THE HOBBIT

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit....

Tolkien introduces us to Bilbo by describing the hobbit’s home—first by telling us what it's NOT (a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat) and then by telling us what it IS:  

...it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort. (Ch. 1)

His descriptive expansion on "comfort"  tells us a LOT about the hobbit before we even meet him!  It's a fantastic example of the writer's creed, "show don't tell." To help the kids understand this important writing technique, have them describe an unknown character based on his or her possessions—in this case, by a pair of shoes.

This could be an oral or a written activity—there's a creative writing worksheet for it in our printables set.

DIRECTIONS

Start by asking the kids what they know right away about Bilbo, just by reading that his home . . .

• has paneled walls, and floors that are tiled and carpeted (he has elegant taste)

• has polished chairs (he takes care of his possessions – he’s a particular housekeeper)

• has lots of pegs for hats and coats (he has many visitors, as the narrator tells us, so we know the hobbit is friendly)

• winds on and on, and is full of many rooms (it’s big, so he’s rather wealthy)

• has lots of pantries (he likes to eat, so he might be plump)

• has whole rooms devoted to clothes (he cares about the way he looks)

• has multiple kitchens and dining rooms (cooking and eating are very important to him; he probably likes to entertain, and has many friends)

• has windows overlooking a garden (he cares about seeing and cultivating beauty)

Then divide the kids into groups and send them to separate areas of the room. Give each group a very different pair of shoes. Ask them to decide what those shoes say about their unknown owner. (For this reason, don't use the kids' shoes, or your own.) Encourage speculation! Kids love presuming all kinds of interesting things based on the kind and condition of the shoes.

Have each child (or one person per group) write a description. (There's a creative writing worksheet for this activity in our printables set.) Or, to make this an oral activity, ask someone in each group to describe the shoes’ owner, providing as much detail as possible.

TALKING POINTS

The point is to learn that we discover a great deal about fictional people (and creatures) by being shown their personal possessions. That's because it's a slow reveal that lets us figure things out as we go, which increases the story's tension and interest. And this is true of real characters in real life, too!

SETUP

Explalin that dialect is the way that people from a certain place or class of society talk.  An author who writes dialect well can make characters seem unique and real. 

DIRECTIONS

Read some of Gollum's dialogue (Chapter 5 has good examples) and discuss some of the ways his dialect is created. Then have the kids practice writing in dialect by translating modern sentences into Gollum-speak. You can come up with your own, or use the worksheet in our printables set, which not only breaks down Gollum's dialect but provides sentences for translation.

INSPIRATION

This is what [Beorn] promised to do for them. He would provide ponies for each of them, and a horse for Gandalf, for their journey to the forest, and he would lade them with food to last them for weeks with care, and packed so as to be as easy as possible to carry – nuts, flour, sealed jars of dried fruits, and red earthenware pots of honey, and twice-baked cakes that would keep good a long time, and on a little of which they could march far. The making of these was one of his secrets; but honey was in them, as in most of his foods, and they were good to eat, though they made one thirsty….  —Ch. 7

SUPPLIES

There are many recipes online for Beorn’s secret-recipe cakes, or you can buy some that will stand in nicely.

You might want to fill a platter with dried peaches, apple and berry muffins from a grocery store, a pot of spun honey ( maybe even in a red earthenware pot, like Beorn's pots), and a mix of nuts and dried cranberries.

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The inspiration for this art project is the dust jacket of the 1937 edition of The Hobbit, which Tolkien illustrated in his own inimitable style. The Lonely Mountain is at the center of the design, and Smaug circles ominously between the mountain and the moon.

SETUP

Before the kids begin to draw, show them the first three minutes (or more) of this video from the Bodleian Library at Oxford:

Then show them these illustrations of the Lonely Mountain by Tolkien:

• “The Front Gate," by Tolkien

• Newly discovered Tolkien illustrations (The Guardian)

• "Smaug settles on the Lonely Mountain in a spout of flame" (TolkienBooks)

(You might want to bring in this edition of The Hobbit that features more of Tolkien's own full-color illustrations.)

SUPPLIES

• Green, blue, and black pencils

• Any white rectangular paper

DIRECTIONS

Take a few moments to talk (or show this 6-minute how-to video) about the use of perspective, and about the signature way that Tolkien had of drawing snow-topped mountain peaks and dragons.

Have the kids copy the 1937 dust jacket. Because of the cost of printing, he had to reduce the number of colors he used to three, so tell the kids to do the same.

