Novel test on The Hobbit

Today was test day on The Hobbit
N-N.T. and S.G. and L.W. and K.M. still need to do the test.

Next Class we'll spend some time watching video of The Hobbit.
For those of you  going to be away for soccer or for the Victoria trip -- keep checking the blog!

Test Tomorrow!

1. The Historical Dragon: we completed a quick worksheet and completed a ten minute in-class writing assignment -- why did people believe that dragons actually existed 500 years ago?
2. Quiet Reading
3. I read and graded the 10minute writes and read a few of them to the class.
4. Students worked on the backside of the worksheet "Wheel of Themes", which provides a nice review for our test tomorrow.
5. To study for the test read the previous blog entry.

Three students still have to hand in their paragraphs on Bilbo's transformation: Lena-Mae, Nii Noi, and Kim.  Please hand them in as soon as possible!

Hobbit Test next Tuesday

1. Quiet reading
2. Go over answers to questions from ch 9 - 11
3. Hand in paragraphs from last day
4. Watch the next sections of the 1977 movie The Hobbit
5. Test next Tuesday on The Hobbit
Homework:
Finish reading novel
Study for Tuesday's test by:
reviewing your chapter questions and answers
reviewing short story terminology (plot, setting, etc. . . )
reviewing the notes we took on "The Hero's Journey" -- there's lots on this to study!
reviewing other work we did with the Hobbit (e.g. Led Zeppelin, Superman and Bilbo as Superheroes

Your Grade 4 teacher didn't tell you the truth!

Today we focused on using connecting words to combine sentences.  We got notes and completed a worksheet.  Interestingly, most students in class did not know you could start a sentence with the word 'because.' (We laughed that our grade 4 teachers told us we couldn't do that). Also, several students are now confident in using a semi-colon in their writing.

Students worked on their paragraph topic:  discuss Bilbo's transformation.  This paragraph was due at the end of class. For this assignment, students were to show me that they can connect sentences well (which is what we learned today, of course!)

Remember, your reading schedule:  you should be finished the novel by Monday (and questions up to and including chapter 14 are due).

I plan on having a final Hobbit test on Tuesday.  Review short story notes, review your notes on "The Hero's Journey" and give some thought to our discussions on how Bilbo is a hero (who is in some ways like Superman, but in other ways isn't).

Time for a chunky piece of writing!

1. We reviewed the grade 9 writing rubric or marking guide
2. I showed three examples of writing below average, average, and above average.
3. We began working on our own paragraph:  discuss Bilbo's transformation.

Below are examples of writing on the topic of Thorin's transformation:
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Discuss Thorin’s transformation in the novel.

This paragraph might not pass:

Thorin is the head of the dwarves.  He has a long beard and a special coloured hat with a tassel.  He is the leader of the expedition and he is the main guy who wants to get their treasure back. I like the other dwarves but Thorin is my favourite.  Bilbo isn’t a dwarf.  He’s a hobbit who helps the group.  Thorin transforms because he changes.  At first he is the head of the group that goes to return the treasure.  Then Bilbo kinda becomes the head.  Like when Bilbo saves them from the spiders blah blah blah blah

This paragraph is average:

In this paragraph I am going to discus Thorin’s transformation in The Hobbit.  Transformation means a really big change and that’s just what Thorin does. He changes from being the leader of the party to showing us that sometimes he loses his focus.  In the opening of the novel, it is clear that Thorin is the wisest of the dwarves and he naturally takes on a leadership role.  He is skeptical that Bilbo will be a useful burglar:  “Very well then. . . suppose the burglar expert give us some ideas or suggestions.” (p. 21) When Thorin says these words, he suggests that he isn’t really confident that Bilbo is good enough to be a part of their quest .  Later he transforms or changes when Bilbo blah blah blah blah blah

This paragraph is above average:

