Tolkien and The Hobbit Pre-Reading

According to paragraph 1 in The Hobbit article, where does the word "hobbit" come from?

• It comes from a Swedish word meaning "hole dwelling creature".

• The word come from an old English fairy tale.

• Tolkien made up the word and later admitted he had no idea where it came from.

• The word is a common word used in Southern England.

Most of Tolkien's stories originated as _______________ about his Middle Earth mythologies.

"In a hole in the ​ (a)   there lived a ​ (b)   ." is one of the most recognizable phrases in the English language.

• ground
• Earth
• farm
• tree
• hobbit
• elf
• person
• bear

Some of Tolkien's famous characters and places include; ​ (a)   ​ (b)   ​ (c)  

• Elrond
• Rivendell
• Gondolin
• Montresor
• Fortunato
• Springfield

Put the events in order!

• The Hobbit was written in the early 1930s but not offered to a publisher until 1936.

• The Hobbit sold more than 40 million copies!

• Tolkien's friends had to convince him to send it to a publisher.

• The idea for The Hobbit was created when Tolkien was doodling on papers.

• Tolkien began dreaming up character names and places like; Rivendell, Gondolin, and Elrond.

Use the hobbit and dwarves fact papers to categorize characteristics of each.

Groups:

(a) Hobbit Facts

,

(b) Dwarves Facts

• Large hands

• Enjoys food and beverages

• Curly hair

• residence: underground in the mountains

• enjoys the comforts of home

• tall and strong

• 2-4 feet tall

• No magic

• No beard

• Age Span: 90-100 years

• long beards

• quiet and stealthy

• Good natured

• large feet

• clever

• 1.5-5 feet tall

• horicuturists

• greedy

• The Shire

• a good burglar

Label the characteristics of a dwarf.

a

b

c

d

Does not like boats or the sea

Skilled craftsman

Miners-mines gems, gold, silver

likes the dark

Dwarves do not like _____________ with others, except their dwarf groups.

Match the trait to the hobbit or dwarf.

• Good natured

• 
• skilled craftsman; weapons and armor

• 
• Enjoys food and the comforts of home

• 
• greedy, some more envious than others

• 
• horticulturalist

• 

Based on what you learned, draw your own depiction of a hobbit!