While they're drawing and coloring, you might want to share some more interesting points about Tolkien.

TALKING POINTS

The author's initials stand for John Ronald Reuel, and his last name is pronounced Tol-keen. Tolkien is German for “foolishly brave.” 

• Do you see a link between the author's last name and Bilbo’s ancestry? (Bilbo had some “Took” in him, which was the brave part of him that wanted to trade his walking stick for a sword. That sounds something like Tolkien! Also, Bilbo really was foolishly brave—especially in the beginning, e.g. his run-in with the trolls!)

The author’s parents moved from England to South Africa before he was born in 1892. He lived there until he was four, and during that time he had a bad experience with a large hairy spider. 

• Where does that experience as a toddler show up in The Hobbit? (In Bilbo’s battle with the spiders!)

When Tolkien was four, his father died of rheumatic fever. Little Ronald (as John Ronald was known) and his brother moved back to the West Midlands region of England, by Wales, with their mother. Little Ronald used to watch the trains from South Wales roar by, covered with Welsh place names: Nantyglo, Penrhiwceiber, Senghenydd. 

• What do those words make you think of? 

• Do those names sound like places where only boring things happen? 

• Do they sound modern?

These magical-sounding names had a great effect on Tolkien. He began to care about the way words and language sounded, and he began to dream of other worlds.

When their mother died of diabetes in 1904, the boys were left without parents or money. Fortunately they were helped by a priest, Father Morgan, who was half-Spanish and half-Welsh. 

• How might being left without parents or much money at 12 years old might show up in Bilbo Baggins many years later?  

• What does Bilbo really learn in this story?  (He learns how to stand on his own two feet, to survive with very little but his wits, to learn from a wise older friend, to think for himself and do the right thing even when no one is watching — to keep going until he became all that he could be, on his own.)

Tolkien was already fluent in Latin and Greek at 12 years old, and was learning other modern and ancient languages. 

• How might Father Morgan’s Spanish and Welsh ancestry have influenced Tolkien? (It encouraged his interest in other languages, and increased his knowledge of Welsh.)

Tolkien went to war in 1916, but after four months he got “trench fever,” which is like typhus, and he was sent back to England. The illness came and went for two more years. While he was recovering, he wrote his first tales of elves and gnomes, using invented languages and worlds. But he needed a job.

• What would be a dream job for a person who loves words and language? (How about . . . to work on a dictionary!  He got that dream job as Assistant Lexicographer of the New English Dictionary – what we now call the Oxford English Dictionary.)

After that, Tolkien became a professor of languages, at Leeds and then at Oxford. There he was part of a literary group called the Inklings, along with C.S. Lewis.

One night while he was grading papers, he suddenly scribbled a strange line on someone’s essay, out of nowhere! The line began with “In a hole…” Let the kids guess the rest. Yes, “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.” 

And then Tolkien set out to learn just what a hobbit was, and why it lived in the ground. He told his kids stories about it, and that’s how The Hobbit came to be written!

Source: Adapted from The Tolkien Society 

For more about J.R.R. Tolkien, see our "Meet the author" activity.

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In Chapter 12, Bilbo takes on the traditional hero's role of slaying the dragon—or at least getting up the courage to try. Back in Chapter 1, we wouldn't have believed he'd ever do something so brave. But Bilbo has gained confidence and courage, along with compassion and other leadership skills, because of two things: experience, and Gandalf's unwavering belief in him.

DISCUSSION

Gandalf’s encouragement — including his “abandonment” of Bilbo in the woods — brings the hobbit to a point of self-respect. All along, Gandalf has known and expressed confidence in Bilbo’s courage. The hobbit himself lacked that confidence, but the courage was in him all along. In the end, as Thorin says, “There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West. Some courage and some wisdom, blended in measure.”

• How do Gandalf’s positive expectations affect Bilbo throughout the story? (Because Gandalf believes in him, Bilbo is willing to take chances and have adventures.)

• Why in Middle-earth would Gandalf leave the group all alone in the woods with Bilbo? (Gandalf knew that not having someone to rely on would help Bilbo do things he never thought possible.)

• What’s Bilbo’s turning point?  (Bilbo’s fight with the spiders shows us — and him — that he’s not only braver than before, but more effective.)

•  How does Bilbo's behavior change over the course of the adventure, and why? (He steps up to make suggestions, offer assistance, and rescue his companions, approach a dragon, and betray friends for the greater good.)

