Platt and Maloney High Schools
9th Grade Summer Reading Requirement 2014
Due Date – All projects are due on the first day of school
All incoming 9th grade students and those repeating freshman English MUST complete the
attached packet and bring it on the first day of high school. In this packet you will find the
Mythology Webquest and the Novel of Your Choice Project.
The 9th grade English class you have signed up for decides which project you must do. Look
below to see which project must be completed:
Accelerated Students
Academic Students
One Project
Required (Webquest)
Required (Select One)
Additional Project
Required (Select One)
Extra Credit (Select One)
Mythology Webquest – For this project you will use a variety of sources to research several
mythological characters and myths. Fill in pages 2-8 in this packet.
Scrapbook- This project is intended for the creative student and is the Mythology Webquest in
scrapbook form. You will be required to create a scrapbook page for each of the fourteen (14)
gods and goddesses.
Olympian Soundtrack- This project is intended for the music lovers. For each of the fourteen
(14) gods and goddesses, you must select a song that accurately represents the character and
provide a brief explanation of why you chose each song.
Movie Review- This intended for the film lovers. Write a movie review based on Percy Jackson
and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.
Please note: Copies of this packet can be found on the Platt and Maloney websites.
MYTHOLOGY WEBQUEST
Information for completing the packet can be found in the following places:
Websites:
1. www.mythman.com
2. www.mythweb.com
Click on “homework help”
Click on “gods,” “heroes,” and/or “today”
Books:
1. Mythology by Edith Hamilton
2. The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus by Aliki
3. Heroes, Gods and Monsters of Greek Mythology by Bernard Evslin
While the resources above will contain the needed information, students are not limited to only
these websites and books.
Instructions:
Part One: Complete the attached charts (pages 3 – 7 of this packet) by finding
information about the major gods/goddesses of Greek mythology.
Part Two: Research Hercules and answer the questions provided (page 8).
Part One - Gods and Goddesses of the Ancient World
God/Goddess
Latin Name
(Alternate
name) and
Domain (What
is he/she in
charge of?)
Parent(s)
Eros
Cupid
Self-created
God of love and
desire
OR
Aphrodite and
Ares with Nyx
Aphrodite
Apollo
Ares
Three Facts
interesting fact
about
god/goddess
Shoots arrows of
love and hate
Depicted as
youth or child
As Cupid, lover
of Psyche
Illustrate
symbol/animal
of god/goddess
here
God/Goddess
Artemis
Athena
Demeter
Dionysus
Latin Name and
Domain
Parent(s)
Three Facts
Symbol
God/Goddess
Hades
Hephaestus
Hera
Hermes
Latin Name and
Domain
Parent(s)
Three Facts
Symbol
God/Goddess
Hestia
Poseidon
Zeus
Latin Name and
Domain
Parent(s)
Three Facts
Symbol
Part Two - Heroes of Mythology
Instructions: Please use the same resources to find information and answers to the questions
about Hercules.
Heracles/Hercules
1. Who are his parents?
2. What are the twelve labors he completed?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
3. How did he die?
OLYMPIAN SOUNDTRACK PROJECT OVERVIEW
This project is intended for music lovers. For each of the fourteen (14)
gods/goddesses, you must select a song that accurately represents the
character and provide a brief explanation of why you chose each song.
CHECKLIST
The lyrics must match the power of the god and MUST BE APPROPRIATE FOR
SCHOOL!
 Research each god/goddess to gain further knowledge of their
personalities, powers, and domain (what they are in charge of).
 Pick a song in which the lyrics relate to the god/goddess you have
chosen.
 Find the songs in audio form and download/burn to a CD.
 Write a brief explanation for each song, explaining why each song
was chosen to represent the given god/goddess.
*If you choose to create an actual CD booklet, instead of typing it on
computer paper, you may.
Example:
Eros
Song Title: Can't Help Falling In Love
Explanation:
This song relates to Eros because he is the god of love and desire. He
causes people to fall in love by shooting arrows at them. He even did this to
himself once. If someone is shot they "can't help falling in love" because
once Eros' arrows stick, love is unavoidable. It is like a love spell.
SCRAPBOOK PROJECT OVERVIEW
This project is intended for the creative student and is the Mythology
Webquest in scrapbook form. You will be required to create a scrapbook
page for each of the fourteen (14) gods and goddesses.
DIRECTIONS:
1. Research Latin name, domain, symbol and at least one important fact
on the following gods and goddesses:
Aphrodite
Apollo
Ares
Artemis
Athena
Demeter
Dionysus
Hades
Hephaestus
Hera
Hermes
Hestia
Poseidon
Zeus
2. Create a page for each by including the following:
 An image of each god or goddess
 Latin or Roman name
 Domain
 An illustration or picture of their symbol
 Minimum of one important fact
 A single sentence statement the god or goddess might say
EROS
Latin/Roman Name:
Cupid
Domain:
Love & Desire
Symbol:
Bow & Arrow
Facts:
 He's not just a little boy; he's also
depicted as a handsome young man
 Shoots arrows of love and hate
 Cupid accidentally falls in love with
Psyche after scratching himself with one
of his arrows
Tagline:
"I should call the police because you're
stealing my heart."
#Love #Desire #BeMyValentine
MOVIE REVIEW PROJECT OVERVIEW
Now that you have read Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning
Thief, and watched the movie, it is your turn to be the critic. You will write
a review on the film.
CHECKLIST
 Read Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick
Riordan
 Watch the film Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning
Thief and complete the movie review worksheet.
 Write the movie review using the movie review template and example
as a guide.
PREWRITING: MOVIE REVIEW WORKSHEET
Fill out the following information about the movie:
DURING THE MOVIE:
1. Who are the five most important characters in the film? Also list the names five
of the actors playing these characters.
