Teaching with Tolkien Lesson Plans

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Gollum's Riddles

Lesson Plan:

​Activity:

Gollum's Riddles

Lesson plan developed by Aurora Tollestrup, BS Ed. 

Age Group:

School-Age
(Grade 3)

* Lesson plan objective and assessment can be adapted to use this activity with preschoolers.

Objectives:  

Children will:

• use words and phrases for effect while creating riddles.
• work cooperatively in pairs.

Washington Common Core Standard

EALR 3

Washington State Social Studies K–12 Learning Standard: EALR 3: ​
Grade 3.L
3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
a. Choose words and phrases for effect.*
b. Recognize and observe differences between the conventions of spoken and written Standard English.

Gollum's Riddles

Click on the photos to enlarge.

Materials: 

• The Hobbit book
• notebook paper
• pencils

Procedure: 

• Read chapter 4 of The Hobbit where Gollum and Bilbo are exchanging riddles. 
• Play the optional audio clip of JRR Tolkien reading the riddles.
• Divide children into pairs or groups and have them create their own riddles, using the riddles from chapter 4 as inspiration.
• Children will share their riddles with the class.

Assessment: 

• Record the children’s ability to work cooperatively and create riddles using phrasing and word choice for effect.

Online Early Childhood Education

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Author: JRR Tolkien

J.R.R. Tolkien reading a passage from his work THE HOBBIT, along with great illustrations by Alan Lee.

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Born John Ronald Reuel Tolkien in 1892, JRR Tolkien (his pen name) was a professor at the University of Oxford as well as a philologist and famous author. Works such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are some of his most famous which are bursting from the seams with elves, goblins, wizards, trolls and more. Tolkien is arguably the most notable and influential fantasy genre author in recent history. Tolkien has published numerous works throughout the last half-century and has been regarded as one of the literary world’s greatest treasures. A smart man, and good friend to fellow author C.S Lewis, he was also a soldier and father.

The Hobbit began as a bedtime story for Tolkien’s young children, as he masterfully wove elements of ancient languages with vibrant settings for the fictional characters in his tales. The setting of Middle Earth, for example, was a nod to the poem Crist which includes a passage referring to the ancient concept of a world between heaven and hell: Middle Earth. Bilbo Baggins, the main character in The Hobbit is a complex sort of creature with hairy feet and a desire for comfort and consistency. His life is turned upside down when the wizard Gandalf comes to the door of his hobbit house one fine morning and leaves a peculiar scratch upon it.