Teaching Tolkien

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

I wasn't sure where to put this... but for lack of a better place...

It's finally happened. I opened my mouth (manditorily) one to many times, and now I need help. To explain:

My school has a Trilogy Class. We read and examine the Lord of the Rings chapter by chapter, do individual projects and whatnot. The only thing the class seems to NOT do is read The Appendices, so I'm just about the only one who knows anything in them. My teachers (regular and student-teacher) have decided that, because of my "extensive knowledge", I apparently need to teach an Appendix Mini-lesson each class. So I decided to come straight to the experts for advice.

I'm only 16!!! I have very little knowledge in teaching... well, more than most of my peers, but this class, while consisting of Tolkienites, is NOT interested in the Appendices. I need lesson ideas, and ways to make some of this stuff interesting to them. For all that I don't think I'll have a problem teaching the story of Aragorn and Arwen, I don't think they'll like some of the language and timeline stuff. So my question for y'all is this: Will you help me plan lessons and give ideas to teach a group of 13 (plus two teachers) between the ages of 14 and 18 what's in the Appendices of RotK? I'd be very much in your debt...

Fea

[Firefoot]

I would relate it to things they know already. For example, if you are talking about the Fall of Númenor, capitalize on the parts that Elendil and Isildur play because these are both characters that they are familiar with. If you start talking about a whole bunch of characters that they have never heard of it won't be very interesting and they could have a hard time understanding it.

Also try to stick to things that would be interesting to people who have no further interest in persuing more of Tolkien's works and would generally help with the understanding of LotR. Thorongil, Aragorn and Arwen, Helm, and the part about the WK of Angmar and Glorfindel's prophesy are all good points that might be considered interesting. Too many names of kings and cheiftains of the Dunédain etc probably wouldn't be very interesting. Appendices A and F would probably be the easiest to teach; Appendix F you could probably do in a week.

I hope this helps!

[Fingolfin II]

Also focus on what happens to the characters after LoTR. As Firefoot said, don't mention too many names. I also think you should talk about the Arwen and Aragorn tale- it's a nice wrap up and also the girls will love it; one of those little semi-tragic romances that is coming to an end. If you want, you can also talk about what happened before LoTR and a bit about Morgoth, though I wouldn't go into great detail about that. Don't put too much faith in me, because I'm only 15 .

[dancing spawn of ungoliant]

I have given some lessons (most of some composers) but I'm not an expert.
After reading the book they should have quite good grasp of the peoples of 3rd age so you don't have to worry about appendix F so much. The different calendar systems of M-E can be really confusing so I would pay less attention to that.

I myself am very interested in the different languages and tengwar writing system but I think that your class may not share the same passion for appendix E as I

I think you should focus on Arwen&Aragorn and the history of Gondor and Rohan. You could also draw a timeline of the early 3rd age and it's most important events. Then you could explain them a bit (some pictures could be helpful too).

From my point of view Firefoot's and Fingolfin's advice were good. All the best with your appendix lesson!

[The Perky Ent]

Well, from my opinion, don't make it sound like the textbook. Keep it all fluient and tie it in as many ways as possible to LOTR. One way you could do it is like a "In the Beginning" kinda thing. Do it chronologically. Unless you are assigned to do only one part in which case do it strait foward!

[Bêthberry]

If I may be so bold, I suggest you begin by asking them questions.

Questions about things, events and characters in LOTR. Get them talking about it so they revisit their interest and enthusiasm. And then ask them questions about the characters which cannot be answered by their knowledge of just the three books themselves. Get them curious about where things lead or how things got to where they did in LOTR.

Once they are curious to know more, you can explain how they can find more in the Appendices.

[Gorwingel]

How fortunate you are!

Is this a class in a high school?

I most definitely agree with Bêthberry because most of the time questions that people have about the past and future of the characters in LOTR is what leads them to the Appendices. But, yes, stay with the basic LOTR related info. This is most definitely not the time to get into the more complicated Silmarillion related matters (but I guess you could tell a little about the history of Sauron... but, yes, that would be getting a tad bit complicated). I don't know about the languages, but if the group that you are teaching shows an interest in it I guess you could talk about it a little.

Good Luck!

[HerenIstarion]

possible question: do you people think the narrow bridge of Khazad dum was capable of letting in the allegedly enormous cargo traffic to suffice the needs of the whole kingdom

Discussion here

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

I knew I came to the right place. Thanks all, your ideas are great. Keep 'em coming!

Fea

[Saraphim]

I know this is a bit cheesy, but you can have them read the Tale of Arwen and Aragorn, because that's the one I think relates the most to the main story. Also, the Timeline could be good teaching material. Multiple choice or whatever.

