About the Project

"More Day to Dawn" was born as a response to "Approaching Walden," a week-long seminar for high school teachers and graduate students sponsored by the Walden Woods Project. The participants were challenged to find a "Walden," a place of geographic and historical significance worthy of study, near our homes. We were to create a project-based learning experience for our students using the guidelines suggested by the World Wide Waldens project.

I was not returning to a classroom that fall, though. I was working on a special project and would be away from my classrom for a year. How could I find a Walden when I had no place to claim?

I decided to make Thoreau himself my Walden. As a naturalist, social critic, and philosopher/spiritual being, Thoreau expressed views that are still worthy of study. "Civil Disobedience" is famous for its influence during World War II, fighting apartheid in South Africa, and guiding the American Civil Rights movement of the Sixties. But Thoreau wrote many other essays that also deserve our study. At this site I hope to bring Thoreau into the 21st century by showing that people today still think as he did.

In this project students read and discuss writing that reflects Thoreau's thinking. They reflect on people they know who share similar views, people who recognize, as Thoreau wrote, "Only that day dawns to which we are awake. There is more day to dawn. The sun is but a morning star." As a culminating activity students submit their nominations for the "More Day to Dawn" award to be posted here.

Thanks for visiting!

Carla Beard
October 1, 2007