transcendentalism. The essay assignment will allow the students to formally express what they have learned over the course of the unit.
Objectives:
· Students will analyze the pressures of modern day society.
· Students will produce an analytical essay using evidence to support claims.
· Students will apply knowledge of writing conventions and MLA formatting in the essay.
Methods:
6 minutes Begin class with playing Gavin DeGraw’s song “I Don’t Want To Be”.
20 minutes Discuss homework assignment from previous night
- Ask if students think Emerson and Thoreau had to deal with the same kinds of imposters and liars.
- Discuss how students can overcome these external pressures.
- Encourage every student to participate.
- If a student can’t come up with liars or imposters refer them to Gavin’s lyrics: “Am I the only one who noticed?/
I can't be the only one who's learned”
5 minutes Pass out essay assignment (*attached*). Read aloud with students and answer any questions about the assignment.
15 minutes Work with students to brainstorm and create an outline on how to include both Gavin DeGraw’s lyrics and Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essays in the assignment.
1 minute Close class with a reminder about essay due dates.
Assessment strategies:
The students will be assessed based upon the following criteria:
Depth of analysis.
Use of the song and literary works as evidence in the essay.
Focused writing in accordance with the writing rubric.
General level of engagement in discussion.
Transcendentalism Essay
(major grade)
In “Self-Reliance” Ralph Waldo Emerson writes, “What I must do, is all that concerns me, not what the people think. This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness. It is the harder, because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it. It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion…” This quote can be applied to our lives as we know it today because there are many expectations put on us, from both our peers and society, to be someone other than who we truly are. Popular singer/songwriter Gavin DeGraw understands the pressures that exist to conform, and in his song “I Don’t Want To Be” he writes, “I don’t want to be anything other than what I’ve been trying to be lately/ All I have to do is think of me and I have peace of mind/ I’m tired of looking ‘round rooms wondering what I’ve got to do/ Or who I’m suppose to be/ I don’t want to be anything other than me…” Consider how both Emerson, from the mid-1800’s, and Gavin DeGraw, from present-day, both understand how it is easy to conform because of the pressures of society, but believe the real challenge is to stay true to yourself.
In a well-developed essay use the quotes from Emerson and DeGraw as evidence to analyze how the pressures of society can be burdening and at times hard to overcome, making it even harder for us to be the individuals we are. Include a general statement, thesis statement, and structure statement in your introduction. Each body paragraph must have a topic sentence and evidence. We will be working on MLA formatting, which is how your final paper will be formatted. The Sophomore Rubric will be used to grade your essay.
Due:
Rough Draft…………………….…Due Date
2nd Draft……………………………Due Date
Final Draft………………………....Due Date
Assessment:
Students will be assessed through a journal response, classroom discussion, a formal essay, and a unit test.
*See essay assignment and sample essays*
Internet Resources:
Twain: Icon and Iconoclast
Web Address: http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/2309/
Other National Standards:
Learning Standards:
Language Arts IV (9-12):
Standard 1: Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process
Standard 2: Uses the stylistic and rhetorical aspects of writing
Standard 3: Uses grammatical and mechanical conventions in written compositions
Standard 4: Gathers and uses information for research purposes
Standard 5: Uses the general skills and strategies of the reading process
Standard 6: Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of literary texts
Standard 7: Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of informational text
Sources:
“Civil-Disobedience.” http://eserver.org/thoreau/civil.html.
DeGraw, Gavin. “I Don’t Want To Be.” Chariot. J Records, 2003.
Literature. New York: McDougal, Littell, and Co., 1987.
“The Web of American Transcendentalism.” http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/transcendentalism.
“The Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson.” http://www.rwe.org
“The Writings of Henry David Thoreau.” http://www.thoreau.niu.edu.
