Fantasy Unit
Journal Topics
The Hero’s Journey & The Lion King
 Call To Adventure
 Simba is a teenager,
and Nala comes to tell
him that the once
wonderful land he used
to live in is now a
wasteland and overrun
by his evil uncle.
The Hero’s Journey & The Lion King
 Refusal of the Call
 He refuses at first
because he's been
gone for a long time
and is embarrassed
because he ran away.
He also still thinks he
is responsible for his
father's death.
The Hero’s Journey & The Lion King
 Supernatural Aid
 Rafiki the baboon does a
little magic to allow
Simba to talk to his father
in the stars. Rafiki also
shows Simba his
reflection and Simba
realized it is time for him
to take responsibility for
the kingdom.
The Hero’s Journey & The Lion King
 Crossing of the First
Threshold
 Simba is leaving paradise
for his homeland that has
now become a wasteland
run by Scar and the
hyenas. He must be ready
to fight his uncle and face
his family, as well as take
responsibility for the
entire kingdom. He
eventually goes because
he can't bear the thought
of his suffering mother.
The Hero’s Journey & The Lion King
 Threshold Guardians
 The hyenas work to
prevent Simba from
getting to his ultimate
enemy – Scar.
The Hero’s Journey & The Lion King
 Belly of the Whale
 Simba leaves behind his
childhood and chooses
to enter the belly of the
whale, moving towards
his right to be king.
The Hero’s Journey & The Lion King
 Road of Trials /
Brother Battle
 Simba will face his
family and fight his
Uncle Scar. He
doesn't really want to
fight, but is not afraid
of anything except
facing his family. He
receives help from
Nala, Timon, and
Pumba.
The Hero’s Journey & The Lion King
 Atonement with the
Father
 Simba is told the truth
about his father's
death not being his
fault. He realizes that
the only way to make
his father truly proud is
to take on his
responsibility of king.
The Hero’s Journey & The Lion King
 Sacred Marriage
 Simba and Nala are
united together.
The Hero’s Journey & The Lion King
 Ultimate Boon
 Simba becomes the
rightful ruler of the
kingdom.
The Hero’s Journey & The Lion King
 Freedom To Live
 Simba does achieve the
ability to let go of the
fear and anger due to
his father's death. He
certainly does not
regret the past, and he
anticipates the future to
be bright with his new
family and kingdom.
The Hobbit
Journal Topics
Journal 1: Fantasy Genre
 What do you already know about the fantasy genre?
 Do you like the fantasy genre? Why or why not?
 What is your favorite fantasy text (book, movie, video
game, television show, etc.)?
 Why do people love fantasy? What draws us to it?
Journal 2: Danger VS Safety
or
Peer Pressure
 Option 1:
 Which would you choose?
 An easy life of security, doing basically whatever you want but
nothing dangerous, and living to an old age
 A life of risk and adventure and danger, but you would not live
beyond being 50 years old
 Why?
 Option 2:
 Do you ever struggle with peer pressure?
 If so, describe an instance when you gave into peer pressure and
the outcome was positive and an instance when you gave into
peer pressure and the outcome was negative.
 If you have not experienced peer pressure, please complete the
above journal.
The Heroic Quest & The Hobbit
 While reading The Hobbit, we will be keeping a log of
Bilbo Baggins’ movement through the heroic quest.
 After each chapter, I will ask you to take a look at the
chart and complete any sections which you believe
Bilbo has completed in his journey.
Read Aloud
 Today, I will be reading the first chapter of The Hobbit
aloud in class.
Journal 3: Narration’s Influence
Instructions: Please read chapter two in
The Hobbit and then complete one (1) of
the following journal options.
 Option 1:
 Other than their size and smell, the narrator does not give a physical
description of the trolls. Tolkien assumes that the audience will know
what trolls are and how to defeat them. All inferences into the
character of the trolls are drawn from their dialogue. Write or draw a
character sketch of the trolls based on their dialect and dialogue.
 Option 2:
 While the narrator has no respect for trolls, he’s equally
uncomplimentary about Bilbo and the dwarves, who foolishly
stumble upon the trolls. It’s Gandalf who saves them, yet in order
not to be left behind, Bilbo must come up with a satisfying tale as to
how the dwarves, and not Bilbo, got caught. Rewrite the passage as
if Bilbo was the narrator, beginning with the lie that he went off to
practice pickpocketing.
Read Aloud
 Today, I will be reading chapters three and four in The
Hobbit aloud in class.
Read Alone
 Please read chapter five in The Hobbit.
Class Activity
 When lost in the caves, Bilbo is on his own for the first
time during the adventure. He becomes the leader of
a personal expedition to find a way out of the caves
and reunite with the dwarves.
 As a class, come up with five to eight characteristics
of a good leader.
 Then, rate Bilbo on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being best, on
each characteristic.
 Use specific examples from this chapter to back up
your rating.
Journal 4: The Magic Ring
 Imagine you have Bilbo’s magic invisibility ring for
ONE WEEK.
 Tell me about your week, the things you do, and what
happens as a result of your ability to become invisible.
Read Aloud
 Today I will be reading chapter six in The Hobbit aloud.
Test & Read
 After completing the test on chapters one through six, please
read chapter seven in The Hobbit.
