11th Grade ELA CCGPS Frameworks – Unit 2
Framework Title
The Individual versus Society
Grade Level
11
Course
American Literature
Approximate Duration
7-9 weeks
Overview of the unit
The purpose of this unit is for students to study and comprehend the birth of the American identity following the Revolutionary War. Students will investigate a
variety of texts from America’s Romantic period to study the efforts of authors to capture the search for self that is just as alive in modern times. In order to show
the modern day relevance, students will study modern texts that uphold these Romantic beliefs to fully synthesize the importance of individuality in America’s past
and present cultures.
Standards
Learning targets
 Students analyze the historical and societal influence evidence in American texts.


Students analyze universal themes found in texts from America’s Romantic and Modern periods.
Students analyze the evolution of the role of the individual in society over time, texts, and time periods.
Summative (Performance-based) Assessment
Background:
Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau are two leading figures of Romantic ideals that urge for a complete understanding of one’s self in order to
function properly in a society in which the individual plays a valuable role, and the texts studied from this unit convey this idea in addition to many other
Romantic ideals. The question is how have these Romantic principles and philosophies transformed American society? In column one below is an excerpt
from Samuel Adams’ 1776 speech to the Continental Congress urging congressmen to vote for the Declaration of Independence based on the purpose of
waging war with Great Britain. In column two is the poem “I Hear America Singing” by Walt Whitman which displays a post-Revolutionary view of
America and those free individuals who populate this free society.
Prompt for Writing:
Read Adams’ and Whitman’s texts and analyze how the individual’s role and responsibility in society has changed from the Revolutionary age to the early
years of society evolving from the Age of Romanticism. Incorporate characteristics of Romanticism developed and conveyed from Emerson and Thoreau
(and their readings) as additional support.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------justice of their cause, and while they grasp their swords, can look up to
heaven for assistance.
COLUMN #1: Samuel Adams – 1776
To unite the supremacy of Great Britain and the liberty of America, is utterly
Courage, then, my countrymen! Our contest is not only whether we ourselves
impossible. So vast a continent and of such a distance from the seat of empire
shall be free, but whether there shall be left to mankind an asylum on earth,
will every day grow more unmanageable. The authority and force which would
for civil and religious liberty? Dismissing therefore the justice of our cause,
be absolutely necessary for the preservation of the peace and good order of this
as incontestable, the only question is, What is best for us to pursue in our
continent, would put all our valuable rights within the reach of that nation.
present circumstances?
We have now no other alternative than independence, or the most
ignominious and galling servitude. The legions of our enemies thicken on our
plains; desolation and death mark their bloody career; whilst the mangled
corpses of our countrymen seem to cry out to us as a voice from heaven "Will you permit our posterity to groan under the galling chains of our
murderers? Has our blood been expended in vain?”
You have now in the field armies sufficient to repel the whole force of your
enemies, and their base and mercenary auxiliaries. The hearts of your
soldiers beat high with the spirit of freedom - they are animated with the
COLUMN #2: Walt Whitman -- 1900
I HEAR America singing, the varied carols I hear;
Those of mechanics—each one singing his, as it should be, blithe and
strong;
The carpenter singing his, as he measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his, as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work;
The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat—the deckhand
singing on the steamboat deck;
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench—the hatter singing as he
stands;
The wood-cutter’s song—the ploughboy’s, on his way in the morning,
or at the noon intermission, or at sundown;
The delicious singing of the mother—or of the young wife at work—or
of the girl sewing or washing—Each singing what belongs to her, and to
none else;
The day what belongs to the day—At night, the party of young fellows,
robust, friendly,
Singing, with open mouths, their strong melodious songs.
5
CCGPS Grade 11 – Unit 2
Unit Theme: The Individual and Society
Unit Duration: 9 weeks (approximately)
Universal Themes to Track: Identity, Tolerance, The American Dream
Unit Big Ideas: Individuality, Human Nature, Rebellion
Division #1
Reliance on Nature and Self
Duration: 3 weeks (approximately)
Division #2
Rejecting Societal Conventions and Traditions
Duration: 3 weeks (approximately)
(Use of novel can be modified to shorten or extend
time frame)
Division #3
The Dark Side of Romanticism
Duration: 2 weeks (approximately)
Anchor Quotation:
Anchor Quotation:
Anchor Quotation:
“Look deep into nature, and then you will
understand everything better.” – Albert Einstein
“All greatness of character is dependent on
individuality. The man who has no other existence
than that which he partakes in common with all
around him, will never have any other than an
existence of mediocrity.” – James Fennimore
Cooper
“Individuality is founded in feeling; and the
recesses of feeling, the darker, blinder strata of
character, are the only places in the world in which
we catch real fact in the making, and directly
perceive how events happen, and how work is
actually done.” – William James

