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Literary Lessons from Lord of the Rings


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Could someone [;ease esplain how this is set up and how it works? I briefly looked at the web site and couldn 't get a feel for it. What grades/ages would this be good for? Thanks!

 

The way it is set up, each chapter of the book has a vocabulary study, teaching notes, and discussion questions. I did everything orally with my kids.

 

For the vocabulary study, she gives you the pg# and paragraph (there are a few mistakes though) where the word is located. I would read that section and we would discuss how to figure out the definition of the word from the context and then I would have them use the word in an original sentence. (this really helped my kids' vocab)

 

The teaching portion brought in great discussions on lit analysis (allusions, foreshadowing, etc) as well as putting scenes in Middle Earth context(extra background Tolkien info)

 

THe discussion questions were everything from comprehension to analytical.

 

The unit studies (not to be missed!!) show how past works (like Beowulf, Iliad, etc) influenced LOTRs and other works. The unit studies are wonderful in bringing his love of linguistics alive and really inspired my kids. W/o the unit studies, it would only be another "study guide" IMHO. THe unit studies are what make it great.

 

I don't know how you can do it one yr though! We spent a lot of time on the unit studies! I used it over 2 yrs with 2 of my kids. One was in 6th/7th and the other in 8th/9th.

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Thanks mom07, I was hoping you'd reply :D One question, is there a list of the books used in the unit studies? You mentioned Beowulf and Iliad below, is there a complete list I can look over? OK, two questions lol. Do you try to match up your history studies to the book/unit studies?

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What grades/ages would this be good for? Thanks!

 

 

LLftLotR is rated for grades 7-12, but after doing it, I'd say it's best suited for grades 7-10; for grades as low as 5-6 if they are advanced readers/thinkers and you do it aloud together; for grades 11-12 if they are slower readers and haven't done much literature before.

 

 

 

 

Could someone [;ease esplain how this is set up and how it works?

 

 

The supporting material for each chapter of each of the 3 books is laid out the same:

1. 1-2 pages of fill-in-the-blank comprehension questions (written as a summary of the chapter, with blanks left for key names, words, etc.).

2. 1-2 pages of fill-in-the-blank or multiple choice vocabulary quizzes (there are also vocabulary tests every 4 chapters or so)

3. 1-2 pages of chapter notes; this is the "meat" of the study, where themes and literary elements in the book are discussed, suggestions of what to look for in future chapters, as well as influences on the author, background details, comparisons to other works of literature, etc.

4. 4-10 discussion questions; this is where you get into discussing themes

5. If you follow one of the guide's schedules, about every 2-3 weeks you will find a suggestion for a writing assignment in the chapter notes.

6. Unit studies; there are 12 of these. If you follow one of the guide's schedules, you'll read one of these (about 6-10 pages) once every 3 weeks; these have 4-6 discussion questions at the end of the unit, and usually a writing assignment idea as well.

 

 

While the program is designed so that a student can do it solo (and a 10th grade friend of ours did do it on his own), we altered the program to better fit our needs:

- only used the TM, which has the answers printed by the questions (since we weren't doing the comprehension and vocab. worksheets)

- did all the reading and the guide aloud together

- skipped the comprehension questions

- did the vocabulary aloud together

- skipped the writing assignments

- did the units slightly out of order (we did the unit on what makes an epic first, as we were also doing some of the ancient Great Books ala WTM style that year)

 

Doing LLftLotR in this way, took us about 4 hours a week -- 1 to 1-1/2 hours a week to read the book (usually 2 chapters/week); 1 to 1-1/2 hours to do the guide; 2 hours to do the unit study. How we scheduled it all:

 

Sun night = family read aloud of 1-2 chapters

Mon during school = do the guide for 1st chapter

Mon night = family read aloud of 2nd chapter (if we didn't read 2 chapters Sun night)

Tues during school = do the guide for 2nd chapter

Wed and Thurs during school = work through part of a unit study

 

 

 

 

briefly looked at the web site and couldn 't get a feel for it.

 

 

Here are the specific pages on the website that you might find helpful in figuring out what LLftLotR looks like:

 

Lesson plans: http://www.homescholar.org/Lesson%20PLans.htm

Table of contents: http://www.homescholar.org/Table%20of%20Contents.htm

Chapter samples: http://www.homescholar.org/Samples.htm

List of literary terms covered: http://www.homescholar.org/lit_terms.htm

 

 

LLftLotR was a real high water mark in our homeschooling, and SO enjoyable doing it all together -- even including DH in the family read aloud at night. BEST of luck! Warmly, Lori D.

Edited by Lori D.
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We started this recently with our 8th grader and will continue it into 9th grade and it is an enjoyable study! If I had to do it all over again I would just buy the TM since we do the vocab and comprehension questions orally. We're sort of savoring the books and I want to enhance the reading rather than bog it down with a lot of work each chapter. Haven't done a unit study yet but am looking forward to it.

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is there a list of the books used in the unit studies? You mentioned Beowulf and Iliad below, is there a complete list I can look over?

 

 

You don't *have* to read any additional literature. The guide does discuss other works of literature in varying degrees from several of the additional units analyzing sections of works of literature, to giving detailed background on works of literature, to mentioning works of literature.

