MIDDLE EARTH 12

"Not all those who wander are lost" -J.R.R. Tolkien

An Imaginative Senior Humanities Quest - this course explores self, society, language, history, and landscape through conversation, journalling, and project-based learning. We move between real and imagined worlds, between familiar places and unknown lands.

Course Blog

http://middleearth12.blogspot.ca

Course Outline

pdf version

Overview

  • Regular 4 credit, one-block course for Grade 11 or 12 students, but with unique learning design and emphasis on student choice. This course is recognized by UNBC as a full academic credit for entrance.
  • This course is designed for students who like to read and write, especially fantasy and sci-fi.  It takes it's name and inspiration from the complex world created by J.R.R. Tolkien, but is more about creativity, language, culture, landscapes, and stories than it is about hobbits or magic rings.
  • Our core topics include: folklore and mythology, medievalism, origin of languages, invented architecture, fantasy maps, mythical beasts, and connections to nature (e.g. herbology), and the history behind famous tales
  • Examples will be taken from diverse sources (e.g. Norse, Greek, First Nations, Chinese, etc.) and will include both the real world and imagined worlds (from literature, film, and games). For core topics -- see below.
  • No unit tests or final exam, but nonetheless a serious emphasis on discussion-based student contribution to class and project-based learning. We have one main field trip planned to the Ancient Forest.
  • Teaching, learning, and assessment in Middle Earth 12 will be based on reading, writing, talking, and making.

Lessons and Course Material

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SECTION ONE: Setting Out on the Quest
  • Setting the Path for what we will do (and why, how, when, where)
  • Understanding the roots of myth and story, and how people create works of legend
  • Studies in Symbolism
  • Studies in written systems and runes
  • Studies in curious word origins
  • Asking Essential Questions (project design)


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SECTION TWO: Exploring New Lands
Selected topics, e.g.:
  • folklore and mythology - various
  • medievalism - structures, literature, culture, weaponry
  • architecture - real and invented
  • fantasy maps and styles of cartography
  • mythical beasts and how they are depicted (art)
  • connections to nature (e.g. herbology)
  • history behind famous tales and authors
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SECTION THREE: Coming Home from the Journey
  • Additional topics (student choice)
  • In-depth inquiry and research
  • Project refinement and presentations
  • Middle Earth (and other worlds) on film - student selections
  • year-end feast - this is already a legend even though it has only happened once (each student brings a food found in a work of fiction)

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FORMS and ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Image credit (above): Dresden Codak (Aaron Diaz). Used by permission: http://silmarillionproject.tumblr.com/. This image shows the elven prince Fëanor, a character in J.R.R. Tolkien's Silmarillion), inspecting his creation: a Silmaril.  The images below left (also by permission from Aaron Diaz) show the Rulers of Valinor, the craft/growth duality of two of these rulers, the city of the Elves in Valinor, and the spark that began the world. 

Resources

Rules

Your teacher does not have many rules... mostly it is expected that students will operate with a few principles in mind:
  • mutual respect -- treat the students, teacher, and learning space with dignity, safety, and calmness 
  • self-reliance -- take responsibility for your actions, attendance, work habits, expected work & progress 
  • balance -- there is a season (and time in class) for everything: teacher, student, together, alone, tech, no-tech, food , no-food
  • curiosity -- ask thoughtful questions of your self, teacher, and classmates, and ask for help when you need it 
In exchange, your teacher will strive to make the class time as positive and productive as possible, minimize homework, and keep the focus on critical thinking, meaningful connections (including personal ones), and strong learning about our topics. You are invited to be active participants in how this course and classroom experience unfolds. 

Assessment

  • Projects - about 40% - one or two student-designed multi-faceted projects 
  • Assignments - about 25% - smaller projects and tasks that come out of our lessons, including a variety of short student-prepared presentations or discussion contributions
  • Badges - about 25% - skills and accomplishments selected and assessed by both the students and the teacher 
  • Quizzes - about 10% - a few of the main ideas and skills that we will emphasize will be tested, e.g. in-class essays, critical thinking questions, your thoughts on the big ideas, questions about specialized vocabulary, concepts, and problems from the lessons 

Caveat

This is a new course, perhaps unique on the planet, so in some ways we will build the road as we travel. In the least, expect a meandering path but one that can still be followed, for those who wander off the path may indeed become drowsy and never find their way out of Mirkwood.