Each chunk/division of the unit is
based off of a notable individual’s
assertion or belief that guides text
selection, conversation, discussion, and
other elements of the unit. At the end of
each division, assessments are
available to have students synthesize
their learning from the chunk based on
the quotation that guides their studies.
Teachers should open the unit by
having students investigate Einstein’s
assertion and should return to it as the
unit progresses and finally close out
the chunk by engaging in the
assessment to have students synthesize
their understanding. Follow this for
each of the three divisions in this unit.
Instructional Lessons
Instructional Lessons
Teachers should introduce students to Walt
Whitman and Emily Dickinson, two poetic
pioneers. Important background could be
conveyed through a FLIPPED lesson to allow
more time in class for application and
discussion. The introduction to these authors
should focus on their backgrounds, their role
in/with society, and the elements of their style.
In the flipped lesson, the teacher can even
cover a poem (by one author or both) and
annotate/highlight specifics details and
analysis that students will then do in class in
this unit. This close-read modeling will be
great to help students through the important
poetry collection of Whitman and Dickinson.
BRIDGE from Transcendentalism to AntiTranscendentalism – 1 day
Using the suggested text below, bridge the
material covered in the prior weeks to the
darker Romantic texts that close this unit to
ensure students begin this division by focusing
on the same elements that opened the unit.
Poetic Pioneers – 2-4 days
Below are suggested poems to cover to build a
similar image of America and the individual
through the eyes of Whitman and Dickinson.
These poems work well together for this
purpose. Guiding question: What depiction of
The Dark Romantic Masters – 6 days
Nathaniel Hawthorne
- “Young Goodman Brown”
- Cover the text by studying symbolism,
Romantic characteristics, allegorical
structure, etc.
Instructional Lessons
UNIT LAUNCH -- 1 day
- Teacher covers The Five I’s and
characteristics of Romanticism –
individuality, intuition, idealism,
imagination, inspiration.
- Teacher displays five images to convey
Five I’s. Teacher can close each class by
returning to image to see how studied
text(s) convey similar messages.
To incorporate technology, the teacher can
create a FLIPPED lesson on Emerson,
Thoreau, Transcendentalism for students to
view prior to class to gain important
background and contextual information to
discuss and immediately begin to apply in
class at the start of the unit.
The Importance of Nature
Transcendental Close Read – 5 days
Choose Emerson or Thoreau excerpt to spend
more time investigating the characteristics and
principles of transcendentalism. The teacher
William Blake
- “The Poison Tree”
- Incorporate visuals to depict a battle
between good/evil, positive/negative –
especially nature-focused images
- Conduct a lecture/discussion of qualities
and characteristics of Dark Romanticism
emerging from Europe and impacting
America
- Compare/contrast Blake’s depiction of
nature against a text/author from earlier in
the unit. Discern how both still share
similar characteristics of Romanticism
should juxtapose reverence for nature between
two pieces. Other focuses of study: the need to
escape society, how the woods are a haven to
develop one’s self to be a productive member
of society, etc.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “Nature”
society do Whitman and Dickinson convey?
-
Walt Whitman
- from Song of Myself
Emily Dickinson
- “The soul selects her own society”
- “Because I could not stop for death”
- “I heard a fly buzz”
Henry David Thoreau
- Excerpt(s) from Walden
Modern Focus – 12 days
To display how literature today still focuses on
Modern Supplement Challenge – 1 to 2 days the individual’s search for self, the teacher
To insert some modern relevance, the
should choose a grade-level, lexile-level
following texts are great pairs against the
appropriate text to show how this motif is still
classic essays of Emerson and Thoreau.
seen in modern times. Below is a suggested
Students can juxtapose the perspectives of
text and assignment that is a true story that
Oates and Gessner to Emerson and Thoreau to begins in Georgia and is a captivating read for
form argumentative writing about how the
students. Many other texts exist that can be
view of nature has changed or is still upheld
used in place of this suggested text.
- “Argument Against Nature” by Joyce
Carol Oates (versus Emerson’s “Nature”) Suggested text:
- “Spoiling Walden: Or, How I Learned to INTO THE WILD by John Krakauer
Stop Worrying and Love Cape Wind” by This suggested novel is a modern-day
David Gessner (versus Thoreau’s
transcendental experience of real-life
Walden).
Romantic Chris McCandless. He is an Emory
graduate who has been given everything in life
thanks to his successful euntreprenuer parents.
Influenced by Thoreau, London, Tolstoy, and
others, McCandless opts to prove to himself he
The Power of the Individual – 2-3 days
The teacher moves on to focus on the power of can survive on his own instead of using his
the individual through the suggested text
trust fund to continue his education at Harvard.
below. Students carry over with them Emerson He burns the money in his wallet, donates his
(and the transcendental) reverence of nature to trust fund money to charity, and pushes his car
To connect with Unit 1’s study, reteach
the importance of colonial setting and
discuss why this setting is used by authors
from other literary periods.
If teachers covered part/all of The Scarlet
Letter in Unit 1, return to this discussion
(and important excerpts) to look at
Romantic qualities within the text.
Edgar Allan Poe – 3 days
- “Annabel Lee”
- “Eldorado”
- ASSESSMENT (see below)
Anchor Quotation Assessment: 1 day
In his quotation, James claims that in our
darker moments is when we gain
understanding and truth. Using Hawthorne and
Blake’s texts from this segment of Unit 2,
justify what these authors have readers learn
through their mode of fiction.
compare against the view of the individual.
Emerson – “Self-Reliance”
Possible application/assessment texts:
To apply, extend, and/or enrich Emerson’s
principles, the texts below are great texts of
study for teachers to use with students. They
can all be covered in excerpt form, students
can choose a longer excerpt of one text for
study and presentation to class, or the teacher
can modify as necessary:
Thoreau – “Civil Disobedience”
Mohandas Gandhi – from “On Nonviolent
Resistance”
MLK – from “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
Article(s) about recent protests/sit ins
DIVISION ASSESSMENT (see below –
“Division #1 Assessment”)
Anchor Quotation Assessment: 1 day
Einstein urges us to gain understanding from
the depths of nature in his quotation, both
literal nature and human nature. With that in
mind, what exactly is understood from the
observations of Mother Nature by Emerson
into the woods to trek across America to
search for himself with the ultimate goal being
to live in the heart of the Alaskan wilderness
away from society. Like Thoreau, he wanted to
live deep in the heart of the woods to find
himself and then return to society, but as the
novel says in its opening, McCandless died
before he could make his triumphant return.
Author Krakauer uses the journals kept my
McCandless along with the interviews he
conducts with people McCandless met along
the way to piece together this captivating text.
Assignment:
- Identify chapters to excerpt if time is of
the essence. Some chapters are the
author’s personal story that can be cut in
the interest of time.
- Reading should focus on McCandless’s
various relationships as he meets people
deemed as true individuals, people who
live deliberately and with purpose
- Reading is accessible enough for students
to read outside of class. To hook students,
the first chapter (or few) can be read
together before the reading is assigned
out of class.
- In class days should focus on close
reading passages selected from prior
night’s reading to have students engage in
language analysis and other non-fiction
elements.
- As students read, they can complete
chapter analyses where they are given
guided questions to investigate
and Thoreau and human nature by these
authors along with MLK and Gandhi? Use
their texts to explore this idea.
Transition to Division #2 – 1 day
Evaluate how these authors/texts, especially
towards end of this chunk, embody a disdain
and rebellious attitude towards society.
-
-
-
Krakauer’s purpose with the chapter, how
he uses language to characterize
individuals, etc. Students can then bring
in evaluation of language to use for
discussion
Be sure to have students evaluate
Romantic characteristics in this modern
text
Each chapter opens with an epigraph
from and muses of McCandless. Students
should investigate how the chapter
reflects the message contained in the
epigraph.
ASSESSMENT (see below)
Anchor Quotation Assessment: 1 day
Cooper urges greatness through individuality
in his quotation by emphasizing the mediocrity
of doing otherwise. How do the achievements
of Whitman, Dickinson, and Krakauer (and
McCandless) live up to Cooper’s hope? Use
direct evidence from your reading for support.
Transition to Division #3 – 1 day
Students create a graphic organizer (Venn
Diagram) to list and review the characteristics
