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Visual Prompt: Most people do things that make them happy. For some people, it’s sports; for others, it may be reading or hanging out with friends. What makes you happy?

UNIT

4

The Pursuit of Happiness

Unit OverviewThe pursuit of happiness is an integral part of the American Dream and part of the foundation of this country. Many people think that the fulfillment of the American Dream centers on financial success; however, riches are not the path to happiness for everyone. One major alternative for pursuing happiness was offered by the Transcendentalists, people who (partially in response to the Industrial Revolution) valued simplicy, intuition, and nature over the expanding complexities of an increasingly urbanized and modernized society.

In this unit, you will examine how their perspectives still resonate in America, exploring in depth the story of one person who rejected wealth in favor of a different pathway to happiness. After examining the narrative of his experience, you will craft your own narrative, reflecting on how your experiences have shaped you and your values. And finally, after understanding how an author can construct a narrative using many different genres to create a portrait of a person, you will research and craft a multi-genre project on a topic of your choice.

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Unit 4 • The Pursuit of Happiness 253

ContentsActivities

4.1 Previewing the Unit ................................................................. 256

4.2 Searching for Meaning ............................................................ 257 Essay: from Self-Reliance, by Ralph Waldo Emerson Essay: “Where I Lived and What I Lived For,” from Walden, by Henry David Thoreau

4.3 Re-Searching for Meaning ....................................................... 265

4.4 Linking the Past to the Present ............................................... 266 Poetry: “In the Depths of Solitude,” by Tupac Shakur Poetry: “Remember,” by Joy Harjo Poetry: “A Light Exists in Spring,” by Emily Dickinson

4.5 Another Transcendental View .................................................. 269 *Art: The Oxbow, by Thomas Cole *Art: Kindred Spirits, by Asher Durand

4.6 Drafting My Credo ................................................................... 271 Nonfiction: Credo from “All I Really Need to Know

I Learned in Kindergarten,” by Robert Fulghum

4.7 Writer’s Craft: Revising My Credo ............................................ 274

4.8 Framing the Subject ................................................................ 276 Biography: “Author’s Note,”

from Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer

4.9 Meeting Christopher McCandless ........................................... 279 *Biography: Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer

4.10 Literary Connection ................................................................. 281 *Biography: Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer

4.11 Shedding Light ........................................................................ 283 *Biography: Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer

4.12 Meaning Through Structure .................................................... 285 *Biography: Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer

4.13 A Personal Perspective ............................................................ 287 Biography: Excerpt from Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer

4.14 Writer’s Craft: A Personal Perspective on Style ....................... 291

4.15 Reflecting on Life Experiences ................................................ 293 Essay: “A View from Mount Ritter,” by Joseph T. O’Connor

GOALS:• To compose a personal

essay that employs stylistic techniques

• To analyze and evaluate the structural and stylistic features of texts

• To use a variety of genres to express a coherent theme

The Pursuit of HappinessUNIT

4

Literary Termsconnotation epigraphcoherence

ACADEMIC VOCABULARYgenre conventions

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254 SpringBoard® English Language Arts Grade 11

4.16 Making Your Choice ................................................................. 297

Embedded Assessment 1: Writing a Personal Essay ....................... 299

4.17 Previewing Embedded Assessment 2 and Style ...................... 301 *Biography: Chapters 16–17 from Into the Wild,

by Jon Krakauer

4.18 Searching for the Author ......................................................... 303 *Biography: Chapter 18 from Into the Wild,

by Jon Krakauer

4.19 Many Ways of Showing ........................................................... 305 *Biography: Chapter 18 from Into the Wild,

by Jon Krakauer

4.20 The Nuts and Bolts of the Multi-Genre Research Project ........ 307 Multi-Genre Research Project: Student Sample

4.21 Exploring, Recording, and Imagining Research ....................... 325Biographical Sketch: “Sparky,” by Earl Nightingale

4.22 Melding Facts, Interpretation, and Imagination ..................... 328 Article: “Charles M. Shulz Biography,”

from Notable Biographies

4.23 Meeting in the Middle ............................................................. 333

4.24 Thematic Threads to Create Flow ............................................ 335

4.25 Organizing the Multi-Genre Research Project ......................... 337

Embedded Assessment 2: Creating a Multi-Genre Research Project .................................... 339

*Texts not included in these materials.

Language and Writer’s Craft• Antithesis (4.2)• Review of Syntax (4.7)• Informal Spelling and

Usage (4.8)• Relative Pronouns and

Clauses (4.14)

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Unit 4 • The Pursuit of Happiness 255