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The Lord of the Rings: An Exploration

Course Description:

The Lord of the Rings is one of the most popular stories in the modern world. In this course, you will study the movie versions of J.R.R. Tolkein’s novel and learn about the process of converting literature to film. You will explore fantasy literature as a genre and critique the three Lord of the Rings films.

Course Details:

Course Title (District): The Lord of the Rings: An Exploration
Course Title (NCES SCED) : Literature
Course Provider : Genesee ISD
Content Provided By : eDynamic Learning
Online Instructor Provided By : Genesee School District
Standards Addressed : None
Academic Terms : Open Entry / Open Exit, Semester
NCES SCED Code :
Subject Area : English Language and Literature
Course Identifier : Literature
Course Level : High School (Secondary)
Available Credit : 0.5
Sequence : 1 of 1

How To Enroll:

Enrollment Website : https://www.gennet.us
Email : [email protected]
Phone : 810-591-4401

Students and Parents: It is important to work closely with your local school counselor or registrar to follow the school's enrollment procedures. By clicking the "Start Registration Request" button below, you will be able to notify the school of your interest in registering for the online course. However, it is the responsibility of the district or school to review the registration request and approve or deny the request. Please make a note to follow up with your school after submitting a registration request.

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Additional Course Information:

Additional Cost: $0.0

Additional Cost Description: None

Unit 1: The Man behind the Movie

  • Discuss the cultural impact of The Lord of the Rings.
  • Report on J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of the book.
  • Discuss the writing of The Hobbit, the prequel to The Lord of the Rings.
  • Give an overview of the basic story of The Hobbit and understand its connection with The Lord of the Rings.
  • Outline the first part of The Fellowship of the Ring.
  • Recount details about the characters in The Fellowship of the Ring.

Unit 2: The Languages of The Lord of the Rings

  • Discuss Tolkien’s career as a philologist.
  • Develop new vocabulary related to the study of language.
  • Explore the evolution of the English language.
  • Analyze how the creation of the Elvish language impacted the creation of Middle Earth.
  • Outline the background of The Lord of the Rings as it appears in the second part of The Fellowship of the Rings.

Unit 3: The Influence of the Arthurian Tales

  • Retell the basic story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
  • Develop a new vocabulary related to the study of King Arthur and the period in which the stories were set.
  • Discuss Tolkien’s scholarship as it relates to the stories of King Arthur and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
  • Explore the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
  • Describe how the concepts in the stories of King Arthur impacted the creation of The Lord of the Rings.

Unit 4: Converting a Classic to a Film

  • Describe the process of converting a book to a film.
  • Explore the advantages of presenting a classic book as a film.
  • Outline the advantages of reading the story in book form.
  • Explain how the movie changed some elements of this portion of The Two Towers.

Unit 5: The Heroic Culture of The Lord of the Rings

  • Describe the heroic feudal culture of comitatus.
  • Explore how this heroic concept is developed in The Lord of the Rings.
  • Define the concept of the epic hero.
  • Discuss the concept of the epic hero as portrayed in The Lord of the Rings.
  • Analyze how Tolkien used The Lord of the Rings to express his own views on conservation and ecology.
  • Discuss character development in The Two Towers.

Unit 6: Beowulf, the Monsters, & The Lord of the Rings

  • Discuss the background of the epic poem Beowulf.
  • Describe features of Old English poetry.
  • Outline the story of Beowulf and its view of heroism.
  • Explain Tolkien’s view of the value of monsters in fantasy literature.
  • Analyze how Tolkien’s scholarship concerning Beowulf affected the writing of The Lord of the Rings.

Unit 7: Mythopoeia: The Making of Fantasy Worlds

  • Describe some of the genres of literature.
  • Discuss fantasy literature and its relation to science fiction.
  • Define mythopoeia.
  • Discuss Tolkien’s famous essay “On Fairy Stories” and the advantages of fantasy that Tolkien described in that essay.
  • Outline the background material of the first half of The Return of the King.