In The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien, Thorin Oakenshield is a character who undergoes a significant change or transformation in his perceptions – most importantly, in his perception of Bilbo Baggins.  Like most readers at the start of the novel, Thorin feels that Bilbo Bagins is just an ordinary hobbit who might not be capable of very much at all, let alone being capable of being a burglar good enough sneak into Smaug’s lair and take back their treasure from the malevolent dragon: “Very well then. . . suppose the burglar expert give us some ideas or suggestions.” (p. 21) Here you can imagine Thorin emphasizing the word “suppose” which clearly shows he casts much doubt on Bilbo.  His perception that Bilbo is a homely hobbit who may not be much help at all in their quest is confirmed when they come across the cave trolls.  As a direct result of the bumbling Baggins, the entire party is captured by the trolls and only through the help of Gandalf do they escape death. Surely, at this point Thorin is as confident in Bilbo as he would be in the Trolls’ collective I.Q.  As the novel progresses, however, and as the thirteen dwarves and Bilbo go through the many adventures that take them to the Lonely Mountain, Thorin’s opinion transforms into blah blah blah blah blah

At the Lonely Mountain

1. Quiz on chapters 9-11
2. Quiet reading of chapter 12 (please ensure questions from ch 9-11 are done!)
3. Worksheet on the growth and maturity of Bilbo. Students completed this in class and turned it in at the end of class for a work habit grade.
4.  REMEMBER: you should be finished the novel by next Monday!

Led Zeppelin and The Hobbit

1. Mr. Kenyon came in and gave us a lesson on rumours (ya, know. . . I think Mr. K might be a Taliban fighter . . . somebody told me he was born in Saudi Arabia . . . )
2. We worked on our Hobbit novels -- homework is to read an complete questions to the end of ch. 11.  Questions are listed below.
3. We learned some Rock and Roll History.  We learned about Led Zeppelin, their influence, and that, surprisingly, they were fans of Tolkien and The Hobbit.

Chapter 9: "Barrels Out of Bond"

1.      How are the dwarves imprisoned?

2.      How does Bilbo get in and out of the palace?

3.      How many entrances does the palace have?

4.      Where is the elves' wine made?

  Chapter 10: 'A Warm Welcome'

1.      Why does the master welcome the expedition?

2.      Why are the dwarves happy? Why is Bilbo unhappy?

3.      What does the Elvenking think will happen to the dwarves?

4.      What is the Master's reaction when Thorin announces his departure?

Chapter 11: "On the Doorstep"

1.      Why won't the men of Lake-town stay with the dwarves?

2.      Where does the expedition make each of their three camps?

3.      Why does the door appear?

Vocabular

Almost out of Mirkwood

1. We discussed what the title of chapter 8 means?
2. We discussed why chapter 8 is so important in the development of the protagonist.
3. We reviewed the events of chapter 8.
4. We listened to this song and read these lyrics and discussed the questions on this sheet  http://www.mythologyteacher.com/documents/Superman.pdf
5. Thanks to Wes, Peter, and Lena, we watched the first 45 minutes of the 1977 animated film The Hobbit.
6. Students handed in the worksheet from Chapter 8 that I handed out last day (it was entitled "A Thousand Dark Eyes). 
HOMEWORK -- DUE MONDAY  Read to the end of chapter 11.
ALSO -- start thinking about novels, films, or even video games that are excellent examples of The Hero's Journey.  We might do a project where you show me you understand The Hero's Journey by showing how a favourite film of yours follows the steps.

Mirkwood forest - chapter 8

Yesterday, Monday, we did a surprise quiz on chapters 5-7, and we completed a worksheet on the poem that the dwarves sing to Beorn (the image in the poem that we focused on was WIND).

Today I checked that everyone had their chapter 5,6,7 questions answered and then we went over the correct answers as a class.

Today I also read aloud two fabulous pieces of creative writing that students did:  both were twisted versions of the fairy tale Rapunzel!

K.M. - You should focus on getting done some of the big assignments that are missing: the letter of introduction from the first week, the "Blue Bead" paragraph, and all the chapter questions and reading from The Hobbit.  This is the last week of Term 1 so work should be in by the end of the week. 

