The Lightning Thief Name __________________________ By Rick Riordan Book Number ___________________ Dear Student, Welcome to 7th grade! This year your language arts teachers have chosen a novel by the author Rick Riordan entitled The Lightning Thief from the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series which is the New York Times #1 bestselling series. The Lightning Thief will tie into our first unit that blends the ideas of choice and Greek mythology. Also what you learn about Greek gods in this unit will help you better grasp ideas in your social studies class when you study the ancient Greek civilization later in the year. We want you to read, enjoy the book, become familiar with Greek myths and revisit some of the previously learned literary concepts. Some of you may have already read The Lightning Thief. That is OK. Read it again with 7th grade eyes. Whenever you read a book for the second time, you always see and understand something new, especially now that you are a more mature reader. There is a movie of this novel (because the book is so amazing), but do not be tempted to only watch the movie as it is different on many levels and may sway you to incorrect responses on the summer reading guide, class discussions and activities. By reading the book and completing the comprehension and response guide, you will be prepared to start your 7th grade language arts class. This guide is to be completed during summer and is due on the first day of school. Also, there will be activities that revolve around the book and a quiz over the reading during the first week of school in which you are expected to participate. The Lightning Thief is a book we hope you will enjoy, and we will discuss this novel not only in the beginning of the year but also throughout the year as we look at the various elements of literature. Enjoy your summer; enjoy the book. Come prepared for success! We will see you in August! Mr. Alessandro and Mrs. Kampschmidt Before you start reading……… Think about the following questions and write down your responses. 1. What is the craziest thing you ever learned about your family (that you are willing to share)? This could be a story that you have heard about a relative or something you have learned through your own experience. Please detail who, what, where, when, why and how. 2. If you were granted one magical item of your choice, what would it be? What power would it have? Explain your choice. 3. In ancient times, the Greeks had gods for many important forces in their lives – the sea, thunderstorms, farming, music, medicine, poetry, archery, etc. Why do you think they imagined many different gods instead of just one? Would this make life more confusing or less confusing? How so? Be sure to answer all three questions for full credit. Adapted: Teacher’s Guide to Lightning Thief, Rick Riordan As you read… In order to understand and appreciate the story, you will need a little background in mythology. We’ve provided some web pages that will introduce you to the author and some of the characters and creatures in the book. You can use this site as a reference when you are reading the book. Use a computer with Internet access to visit the following site for the novel. Go to www.rickriordan.com OPTIONAL (requires speakers or headphones)- Listen to author read an excerpt from Chapter 1 (pages 11-15 which lasts 4 minutes and 46 seconds): Scroll to bottom of www.rickriordan.com and click on picture of novel The Lightning Thief. Click on yellow words just under image of book, “The Lightning Thief, Chapter One. Hear the first part of the first Percy Jackson book, as read by the author.” Only this listening part is optional. All other parts are required. 1. Use this to learn about the author: On homepage www.rickriordan.com look beneath the photo and information about Rick Riordan. On the bottom of the page, click on the words “Rick’s Biography.” Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “Ad Lit’s Video Interview with Rick Riordan.” Click on the blue box that says “View Transcript.” It will list the various sections of interview. You can listen to them all, but we specifically want you to listen to three sections “What I was like as a kid,” “Mythology for the middle school” and “The origins of Percy.” What did you learn about the author that surprised you? Use this as a reference as you read the novel so you can become familiar with the Greek gods: On homepage (www.rickriordan.com) scroll to the bottom grey box. Under “The Fun!” click on “Meet the Greek Gods.” Click on each name, and see a picture and information about that Greek god. Which god did you find to be the most interesting and why? Use this as a reference as you read the novel so you can become familiar with the mythological figures: On homepage (www.rickriordan.com) scroll to the bottom grey box. Click on “Greek Mythology guide.” Click on name to see picture and information about mythological figures. Which mythological figure would be the last one you would want to meet in a dark alley (most scary) and why? The 12 Olympian Gods + 2 Fill in the information in the empty blocks to represent what you know and learn as you read about each god/goddess. See Demeter, Apollo or Hestia for a completed example. god/goddess sphere of Control eagle, lightning bolt Zeus motherhood, marriage cow, lion, peacock horse, trident Poseidon Demeter animal/symbol agriculture, hearth red poppy, barley anvil, quail(hops funny like him) Hephaestus wisdom, battle, useful arts owl Aphrodite dove, magic belt (that makes men fall for her) Ares wild boar, bloody spear Apollo music, medicine, poetry, archery, bachelors mouse, lyre (Apollo’s twin sister) maiden girls, hunting she-bear travelers, merchants, thieves, messengers caduceus, winged helm and sandals tiger, grapes Dionysus Hestia home and earth crane (gave up her council seat for Dionysus) underworld helm of terror Adapted: Teacher’s Guide to Lightning Thief, Rick Riordan 5 Literary Elements 1. The setting- where and when the story takes place. The Lightning Thief begins in New York City and on Long Island, New York. Percy travels across the country throughout the story. On the timeline below, add five more places showing where Percy travels on his journey. 2. Point of View When a character in the story tells the story, it is written in the first person point of view. When a narrator outside the story tells the story, it is written in the third person point of view. From what point of view is this novel written? Consider the benefits of this choice and list two reasons why you think the author chose this point of view? 3. Plot The plot is the storyline or sequence of events. For each chapter below write a two sentence summary of what happened in that chapter. The first chapter has been done for you. Chapter 1: On a field trip, Percy saw a teacher turn into a monster, and he made her disappear with a magical pen. Afterwards, he doesn’t understand why his friends don’t know anything about the teacher’s existence. Chapter 2: Chapter 5: Chapter 9: Now choose 4 more chapters (after chapter 9) to summarize in two sentences each. Chapter _____ Chapter ____ Chapter ____ Chapter ____ 4. Characterization the author’s way of developing what we see, think and know about a character and their personality in a story. Choose one of the characters from the novel. Write his or her name on the box below the picture. As you read, write in the picture frames words, phrases, or sentences that help you get to know the character. Indicate the page number on which you find the descriptive words/phrases/quotes. Words Physical Appearance diret 2 examples from novel that show your character’s appearance Actions 2 examples of your character’s actions -What did he or she do? After you read 2 direct quotes from character which reveal something about him or her character Thoughts 2 thoughts from character that reveal something about his or her character What Others Say 2 direct quotes of what others say about your character When you have finished the book, using the example given, complete a summary statement about The Lightning Thief: Story of Cinderella as an example Now you complete one using The Lightning Thief Somebody Cinderella Somebody Wanted to go to the ball, wanted But her step mother would not allow her to go. but So her fairy godmother helped her . So Then she went to the ball and fell Then in love with the prince. 5. Theme A theme is a broad idea, message, or moral of a story and may be about life, society, or human nature. Themes can explore timeless and universal ideas or truths and are usually not stated directly but are more implied. Consider the theme or author’s message in this novel. What do you think he wanted to say about life, society or human nature?