Unit 8: Journey's End: The Final Analysis

  • Describe the themes and motifs in the movie.
  • Discuss conflict in a story and how this adds interest to the tale.
  • Define the differences between dynamic and static characters.
  • Compare the differences between the book and movie versions of The Return of the King.
  • Discuss more about the basic elements of plot development.
  • Outline the development of all the major characters in the story and where the story took these characters even after the film was finished.

iNACOL National Standards for Quality Online Courses

Academic Content Standards and Assessments Rating Comments
The goals and objectives clearly state what the participants will know or be able to do at the end of the course. The goals and objectives are measurable in multiple ways. Fully Met
The course content and assignments are aligned with the state’s content standards, Common Core curriculum, or other accepted content standards set for Advanced Placement® courses, technology, computer science, or other courses whose content is not included in the state standards. Fully Met
The course content and assignments are of sufficient rigor, depth and breadth to teach the standards being addressed. Fully Met
Information literacy and communication skills are incorporated and taught as an integral part of the curriculum. Fully Met
Multiple learning resources and materials to increase student success are available to students before the course begins. Fully Met
Course Overview and Introduction Rating Comments
Clear, complete course overview and syllabus are included in the course. Fully Met
Course requirements are consistent with course goals, are representative of the scope of the course and are clearly stated. Fully Met
Information is provided to students, parents and mentors on how to communicate with the online instructor and course provider. Fully Met
Legal and Acceptable Use Policies Rating Comments
The course reflects multi-cultural education, and the content is accurate, current and free of bias or advertising. Fully Met
Expectations for academic integrity, use of copyrighted materials, plagiarism and netiquette (Internet etiquette) regarding lesson activities, discussions, and e-mail communications are clearly stated. Fully Met
Privacy policies are clearly stated. Fully Met
Instructor Resources Rating Comments
Online instructor resources and notes are included. Fully Met
Assessment and assignment answers and explanations are included. Fully Met
Accessing Course Effectiveness Rating Comments
The course provider uses multiple ways of assessing course effectiveness. Fully Met
The course is evaluated using a continuous improvement cycle for effectiveness and the findings used as a basis for improvement. Fully Met
Course Updates Rating Comments
The course is updated periodically to ensure that the content is current. Fully Met
Certification Rating Comments
Course instructors, whether faceto-face or virtual, are certificated and “highly qualified.” The online course teacher possesses a teaching credential from a state-licensing agency and is “highly qualified” as defined under ESEA. Fully Met
Instructor and Student Support Rating Comments
Professional development about the online course delivery system is offered by the provider to assure effective use of the courseware and various instructional media available. Fully Met
The course provider offers technical support and course management assistance to students, the course instructor, and the school coordinator. Fully Met
Course instructors, whether face-to-face or virtual, have been provided professional development in the behavioral, social, and when necessary, emotional, aspects of the learning environment. Fully Met
Course instructors, whether face-to-face or virtual, receive instructor professional development, which includes the support and use of a variety of communication modes to stimulate student engagement online. Fully Met
The provider assures that course instructors, whether face-to-face or virtual, are provided support, as needed, to ensure their effectiveness and success in meeting the needs of online students. Fully Met
Students are offered an orientation for taking an online course before starting the coursework. Fully Met
Instructional and Audience Analysis Rating Comments
Course design reflects a clear understanding of all students’ needs and incorporates varied ways to learn and master the curriculum. Fully Met
Course, Unit and Lesson Design Rating Comments
The course is organized by units and lessons that fall into a logical sequence. Each unit and lesson includes an overview describing objectives, activities, assignments, assessments, and resources to provide multiple learning opportunities for students to master the content. Fully Met
Instructional Strategies and Activities Rating Comments
The course instruction includes activities that engage students in active learning. Fully Met
The course and course instructor provide students with multiple learning paths, based on student needs that engage students in a variety of ways. Fully Met
The course provides opportunities for students to engage in higher-order thinking, critical reasoning activities and thinking in increasingly complex ways. Fully Met
The course provides options for the instructor to adapt learning activities to accommodate students’ needs. Fully Met
Readability levels, written language assignments and mathematical requirements are appropriate for the course content and grade-level expectations. Fully Met
Communication and Interaction Rating Comments
The course design provides opportunities for appropriate instructor-student interaction, including opportunities for timely and frequent feedback about student progress. Fully Met
The course design includes explicit communication/activities (both before and during the first week of the course) that confirms whether students are engaged and are progressing through the course. The instructor will follow program guidelines to address non-responsive students. Fully Met
The course provides opportunities for appropriate instructor-student and student-student interaction to foster mastery and application of the material. Fully Met
Resources and Materials Rating Comments
Students have access to resources that enrich the course content. Fully Met
Evaluation Strategies Rating Comments
Student evaluation strategies are consistent with course goals and objectives, are representative of the scope of the course and are clearly stated. Fully Met
The course structure includes adequate and appropriate methods and procedures to assess students’ mastery of content. Fully Met
Feedback Rating Comments
Ongoing, varied, and frequent assessments are conducted throughout the course to inform instruction. Fully Met
Assessment strategies and tools make the student continuously aware of his/her progress in class and mastery of the content. Fully Met
Assessment Resources and Materials Rating Comments
Assessment materials provide the instructor with the flexibility to assess students in a variety of ways. Fully Met
Grading rubrics are provided to the instructor and may be shared with students. Fully Met
The grading policy and practices are easy to understand. Fully Met
Course Architecture Rating Comments
The course architecture permits the online instructor to add content, activities and assessments to extend learning opportunities. Fully Met
The course accommodates multiple school calendars; e.g., block, 4X4 and traditional schedules. Fully Met
User Interface Rating Comments
Clear and consistent navigation is present throughout the course. Fully Met
Rich media are provided in multiple formats for ease of use and access in order to address diverse student needs. Fully Met
Technology Requirements and Interoperability Rating Comments
All technology requirements (including hardware, browser, software, etc...) are specified. Fully Met
Prerequisite skills in the use of technology are identified. Fully Met
The course uses content-specific tools and software appropriately. Fully Met
The course is designed to meet internationally recognized interoperability standards. Fully Met
Copyright and licensing status, including permission to share where applicable, is clearly stated and easily found. Fully Met
Accessibility Rating Comments
Course materials and activities are designed to provide appropriate access to all students. The course, developed with universal design principles in mind, conforms to the U.S. Section 504 and Section 508 provisions for electronic and information technology as well as the W3C’s Web Content Accessibility guidelines (WCAg 2.0). Fully Met
Data Security Rating Comments
Student information remains confidential, as required by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Fully Met

