MODERN
TRANSCENDENTALISM
Name: ______________________________________________ Date: _________________________ Period:_________
Emerson and Thoreau were promoting their Transcendental ideas way back in the mid-1800s and, yet,
those same ideas still surround us today in our media and popular culture. When you pause and closely
examine the music in your earbuds, the movies in your DVR, and the bestsellers loaded in your Kindle,
you’ll see that some of today’s artists promote the very same ideas as the fathers of Transcendentalism.
For this project, you are going to become an expert on Emerson and Thoreau by finding echoes of
their words in the works of people you enjoy today. T.V. shows, movies, cartoons/comic strips, music,
products/packaging, internet news stories, and public figures are fair game as you find examples to
illustrate the words of Emerson and Thoreau. All works submitted as examples must come from the
previous decade (so, “modern” here means only from the past 10 years. Hippie/1960’s counter-culture
stuff doesn’t count).
Steps:
1. Understand the Five Tenets of Transcendentalism (as discussed in class):
 Nonconformity
 Self-Reliance
 Positivity/Confidence
 Free Thought
 Importance of Nature (finding enlightenment/true self or “God” in nature)
2. Create a visually appealing poster (any size) that features five different pop culture elements and an
explanation of their connection to Transcendentalism. Each of the five element sections must include:
a. Specific transcendentalist tenet
b. A quote from Emerson or Thoreau works discussed in class, with author and title identified
c. A visual display of the modern example
d. A thoughtful explanation of how the modern work (include the year) echoes the idea in the quote
from Part B above. Be sure to clarify the Transcendental element/s and draw on specific quotes,
images, or actions from your example. Assume your audience doesn’t know the artist or work you’re
discussing – you need to fill in the knowledge gap. GET DEEP. I’m looking for real depth of
knowledge and an intelligent connection between the texts and modern culture. Explanations should
be typed. Any information found online must be cited in your annotated bibliography.
RUBRIC
VISUAL
Attractively
Evident that work
Reader
15 points possible
packaged/shows
took time, energy,
friendly
creativity
attention
formatting
CONCEPT
Covers all 5
REQUIREMENTS tenets; each
15 points possible
example is labeled
with the tenet
High quality visual
to represent each
example
WRITING
30 points possible
Transcendental
nature of the
example is
thoroughly
explored/explained
Analysis
clearly/accurately
connects example
to chosen quote
An accurate
Emerson or
Thoreau
quote
included for
each entry
All reader’s
questions are
answered
Author and
title of each
quote
included
Examples
come from a
variety of
sources
Writer’s
voice is alive
in the
analysis
Proper
mechanics,
usage,
grammar rules
are followed
Name: ______________________________________________ Date: _________________________ Period:_________
Annotated Bibliography Instructions
Prior to completing your visual, you will be turning in a typed annotated bibliography in APA format. An
annotated bibliography is a list of sources with an evaluation of each source. You must have at least seven sources
included on your bibliography. Use this sheet as your guide to creating the bibliography. Any further questions
about the annotated bibliography or APA format can be answered by visiting the Purdue Online Writing Lab
(https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/614/01/).
Formatting:
 Double spaced
 Size 12 standard font
 An indented two sentence (minimum) annotation following each source to summarize the source and
explain how you plan to use it
 Hanging indent for each entry that is longer than one line
 References centered at the top of the page
Elizabeth Thompson
References
Emerson, R. W. (1841). Essays: first series: Self-reliance. Rockville, Maryland: Arc Manor.
Emerson explores the importance of relying on oneself rather than relying on other people
and other things. He spends an entire essay exploring this key transcendental concept. The
final quote of this essay will be connected to the self-reliance portion of the modern
transcendentalism project.
Thoreau, H. D. (1849). Civil disobedience. New York: Dover Publications.
Create your annotation of this source here. Include the main idea of the text and how you plan
to use it in a minimum of two sentences.
Thoreau, H. D. (1908). Walden, or, Life in the woods. London: J.M. Dent.