• Why don't people always do what’s right? What are they afraid of losing? Is being liked by someone else more important than liking yourself? (Talk about the courage it takes to cross your friends to do what’s right.)

DIRECTIONS

Ask one child to act out this part, exaggerating his or her expression of fear:

You're nine-year-old Fredia Kaht of Phobia City, and you're very, very afraid of the dark, and of spiders, snakes, and bears. You never go outside at night, and you sleep with all the lights on. 

Now your dad wants to take you camping for a week! In a tent, without electricity! Beside the Snake River in Bear County! As you tell your best friend, "I can't, because ______________!!!"

Then ask the kids to be the best friend who expresses confidence in Fredia. You can offer one or more of these prompts if needed:

• It’s okay, everyone has fears, it’s …

• You can do it! Remember that time…

• You can always do that trick where you…

• Once when I was afraid you helped me by…

• When you get scared, it’s okay to…

• Your dad loves you, and he…

• I know you’ll be…

SETUP

Ask the kids when Bilbo begins to show signs of growth. It's that first (and failed) attempt to pick the troll's pocket that shows us he's willing to try something scary—that shows us he's got it in him to be braver someday. But in Chapter 8, in the forest of Mirkwood, he really steps up by solving the problem of crossing the river, and by rescuing himself and the dwarves from the spiders.

The point is, you can't grow without problems! Every problem is a chance to gain courage, confidence, and skills. And every good writer knows that!

DIRECTIONS

Write (or have a volunteer write) a short, boring scene and then have the kids brainstorm ways to make something—or lots of things—go terribly wrong.

Then have them rewrite the scene to give the main character some trouble, so s/he has a chance to GROW.

For some extra learning, create a word bank of vocabulary words from The Hobbit, give or discuss their definitions, and ask the kids to use at least six.

If you'd like some help with this, the creative writing worksheet in our printables set provides both the boring scene and the word bank, along with instructions.

Kids love doing something during a discussion, especially something that makes the discussion points real. This interactive project simultaneously covers plot points, setting, and character development — and reveals the theme. All while the kids are having a wonderful time!  

Here's the premise:   as you discuss each plot point, place, and event that pushed Bilbo to grow, have the kids mark that trio on the arc-map with a special symbol. There’s a little prep involved, but it’s not hard. It'll end up looking like this:

You could do this project throughout the reading of the book, or at the end.

SUPPLIES for each child (in order of distribution):

• 1 bottle of glue (or enough to share)

• 1 pinch coffee grounds or darkly toasted coconut

• 1 thin twig about 1 1/2” long

• 1 tiny twist of aluminum foil, about 1” long

• 1 pinch moss

• 3 small pebbles

• 1 gold ring (wedding favors) 

• 2-3 fish bones – see supply notes for "Explore Gollum’s Grimy Pocketses" activity

• 2 small feathers

• 1 short piece of twine knotted on black earring hooks (you can clip the ends of the hooks with wire clippers so they look less like earrings)

• 1 pinch artificial spiderweb (a good prop for this lesson, too) or a wisp torn from a cotton ball

• 1 small cork, cut in half, or rough-cut pieces of wine corks

• 1 large gold sequin

• 1 tiny chunk of charcoal from a barbecue pit or fireplace

• 1 clear bead with a flat side (also used in "Forge an Elvish Sword" activity)

• 1 pinch coffee grounds or toasted coconut mixed with gold glitter

• 1 arc-map template printed on parchment and matted on cardstock (included in our printables set)

• 1 scenes key handout (included in our printables set)

DIRECTIONS

Begin by distributing the arc-map and the scenes list, and explaining the concept of the narrative arc. (The script is included in our printables set)

Next, explain that as we discuss the arc of The Hobbit we’re also going to talk about how each event helped Bilbo to grow. In the places where he gets stronger and better, they're going to add a token of his growth. So they'll end up with a chart of his growth, his journey, AND the arc of this story!

We're giving you a quick overview below, so you know "what goes where."  An in-depth, 6-page script with teaching points is included our printables set, to help you share valuable lessons as you work through the arc. 

And off we go!

Exposition (#1):  To represent this peaceful, stay-at-home stage of Bilbo's life we’ll use coffee grounds. Bilbo and the dwarves smoked pipes, but we can imagine them drinking hot mugs of Misty Mountain Roast as they planned their journey. Put a blob of glue on your arc, on the number 1. (We used toasted coconut as "tobacco," but coffee grounds carry the same message and are less appealing, and that's a good thing.)