of Romanticism (inner, shared circle) and the
Transcendental-specific characteristics.
Students evaluate these characteristics and
predict/hypothesize the Anti-Transcendental
characteristics to fill in the blank section of the
Venn Diagram. A visual can be projected to
guide students in their analysis as the visual
conveys various qualities. Move on to
BRIDGE activity.
Division #1 Assessment
Division #2 Assessment
Body Biography:
“I am an Individual”
Students analyze a chapter’s epigraph and
justify how the message of the excerpt
provides a justifiable parallel to the chapter’s
thematic focus. They must incorporate
explication of Romantic characteristics in both
pieces. See ARTIFACTS for this assignment,
rubric, poems, and details.
Students should draw a silhouette of a person
and use colors, symbolism, drawings, clip art,
magazines, and other sources to build the ideal
individual according to the transcendental
philosophies. Students should find supporting
quotations from the texts of study in this chunk
to display on the body biography to support
their designs. Teachers can have the students
present their art to the class and/or can add a
written component where students justify their
design using evidence from their readings.
Division #3 Assessment
Independent Dark Romantic Project
-
Students choose a short story by
Hawthorne, Irving, or Poe and read and
annotate as modeled with “Young
Goodman Brown.” They use the
annotation guide to guide their work and
then respond to available essays to
convey their understanding of this genre.
See ARTIFACTS for the assignment,
rubric, and details.
UNIT CULIMINATING ASSESSMENT: APPLICATION OF SKILLS
(see first page for full assessment with referenced texts/excerpts)
Background:
Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau are two leading figures of Romantic ideals that urge for a complete understanding of one’s self in
order to function properly in a society in which the individual plays a valuable role, and the texts studied from this unit convey this idea in addition to
many other Romantic ideals. The question is how have these Romantic principles and philosophies transformed American society? In column one below
is an excerpt from Samuel Adams’ 1776 speech to the Continental Congress urging congressmen to vote for the Declaration of Independence based on
the purpose of waging war with Great Britain. In column two is the poem “I Hear America Singing” by Walt Whitman which displays a postRevolutionary view of America and those free individuals who populate this free society.
Prompt for Writing:
Read Adams’ and Whitman’s texts and analyze how the individual’s role and responsibility in society has changed from the Revolutionary age to the
early years of society evolving from the Age of Romanticism. Incorporate characteristics of Romanticism developed and conveyed from Emerson and
Thoreau (and their readings) as additional support.
ARTIFACTS
In the pages that follow, helpful activities, assessments, and other lessons are present to help build and execute this unit. Below is a list of these
assessments that then follow this list:
1. Emerson’s “Nature” and “Self-Reliance”: a list of activities, close reading, and annotation assignments for student use.
2. Transcendentalism experiement
3. Anticipation Guide for Into the Wild with poem for activating student interest
4. Reading and annotation assignment for Into the Wild
5. Into the Wild Chapter Analysis Activity: a lesson that builds the writing skills of students by using their annotation work with their
novel. An example response is included to help students guide their responses.
6. Into the Wild Essay/Paper assignment: this can be used in many ways – single-day activity, in class essay, or out of class paper.
7. Summative assessment for Division 2 and Into the Wild: students pick from available poems and analyze them to convey which portion of
Krakauer’s novel the message of the poem would best fit to further show their understanding of the novel’s Romantic characteristics.
8. “Young Goodman Brown”: Active reading guide for students to annotate the text while reading.
9. Essay/short response questions for “Young Goodman Brown” after completing the text.
10. Division 3/Dark Romantic project and assessment: students choose a Dark Romantic text of their own to read, annotate, analyze, and write an essay
to convey their understanding of the way that Irving, Hawthorne, or Poe embraces Romantic characteristics in a dark way.
11. Background notes and information for the unit.
*Some of these artifacts are more elaborate assessments outlined in the sample unit above; others are not mentioned and serve as supplemental
activities that can replace other assessments or can be added in to bolster the overall unit.
ARTIFACT #1: EMERSON
Emerson’s “Nature”
1. Comprehension. Read Jonathan Emerson’s “Nature” one time through. Use the “Active Inquiry Legend” approach to annotating and questioning
the text as you read.
2. SOAPStone: Use the SOAPStone handout to analyze the important context behind Emerson’s essay.
3. Aphorisms. An “aphorism” is a literary term that means “the statement of a moral principle or belief.” These are claims, statements, or comments
made by the author in writing that are supposed to convey ways of life, living, and thought that the author believes himself and believes others
should follow. Identify three aphorisms from “Nature” and analyze the meaning of each.
4. Figurative Language: Since Romantic writing focuses on deep thoughts and often involves nature, figurative language plays an important role to
deepen authors’ writing. Find the following: ONE example of a simile, ONE metaphor, and TWO examples of personification from “Nature.”
Discuss the purpose each comparison makes and how that enhances Emerson’s purpose in writing.
5. Theme and Purpose. Now that you’ve studied “Nature,” what is Emerson’s theme of his essay that discusses his purpose for writing? Write a welldeveloped paragraph that uses direct supporting evidence to state and support your interpretation of Emerson’s theme in writing.
Emerson’s “Self-Reliance”
1. Comprehension. Read Jonathan Emerson’s “Self-Reliance” one time through. Use the “Active Inquiry Legend” approach to annotating and
questioning the text as you read.
2. SOAPStone: Use the SOAPStone handout to analyze the important context behind Emerson’s essay.
3. Aphorisms. Identify three aphorisms from “Self-Reliance” and analyze the meaning of each.
4. To Do and Not To Do. Create a T-chart of Emerson’s “To Do’s” and “Not To Do’s” in society. Identify and categorize as many examples of each
as you can extract from Emerson’s essay.
5. Theme and Purpose. Now that you’ve studied “Self-Reliance,” what is Emerson’s theme of his essay that discusses his purpose for writing? Write
a well-developed paragraph that uses direct supporting evidence to state and support your interpretation of Emerson’s theme in writing.
6. Greatness. In “Self-Reliance,” Emerson unveils suggestions on how one can achieve greatness. Return to “Self-Reliance” and find evidence to
respond to the following prompt: According to Emerson, how can someone achieve greatness? Develop a well-written paragraph that uses specific
evidence from the essay to support your point and analyze the essay. Follow the organizational development taught to you this year: begin with a
claim, provide evidence to support your claim, analyze what your evidence means through several sentences, conclude your paragraph. This
paragraph should be at least seven sentences.
ARTIFACT #2: Transcendentalism Experiment
Just How Transcendental Are You?
I get it. We live in the 21st century. Technology is rampant – in schools, in our personal lives, and just about anywhere we try to
venture. However, Emerson, Thoreau and other Romantics, were they living, would been completely unable to function – fleeing to the woods
would take on a much larger meaning and importance.
We all “pollute” our purpose on Earth with meaningless objects: iPods, gaming systems, board games, social networks, etc. We also
“pollute” ourselves by spending our precious time on meaningless things: time wasted on the couch, channel surfing, hanging out in the WalMart parking lot.
So the question is… just how polluted are you? How much time of yours do you naturally “waste” without even questioning what you
are doing?
Track your actions over the course of today once you leave school until you return to class on Monday. Log your activities, the time
each occurred, and the total duration on notebook paper. The point is not to change your routine – it is to log your actions to then reflect on
your daily life via the perspective of a transcendentalist.
View the example below to model your log entries:
WEDNESDAY
 5:30am – Checked and responded to text messages when waking.
 5:35am – Played move on ‘Hanging with Friends’ on cell phone.
 5:45am – Logged on to Facebook while waiting for coffee/breakfast.
 6:10am – Watched “Law and Order: SVU” while getting dressed.
 6:51am – Checked email when arriving to work.
4 minutes
4 minutes
11 minutes
21 minutes
6 minutes
When you finally crawl into bed tonight and tomorrow night, total up to total number of minutes you logged throughout the day to get a grasp
on how much time was “polluted” during your day.
Activities that Emerson & Thoreau would consider “pollutants” (but not limited to these examples):





