Description
Why do I call this “not just another study guide?”
Often, a study guide based on a book involves some very school-ish things: comprehension questions, grammar, writing assignments, and multiple choice quizzes. They are meant to turn a very good book into a very busy school assignment.
That’s not my thing.
I like for kids to dive into books and really enjoy them. I want to give lots of extra information to bring the story to life.
The goal of my study guides is to make learning fun, to expand the story! In the case of The Lord of the Rings, I just want to give readers a bit of a “fan club” feeling. Tolkien wrote some amazing books that completely stand on their own; but there’s also a whole world that is worth knowing. This guide is here to connect the dots and help students explore the wide world of Tolkien.
I began teaching this class around 2003 with my sister in our local homeschool co-op. We created the two charts in this guide as handy cheat-sheets for some common connections among the people of Tolkien’s world. Over the years, I have taught this class repeatedly and have kept every scrap of notes.
What age is this guide for?
Anyone who is capable of reading the books! That can vary widely from student to student, but anyone who is reading The Lord of the Rings can use this guide.
It is suitable for one child at home or for a group setting, such as a homeschool co-op or book club.
What’s included?
Each chapter has extra reading suggestions, notes on the chapter, tidbits from other Tolkien writings, and optional activities to complete. The extra reading suggestions are just that: suggestions. You do not have to use any of them to enjoy the book and this guide.
The Fan Club Part
Fans of Tolkien enjoy expressing their passion through all sorts of creativity: art, writing, music, scrapbooking, collecting, and more. I will encourage this through the study guide in the optional activities.
How to use this guide
You’ll definitely need a copy of The Fellowship of the Ring, whether it’s the print version or an audiobook. Just be sure the audio version is unabridged! Keep this guide handy for note-taking, geography, and the charts I have created.
Single-user:
This guide is meant to add depth and fun to a reading of The Fellowship of the Ring. Any student can read (or listen to) the book while using the notes in this guide at their own pace.
Take notes, create a scrapbook, look up unfamiliar words, and read extra content in the suggested books as you like.
Group setting:
In a homeschool co-op or book club, divide the number of chapters by the weeks you will meet. In my homeschool co-op, we meet once weekly for 10 weeks. I assign chapters to be read that evenly divide the number of pages each week (as closely as possible). Have students read at home, and then use classroom time to discuss the notes and information in this guide.
I use my copy of the Tolkien Companion to answer student questions in class when they ask about certain people or places, or want to know more about a chapter. Using the Atlas of Middle Earth, I make copies of the maps and hand them out to students, or scan them to my computer and project them to the TV in the classroom. If there are videos linked in the guide, I play those in class.
Teachers or leaders could also show clips of the movies that relate to different scenes in the book, explore the art and music of the movies, and have class discussions about their opinions on subjects like Tom Bombadil.
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