HOMEWORK:  students were assigned to read to the end of chapter 8 and complete the worksheet I gave out today on chapter 8.

Riddles and The Hobbit

1. Quiet Reading
2. Review Last Day - hand back notes on The Hero's Journey
3. What can we expect will happen to Bilbo Baggins?
4. Riddles in the Dark activity:  write your own original riddle in the same style that Gollum and  Bilbo use.
5. Reminder:  HOmework -- read up to and complete questions to end of chapter 7.
6 We watched this video on The Hero's Journey:  http://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-makes-a-hero-matthew-winkler

The Hero's Journey and The HObbit

Today we went to the computer lab and learned about the archetype "The Hero's Journey."  We learned that there are generally as few as 6 stages to the Hero's Journey.  This idea was first coined by Joseph Campbell in the 1950's.  This theory suggests that there is only one story in the world, the "monomyth", and that every story in every culture since the dawn of time take some form of the hero's journey.

Students are, of course, responsible for knowing these 6 basic steps and how it applies to stories and films and, in particular, to The Hobbit.

We also read quietly.

Reading Schedule for the Hobbit (about 70 pages per week)

Complete reading and questions for chapters 5,6,7 by Monday April 8th
Complete reading and questions for chapters 8,9,10,11 by Monday April 15th
Complete reading and questions for chapters 12-19 by Monday April 22nd

Updated marks can be found here.

Several people have not handed in their creative writing projects from before spring break:  LenaSkyler, Dawson, Dom, Richard, Alex.

Riddles in the Dark

Today we reviewed last day and there was a homework check to ensure that all students had questions from chapters 1,2,3,and 4 completed for the Hobbit.
Then we read and discussed Chapter 5.  Students must finish reading chapter 5 for homework.

Here are all the chapter questions for the Hobbit thus far:

 

The Hobbit by: J.R.R. Tolkein

Chapter One: "An Unexpected Party"

1.            What is Gandalf's reputation?

2.            What kind of mark does Gandalf put on Bilbo's door?

3.            How many dwarves come to tea?

4.            What does Thorin wear to distinguish himself from the other dwarves?

5.            What two things does Gandalf give Thorin?

6.            How did the dwarves lose their treasure and kingdom?

Chapter 2: "Roast Mutton"

1.            What are the terms of Bilbo's contract?

2.            How does Bilbo know that the three people are trolls?

3.            How is Bilbo caught?

4.            How does Gandalf rescue Bilbo and the dwarves?

5.            What do they take from the trolls' hoard? 

Chapter 3: "A Short Rest"

1.            Why is Rivendell hard to find?

2.            When is Durin's Day?

Chapter 4: "Over Hill and Under Hill"

1.            Why does the expedition take shelter in the cave?

2.            Why isn't Gandalf captured?

3.            What do goblins usually do with their prisoners?

4.            How does Gandalf rescue Bilbo and the dwarves?

Chapter 5: "Riddles in the Dark"

1. How does Bilbo know his sword was made by elves?
2. Why is it good that Bilbo lost his matches?
3. How does Gollum guess that Bilbo has his ring?
4. How do the Goblins know that someone is at the gate?
5. Which of the dwarves is the most surprised to see Bilbo?

Chapter 6: "Out of the frying-pan into the Fire"

1. How does Bilbo know he is on the east side of the Mountains?
2. What is the proverb that Bilbo invents?
3. Why does the Lord of the Eagles notice the expedition?
4. Why won't the Eagles fly near where men live? 

Chapter 7: "Queer Lodgings"

1. What is a skin-changer?
2. What does Beorn eat?
3. How does Gandalf get Beorn to shelter thirteen dwarves?
4. Why isn't Beorn interested in the dwarves tales?
5. What is the most important advice that Beorn and Gandalf give about Mirkwood?

Chapter 8: " Flies and Spider"

1. What do the dwarves shoot with their bows?
2. When Bilbo climbs the tree, why doesn't he see an end to the forest?
3. What does Bombur dream of?
4. What does Bilbo name his sword?
5. How does Bilbo rescue the dwarves?