OXFORD TUTORIALS
J.R.R. TOLKIEN ATRIUM
A Famous
Friendship: The Fellowship of the King
The Origins of Middle-earth: Inklings of the Truth
How to Read Tolkien: Enjoyment, Escape or Edification?
Favorite Passage Assignment Questionnaire
Tolkien & Lewis: Oxford Inklings
Course Description
An English literature class which will investigate the friendship of two
famous writers and their writing fellowship, the Inklings, and
will examine some of their best works of fiction. The
focus will be on Tolkien for the 1st semester: The Hobbit and
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship
of the Ring, The Two Towers,
and Return of
the King. The focus will shift to
Lewis for the 2nd semester: Till We Have
Faces and The Space Trilogy: Out of the
Silent Planet; That Hideous
Strength; and Perelandra. Reading assignments will emphasize enjoyment
and comprehension Writing assignments will include one formal essay on the moral
development of a favorite character. Class sessions will include some lecture,
discussion, quizzes, and reading favorite passages out loud. The class will also
include a vocabulary component as an aid for SAT prep, with weekly vocabulary quizzes on
the reading covered that week. Average preparation time
is estimated at about four hours/week.
Course Schedule
Click here for the Master Calendar
(with
Holidays, etc.)
FIRST SEM.
Week 1. The Hobbit, Chaps. 1-6
2. The Hobbit, Chaps.
7-10
3. The Hobbit,
Chaps. 11-19
4. Fellowship,
Bk. I, Chaps.1-6
5. Fellowship, Bk. I,
Chaps. 7-12
6. Fellowship, Bk. II,
Chaps. 1-5
7. Fellowship, Bk. II,
Chaps. 6-10
8. 2 Towers, Bk.
III, Chaps. 1-5
9. 2 Towers, Bk.
III, Chaps. 6-11
10. 2 Towers, Bk. IV, Chaps.
1-5
11. 2 Towers, Bk. IV,
Chaps. 6-10
12. Return, Bk. V, Chaps. 1-4
13. Return, Bk. V, Chaps. 5-10
14. Return, Bk.
VI, Chaps.1-4
15. Return, Bk. VI, Chaps.
5-9
SECOND SEM.
1. Out of the Silent Planet
(Chap. 1-9)
2. Out of the Silent
Planet (Chap. 10-16)
3. Out of the
Silent Planet (Chap. 17-22)
4. Perelandra (Chap.
1-5)
5. Perelandra (Chap.
6-11)
6. Perelandra
(Chap. 12-17)
7. That Hideous Strength
(Chap. 1-4)
8. That Hideous Strength
(Chap. 5-8)
9. That Hideous Strength
(Chap. 9-12)
10. That Hideous Strength (Chap.
13-17)
11. Till We Have Faces, Pt. I (Chap. 1-6)
12 Till We Have Faces, Pt. I (Chap.
7-11)
13. Till We Have Faces, Pt. I (Chap.
12-16)
14. Till We Have Faces, Pt. I
(Chap.17-21)
15. Till We Have Faces, Pt. II (Chap.
1-4)
Required Textbooks
First semester: J.R.R. Tolkien:
The Hobbit; and The Lord of the
Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The
Return of the King.
Second semester: C.S. Lewis: Till We Have Faces and The Space Trilogy:
Out of the Silent Planet; That Hideous Strength;
Perelandra. (These books may be
examined and/or purchased online for a discount of 20-30%. Simply click on
the blue title above for a direct link to Amazon.com.)
Course Requirements
Weekly Reading Quizzes
Students are responsible to keep track of the reading and homework schedule which is
posted in each tutorial’s atrium, and to be prepared for a short quiz which will
cover that week’s assignment. The quiz will usually consist of about ten Multiple
Choice questions which the tutor will post on the Chat Screen, one at a time. The quiz
will be given in a "game show" format, with the instructor keeping track of the
students who are first to type in the correct answers. Students are requested to
select the best answer (A, B, C, D) and to send it back to the tutor, via Private Chat.
The tutor keeps track of the results, and will usually announce each week’s top three
winners ("Gold, Silver, Bronze"). The quiz results will not be included in the
student’s final grade. However, the quiz is important the two reasons: 1) to alert
the tutor to each student’s comprehension and progress; and 2) to keep students
motivated and accountable for their weekly reading assignments. In addition, the
competitive "game format" adds a dimension of excitement and camaraderie.
Weekly SAT and AP Quizzes
In addition to the weekly reading quizzes students should also be prepared for a weekly
quiz over each week’s SAT vocabulary and AP literary terms. All literature students
(C. S. Lewis, GBT 1, GBT 2, GBT 3, J. R. R. Tolkien), as well as the Logic and Rhetoric
students, are expected to keep track of the assigned SAT vocabulary and AP literacy (terms
and authors). Students should have received copies of these lists via email from the
tutor. The SAT vocabulary and AP literary terms are also posted on the website in the
AP/SAT Atrium: http://www.oxfordtutorials.com/APSATAtrium.htm
As with the weekly reading quizzes, the results will not be including in the
grades. However, these quizzes are important for two reasons: 1) to assist students in
expanding their vocabularies for their own enrichment and understanding; 2) to prepare
students for the SAT exam (typically the single most important factor in college
admissions).
Major Assignments: First & Second Semester
Most of the tutorials will also include four or five major assignments. The DUE DATES for
these assignments are posted near the top of the homepage of www.oxfordtutorials.com
at the following link: http://www.oxfordtutorials.com/OxfordAssignmentSchedule.htm
Here are the assignments:
1. Midterm Exam: This exam will be scheduled in the middle of the first semester.
It will cover the reading during the first half of the semester (comprehension), as well
as material presented by the tutor in class (commentary) and the AP literary terms A-G
(definitions). Students will be expected to be familiar with the themes and literary
devices which are expressed in the reading (examples).