Twitter
 Skype
Facebook
 Primping/getting dressed up
Gaming systems (XBOX, PS3, etc.)
 Driving around town for no purpose
Watching television
Texting
Repetitive activities (checking email constantly, etc.)
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September 2013 * Page 15
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ARTIFACT #3: ANTICIPATION GUIDE
Anticipation Guide
Directions: Read each statement and write Yes in the blank if you believe the statement and could support it or put No in the
blank if you do not believe the statement and could not support it. On the back, briefly write how these statements pertain to
Chris McCandless in Into the Wild.
___ 1. One’s success is controlled by others.
___ 2. Having nice things is important in being content with your life.
___ 3. You should always go with your “gut feeling.”
___ 4. Being different is a bad thing.
___ 5. Freedom is not having to answer to anyone.
___ 6. All people can find happiness in their own way.
___ 7. A simple life is the best life.
___ 8. “Money is the root of all evil.”
___ 9. To have the company of another is always better than to be alone.
___ 10. The only certain happiness in life is to live for others.
A Plain Life - William Henry Davies
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No idle gold -- since this fine sun, my friend,
Is no mean miser, but doth freely spend.
No prescious stones -- since these green mornings show,
Without a charge, their pearls where'er I go.
No lifeless books -- since birds with their sweet tongues
Will read aloud to me their happier songs.
No painted scenes -- since clouds can change their skies
A hundred times a day to please my eyes.
No headstrong wine -- since, when I drink, the spring
Into my eager ears will softly sing.
No surplus clothes -- since every simple beast
Can teach me to be happy with the least.
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Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
September 2013 * Page 17
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ARTIFACT #4: Into the Wild Reading Assignment
Introduction
Jon Krakauer’s text is a modern day example of a young boy’s pursuit of the transcendental lifestyle of self-reliance and happiness.
Complete the following while reading Into the Wild.
Complete the following for each chapter:
1) “BIG IDEA” ANNOTATION:
 Identify one excerpt that reflects characteristics of transcendental life (see your notes) or the “big ideas” of our current unit. Remember
that the “big ideas” is a separate sheet of fifteen words we looked at last class.

