Preview For Samuel Johnson’s “The Solitude of the Country” Activity Pack

Overview: This CCSS aligned set provides a vocabulary activity, a couple analysis activities and a writing
assignment based on Samuel Johnson’s essay, “The Solitude of the Country”. Students read and analyze
his 1754 essay, before analyzing how Johnson alters and refines the meaning of a word then write an
argumentative essay in the vein of his essay. This set also includes a vocabulary quiz, a peer editing
handout and rubric for the writing assignment and all teacher notes.

This set would fit well in a British Literature course, an AP Language and Composition course and a general
composition course.

Unit Contents:
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“The Solitude of the Country” Activity Directions! ! ! ! ! 3
“The Solitude of the Country” Vocabulary Activity ! ! ! ! ! 4
“The Solitude of the Country” Vocabulary Activity Key ! ! ! ! ! 5
“The Solitude of the Country” Vocabulary Quiz!! ! ! ! ! 6
“The Solitude of the Country” Vocabulary Quiz Key ! ! ! ! ! 7
“The Solitude of the Country” by Samuel Johnson! ! ! ! ! 8-9
“The Solitude of the Country” Analysis Questions! ! ! ! ! 10
“The Solitude of the Country” Analysis Questions Teacher Notes ! ! ! 11-12
Johnson’s Solitude! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 13
Johnson’s Solitude Teacher Notes! ! ! ! ! ! ! 14
Compare/Contrast Argumentative Essay Assignment! ! ! ! ! 15
Compare/Contrast Argumentative Essay Peer Editing! ! ! ! ! 16
CCSS Argumentative Writing Rubric! ! ! ! ! ! ! 17
Common Core Standards Addressed; Image and Text Sources! ! ! 18

Thank you for your interest! Feel free to email me with any questions at openclassroom@yahoo.com.

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers
are the sole owners and developers of the Common Core State Standards.
© Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2013 Amanda Czerniuk

All rights reserved by author.
Permission to copy for single classroom use only.
Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only.
Not for public display.

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 Preview Sample of Vocabulary and Quiz for “The Solitude of the Country”

Directions: Define the following words from “The Solitude of the Country”, then find an antonym or
example for each word.

WORD DEFINITION ANTONYM OR EXAMPLE

acquiesce

avocation

captious

(CCSS RL & RI 9-12.4)

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“The Solitude of the Country” Vocabulary Quiz

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Part one: Place an “O” in the blank if the italicized word is used correctly; an “X” if used incorrectly.

1. _____ Public speaking is a source of perturbation for many.

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2. _____ Due to her impetuousness, the homework that should have taken 20 minutes took an hour.

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3. _____ The soldiers acquiesced when they realized they were outnumbered.
4. _____ The NFL player lacked effrontery when he told the opposing team that they would be

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! ! disgraced on their home turf the following week.
5. _____ Luckily, because it was his first live performance, the critics were captious.
6. _____ The mother was ashamed of her son’s opprobrious conduct.

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7. _____ While the lady’s story appeared honest, we quickly discovered it was specious.

Part two: Write the noun from the five below that best completes the following five sentences.

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avocation importunity recluse rectitude votary

8. Having studied Buddhism for most of his life, he was a member of the Buddhist ________________.

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9. My favorite ________________ is reading.
10. His ________________ left me no alternative but to agree.
11. As a nun, she lived her life with the utmost ________________.
12. After finding city life overwhelming, the woman returned to the country to live as a(n) _______________.

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 Preview Sample of “The Solitude of the Country” Analysis Questions and Teacher Notes

Directions: Carefully read Samuel Johnson’s essay before answering the following questions using complete
sentences and examples from the text when appropriate.

1. Select a sentence or two from the essay that best captures the meaning of the work and explain what it
means. _______________________________________________________________________________
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2. State two reasons why Johnson asserts people are drawn to the solitude of the country. ______________
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______________________________________________________________________________________
8. Do you agree with Johnson that the country in some ways corrupts? _____________________________

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______________________________________________________________________________________

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“The Solitude of the Country” Analysis Questions Teacher Notes (answers will vary)

Directions: Carefully read Samuel Johnson’s essay before answering the following questions using complete
sentences and examples from the text when appropriate.

