Fourth Grade
Worksheets
Henry David Thoreau
Many people like to take walks in the woods. Some people collect bugs or leaves. Others like the peace that they find among the quiet trees. Henry David Thoreau was an American writer who wrote his most famous book, Walden; or, Life in the Woods, about time that he spent in the woods. He remembered taking walks in nature with his family when he was a boy and used his experiences to inspire his writings.
Henry David Thoreau was born on July 12, 1817, in Concord, Massachusetts. His parents spent a lot of time with their children outside, and young Henry learned to love nature. One of his first memories was "looking through the stars to see if I could see God behind them." Henry went to public school but liked to be alone a lot.
Henry's parents wanted him to have an excellent education. They saved their money so that he could attend Harvard University. Henry was one of the top students in his class. Thoreau became very sick with tuberculosis in 1835, and this disease affected him for the rest of his life. Nevertheless, he graduated from Harvard in 1837. At that time, the smart young man was not sure about what he wanted to do with his life.
Thoreau decided that he wanted to become a teacher. He began working at a school in Concord. It did not work out. Thoreau resigned from teaching after only two weeks. Thoreau then started his own school with his brother, John, and they implemented some new ideas. They took their students on long walks in the woods. Thoreau liked teaching in this new way, but soon tragedy struck.
John became very sick from tetanus. When he died, Henry had to close their school. This was a traumatic event for 25-year-old Henry because he had always been close to his brother. Henry didn't give up on his own career, but he did decide to work for his father making pencils for a while in order to make some money.