Review Conducted By: eDynamic Learning
Date of Review: 07/21/2018

1. The Man Behind the Movie
2. The Languages of The Lord of the Rings
3. The Influence of the Arthurian Tales
4. Converting a Classic to a Film
5. The Heroic Culture of The Lord of the Rings
6. Beowulf, the Monsters, & The Lord of the Rings
7. Mythopoeia: The Making of Fantasy Worlds
8. Journey's End: The Final Analysis

Term Type Enrollment Opens Enrollment Ends Random Draw Date Enrollment Drop Date Course Starts Course Ends # of Seats Course Fee Potential Additional Costs
Open Entry / Open Exit 07/01/2023 06/30/2024 100 $275 $0
Open Entry / Open Exit 07/01/2023 06/30/2024 100 $300 $0
Drop Policy Completion Policy Term Type Enrollment Opens Enrollment Ends
Open Entry / Open Exit 07/01/2023 06/30/2024
K-5: Extensions are not available. 6-12: 4-week extensions are available for $50 per enrollment (maximum 2 extensions per 18-week enrollment). 6-12: 2-week extensions are available for $25 per enrollment (maximum 2 extensions per 9-week enrollment). Open Entry / Open Exit 07/01/2023 06/30/2024
Flexible; online facilitator, blended, or traditional classroom
N/A