Tolkien's the Fellowship of the Ring Book Discussion Group: Flexible Schedule
In this 9-week course, students will read the first of three volumes of J. R. R. Tolkien's epic novel The Lord of the Rings #academic
Janelle Fila
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4.6
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What's included
Homework
2-4 hours per week. Students will read two to three chapters each week. Each Sunday, students will have access to one to three new videos and corresponding worksheets with discussion questions and places for fill-in-the blank answers. Each week, I assign a one to two page writing assignment focused around that week's discussion questions and ask the students to share their responses in the classroom. There are also daily activities each day like vocabulary words and a Kahoot! quiz to test their comprehension from the weekly chapters.Assessment
I use the worksheets, writing assignment, and Kahoot quiz to interact with students to gauge their level of understanding of the material. No formal assessments are made although I will offer feedback if a student seems to be confused by part of the story or has a major grammar issue that needs to be addressed.Grading
Grades are provided by request only.Class Experience
US Grade 7 - 10
The Fellowship of the Ring is a fantasy classic where Frodo's journey begins. Students will read two to three chapters each week. Each week one to three new videos will discuss the pages that the students have previously read (sometimes the videos will be broken down by individual chapters and other times I may cover two chapters in a single video). This class does not meet live. The prerecorded sessions will emphasize characters, their motivations, theme, story plausibility, and inferences about what might come next. Each Sunday, students will have access to one to three new videos that cover the important elements of the week's reading and a corresponding one page worksheet with discussion questions and places for fill-in-the blank answers. The worksheets will also address/remind the students of some of the important topics from each chapter. Each week, I assign one-three short writing assignment focused around that week's discussion questions and ask the students to share their responses in the classroom (so other students may view, comment, and interact as well). I also ask students to submit any vocabulary words the students didn't recognize or passages the students did not understand. The more questions the students ask, the more "discussion" we can have in the classroom after each chapter. Weekly breakdown: Sunday: Students will receive a worksheet and discussion questions for each weekly video. There is one (one to two page) weekly writing assignment to complete after the weekly readings. Monday through Fridays: I will post a vocabulary word for the students to use in a sentence that showcases their understanding of the definition. Saturday: I will post a link to a Tolkien themed Kahoot! trivia quiz the students can fill out to further immerse themselves in this world. An account is not required. The quiz is 100% optional. Students can share their scores or any questions/answers they didn't understand in the classroom to share their experience with their classmates. Any students that have timed quiz anxiety may simply ignore the link.
Learning Goals
Week One: Prologue, Chapter 1, and Chapter 2
Week Two: Chapters 3, 4, and 5
Week Three: Chapters 6 and 7
Week Four: Chapters 8 and 9
Week Five: Chapters 10, 11, and 12 (this ends the section titled Book One)
Week Six: Chapters 1, 2, and 3 (of the section titled Book Two)
Week Seven: Chapters 4, 5 and 6
Week Eight: Chapters 7 and 8
Week Nine: Chapters 9 and 10
Other Details
Parental Guidance
According to Commonsensemedia.org: Parents need to know that if kids are ready to see the excellent Lord of the Rings movies they're ready to read the trilogy, starting with The Fellowship of the Ring -- though arguably scenes fighting orcs and worse in the mines of Moria and ones with the undead dark riders pursuing the hobbits can seem extra creepy when you take the book to bed. One character almost dies and one is mourned; there's some fighting with swords and bows, but giant battle scenes are saved for the next two books. The hobbits and men like to smoke their pipe-weed and drink wine and beer. They also sing long ballads, sometimes in the author's made-up languages -- Tolkien's Middle Earth is just that fully imagined.
The class also includes access to a user-friendly weekly Kahoot! trivia quiz. An account is not required. The quiz is 100% optional. Any students that have timed quiz anxiety may simply ignore the link.
Pre-Requisites
Students may want to read The Hobbit (a prequel to this saga) although that is not required.
Supply List
The students will need their own copy of The Fellowship of the Ring to read on their own. It can be borrowed from the library or even listened to as an audio book. The students will not need a physical copy of the story in class, although they may find it helpful to have while filling out their worksheets or working on their writing assignment.
Joined June, 2019
4.6
903reviews
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Teacher expertise and credentials
Master's Degree in Music or Theatre or Arts from Spalding University
I have an MFA in Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults. I was a substitute teacher for three years before teaching full-time on Outschool. I also teach English Composition as an adjunct university professor. Tolkien is the ultimate fantasy writer, but his novels can be challenging to read. In this class, students will learn valuable reading comprehension and time management skills. They will also be exposed to a vast vocabulary. Reviews
Live Group Class
$10
weekly or $90 for 9 weeks9 weeks
Completed by 1 learner
No live video meetings
Ages: 12-17