It's so cool that you have a Trilogy class! I wanna go!

[Fordim Hedgethistle]

As it happens I have taught a course on Tolkien in the past and found that Bethberry's advice is the best. Ask them questions about the text to get them engaged, and then direct their attention toward the relevant passages of the Appendices to get them looking there for the answers.

The key thing here, though, is to ask useful questions, not just "what parts of the novel do you think are cool?" Ask them things that will get them wondering about the thematic elements (things like, "Does Frodo 'fail' in his quest or not?" or "Are women important in the novel?" or "Why does Tolkien have all these songs and 'made-up' languages?") After the students have batted these issues around from within the context of the novel alone, you can work with them through the material in the Appendices that will help their understanding.

The key point that I always like to make about the Appendices is that they lead the reader past the 'end' of the book and help make the transition between the relatively 'closed' experience of reading a novel and the more 'open' experience that Middle-Earth has become. What is so interesting about the Apps is not what they do explain, but what they don't. The very fragmentary nature of so much of it leads our imaginations to wander and look past the covers of the book for answers.

Heck! You can even tell them about the Downs -- what are we doing here if not exploring the unanswered questions or interesting threads introduced in the Apps?

Finally, I think the really key thing to work through on the Apps is that Tolkien clearly felt that it was very important for his readers to have a sense that Middle-Earth is 'real' -- that it possesses a history and a cuture(s) and language(s) that exist 'outside' the book. The Apps are the main way he takes Middle-Earth and 'gives' it to the rest of us: it's not just his own place that he has created in his novel, its a world that is open for all to imagine and enter into: we can research its history and ponder its mysteries and learn its languages and debate its moral codes. If you can get your students thinking about why Tolkien wanted his book to end this way, you might find them becoming really engaged with what makes Middle-Earth work.

One Final Thought -- you might want to read Tolkien's fabulous essay "On Fairy-Stories". It's in the book Tree and Leaf; in that essay he explains why it's so important that a 'fairy tale' be made to 'feel' (and even BE) 'real' -- which is what the Appendices are there to do!

Have fun with that class! I always LOVE teaching Tolkien!

[Bêthberry]

Fordim Hedgethistle,

Wonderful extrapolation of what I meant. I think it is so important to ask open-ended, non-directive questions which stimulate real reflection and engage serious attention and thought.

I would also agree with your way of understanding Tolkien not as a closed system of meaning but as a text which opens itself to further understanding. Too often it seems to me that answers about Tolkien are set in stone, given absolute quantification by the Letters, The Silm, HOME, UT when in fact, I think, in my humble estimation, his work, like the best fantasy, is not a closed system.

But this is what I think the best teachers do, inspire students not to be satisfied with neat little answers but to extend the way of thought to other possibilities. I had always thought of The Appendices as "overflow", part of Tolkien's magnificent fecundity of imagination rather than as part and parcel of the 'scholarly' apparatus he implies elsewhere with his narrator. Thank you for making me think of them in a new light.

Now, if only your website link did not take me to the outer limit of something....

[davem]

Both these groups offer help with teaching Tolkien - don't know if they have exactly what you're looking for, though

http://www.tolkiensociety.org/ed/index.html

http://www.skiesofrohan.com/teach.html

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Yes, Gorwingel, it's a high school class. It's taught every two years, depending on how many people are interested. They switch it up with a creative writing course.

I gave my first 'lesson' today... But it was pretty hard, because the teacher didn't explain that they were supposed to be listening to ME, so they all immediately assumed that I was just trying to show off or something. Oh well. Anyhow, I had them read up to the hiatus in "The Kings of Numenor" (as far as I dared go for the first day) and then explained who these people were, and how they are connected to the characters in the main story. (Elrond's dad, Aragorn's great(many greats)-grandfather, The Ultimate Baddie who taught Sauron, "That one that Bilbo sang about", "The Elf that Arwen looks like"). I think it went pretty well. Only it was somewhat interrupted by the teacher "explaining" how Dwarves came into being. According to the alternate text she must have been reading (ha..ha..ha..), Elves got bored, so they made the Dwarves.

Spring break now, so I've got over a week to decide what to do next. I can't present them with anything that gives away the end of the book (we're only just past Minas Tirith), so that makes it harder. I had to bend the truth a little as is, what with the mention of the union between Aragorn and Arwen... I claimed that by 'union', Tolkien meant 'love'. I think some of them actually believed me.

Again, thanks for the help. You guys are brilliant.

Fea