Follow the beginning model below to correctly write these responses:
o EXAMPLE: From Chapter 1 of Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild the topic of individuality is discussed with depth.

Using the beginning model above, complete a well-developed paragraph of 8-10 sentences that explore how this idea or characteristic is
found within the chapter. Follow the same format for paragraph development where you start with a claim, support it through evidence,
then analyze the evidence. Conclude your paragraph by connecting this reading to our current unit. Ask yourself, “How does this relate to
Transcendentalism and Romanticism?” and finish out the final sentence or two of your paragraph with this connection.
2) DICTION LOG:
 After completing each chapter, write down one word from the actual chapter you feel to be the most striking diction choice used by
Krakauer. Examine the following:
o What does the word mean and how is the word used?
o What is Krakaeur’s tone when using this word?
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o

What is Krakaeur’s purpose with this word choice?
Follow the model below to correctly complete this portion of your assignment:
o In Chapter 1 of Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild, Jim Gallien describes Alex as congenial, a word meaning “agreeable or pleasing in
nature or character.” Alex is described this way to show that he appears to be happy, pleasant, and approachable. This could show
us how his life is not bad when judged from an outsider’s point of view which would make it hard for us to then comprehend why
he would abandon his entire life to trek through the wilderness. Alex being called congenial reveals a positive tone and shows how
Krakauer’s purpose may be to get readers to like Alex to sympathize with him in order to fully understand what Alex is trying to
learn himself and to teach others with his journey.
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September 2013 * Page 19
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ARTIFACT #5: Into the Wild Chapter Analysis Activity

Language is an important element in all of writing, especially nonfiction. The language author Jon Krakauer uses in Into the Wild helps
develop an important relationship: the characterization of nature and the description of Alex Supertramp. Your job is to identify the
various language used to find similarities between the two as well as differences. Use your language collection activity and organizer to
respond to the following prompt:
o
How is Jon Krakauer’s language similar or different in mood and tone as he describes Alex and the places he visits in Into the
Wild?
Follow the model below which is a response to the above prompt focused on Chapter 1:
Jon Krakauer’s language remains similar in mood and tone as he begins the story of Alex Supertramp in Into the Wild. Alex is dropped off
in Fairbanks, Alaska by Jim Gallien, a location described as “unnavigable” and “snow-packed” which sets a foreboding and difficult tone to first
introduce Alex’s journey (Krakauer 4). The specific path Alex began following in Fairbanks upheld these descriptions which made Alex’s
tramping dangerous and tedious. The road “rapidly deteriorated” into “mushy spring” snow as Alex began walking into his wild (Krakauer 4). This
possibly negative mood set by the landscape does not, however, mirror Alex’s actions and shows how Krakauer’s diction conveys various moods
and tones when he is either describing the landscape or Alex himself. Jim describes Alex as “foolhardy” while he was “smiling broadly” after
exiting Jim’s truck and tramping down the roads buried under snow (Krakauer 4-5). Even in the face of this danger Alex remained “determined”
and Jim noticed how he “didn’t seem too worried” about not knowing what was ahead in addition to not having many supplies with him (Krakauer
6). It is perhaps this contrast between the powerful, negative nature and the overly optimistic and unprepared Alex that eventually led to his death,
and it is because of Krakauer’s contrasting tones that helps make this evident.
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When writing your response, make sure yours includes the following elements:
 Discussion of language describing the setting that includes mood and/or tone.

A transition to the description of Alex and how this is similar or different to the description of the setting.

The importance of the similar description of the setting and Alex or the contrasting description in terms of the purpose of the chapter as a
whole.

Proper citation at the end of sentences that include quoted words/phrases from the text.
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ARTIFACT #6: Defining Chris McCandless
Prompt:
In his introduction to the novel, Krakauer is clear that he sees McCandless as “an extremely intense young man […]
possessed of a streak of stubborn idealism that did not mesh readily with modern existence,” and in search of “raw,
transcendental experience” – not a “reckless idiot, a wacko, a narcissist who perished out of arrogance and stupidity.”
Defend, challenge, or qualify Krakauer’s claim based on your diction collection and analysis while reading Into the Wild.
Use your interpretation and the text’s characterization of McCandless to come to a definitive answer to this question: Who
or what exactly is Chris McCandless.
Do consider what you know of Emerson and Thoreau, two direct influences on McCandless; the ways in which Krakauer
presents the story; the argument presented by contextualizing McCandless’s story with that of other explorers.
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ARTIFACT #7: Into the Wild Summative Assessment
Context:
Although a prominent movement of the mid-1800s, the ideas and philosophies of Romanticism are alive today. Jon Krakauer’s text
Into the Wild explores the optimistic focus on transcendentalism to show a contemporary depiction of a young boy in search for
answers, individuality, and self-reliance. The story of Chris McCandless (also known as Alex Supertramp) is influenced by those
notable authors we have studied that birthed and lived the transcendental movement: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau,
and the like.
The story of McCandless and the writing of Krakauer are just minor examples of Romantic beliefs embodied in art and in writing.
Your job is to continue making connections between these ideas by exploring more texts that deal with the same ideas to study their
relevance to Into the Wild.
General Directions:
1. Study over and carefully read the attached poems, all of which are produced by notable American Romantic writers.
Wordsworth (“The World is too Much with Us”), Keats (“On the Grasshopper and Cricket” or “The Human Seasons”), and
Whitman (“Song of Myself”) all shared the same characteristics (or “big ideas”) of the time period and writing we have been
studying.
2. Choose a poem that you can critically analyze in terms of its individual meaning and its inclusion in the Romantic literary
writing spectrum.
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3. As we have done with many epigraphs of Into the Wild, decide which chapter – ultimately which phase of Alex’s journey –
this Romantic poem could fit into and analyze how the ideas, beliefs, and themes of this poem are similar in language (moods,
tones, purpose, theme) from your chosen chapter of Into the Wild.
Grading:
 This counts for 150 test points. See the rubric on the back of this paper for specific breakdowns of point scales.

