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Figurative Language With Tolkien: Writing in Middle-earth - Ages 10-14
Rebecca Baumgarten, MA
Average rating:5.0Number of reviews:(28)
In this ongoing class, middle school and junior high students will develop their writing voice by learning some of J.R.R. Tolkien’s favorite devices.
Class experience
US Grade 5 - 8
Voice is one of the most elusive elements of writing: hard to pin down and hard to duplicate. We can come close, though, by pinpointing the devices and strategies a particular author uses most. And one of the best ways to develop one’s own writing voice is by learning what makes successful writers’ voices so effective. J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, has a distinct voice that many fantasy authors try to capture. In this course, we will explore some of his...
Students will learn to: • Define rhetorical devices and types of figurative language • Analyze writing that uses both classic and innovating devices • Explain the effects of these devices • Develop their voice by creating sentences and paragraphs using these devices
I have a bachelors and masters in English and certificate in Digital Humanities from Texas A&M University in May 2021. I wrote my thesis on Christianized Germanic heroism in Tolkien’s Middle-earth legendarium. I am also a member of the international Tolkien Society. I worked for three semesters as a graduate assistant teacher for undergraduate courses in literature and technical writing. I also have many years of experience working with children from freelance tutoring elementary through high school and volunteering with Girl Scouts and church.
Homework Offered
Assessments Offered
Assessment is informal, through class participation and in-class writing assignments.Grades Offered
Quotes used in class may contain spoilers for The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion. Quotes may also include poetic descriptions of battles (never in graphic detail—Tolkien doesn’t write that way) or hints at the sense of loss that pervades his Middle-earth writings.
Class content draws from the following books, all by J.R.R. Tolkien: The Hobbit The Lord of the Rings 1. The Fellowship of the Ring 2. The Two Towers 3. The Return of the King The Silmarillion
Average rating:5.0Number of reviews:(28)
My name is Rebecca Baumgarten. I have a bachelor’s and master’s in English from Texas A&M University, focusing on the fiction and scholarship of J.R.R. Tolkien (hence my headline). I am an adjunct professor of English at Collin College in...
Group Class
$12
weekly1x per week
45 min
Completed by 4 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 10-14
1-6 learners per class
