At the start of the story, Bilbo appreciates and enjoys his cozy home and simple life in the Shire. How does his journey’s path and the events and adventures that befall him serve to develop both Sustaining Love of Home and Family and The Importance of Friendship and Companionship as themes?

Consider the following:

• Bilbo’s character arc and changing views of the dwarves
• Bilbo’s personal struggle between the desire for power and doing right by his peers
• Bilbo’s thoughts of home and time spent with his fellow travelers

Teaching Suggestion: As students begin brainstorming ideas, it may be helpful to use a digital searching tool to collect textual evidence from an online text. Projecting or sharing students’ discoveries might provide a starting point in discussions and analysis.

Differentiation Suggestion: Advanced learners might identify and incorporate evidence that relates to the theme Duty as a Governing Moral and a Guiding Force. They might, for example, consider analyzing Thorin’s sense of duty to his people and their quest on the Lonely Mountain, both positive and negative aspects.

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“A Memoir”

In this activity, students will create several memoir pages utilizing the point of view of one of the main characters while incorporating textual evidence and demonstrating in-depth character and thematic understanding.