There were many paths... (Hobbit: part 2)

   There were many paths that led up into those mountains, and many passes over them. The beginning of chapter four. Literature curriculum has been spoiled forevermore. I can't imagine merely working through a typical literature guide ever again. We're not quite half a school year in, and it's unanimous among our family that this is the way literature must be done next year. That's a first.

   Now then. The Hobbit. The first three chapters are in this post. (resources used are listed and/or linked over there, too). Keep in mind this literature study has been designed for one particular boy. I am only gathering the portion of the allusions and rabbit trails that is most suited for Justice. This particular boy happens to deeply enjoy languages, mythology, drawing, and all things Tolkien, and wouldn't mind if science and math jumped off a cliff. This also is not an exhaustive list of all we've done. We grab rabbit trails as they suit us, and I don't always manage to write them down. I'm trying to get better at recording the details, because Joy wants to do an Annotated Hobbit study next school year, but I expect she and I will head down totally different rabbit trails in the moment.


Chapter Four

• Vocabulary ideas: deceptions, infested, uncanny, thriven, guffawing, shirk, rummaged, alliances, warrant, inconveniencing, gnashed, dumbfounded, quaff, grudge, hordes, jammering
• comprehension questions from Literary Guild
• worldview and Scripture tie-ins from Literary Guild
• listen to Thunder Battle
• Give examples of best-laid plans going awry. Was it due to going "over the Edge of the Wild?" Think of characters or people who didn't know their limitations.
• look up pictures of Swiss Alps, compare to artwork in Hobbit
• p. 27-28 in Annotated Hobbit for further information on goblin, hobgoblin, and orc
• read Goblins and Orcs section in the Bestiary
• foreshadowing, p. 137, 237 in Writers Inc, find examples in Hobbit
• list weaknesses of goblins
• read Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
• read Smith of Wooten Major
• Goblin feet poem, note 10 in Annotated Hobbit

Chapter Five

• Vocabulary: fund, subterranean, lurking, bring, poser, ogre, antiquity, venture, brooded, menacingly, splayed, bloodcurdling, aroused, smote, wedge, scruptiously
• comprehension questions from Literary Guild
• Worldview questions from Literary Guild 
• lecture 3 from Mythgard Institute
• unit 2 p. 13 of the Houghton Mifflin unit, Bilbo's Internal Conflict
• compare riddles to Sampson's in Judges
• Glip poem in Annotated Hobbit (p. 119), also Perry the Winkle and The Dragon's Visit (used in ch. 2)
• "suck eggs" origination, note 21 in Annotated Hobbit
• compare original riddle ending to the published one, note 25
• play a riddle game
• look up some Old English riddles and/or Exeter Book samples online

 Chapter Six

• Vocab: abominable, helter-skelter, confusticate (also in ch. 1), benighted, sorrel, bracken, fronds, porter, clambered, eyrie, pinnacle, keen, tumult, yew
• comp questions from Literary Guild
• worldview from Literary Guild (they're longer than usual for this chapter, and look good. We're skipping the Scripture tie-ins)
• comic relief, find examples
• choose an eagle illustration to draw
• compare/contrast reactions of Gandalf, Bilbo and Dwarves at thought of going back into the mountain to rescue missing party
• Chaucer's House of Fame, note 13
• draw Misty Mountains looking west, p. 158 in Annotated Hobbit

Six is missing some trails. I'll edit them in later.