(Recorded Course) The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings for High School, Part One with Kevin O'Brien

Dive into what some call the greatest books of the 20th century -- JRR Tolkien's masterpieces of epic fiction: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Enjoy in-depth examination, analysis, and meaning for the believer, in this two-part literature series for high school students.

How to get the most out of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings for High School, Part One with Kevin O’Brien:

  • First, read the course materials below before the first class meeting.

  • Then have a notebook ready and available for class notes each live session.

  • Read assignments before class meetings

  • Watch that week’s recording if you need to revisit information from our live session.

  • Do the assignments, quizzes, and any extra work assigned for that week.

  • Once the course is completed to the parent's and professor’s satisfaction, there is a Certificate of Completion at the end to be filled in for your records.

 

Special Notes: Due to the popularity of this course, it is being offered three times this school year: once as a middle school course (45 minutes) and twice as a high school course (55 minutes). Choose the section that best serves your student.

This is a 2-part course. Students are expected to sign up for Part Two in the spring.

Total Classes: 12

Prerequisite: None

Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th grade

Suggested credit: 1 full semester credit Literature or Modern Literature

Instructor: Kevin O’Brien

Instructor email: kevin@classeswithkevin.com

Course Description: Considered by many to be the greatest books of the 20th century, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are JRR Tolkien's masterpieces of epic fiction. Over the course of two semesters, we will examine The Hobbit and the three books of The Lord of the Rings in depth. We will answer the questions

  • What are the Christian elements in these stories?
  • How does this saga show us how to combat sin and be heroic in our own lives?
  • What are the deeper meanings and symbols in Tolkien's overall mythology?
  • How did Tolkien himself view his own work?
  • Why did he call The Lord of the Rings "a fundamentally religious and Catholic work"?

This course will be a complete immersion in the beauty and mystery of Middle Earth. And it will be a real adventure! We will rely not only on the texts of the books themselves, but also on supplementary material, such as selections from The Letters of JRR Tolkien and The Silmarillion. Join Bilbo and Frodo on an epic adventure of classes that you won't want to miss!

Course Outline: Each week we will read and study our ways through these books! We will study The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring in the first semester; The Two Towers & The Return of the King in the second semester.

Course Materials: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien (any edition). Additional material provided as PDF files by the instructor.

Homework: Quizzes and Final Project. This will be a challenging course - but fun! Plan on about two hours of homework outside of the classroom per week.