Tolkien drew inspiration for "The Hobbit" from a wide range of myths and legends. Have students explore the mythic background of "The Hobbit" by reading the myths and legends that inspired the story or have similar themes. Some examples include excerpts from the "Nibelungenlied" and the "Volsunga Saga," the Norse creation story from the "Voluspo," the Grimm fairy tales "Rumpelstiltskin" and "The Devil with Three Golden Hairs," the Greek myth "Orpheus and Eurydice," the African folk tale "Khodumodumo," the Scottish ballad "Thomas the Rhymer" and the Hindu folktale "The Charmed Ring."
Exploring mythology and folklore can inspire many classroom discussions. For example, myths and folk tales are derived from what scholars call oral tradition. Ask your students if they understand the phrase oral tradition and if they can give examples of it in popular culture. Examples might include jokes, nursery rhymes, urban legends, songs and anecdotes. A discussion topics about mythology and folklore among middle school and high school students might include common motifs in myths, the meaning of mythology and Tolkien's concept of the eucatastrophe, or sudden change in the hero's fortune.
"The Hobbit" contains dozens of characters. Some, such as Bilbo, play major roles in the story, while others, such as many of the dwarves, play only minor supporting roles. Help elementary school students recognize the characters by having each student give an oral presentation about one of the characters. Teacher Elizabeth T. Lawrence suggests that presentations take the form of first person monologues, presentations of student drawings of the characters or costumed role playing. According to Lawrence, this activity helps students learn through speaking, characterization and role playing.
Help students discover the power of the oral tradition by dividing the class into teams and having each team prepare an oral presentation based on a written version of a myth or folk tale. One member recites the story from memory while other team members aid him with music or sound effects. Many well-known tales have several variations. Have each student select a famous story such as "Little Red Riding Hood" and then research variations on the story. Each student then presents the strangest or earliest variation he could find.
Tolkien gave his stories a sense of realism through the use of carefully constructed languages and alphabets such as the Tengwar, or Elvish, alphabet. Students can explore the relationship between language and alphabets by creating their own languages and alphabets. Inspire your students with examples of Jewish or Greek alphabets, Egyptian hieroglyphs and prehistoric cave paintings. Instruct students to make sure each letter or symbol in their alphabet has an accompanying sound or meaning. Write messages in the student alphabets on the chalkboard and have the class decipher them.