Henry David Thoreau

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/henry-david-thoreau

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Henry David Thoreau born?July 12, 1817
2. When did Henry David Thoreau die?May 6, 1862 (age 44)
3. Where was Henry David Thoreau born?Concord, Massachusetts, USA
4. What is the career?Naturalist, essayist, poet, philosopher, lecturer, and inventor
5. What is Henry David Thoreau famous for?He wrote the book "Walden" about living in a small cabin and studying nature, and he wrote the essay "Civil Disobedience" about standing up for what is right.
6. Why did Thoreau live in a tiny cabin near Walden Pond?He wanted to live deliberately, cut away extra stuff, and learn the true truths of life by spending time in nature.

Transcendentalism: A 19th-century American philosophical and literary movement emphasizing intuition, individualism, and the spiritual superiority of the natural world.
Civil Disobedience: The active, principled refusal to obey laws deemed unjust, often as a form of political protest.
Self-Reliance: The ability to depend on oneself for one's needs and decisions, a core tenet of Thoreau's philosophy.