You will have in class time to complete various portions of this writing, but your will have to utilize outside time to meet
deadlines and to finish the assignment with success.

This will be an end assessment for transcendentalism as a focus before we move on to anti-transcendental study when we
return in January, therefore this writing is thorough and must accomplish many things to demonstrate your mastery of
understanding of the concepts of this genre of writing.
Performance Standards:


ELACC11-12W1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient
evidence.
o c. Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion
o d. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions
ELACC11-12W4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Step-by-step instructions:
1. Read over the available poems carefully. When you have chosen one you understand and like, complete the TP-CAST
annotation guide to analyze your poem. Here are some important guiding questions to add to this analysis:
a. What is the meaning and theme of the poem?
b. What mood do specific words and phrases convey?
c. How does this poem fit into the Romantic (primarily transcendental) genre?
d. **All of these above topics for the poem will be linked to your chosen chapter of Into the Wild.
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2. Based on your thorough understanding of the poem, revisit Into the Wild and choose a chapter that mirrors the poem in terms
of theme, mood, and/or link to the ideas of Romanticism or transcendentalism, specifically. Here are some important guiding
questions for your analysis:
a. What is the mood of this chapter of Into the Wild?
b. What is the tone of this chapter of Into the Wild?
c. What is it about Krakauer’s language in this chapter that helps convey the mood and tone you discuss? Look at the
setting and what Alex is doing during this portion of his journey.
d. How does this chapter embody characteristics of Romanticism or transcendentalism, specifically?
3. Now that you’ve looked at your two text selections individually, it is time to put them together!
a. INTRODUCTION: Build readers’ background with the context of the genre of Romanticism, or transcendentalism
specifically. Discuss the major “big ideas” and what is happening in society at the time. Lead into a discussion of how
those ideas are seen in many texts regardless of the time period and establish your basis of comparison in your thesis.
REMEMBER: Your thesis needs to be some sort of claim that you then specifically argue and support as you write.
Your introductory paragraph should be thoroughly written in 5-7 sentences.
b. BODY PARAGRAPHS: There are two options for your approach on this –
i. Begin by discussing your chapter of Into the Wild and then transition into your chosen poem to discuss how it is
similar and why it would serve as an epigraph for this chapter.
ii. Begin by discussing your poem and then transition to the chapter you feel it would serve well as an epigraph
and discuss the similarities between the two.
iii. The choice is yours but organization is key!
iv. Ensure that each body paragraph reaches 9-12 sentences in length each.
c. CONCLUSION: In 5-7 sentences, discuss the following in your conclusion –
i. What have you come to understand about the topic(s) of Romanticism that is found in many periods of time and
in various forms of writing?
ii. What purpose does the writing of these topics serve to the author and to audiences?
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Other Requirements:
 Your introduction and conclusion should be in the range of 5-7 sentences each.
 Your body paragraphs need to be at least 9-12 sentences each.
 Your paper, in total, should fall in the range of 3-6 full pages if typed and 6-12 hand written.
 It can be hand written or typed but the format must follow MLA format style.
 Use the rubric to ensure you are meeting expectations to receive maximum credit.
 You must properly include a Works Cited page at the end of your paper. This does not count in your 3-6 page requirement.
COMPONENT
Outline, Introduction
w/ Thesis
*This portion of the
assignment is due before
the complete paper is
written. Students must
turn in an outline,
introduction, and thesis
on an assigned day to
show thought and effort
prior to full class
exploration into the
assignment.
Analysis of Poem
*Students must
thoroughly analyze their
chosen poem according
EXCEEDS
The student’s outline is
easily organized to
display a clear
developing train of
thought.
The introduction meets
the 5-7 sentence
requirement and contains
a focused thesis that can
be easily supported in the
student’s writing.
MEETS
The student’s outline is
organized to display a
developing train of
thought.
The introduction meets
the 5-7 sentence
requirement and has a
thesis that can be
supported in the
student’s writing.
DOES NOT MEET
The student’s outline is
either missing or does
not clearly outline the
expectations for the
student’s writing.
The introduction fails to
meet the 5-7 sentence
requirement and/or does
not have a clear thesis.
(20 – 15 points)
(14 – 9 points)
(8 – 0 points)
The student clearly,
academically, and
thoroughly investigates
all parameters of the
poem, especially
focusing on the language
The student investigates
all parameters of the
poem. Although
accurate, there are deeper
underlying meanings and
interpretations that could
The student fails to fully
and completely
investigate the language,
themes, and relationships
of the poem, and thus
hinders the link between
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POINT VALUE &
COMMENTARY
to the directions on the
assignment handout
prior to writing their
paper.
and the deeper meanings
of the text.
(50 – 40 points)
(39 – 30 points)
(29 – 0 points)
Analysis of Into the
Wild
The student skillfully
and thoroughly examines
a chapter of Into the Wild
that focuses on the
language and Romantic
relationship of the text.
The student investigates
a chapter of Into the Wild
with precision, however
mainly focuses on
surface level elements
without fully diving into
the deeper meanings
The students fails to
fully and completely
investigate the themes,
language, and Romantic
elements of Into the Wild
due to brevity or lack of
understanding.
(40 – 30 points)
(29 – 20 points)
(19 – 0 points)
*Students must carefully
select an appropriate
chapter of Into the Wild
to use in conjunction
with their poem to
establish grounds for
synthesis.
Synthesis of texts
*Students must link
similar moods, tones,
language, and themes
between the two texts
within the same body of
writing.
The chosen poem and
chosen chapter of Into
the Wild are expertly
woven together to where
they are not necessarily
segregated into separate
paragraphs.
(30 – 20 points)
be explored more
thoroughly.
The chosen poem and
chosen chapter of Into
the Wild are linked
through the student’s
writing but may not be
fully synthesized in all
parameters.
(19 – 15 points)
this text and Into the
Wild.
The student fails to
synthesize
understandings of the
poem and Into the Wild
either due to segregating
the texts to separate
paragraphs or due to
brevity, etc.
(14 – 0 points)
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Conventions and
MLA
*Students must adhere to
academic and teacher
expectations and rules
for proper writing.
Clear proof-reading is
evident in the student’s
writing. Academic,
formal language is used,
and correct MLA in-text
citation is used for the
poem and Into the Wild
when necessary.
Although not faultless,
the student’s writing is
polished and reflects
accurate MLA in-text
citation for the poem and
Into the Wild.
There are multiple errors
in spelling, grammar, or
conventions. Improper
MLA citation for quotes
is also evident.
(10 – 7 points)
(6 – 4 points)
(3 – 0 points)
ARTIFACT #8: “Young Goodman Brown” Activity
Directions: Read “Young Goodman Brown” while following the annotation strategy guide below to focus your studies. Identify
images, symbols, and passages that are of importance. Determine tones and moods as the story progresses, and also develop questions
and summaries for each page that you read.
TOPICS TO IDENTIFY AND ANNOTATE