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1. Select a sentence or two from the essay that best captures the meaning of the work and explain what it
means.

Johnson states that “those who... ambitiously repeat the praises of solitude have [not] considered how much
they depreciate mankind by declaring that whatever is excellent or desirable is to be obtained by departing
from them; ... and that the protection of society is too dearly purchased, by encountering its dangers and
enduring its oppressions”, to mean that solitude is a form of anti-social behavior and that even though a life
in the thick of society has its flaws, it’s benefits far outnumber the negatives of solitude. The problems that
we suffer through as a society make us stronger and better adapted humans.

2. State two reasons why Johnson asserts people are drawn to the solitude of the country.

Johnson makes many assertions about why people are drawn to solitude; for one, he asserts that solitude is
the place where humans live for the “present gratifications of their passions”, according to their own
“inclinations, without...regulating their actions by any other man’s convenience or opinion”. Next, Johnson
states that there are people who are “delicate and tender” and are easily offended by the “grossness,
falsehood and brutality” of the “mingled mass of [city] life”.

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 Preview Sample of Johnson’s Solitude

Directions: Johnson uses the word solitude to mean different things throughout his essay; how does

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Johnson craft his language to depict this word? Answer the questions below to analyze how Johnson alters
and refines the meaning of solitude throughout his essay. First, define the word and make a personal
connection to it. Next, identify three or four examples of the word from his essay, then explain how Johnson
alters and/or refines the meaning of the word over the course of his essay.

Dictionary definition of solitude:

What does the word solitude mean to you? Does it have a positive or negative connotation?:

Four different examples of how Johnson describes solitude throughout the essay:
1)

2)

3)

4)

(CCSS RIT 11-12.4)

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 Preview Compare/Contrast Argumentative Writing Assignment and Rubric

In Johnson’s “The Solitude of the Country” essay, he offers his reader an argument
against solitude by comparing and contrasting the merits and disadvantages of solitude
and society. You will craft a comparable essay as you write your own argumentative
essay with a similar purpose: to argue for or against a topic by comparing and contrasting
the topic with another.

Be mindful of the following as you write this 2-3 page essay:

 Ensure that your claim is precise and knowledgable; your claims and counterclaims should be
developed with relevant evidence that anticipates your audience.

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 Be sure to consider how you will organize your essay so that the claims, counterclaims and evidence
are logically sequenced.
 Your ideas should build with the text using words, phrases and clauses to create a cohesive piece.

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 Consider your audience by using an appropriate style and tone with proper English language

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conventions; properly cite any quotes.
 Finally, ensure that your conclusion follows from and supports argument.

Due date:

Name:! ! ! !

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Essay:
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Common Core State Standards Argument Writing Rubric (Grades 11-12)

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Goal: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning
and relevant and sufficient evidence (CCSS WS 11-12 1a-e).

5- Exceptional 4- Developed 3- Adequate 2- Developing 1- Inadequate

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_____/5 Focus: Essay introduces a precise, knowledgable claim; creates an organization that logically
sequences claim, counterclaims and evidence.

_____/5 Development: Essay develops claim and counterclaims with relevant evidence that anticipates
the audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values and biases.

_____/5 Cohesion: Essay uses words, phrases and clauses as well as varied syntax to create cohesion
between claim, counterclaims and evidence.

_____/5 Style/Conventions: Essay establishes and maintains an appropriate style and tone;
demonstrates a commanding control of standard English language conventions; follows citation guidelines.

_____/5 Conclusion: Essay’s conclusion follows from and supports argument.

_____/25! ! ! ! Grade:
Comments:

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Common Core State Standards Addressed (Grades 11-12):

RIT 1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well
as inferences drawn from the text.

RIT 4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative,
connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or
terms over the course of a text.

W1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning
and relevant and sufficient evidence.

W4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to
task, purpose, and audience.

W5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new
approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.

L4--Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades
11–12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

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