Formal Written Lesson Plan
Subject: English
Grade Level(s): 10
Students’ Level of Language Proficiency: Fluent
Lesson Title / Topic: Ralph Waldo Emerson and “Self-Reliance”
Grouping Structure: Whole class and small groups.
Objective / Learning Goals:
 Students will define what “self-reliance” means
 Students will make predictions about a text
 Students will identify the main points of the essay.
 Students will analyze the advantages and disadvantages of Emerson’s argument.
 Students will analyze the advantages and disadvantages of conforming to society.
Teaching Performance Expectation(s): TPE 5: Student Engagement; TPE6C:
Developmentally Appropriate Practices for grades 9-12
State or District Framework Standard(s):
2.0 Reading Comprehension (Focus on Informational Materials)
Students read and understand grade-level-appropriate material. They analyze the
organizational patterns, arguments, and positions advanced. The selections in
Recommended Literature, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve illustrate the quality and
complexity of the materials to be read by students. In addition, by grade twelve, students
read two million words annually on their own, including a wide variety of classic and
contemporary literature, magazines, newspapers, and online information. In grades nine
and ten, students make substantial progress toward this goal.
Expository Critique
2.8 Evaluate the credibility of an author's argument or defense of a claim by critiquing
the relationship between generalizations and evidence, the comprehensiveness of
evidence, and the way in which the author's intent affects the structure and tone of the
text (e.g., in professional journals, editorials, political speeches, primary source material).
2.0 Writing Applications (Genres and their Characteristics)
Students combine the rhetorical strategies of narration, exposition, persuasion, and
description to produce texts of at least 1,500 words each. Student writing demonstrates a
command of standard American English and the research, organizational, and drafting
strategies outlined in Writing Standard 1.0.
2.2 Write responses to literature:
a. Demonstrate a comprehensive grasp of the significant ideas of literary works.
b. Support important ideas and viewpoints through accurate and detailed references to the
text or to other works.
Key Vocabulary: self-reliance
Adaptations to Address Individual Student Learning Needs:
 Students will receive half-completed notes with half of the main points filled in
for each paragraph, since they have difficulty taking notes in outline format
Materials:

Copies of selections from Emerson’s “Self-Reliance”

Copies of outline notes for students

Copies of journal prompt questions
Expectations for behavior: Students will sit quietly and raise a hand if they have a
question or a comment. All student will listen to their classmates respectfully.
Open
1. Anticipatory set:

Focus: Ask students share with the class what they know about
Emerson. Ask students to define to themselves what “self-reliance”
means. Then ask each student to share their definition. Write each
definition on the board.

Objective: Today we will be reading Emerson’s essay “SelfReliance”, so we can learn how he viewed society.

Purpose: Emerson’s views will help us to better understand how the
Transcendentalists felt towards society.
Body
2. Input:

Provide input:

Give the correct definition of “self-reliance” and write this
down on the board: a person’s reliance on their own actions,
independence, and powers.

Tell each student to write this down on his/her note sheet.

Ask each student to answer the first two questions on their
journal prompt worksheet on a separate sheet of paper.

Read the pre-reading sheet with key vocabulary words on it
together.

Ask students to come up with a sentence using each
vocabulary word.


Read “Self-Reliance” aloud together, round-robin style.
Check for understanding:

Stop at each new vocabulary word and ask students the
meaning of the word in its context.

Ask students to summarize each paragraph in one or two
sentences.
3. Guided practice:

After you have finished reading the passage, ask students what the
main ideas are of each paragraph.

Pass out the outline notes sheet.

Ask students to get into groups of two and three.

Have students fill out the missing main points together for each
paragraph, using the text.

Model the first paragraph by showing the students how to find the
answer, and writing it down on the provided line on their worksheet.
Close
4. Closure:

Ask students to orally share what they thought the missing main
points were for each paragraph.

Discuss Emerson’s main argument and his supporting information
5. Independent practice:

For homework, ask students to complete the three journal prompts on
their journal prompt worksheet.
Notes for Emerson’s “Self-Reliance”
1. Definition of “self-reliance”:
I.
Main Ideas of 1st paragraph
a. Every person must discover his or her own unique talents and passions
b.
II.
Main Ideas of 2nd paragraph
a. Trust yourself. Don’t rely on other people’s judgments of you
b. If you have self-esteem, you are original and child-like, and not selfish.
c.
III.
Main Ideas of 3rd Paragraph
a. society takes your manhood, or individuality, away because it forces you
to conform
b. With conformity, there isn’t any originality
c.
IV.
Main Ideas of 4th paragraph
a.
b. Even if your nature is evil, it is better to follow your nature than that of
society
V.
Main ideas of last paragraph
a.
“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds…” hobgoblin is
something you fear.
b. Society frowns on being inconsistent
c. Emerson points out all of the famous people who have been
misunderstood, or inconsistent, for having original ideals that strayed from
the norm
d.
Emerson Journal Prompts before reading “Self-Reliance”
1. How self-reliant do you feel you are?
2. What are some advantages and disadvantages of being self-reliant?
Emerson Journal Prompts after reading “Self-Reliance”
1. Think of a person that you consider a very distinctive individual. How does this person
express his or her individuality? What makes them different or unique? Explain
everything you can think of about this person. Would you like to be like him or her?
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages to conforming to society?
3. Do you think that what Emerson is proposing is a good idea? Justify your answer.