Teen Book Study: Reading and Discussing J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion
In this 15-week class, we will discuss JRR Tolkien’s dazzling book The Silmarillion, the mythology and history of Middle-earth. Taught by a teacher who wrote her masters thesis on Tolkien.
Rebecca Baumgarten, MA
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(29)
What's included
15 live meetings
15 in-class hoursHomework
1-2 hours per week. Students must complete listed readings before class meetings. For example, week 1's reading should be completed before week 1's meeting. The number of pages varies, and both style and content tend to be quite intense. Reading should take no more than 2 hours per week. After reading, students must answer the weekly reading response prompt in 300-500 words, providing textual evidence to support their claim.Letter Grade
There are 15 reading responses, each worth 10 points, for a total of 150 points in the course. At the end of the course, students will receive a letter grade corresponding to how many points they have earned overall, according to this scale: A = 90-100% = 135-150 points B = 80-89% = 120-134 points C = 70-88% = 105-119 points D = 60-69% = 90-104 points F = 0-59% = 0-89 pointsClass Experience
US Grade 9 - 12
Ever wondered the significance of Galadriel giving Gimli 3 hairs, or why Eärendil is the most beloved star of the Elves of Middle-earth, or how the Dark Lord Sauron became evil? If you’re like me, you finished The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings with these sorts of questions in mind. Then you heard about The Silmarillion and were so excited, you started it as soon as you could get your hands on it. But then you got lost amid the archaic style and unfamiliar names. Like journeying to destroy the One Ring, reading The Silmarillion is not a task one should undertake alone. In this class, we’ll walk together through this stunning, compact work of modern myth, supporting each other with discussion of events and themes. We’ll all be companions for one another on an adventure into the great vistas of time and space glimpsed in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. We'll even learn just how much of Amazon Prime's "The Rings of Power" is actually canon. I will use slides to present my own discussion topics and explanations of the week’s themes and events. I will also provide 3 handouts at various points in the course: 1. the How Subcreators Fall Flowchart (based on Tolkien's theory of temptation) 2: Elf Charts (relationships between the various Elf-clans) 3. The House of Finwë (an Elvish family tree) Students must complete readings before the week they are listed. After reading, they will write a reading response (300-500 words) to that week's prompt. Keywords: book club; reading group; literature; literary analysis; mythology; high school
Learning Goals
In this course, students will learn to:
• Write short-answer arguments using textual evidence
• Define, explain, and give examples of eucatastrophe, dyscatastrophe, and subcreation
• Analyze themes in a work of literature
• Interpret an archaic style of w
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Battles in The Silmarillion tend to be quite violent, but the book’s elevated style means they are never described in graphic detail.
Many of the stories in this book are tragedies or contain themes of loss or mortality. “Of Túrin Turambar” especially is known for making readers cry. This is not grimdark fantasy, though; no matter how dark things get in Tolkien's writing, the Shadow remains a small and passing thing, and there is light and high beauty forever beyond its reach.
Spoilers for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
Supply List
Everyone must have a copy of the book, any edition. It is available at most libraries, but students may find it helpful to purchase a paperback copy so they can make notes in the pages. I assume familiarity with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings books.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined October, 2021
5.0
29reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
Master's Degree in English from Texas A&M University
I am an adjunct professor of English composition at Collin College in northern Texas. I have a bachelors and masters in English and certificate in Digital Humanities from Texas A&M University. I wrote my thesis on Christianized Germanic heroism in Tolkien’s Middle-earth legendarium. I am also a member of the international Tolkien Society.
Since 2022, I have been an adjunct professor at Collin College in north Texas, where I teach English Composition 1 and 2. Before that, 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 extracurricular activities.Reviews
Live Group Course
$20
weekly or $300 for 15 classes1x per week, 15 weeks
60 min
Completed by 5 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 14-18
1-6 learners per class