2. What is this story about? When and where did this take place? Be very detailed!
3. Do you notice any differences between the book and the movie?
AFTER THE MOVIE:
4. Did you like this movie? Why or why not?
5. What rating would you give this movie?
6. What spoilers might ruin the movie for viewers if you told them about it?
7. All movies teach a lesson (theme/moral). What did you learn from this one?
8. What title would you give your review
MOVIE REVIEW TEMPLATE
HEADLINE: A title (headline for your review)
PARAGRAPH #1: Introduce the movie by stating that you’ve just seen this
movie and would like to give an opinion about it. Mention a couple of
details that might help the reader understand what type of movie you are
talking about.
PARAGRAPH #2: Summarize the plot (story). Where and when did it
take place? Who are the main characters? What is the story about?
Remember, do NOT include spoilers and do not tell how the story ends!
PARAGRAPH #3: Talk about the actors/actresses and discuss who did a
good job and who didn’t.
PARAGRAPH #4: Talk about what you liked about the movie and what
you didn’t like. For example: Did you think it was interesting or awful? Did
it hold your attention? Did you relate to characters and their struggles? Be
sure to include specific details and scenes.
PARAGRAPH #5: How does the movie compare to the book? Talk about
the similarities and differences of characters, sequence of events, and
conflicts. Which did you prefer, the movie or the book? Explain why.
PARAGRAPH #6: What lessons did you learn from this story
(theme/moral)? What do you think others will learn from it?
PARAGRAPH #7: Who would you recommend it to? Who would you not
recommend it to? Give the movie a score. You can do grades (A,B,C,D,F+
or -), stars (*** out of *****), numbers (3 out of 5) or something totally
original… just don’t use “thumbs up” or “thumbs down.”
 Note: Write this review as if you were trying to convince someone
who has not seen the movie to either see it or avoid it, and NO
SPOILERS!!!
MOVIE REVIEW EXAMPLE
TITLE: My Dog Skip will have you skipping to the theater
By Coop Cooper, A.K.A. “The Small Town Critic”
Everyone remembers their childhood dogs and the impact they’ve had on their life.
Perhaps one dog in particular sticks out in your mind… a special dog that was there for
you in the toughest or best years of your life. That is what this screen adaptation of
Willie Morris’ “My Dog Skip” conveys in a fun, nostalgic and heartbreaking kind of
way. Morris recounts the autobiographical memoir of his childhood in Yazoo City,
Mississippi and the four-legged friend that accompanied him on his journey into
manhood.
Set in the backdrop of the war-torn world of the 1940’s, young Willie (Frankie Muniz) is
on the verge of his ninth birthday. His only real friend, neighbor and high school sports
hero Dink Jenkins (Luke Wilson) goes off and fight in WWII, leaving Willie feeling
alone in the world. To lift Willie’s spirits, his mother (Diane Lane) decides to defy the
wishes of his stern father (Kevin Bacon) and buy Willie a Jack Russell terrier puppy.
The unusually smart and charismatic dog Skip quickly becomes a local institution and
helps Willie gain respect, make friends and even win over his first girlfriend.
The young Morris is outstandingly played by Frankie Muniz, now a household name due
to his success on TV’s “Malcolm in the Middle.” His acting is very mature and shows
shades of emotions very effectively. Both Kevin Bacon and Diane Lane do decent jobs
of portraying caring and concerned parents. Luke Wilson exceeds his normal comedy
boundaries and pulls off the disgraced town hero with surprising effectiveness. However
it’s the dog that steals the show… or should I say dogs. “Moose” (Eddie from TV’s
Frasier) and his son “Enzo” play the older and younger Skip respectively. Look for them
in more movies, commercials and TV shows to come. I guarantee you’ll see them.
Kevin Bacon and Diane Lane’s characters were strong, but didn’t get enough screen time
to fully develop. Willie’s friendship with a young black boy was never given a chance to
develop either, probably in an effort by the filmmakers to avoid focusing on the
segregation issues of the time period. The issue is addressed, but I feel that the AfricanAmerican characters should have had bigger, more substantial parts. Also, I didn’t get
the whole subplot with the evil moonshine dealers and why they tormented little Willie
and Skip. It seemed like a fictional part that was slapped on to cause more conflict.
Despite these objections, the entire production was shot so effectively that it seemed that
it genuinely conveyed feeling of growing up in rural Mississippi. The attention to detail
and the accuracy of the time period are phenomenal. I felt completely immersed in this
world and felt the full effect of this moving story. Even the southern accents were much
better than average.
The message of this film is very clear and invokes plenty of nostalgia to anyone who can
identify growing up in a rural town. It’s about passing into adulthood, remembering old
friends long gone, and the desire to remember or relive happy moments in our lives that
may be fading from our memory. Morris is certainly a master at preserving his own
memories by writing it down for others to enjoy. I truly believe that this story is his gift,
not only to the people of Mississippi, but to all who want to remember their past, and the
friends they left behind.
This movie is PG, a rating which might run off some of the older crowd, but it’s truly a
movie for everyone. Most films geared for children these days depend on lame, popculture references and gas-passing jokes in a patronizing attempt to entertain the younger
masses. This movie rises above all of that to become one of the most watchable nonDisney film for children since 1993’s “Searching for Bobby Fischer.” Your date might
resist going, but try to talk them into it. They won’t regret it and neither will you.
Scale of 1-5:
4½
Coop Cooper is an independently syndicated film critic, living in Los Angeles. He is
originally from Clarksdale, Mississippi and a Southerner at heart. He graduated from
Southern Methodist University with a B.F.A in Cinema, and received his Masters in
Screenwriting from the American Film Institute in Hollywood. You can read his past
reviews at http://www.thesmalltowncritic.com/.