The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
Lesson plans and teaching resources

| Biography and Background | | The Hobbit | | Lord of the Rings |

Biography and Background

Alphabet Soup: Exploring the World's Different Alphabets
This lesson plan asks students to read a New York Times article about a man who converts the world's alphabets to computer Unicode. After reading it, students research the alphabets of the world.

Sarehole as the inspiration for the Shire in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings
As a child, Tolkien lived in Sarehole. Photo and additional information.

J. R. R. Tolkien
The author's biography at Wikipedia.

The Tolkien Professor
A professor of medieval literature offers a free series of podcasts on the works of Tolkien.

Teaching Tolkien and Studying Tolkien
The Tolkien Society offers excellent resources. Don't skip the "Studying Tolkien" page just because it's designed for students — there are some great classroom activities there, too!

The Hobbit

Glory Road: Epic Romance As An Allegory of 20th Century History
Historical background to and influences on The Hobbit , lesson plans and activities, annotated bibliography.

The Hobbit
Reading strategies and activities, including an anticipation guide, vocabulary in the round, and a map of Middle Earth based on descriptions in the novel.

The Hobbit , Study Questions
Four essay/discussion questions and possible answers.

The Hobbit
Scroll to the bottom for 13 discussion questions. Follow links on the left to a Hobbit reference guide and trivia questions.

Old Hobbits Are Hard to Break
This standards-based lesson asks students to "role-play advertising executives in an exploration of how films are marketed on the Web to distinct audiences" (from the site).

Video Writing Prompt: The Hobbit
A link to the trailer, writing prompts for middle and high school.

Vocabulary from The Hobbit
Words are presented in context and with definitions. Click on a word for pronunciation, examples of recent use, more.