 

Works partially analyzed and covered in some detail in LLftLotR (whole side units on these):

- Beowulf

- Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

- poetry by Tolkien

 

Works described in several pages each, and how they influenced Tolkien:

- The Iliad

- Arthurian romances

 

Works mentioned, or suggested as possible interesting extra, outside reading:

- Macbeth

- Midsummer Night's Dream

 

 

 

Do you try to match up your history studies to the book/unit studies?

 

We didn't. We counted LLftLotR as the literature portion of our high school English credit. We did LLftLotR while studying ancient history, and we also did a full literature course of the ancient Great Books (using lit. guides and the WTM/WEM method) including the epics of the Iliad and the Odyssey. As a result of doing LLftLotR, the boys begged for us to do Beowulf at the start of the next school year, so we did that with a Jeff Baldin The Great Books guide. But I think you can use LLftLotR with most of the history time periods and it would work well:

 

ancients --> Lord of the Rings was written by a man trained in the classic educational model (Greek and Latin, read the ancient classics), and is an epic like the ancient epics

 

medieval --> author Tolkien was a specialist in medieval literature, and his interest and love of works such as Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Arthurian works, the nordic epics, all greatly influened his own work of Lord of the Rings

 

modern --> author Tolkien lived in the modern era, fought in WW1, saw industrial progress tearing up the trees and countryside, and lived through WW2 -- you can feel all of those experiences in Lord of the Rings. The trilogy, while in a medieval-like fantasy setting, seems like a very modern epic to me.

 

 

Hope that is of some help! Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited by Lori D.
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Could someone please explain how this is set up and how it works? I briefly looked at the web site and couldn 't get a feel for it. What grades/ages would this be good for? Thanks!

 

I saw literary lessons for Narnia in a book form once, but I have never seen it on a web site. Could you give the website again since I am just getting back here after a very long absence. :)

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In addition to a lot of support material for both teacher and student, LLftLotR has a schedule on their website.

http://www.homescholar.org/Lesson%20PLans.htm

 

My 15yo ds will be using this beginning in August. We will be using the daily lessons plans for advanced students. Although, I may cut down the vocabulary some.

 

In addition to LotR ds will be reading-

(wks 1-4) selections from BJUP English Lit that a friend loaned me

(wks 5-8) The Illiad (epic)

(wks 9-12) Macbeth

(wks 13-16) Beowulf

(wks 17-18) selections from The Canterbury Tales

(wks 19-22) The Tempest

(wks 23-26) Redwall (LLftLotR Fantasy unit 8 & on their fantasy bookshelf)

(wks 27-30) Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (King Arthur)

(wks 31-34) Fierce Wars and Faithful Loves (modern Fairie Queene)

(wks 35-36) more selections from BJUP English Lit

 

All of the choices in red are mentioned in the high school schedule. The ones in green are either covered directly or indirectly in LLftLotR. It seems like The Canterbury Tales is mentioned also, but I can't find it now.

 

HTH-

Mandy

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In addition to LotR ds will be reading-

(wks 1-4) selections from BJUP English Lit that a friend loaned me

(wks 5-8) The Illiad (epic)

(wks 9-12) Macbeth

(wks 13-16) Beowulf

(wks 17-18) selections from The Canterbury Tales

(wks 19-22) The Tempest

(wks 23-26) Redwall (LLftLotR Fantasy unit 8 & on their fantasy bookshelf)

(wks 27-30) Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (King Arthur)

(wks 31-34) Fierce Wars and Faithful Loves (modern Fairie Queene)

(wks 35-36) more selections from BJUP English Lit /QUOTE]

 

 

Hi Mandy,

Just wondering -- are you doing ALL of a full translation version of the Iliad? If so, just to let you know, we did the all of the Robert Fagles translation of the Iliad and it took us 12 weeks. :blink: There are SO many people, battles, gods, names, back stories, etc. that we found we just could not absorb more than 2 "books" (chapters) of the 24 books of the Iliad per week. If you're doing a prose adaptation or just a few sections of the Iliad, you should be fine. Warmest regards, Lori D.

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Just wondering -- are you doing ALL of a full translation version of the Iliad? If so, just to let you know, we did the all of the Robert Fagles translation of the Iliad and it took us 12 weeks. :blink: There are SO many people, battles, gods, names, back stories, etc. that we found we just could not absorb more than 2 "books" (chapters) of the 24 books of the Iliad per week. If you're doing a prose adaptation or just a few sections of the Iliad, you should be fine. Warmest regards, Lori D.

Honestly, I have The Iliad on the schedule, because out of the Aeneid, the Iliad, and the Odyssey that was the favorite of my friend's ds. I am certain that it didn't take him 12 weeks. My oldest used Lattimore's Iliad with Omnibus 1 and it was not scheduled for that long. However, this child is more interested in math/science than literature so thanks for the heads-up. I'll take another look at the 3 and at adaptions. I would rather that he be exposed to the story than drown in it and drop it.

Mandy

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I saw literary lessons for Narnia in a book form once, but I have never seen it on a web site. Could you give the website again since I am just getting back here after a very long absence. :)

 

 

The literature program for the 7 Narnia books is called Further Up and Further In, and is for grades 4-8. See it at: http://www.cadroncreek.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=Narnia_001

 

 

The literature program for the 3 books of the Lord of the Rings trilogy is Literary Lessons from the Lord of the Rings. See it at: http://www.homescholar.org/

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