 Chapter seven in The Hobbit should be completed for Monday.
Journal 5: Logic & Persuasion
 Option 1:
 Just as Gandalf manipulated Bilbo into going on the journey, Gandalf tricks Beorn into
letting all of the adventurers to stay at his house. Gandalf has the dwarves appear two at a
time at Beorn’s door, so that Beorn doesn’t initially realize how many guests he will have. In
addition, Beorn doesn’t like dwarves, so Gandalf has to portray the dwarves as overly
heroic to get Beorn to like them.
 Applying Gandalf’s technique, write a counter argument from Bilbo’s perspective about
why he should not be on the adventure.
 Option 2:
 Gandalf leaves the group at the end of the chapter but promises that the next stage of
their journey is very dangerous. No one considers leaving the party, though, because
Gandalf has boosted their confidence enough that they think they can get through it.
 Pretend you are a motivational speaker, and you need to get the adventurers through a
murky forest, knowing that to stray from the path means almost certain death at the hands
of goblins, orcs, or worse.
 Craft a speech that: boosts the group’s confidence, convinces them to continue the
journey, and gets them excited about the journey
Agree or Disagree?
 Directions: Read the statements below
and decide whether you agree or disagree .
Record this in your journal.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Some people have all the luck.
There is some truth in superstitions (like breaking a mirror brings seven years bad
luck or stepping on a crack in the sidewalk would break your mother’s back).
The weather and our surroundings can change our mood.
Going through difficult times can help a person become more mature or gain more
confidence in themselves.
Spiders are evil and if they were bigger they would eat people for dinner.
Our elders usually have a good reason for making the rules they do.
It is difficult to go a whole day without food.
Too much pride can get a person into trouble.
The love of money is the root of all evil.
 After you have finished going through the statements, choose one and write about an
experience you have had that makes you feel the way you do about that statement.
Read Aloud
 Today I will read chapter eight of The Hobbit aloud in
class.
Read Alone
 Please read chapter nine in The Hobbit on your own.
Journal 6: Character Study
 Bilbo spends a lot of time waiting, as he takes
messages back and forth between the dwarves and
Thorin.
 Based on the events of the chapter, write Bilbo’s
diary entries for this time period. Show his transition
for becoming more like Gandalf.
Read
 Today, please read chapter ten in The Hobbit.
Journal 7: Capturing the Adventure
 Please read chapter eleven of The Hobbit.
 After reading chapter eleven, please complete the
following journal:
 Pretend you are a journalist. Write a news story about
the band of adventurers’ journey and what you
anticipate will happen in the days ahead.
Test: Chapters 7 - 12
 First, we will be completing the chart for the previous
chapters.
 Take the test.
 Read chapter thirteen in The Hobbit by tomorrow.
Journal 8: Personal Growth
& Reading
 What did Bilbo learn about himself in the forest?
 Explain this in great detail with complete sentences
and paragraph structure.
 Please read chapter fourteen in The Hobbit after
completing the journal.
Read
 Please read chapter fourteen in The Hobbit.
Journal 9: Female Characters?
 Why do you think there are no female characters in
the novel?
 Please give three strong reasons. Explain your
reasons in paragraph format.
Journal 10: Symbolism
 After reading the chapter, please complete the
following journal.
 To Bard, the gold represents retribution for his people;
he is willing to take a reasonable settlement. For Thorin,
the gold represents the restored legacy of his
forefathers, and he is willing to die for it.
 Write a journal entry about a family heirloom or personal
keepsake that you would not give up, or explain under
what circumstances you would part with it. What does
the item symbolize to you?
Read
 Please read chapters sixteen, seventeen, and
eighteen of The Hobbit. They should be completed for
Monday.
Journal 11: The Battle
Instructions: After completing your
journal, please read chapter nineteen.
 Option 1:
 Conflict is almost avoided due to Bilbo’s actions. He gives up his share of the
treasure as ransom for the Arkenstone. However, he also temporarily loses
his friends because of his betrayal.
 Write a letter from Bilbo to his Hobbit friends explaining the situation and
why he did what he had to do.
 Option 2:
 Create a map or drawing of all of the encampments.
 What is the strategic value of each position and their leaders?
 Make a note of where Bilbo is during the conflict and evaluate his strategy.
 Option 3:
 Gandalf seemed to know in the previous chapter that the goblins would
attack, but he kept the information to himself. He allows the dwarves, elves,
and humans to come to an understanding before he announces the goblins’
arrival.
 Develop a list of pros and cons for telling the adventurers about the goblins
before they reconciled. Did you come to the same decision as Gandalf?
Quizzest on Chapters 13 – 19 &
Journal 12: Many Options
Instructions: After completing the test
on chapters 13 – 19, complete one of the
following journals.
 Option 1: Imagine you are a reporter, and write an interview with any
character in the book, from any point in the book. Write the
questions, and write what that character answered.
 Option 2: Pick any character or creature from the book, and tell what
happened to that person or creature after the book ended. (Please
do NOT tell about The Lord of the Rings, if you have read it. Make
something up!)
 Option 3: Pretend you are any character in the book (except for
Bilbo). Tell in the first person (using “I”) your own story, or
something from the story from your point of view.
 Option 4: Review The Hobbit as a book—what you liked, what you
didn’t, etc.