IMAGES – circle or underline images (as we do in our warm-ups). Write notes around the images or in the margins about
the mood they convey.
o When identifying imagery, develop words to describe the tone of your images as the story progresses.
o Example: “He had taken a dreary road, darkened by all the gloomiest trees of the forest, which barely stood aside to let
the narrow path creep through, and closed immediately behind.”

SYMBOLS – are any images or recurring things significant? Identify them and write what they might represent.
o Example: “…letting the wind play with the pink ribbons of her cap while she called to Goodman Brown.”
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
SIGNIFICANT PASSAGES – are there any lines that stick out to you? Identify them and jot notes relating to their
possible significance.
o Example: “Faith kept me back awhile.”
ACTIVE READING ANNOTATION CHOICES
 Question (?): Develop a question in regards to something you don’t understand or you would like to discuss further.
 Statement (!): Write down a sentence/phrase that you feel is a strong point regarding the purpose of the reading that
should be discussed.
 Relate (R): Write down something that you can relate to, whether it is a belief, an experience, another text, etc. Connect
the relevance of your experience back to the text.
 Summary (S): In your own words, summarize the main point of the selection focusing on important details.
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ARTIFACT #9: “Young Goodman Brown” Response
Question #1
Consider the following interpretations of the reading of Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown.” For each
scenario, provide textual evidence to support each interpretation.
1. “Young Goodman Brown” is an inward psychological journey where Goodman Brown discovers evil in
himself but refuses to acknowledge it.
2. Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote “Young Goodman Brown” to expose and denounce Puritan attitudes and
hypocrisy.
3. “Young Goodman Brown” is a coming of age story about a young man who desires to abandon his faith to
have one last “fling” to “taste the forbidden fruit” before settling into a strict Puritan life.
Question #2
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“Young Goodman Brown” is a moral allegory. An allegory is a metaphor – using one thing to represent another, a
story with dual meanings. Therefore, there is a surface or literal meaning to the story as well as a deeper, secondary
meaning. Hawthorne uses this moral allegory to reveal a moral lesson or lessons. Discuss the moral lesson(s) you
discover in the story and use evidence from the text as support.
ARTIFACT #10: Division 3 Independent Study Assignment
Overview:
 To demonstrate your growing independence with annotating important concepts of literature, you are going to select a
Dark Romantic short story of your choice to read, annotate, and analyze independently.
Approach: Select one of the following short stories below to complete this assignment.
 “The Devil and Tom Walker” by Washington Irving
o Tom Walker meets a mysterious “black man” near a New England swamp. This man, who may be the devil, offers
Tom hidden pirate gold on secret terms. These terms, and Tom’s poor choice of taking the gold, cause Tom’s life
to deteriorate and make his name legend in the town due to his bargaining with evil.
 “The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne
o A Puritan minister shocks his congregation by delivering his sermon from behind a black veil as he discusses
“secret sin.” The minister and congregation all feel their own guilt of possible wrongdoings. The minister (Mr.
Hooper) refuses to remove his veil as the town becomes swept up in gossip and insecurity, leading up to the
demise of Mr. Hooper and everything his life entails.
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 “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe
o A narrator visits Roderick Usher who he hears is losing his mind and becomes sympathetic to Usher’s insanity.
The house begins to reflect the eerie sounds and moods of Usher himself, and of his sister Madeline who is
recently deceased. The story ends dramatically with the “fall” of the house, Usher himself, and a reappearing
Madeline back from the dead.