Conflict (#2):  We’ll use a sword and a walking stick to make the letter “T” for Took, to show Bilbo’s conflict between his stay-at-home side and his Took side. We’ll put the sword across the top to show that the Took side won. Put a blob of glue on #2 on your arc, still in the Shire. (Pass out the twigs first, and then the twisted bits of foil.)

Rising Action (#3):  A bit of moss represents the bush where Bilbo got stuck, and three pebbles to represent the fossilized trolls. The moss and pebbles will show that Bilbo at least made an effort, but that he didn’t get very far, and had to be rescued. Put a big blob of glue on #3, by the trolls. (Pass out the pebbles and pieces of moss.)

(#4)  A ring and a couple of fish bones represent the important things that happened in the goblin cave. The ring isn’t just something Bilbo found – it’s a source of power for him, and it gives him a tool for escape. And the bones don’t just represent Gollum’s diet, they represent the fact that Bilbo is starting to get some backbone! A spine! He did things that took “strength and resolve,” like leaping over Gollum and getting away. Put a blob of glue on #4, in the Misty Mountains. Set the bones first, then add more glue on top, and then the ring. (Hand out the bones in the first round, then the rings.)

(#5)  A feather or two represents Bilbo soaring to new heights – but not with his own wings, so to speak. He’ll get there, though! Put a blob of glue on #5, near the eagle eyrie, east – that’s to the right – of the Misty Mountains, and west – that’s to the left – of the Great River. (Give a feather to each child.)

(#6)  We’ll use our own little “rope and hook” to represent Bilbo’s sharp vision and wits. Put a blob of glue on #6 in the Mirkwood Forest, right there where the Elf-path crosses the Enchanted River. (Pass out the twine and hooks.)

(#7)  A wisp of spiderweb represents that moment of crisis and Bilbo’s newfound bravery. Put a blob of glue on #7, just to the right of the rope and hook, where the spiders are. (Pass out the shredded bits of faux spiderweb.)

(#8)  A piece of cork represents Bilbo’s planning skills and the wine barrels they used to escape. If your piece is a broken chunk, let that stand for the imperfection in his plan! Put a blob of glue on #8, on the Elvenking’s Hall. (Pass out the corks, or pieces of cork).

(#9)  A "gold plate" represents Bilbo’s transformation from boring and fearful to adventuresome and brave. Put a blob of glue on #9. (Pass out the gold sequins.)

(#10)  Charcoal represents the burning of Lake-town and the heroic role that Bilbo had in Smaug’s death. Put a blob of glue on #10, by Esgaroth. (Pass out the bits of charcoal.)

Climax (#11)  We’ll use a drop of goblin blood on #11 to symbolize the terrible events that Bilbo (mostly) missed, and how they helped him decide what really matters. (Walk around with the vial of “blood” from the display table, and let the kids use a paintbrush to get their own drop. Somehow the act of reaching into the vial greatly adds to the ick factor!)

Resolution (#12):   We’ll use a miniature Arkenstone to symbolize the point when Bilbo hands it over, and gives up most of the treasure he had earned, because it was the quest and the friendships that mattered – not the loot. Put a blob of glue on #12. (Pass out the flat-sided crystals.)

Falling Action (#13):   Let’s use a pinch of coffee mixed with gold to symbolize Bilbo’s journey home, because now he’s even richer on the inside. Put a blob of glue on #13, which represents the return trip to the Shire, where the journey and book both end. (Pass around the coffee grounds or whatever you’re using for “tobacco,” mixed with glitter, and put a pinch on every blob.)

We’ve traveled through the whole plot of the story, and have “seen” the terrain between the Shire and the battlefield. Most importantly, we’ve tracked Bilbo’s personal progress through that plot and across that terrain. And what thematic treasure did we find during that three-layered climb? 

Everyone has the ability to rise to their own potential!

(Once the glue has dried, have the kids glue the scenes key on the other side.)

Again, if you'd like the full script for this activity, you'll find that in our printables set.

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Give the kids the souvenir travel sticker included in our printables set, or have them design their own.

Kids might like to add their sticker to a reading kit, like an old briefcase (or faux vintage) or a suitcase that can hold a book, bookmark, glasses, snack, blanket, journal, pen, and whatever! Or they might want to put it on a binder or water bottle.

No matter where they see their sticker later, it will remind them of this wonderful journey they've taken with you!

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