Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief Novel Study

This exciting novel by Rick Riordan is about a twelve-year-old boy who has struggled in school with dyslexia and ADHD only to find out that it is because he is a "half-blood" or demigod. He has been blamed for the stealing of Zeus' lightning bolt and must find the true thief in order to save the world as he knows it. We follow him and his friends on adventures to mythical realms in order to solve the mystery. 

     The students will be asked to read (or listen to) 3-4 chapters per week and briefly answer a few discussion questions in a designated journal. In addition to book discussion in class, we will complete a number of different activities in order to enhance the novel experience. These will be things such as guided writing prompts, virtual field trips, map reading, learning new vocabulary and much more!  I enjoy tailoring my classes to student interest, so some of the activities may change according to input received by registered students. The class will tentatively be organized as follows:

CLASS ONE: Pre-reading activities and Author Study
• KWL of  the Greek gods using graphic organizer
• Begin a running chart of who’s who (Greek gods and others)
• Give vocabulary Ch. 1-4

CLASS TWO: Chapters 1-3
• Complete “Affixes”
• Take a virtual tour of Greek art at a NYC art museum
• Complete “Cause/Effect”
• Complete “Sequencing”
• Optional homework: Have the student create a character collage on the computer. Have
them use clip art to create people who the students feel “look” like the characters they have met
so far. (Percy, Grover, Nancy Bobofit, Mrs. Dodds, Mr. Brunner, Smelly Gabe, Sally Jackson)
Label each and write a line they said under each picture or a description of him/her.

CLASS THREE: Chapters 4-6
• Discuss journal questions
• Guided persuasive writing activity
• Give vocabulary for Ch. 5-9
• Complete the 12 Olympian gods Graphic Organizer. 
• Respond to what if they can only visit one place in the camp or one god which would they pick
and why. 

CLASS FOUR: Chapters 7-8
• Complete “Inferencing”
• Play Tournament Day 
• Complete “Cause/Effect”
• Discuss journal questions

CLASS FIVE: Chapters 9-11
• Ask the Oracle a question about the future 
• Give vocabulary for Ch. 10-13
• Complete “Multiple Meanings”
• Complete “Cloze Activity” 
• Complete “Multiple Meanings Too”
• Optional homework: Have the students write an obituary for Medusa. Use Publisher to include facts about her life and death, where can people send flowers, view body???

CLASS SIX: Chapters 12-15
• Discuss journal questions
• Even though cell phones are dangerous, the students must send a text message to Chiron. It
must be 150 characters or less including spaces, punctuation and words.
• Give vocabulary for Ch. 14-17
• Summarize the chapter using “Breakout”
• Complete “Quotations”
• Create Lightning Thief Trading cards 

CLASS SEVEN: Chapters 16-18
• Complete “Sequencing”
• Take a virtual field trip to Las Vegas
• Create an ad for Crusty’s Waterbed Palace
• Give vocabulary for Ch. 18-end of book
• Discuss journal questions

CLASS EIGHT: Chapters 19-22
• Complete “Which Word Best Describes….”
• Draw map of Underworld and compare/contrast to that of Grover’s 
• Discuss journal questions
• Complete “Character Web”
• Play Vocabulary Bingo

CLASS NINE:
• Review comprehension game
• Guided writing prompt- to be presented last class
• Literature circle discussion-modernized Greek gods/goddesses
-Percy Jackson style escape room!
Optional homework: watch Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief movie