“The Pit and the Pendulum” by Edgar Allan Poe
o A classic horror tale. A person condemned to death faints in court to wake up in a dark dungeon where he
narrowly escapes falling into a pit. He becomes tied to a frame with a scythe-like pendulum closing in on him as
the walls, glowing hot, also move inward as the character tries to escape with his life.
Assignment:
o READ the story closely focusing on imagery, symbolism, and mood.
o While reading, ANNOTATE (on your own paper) important images and symbols, the moods the imagery creates,
and other developments in the story. Follow the same format as “Young Goodman Brown” where you also
develop questions, summaries, and relate to the text to help further your reading. Use the Independent Analysis
Guide below.
o On the “due date” for this assignment, you will write an in-class essay over your chosen short story that displays
your understanding of symbolism, mood, and characteristics of Dark Romanticism.
Independent Analysis Guide
Directions: Use the following directions to guide you through your individual analysis of the Dark Romantic story you have chosen for this
project. At the end of the week, you will use your study to write an in-class essay over the text, so be sure you are focused and are thorough
in your study. Good luck.
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



Carefully read the short story you have chosen. Annotate the following elements and make a legend to organize/code your work:
o Symbolism
o Imagery (setting and mood, specifically)
o Important elements that could include character names, time, and color
o Development of the plot’s conflict
Use the “Active Annotation Guide” to identify important lines/passages from the text, to write down your confusion, and to keep
track of brief summaries.
o RELATE (R) – Make connections between this text and “Young Goodman Brown” and Romanticism (use your “big ideas”
sheet to do this).
o SUMMATION (S) – For each page, write your own summary of the important developments.
Use your notes from last week over Dark Romanticism to identify how your story meets all of its classifications. Find supporting
evidence from the text to prove each characteristic.
Respond to the following questions with depth and use of supporting evidence:
o What is your interpretation of the meaning of your chosen short story?
o What is a potential theme to the story?
o How does this story fit into the Romantic genre of writing? Use your notes and the “big ideas” sheet to connect multiple
ideas.
INDEPENDENT PROJECT ESSAY PROMPT
Directions:
 Use your reading and annotation of your chosen short story from the Dark Romantic genre to respond to one of the questions at
the bottom of the page.
 You may use your annotations and the story itself on your essay; therefore you are expected to use direct evidence (quotations)
when appropriate.
Execution:
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
You need an introduction that leads to your thesis statement at the closing of the paragraph – your thesis statement should state
a claim that your paper will support. Based on the topic that you choose, your thesis should directly connect your story to that
specific topic.

You need multiple body paragraphs that explore how your short story discusses and embodies the topic that you choose.
Remember to start your body paragraphs – the topic sentences – with a claim as well, and use the rest of the body paragraph to
provide and analyze evidence. Conclude your paragraphs before moving on. Remember that your body paragraphs need 8-10
sentences each.

Provide a conclusion at the end of your paper before finishing. Your conclusion should return back to the topic you have
chosen to provide final commentary linking the story to the topic before you end.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Topics: Choose one of the following and respond with the above guidelines in mind.
1. Dark Romanticism embodies the same “big ideas” as the transcendental writers Emerson and Thoreau but presents it through a
darker lens. Explore how your short story examines 2-3 of these “big ideas” by providing appropriate evidence and
commentary regarding the deeper interpretations of the story.
2. Authors frequently use figurative language to add deeper significance to the literal meanings of their words, and the Dark
Romantics are of no exception. Examine how your short story uses symbolism in various forms. Provide thorough analysis of
these symbols with appropriate evidence from the story.
3. Many Dark Romantic stories are allegorical and attempt to teach moral lessons through the conflicts and actions of their
characters. Determine the moral lesson or lessons your story teaches and provide appropriate analysis through the plots,
conflicts, and characters in your story.
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ARTIFACT #11: Background Notes
The following information also pertains to introductory background information for the Romantic time period:
TRANSCENDENTALISTS





Transcendentalism appealed to those who disdained the harsh God of their Puritan ancestors.
Transcendentalists believed in the transcendence of the “Oversoul,” an all-pervading power for goodness from which all things
come and of which all things are a part.
Transcendentalists looked at for perceiving humanity as godlike and that evil was nonexistent. Many saw this as a clear fallacy
of reality.
Transcendentalism was a powerful expression of the intellectual mood of the age.
The desire to escape from society and a return to nature became a permanent convention of American literature.
DARK ROMANTICS/GOTHIC WRITERS



Writers of Gothicism sought to arise in their readers a turbulent sense of the remote, the supernatural, and the terrifying.
Preoccupation of the demonic and the mystery of evil marked many of their works.
The novel of terror became the profitable literary staple that is still alive today.
Poe, Hawthorne, and Melville embraced the truth that negativity, suffering and Original Sin existed in life and took that as an
opportunity to embrace it, explore it, and use it as a source to explore the human mind
SHARED CHARACTERISTICS OF TRANSCENDENATLISTS AND GOTHICS:
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










Characteristics of moral enthusiasm, faith in the value of individualism and intuitive perception, belief that the natural world is
a source of goodness and man’s societies as a source of corruption
Valued feeling over reason, individual expression over the restraints of law and custom.
Novels, short stories, and poems replaced sermons and manifestos as America’s principal literary form
Imaginative literature became intense, personal, and symbolic; writers began seeing themselves as prophets and seers
Writers celebrated America’s meadows, groves, streams, dense forests and vast oceans; American farmers, the poor, children,
and noble savages made their way into writing, too.
Wilderness came to function as a dramatic character that illustrated moral law.
Heroes and heroines exhibited extremes of sensitivity and excitement.
Intense individualism and soaring optimism deteriorated into natural consequences: selfishness, a crippling pessimism, a
frivolous addition to the pleasures of despair and woe. Romanticism had encouraged the worship of outcasts and worthless
ideals.
The rejection of society – seen in Romantic literature – was often a “cranky rejection of the problems faced by humans obliged
to live in complex societies.”
Romanticism accelerated the spread of democracy to the downtrodden and the poor due to the focus of the writing. It
revitalized art and established new ways of perceiving humanity and the universe. It was also looked at for being responsible
for national decline and the Civil War due to rejecting obligation and responsibility.
Romanticism lives today through various principles: democratic radicalism, the fascination with nature and the simple life, the
exaltation of love, the renewed interest in ballads and folk-tales, and intense introspection – all of which have become
characteristics of American life.
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