The Hobbit: Recorded Courses

Just in time for the movie!

Addendum: This is a 6-week course. If you would like to end your classes on December 14th, opening day of the movie, then you should begin on November 9th. (The classes could be accelerated if you've already read the book.)

Coming to a theater near you December 14, 2012

Our live middle school and high school courses on J. R. R. Tolkien's book The Hobbit have come to a completion. They are now available as recorded courses through our Unlimited Access! service.
These six-week courses take students deep into the book. They will begin by learning about Tolkien himself and then explore the beauty and meaning of the story. There is also discussion of the Hobbit movie coming out in December.

Both courses cover the same material, only at the appropriate grade level. Adults wanting to take the classes, should choose the high school course. This is an timeless story to be shared with readers of all ages! If you would like to enjoy the lectures as a family, you can hook your computer to the TV, make popcorn, and watch together.

To learn more about our recorded courses, please visit: Unlimited Access!, email us at info@homeschoolconnections.com, or leave a comment for us below.

Here are the basic details of the courses:

The Hobbit or There and Back Again as Gateway to J.R.R.Tolkien

Total classes: 6
Duration: Middle school - 45 minutes each. High school - 1 hour each.
Prerequisite: Ability to read the book with pleasure at about 3 chapters per week.
Suggested high school credit: ½ semester. Follow with the Lord of the Rings series for a full school year.
Instructor: Henry Russell, Ph.D.
Course description: Tolkien’s The Hobbit was written as a children’s story and retains much of the clarity and light-heartedness of its kind. But Bilbo Baggins’ world is slowly made richer and deeper both by the author’s use of the Catholic elements from the great medieval saga of Beowulf and the background world of Tolkien’s deepest Elvish imaginings. By the end of the novel, Tolkien’s life-long themes of 1) a long-fought history that shapes the needs of every modern day; 2) the need for heroism from simple people; 3) the necessity for constant moral vigilance by those who are destined to lead; 4) the conquest of charity over greed; and 5) the sorrow and beauty created by these first four themes, have penetrated to the heart of the reader. The success of this novel convinced Tolkien and his wise and humane publishers, Allen and Unwin, that the modern world was ready to hear more of the complex moral and supernatural world which Tolkien once thought was of interest mostly to scholars of the ancient like himself.
Course outline:
Class 1: An Unexpected Party—A Short Rest
Class 2: Over Hill and Under Hill—Out of the Frying Pan into the Fire
Class 3: Queer Lodgings—Flies and Spiders
Class 4: Barrels out of Bond—On the Doorstep
Class 5: Inside Information—Fire and Water
Class 6: The Gathering of the Clouds—The Last Stage
Course materials: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Homework: One to one and one-half hours per week. Weekly quizzes and final exam. Answer keys provided for parental or self grading.

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