Teaching Tolkien – Lesson Planning Resources

Explore the language, setting, and characters of Tolkien's Middle-earth with these teaching resources. Enrich student's reading experience with literature guides and a unit of lesson plans for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. You'll also find a biography about the author and a challenging crossword puzzle for Tolkien fans.

Biography J.R.R. Tolkien Read this biography to learn about the life and career of author J.R.R. Tolkien. Puzzles Tolkien and Lord of the Rings Crossword Puzzle Challenge your children with a crossword puzzle that will be a challenge for all Middle-earth enthusiasts. Tolkien and Lord of the Rings Crossword Puzzle Solution The solution to the crossword puzzle. Lesson Planning Units 1-4 Tolkien's Middle-earth Unit 1: Introducing Tolkien and His Worlds Use the handouts in this printable guide to explore myths and folk tales from around the world that share the themes present in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Lesson planning ideas provide an in-depth look at Tolkien's Middle-earth. Unit 1 includes key terms to build students' vocabulary, suggested activities, and discussion topics to help students get the most out of Tolkien's works. Tolkien's Middle-earth Unit 2: Runes, Riddles, and a Ring of Power Discover the magic of language in Tolkien's work and deepen students' understanding of the text with the supplemental materials in this printable teacher's guide for The Hobbit. Lesson planning resources in this unit include a preliminary quiz, key terms to review, linguistic handouts, discussion topics, and suggested writing activities for the first seven chapters of the novel. Tolkien's Middle-earth Unit 3: There and Back Again Enhance students' reading experience of Tolkien's The Hobbit with lesson planning resources that accompany chapters eight through fourteen of his novel. Unit 3 focuses on the characteristics of a quest story, with emphasis on the heroic epic. It includes a preliminary quiz, key terms, printable handouts, discussion topics, and suggested activities for geography and language arts. Tolkien's Middle-earth Unit 4: One Ring to Rule Them All Utilize the lesson planning resources in this guide to examine themes of power, corruption, and responsibility in The Lord of the Rings, Book One. Unit 4 includes a preliminary quiz and printables for vocabulary-building, as well as a guided discussion about the One Ring. You'll also find cross-curricular enrichment activities and handouts to help students get the most out of Tolkien's text.

Literature Guides The Lord of the Rings Reader's Guide Extend students' enjoyment and understanding of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings by using the discussion questions in this printable reader's guide. This guide includes questions and page references for The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and Return of the King. The Hobbit Teacher's Guide Examine the use of verse in Tolkien's The Hobbit through riddles and rhymes. This printable teacher's guide will help students explore complex literary themes, write creatively, and discuss the intricacies of a classic good-versus-evil tale. Your class is sure to enjoy this magical and powerful tale of a fantastical land, filled with spectacular creatures. Lesson Planning Units 5-9 Tolkien's Middle-earth Unit 5: "The Tides of Fate Are Flowing" Explore the magical world of Tolkien with your class through the lesson planning resources in this teacher's guide for The Lord of the Rings, Book Two. Discussion questions and suggested activities encourage students to ponder the literary and philosophical implications of free will and fellowship in the novel. You'll also find key terms, a preliminary quiz, and handouts to deepen students' understanding of Tolkien's writing. Tolkien's Middle-earth Unit 6: Treebeard's Lament Examine the price of progress in The Lord of the Rings, Book Three, with the lesson planning resources in this printable teacher's guide. Supplement students' reading with discussion ideas, handouts, and suggested activities that will help them understand how Tolkien expresses his love of nature through his writing. Tolkien's Middle-earth Unit 7: Tolkien's Moral Universe Discuss the intricacies of a classic tale of good versus evil with the guided questions in this lesson planning unit for The Lord of the Rings, Book Four. Review key philosophy terms and explore concepts of morality and fidelity with your students through suggested cross-curricular activities and handouts to accompany their reading. Tolkien's Middle-earth Unit 8: War and Peace in Middle-earth Enrich students' reading experience with the lesson planning resources in this teacher's guide for The Lord of the Rings, Book Five. This unit includes discussion questions, handouts, and suggested activities to help students analyze Tolkien's use of hope and despair during the struggle to defend Middle-earth. Use these resources to consider the influence of war on his writing. Tolkien's Middle-earth Unit 9: "The Quest Is Achieved" Consider the meaning of heroism with your class as students read The Lord of the Rings, Book Six. This printable teacher's guide is full of lesson-planning resources to help students unify concepts from Tolkien's entire epic. This unit includes a preliminary quiz, key terms, handouts, suggested activities, and guided discussion questions to help students reflect on character development over the course of the Quest.