2. Semester Exam: This exam will be scheduled at the end of the first semester. It
will involve the same components as the midterm, but it will include the reading for the
second half of the semester, and all of the AP literary terms (A-Z). Students will be
expected to be familiar with the themes and literary devices which have expressed in the
reading thus far (examples).
3. Book Reviews: This year each of the literature
classes will require two formal book reviews. The books and the due dates
are listed at the top of the Oxford home page under “Assignments & Due Dates:” http://www.oxfordtutorials.com/Oxford%20Assignment%20Schedule.htm
A book review is distinct type of essay. Its purpose is to
introduce an audience to a new or unfamiliar book. Its method is to
combine elements of an expository essay (briefly explaining the setting, main
characters, plot), a persuasive essay (making judgments about the quality and
importance of the book and sharing your reactions to it), and an analytical
essay (evaluating the author’s purpose and success). This assignment
requires students to use the “Five Paragraph Essay” format, in a length of
250-400 words.
The first part of the assignment will require students to
prepare a rough draft of their book review. The rough draft must include
the following elements: 1) a “hook;” 2) a “thesis statement”; 3) an introductory
paragraph; and 4) a list of three main points (for the middle paragraphs).
For an introduction to, explanation for, and examples of a Five Paragraph Essay,
please visit the AP/SAT Atrium:
http://www.oxfordtutorials.com/Five%20Paragraph%20Essay%20Format.htm
4. Final Exam:
Students should also be prepared for a Final Exam during the final week of
class. It is up to the tutor whether to make this exam a “Take-Home” or
“In-Class” format. The “Take-Home” exam will be sent to students the week
before. They will be allowed to pick their own time to do the exam, before the
final class. The “In-Class” format will require students to complete the exam
during the final class session. The exam may include reading comprehension
questions as well as material presented by the tutor in class (commentary) and
the AP literary terms A-G (definitions). Students will be expected to be
familiar with the themes and literary devices which have been expressed in the
reading (examples) for that class.
Guidelines for Writing a Book Review on Fiction:
You have read your book. Your next step will be to
organize what you are going to say about it in your report. Writing the main points in an
outline will help you to organize your thoughts. What will you include in the outline?
Start with a description of the book. The description should include such elements as:
1. The setting--where does the story take place? Is it a real place or an imaginary
one? If the author does not tell you exactly where the story is set, what can you tell
about it from the way it is described?
2. The time period--is the story set in the present day or in an earlier time
period? Perhaps it is even set in the future! Let your reader know.
3. The main character(s)--who is the story mostly about? Give a brief
description. Often, one character can be singled out as the main character, but some books
will have more than one. When there are several main characters, you are free to focus on
one which is of particular interest to you.
4. The plot--what happens to the main character? WARNING! Be careful here. Do
not fall into the boring trap of reporting every single thing that happens in the story.
Pick only the most important events. Here are some hints on how to do that. First, explain
the situation of the main character as the story opens. Next, identify the basic plot
element of the story--is the main character trying to achieve something or overcome a
particular problem? Thirdly, describe a few of the more important things that happen to
the main character as he/she works toward that goal or solution. Finally, you might hint
at the story's conclusion without completely giving away the ending.
5. The conclusion-- The four points above deal with the report aspect of your work. For
the final section of your outline, give your reader a sense of the impression the book
made upon you. Ask yourself what the author was trying to achieve and whether or not he
achieved it with you. What larger idea does the story illustrate? How does it do that? How
did you feel about the author's style of writing, the setting, or the mood of the novel.
You do not have to limit yourself to these areas. Pick something which caught your
attention, and let your reader know your personal response to whatever it was.
Adapted from the Lakewood Public Library Online: Lakewood, Ohio: http://www.lkwdpl.org/
5. Final Exam: Students should also be prepared for a Final Exam during the
final week of class. It is up to the tutor whether to make this exam a
"Take-Home" or "In-Class" format. The "Take-Home" exam will
be sent to students the week before. They will be allowed to pick their own time to do the
exam, before the final class. The "In-Class" format will require students to
complete the exam during the final class session. The exam may include reading
comprehension questions as well as material presented by the tutor in class (commentary)
and the AP literary terms A-G (definitions). Students will be expected to be familiar with
the themes and literary devices which have been expressed in the reading (examples) for
that class.
Internet Resources: There are numerous free resources available on the internet
including these:
1. Red Book of Westmarch (a
central site): http://www.geocities.com/redbookofwestmarch/
2. The
Tolkien Society: http://www.tolkiensociety.org/
3. The Tolkien Timeline: http://gollum.usask.ca/tolkien/
4. The One Ring (extensive online guide): http://onering.virbius.com/index.php
5. Tolkien in Oxford (a central site): http://www.jrrtolkien.org.uk/homepage.htm
6. Elvish Pronunciation Guide: http://www.dcs.ed.ac.uk/misc/local/TolkLang/pronmid/pronguide.html
7. Lord of the Rings Maps: http://lotrmaps.middle-earth.us/news.html
8. C.S. Lewis & the Inklings: http://personal.bgsu.edu/~edwards/lewis.html
9. Into the Wardrobe (a central Lewis site): http://cslewis.drzeus.net/img/logo.gif
10. C.S. Lewis: Life & Links (a central site): http://cslewis.drzeus.net/img/logo.gif
