What Must We Transcend Today? October 15, 2019

Focus: What must we, as Americans, transcend today?

1. Warming up with "Less Stuff, More Happiness"

• What do you, personally, connect to in this Ted Talk?
• What connections can you find between this speaker's message and any of the Transcendentalist essays?
• What are your takeaways from this Ted Talk?

2. Exploring modern transcendentalist communities (some are actual places; some are cyber spaces)

• What are the goals of each community or each speaker?

• Which transcendentalist concepts (self-reliance, strong connection to nature, living deliberately, redefining "essential," and civil disobedience) are celebrated in these communities and by these speakers? What's being transcended, and how?

• Do any of these communities / speakers appeal to any part of you? Why or why not?

Websites:
Acorn Community

The Farm in Tennessee

Twin Oaks

Utopian City

Utopian States

Julia Butterfly Hill (and her tree, Luna)
Trash Is for Tossers

Ted Talks:
Tiny Houses

Becoming Minimalist

Modern Science and How Everything Is Connected
Suelo's Ted Talk
Zero Waste

3. Finishing our large-class transcendental brainstorming; offering you an overview of next week's literary essay and giving you time to start connecting your book to Transcendentalism

HW:

1. Ongoing: Please let your parents/guardians know that I will only be at conferences from 4:00-6:30 next Wednesday because I am part-time.

2. For Monday, October 21: FINISH YOUR BOOK CLUB NOVEL. Monday will be your last book club meeting, and you will start composing a literary essay on your Transcendentalist essay on Tuesday.

3. By Wednesday, Oct 23: Conference with me if you wish to revise your personal essay.