Bridge Academy

Description: This high school college prep course overviews one of J.R.R. Tolkien’s most famous works, Lord of the Rings. This course highlights the literary elements and influences that made Tolkien’s epic a masterpiece. Students will not only read the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, but can expect to read and pull information from other works such as but not limited to The Odyssey, The Iliad, Beowulf, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.  In addition, the curriculum examines the mind of the man behind one of the world’s most extraordinary tales. The curriculum covers critical aspects in literature and writing. 

Students participating in this course can expect to:

• Gain understanding of over 130 literary terms and the ability to identify them as well as become acquainted with over 600 vocabulary words and learn how to identify meaning of words through context. 
• Be better able to interpret and write about literature and other topics through the numerous writing assignments included.
• Have a basic understanding of the history of the English language and the field of linguistics.
• Have a basic understanding of the background of the ancient epics (The Iliad, The Odyssey, and The Aeneid).
• Have a basic understanding of Old English Literature through examining significant portions of Beowulf and learning more about its background and influence on  Tolkien’s works.
• Have a basic knowledge of the Arthurian legends, including the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Students will also be introduced to the works of Thomas Malory, Sir Edmund Spenser, and Alfred, Lord Tennyson in this context, though these works are not thoroughly examined.
• Know about various genres of literature with particular emphasis on the benefits of fantasy literature as defined by Tolkien in his landmark Oxford lecture “On Fairy Stories.” Students are also taught guidelines for discerning literature that is appropriate for their situation.
• Understand the limitations and advantages of converting a literary work to a movie and be able to compare the two forms for themselves. 
• Examine important issues such as war, ecology, and the cooperation between cultures and races in order to develop his own ideas on these topics.
• Know more about the positive character qualities expressed in The Lord of the Rings such as loyalty, devotion to duty, pity, persistence, and sacrificing for the good of others.