Into the Deep Forest: With Henry David Thoreau
Publication Information
Author:  Murphy, Jim	Illustrator:  Kiesler, Kate
Title:  Into the Deep Forest: With Henry David Thoreau	Date:  1995
Publisher:  Clarion Books	City:  New York, NY
ISBN, paperback:  0-395-60522-9	ISBN, hardback:
Recommended audience:
ABE/ABLE:   Yes	ESOL:
Family:	Young Adult:
Picture:   Yes
General Information:
Book Type(s):    diaries and journals, biography and autobiography, memoirs/reminiscences
HSE Descriptor(s):    language arts - reading
Summary:
Thoreau's journal entries have been placed into a broader context and are accompanied by stunning paintings and pencil drawings in this 39-page book. The use of present tense verb form may be off putting for some readers.
Teaching Ideas:
Teachers, especially teachers who want students to study Thoreau, will find dozens of ways to approach this book. It would be a good introduction to a field trip to nearby woods. Each student could record the trek in a journal, noting animals, birds, tracks etc., using compasses and natural signs to find their way. Students could put together an ecology chart from the book (11 types of fish are listed. What kind of water do they live in? How does the terrain change with the higher altitude?). The book provides material for a discussion and writing project about how we use our solitude and self-sufficiency or for discussion on our preoccupation with making money. Students could study the metaphors and similes (e.g., p. 37, "It's like sitting in a chimney and waiting for the smoke to blow away."), could write their own for passages without them, or could use a thesaurus for vocabulary expansion. An advanced group might look at Thoreau's Civil Disobedience essay and discuss the influence on M. L. King. The book ties in with other New England books like Waiting for the Evening Star or fictional biographies of other American writers (i.e., Cooper's Coming Home; Bedard's Emily). Students may want to do map reading skills and plot Thoreau's progress. Finally teachers may simply want to read this aloud and let students appreciate the art. www.geocities.com/~freereligion/1thorea.html
Keywords: select any link below for a list of resources which also have that keyword
Geography > locations > U.S. states/regions > Maine Geography > locations > U.S. states/regions > New England History > time period > 19th Century Literature and Language > figurative language Literature and Language > literature > American literature Geography > environment Religion/Philosophy > Transcendentalism Science > biology > botany/plants Literature and Language > authors > Thoreau, Henry David History > topic > journeys/voyages

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