Meet the Olympians!

In Greek mythology, this family of gods and goddesses lived high atop Mount Olympus. From there they watched (and often meddled in) the affairs of humans below. The Olympians had come to power after their leader, Zeus, overthrew his father, Kronos, leader of the Titans.

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The Olympians, by Gordon Dean. Copyright MythWeb, 1998.

How well did the author characterize the Greek gods and goddesses

in the novel Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief?

How well did the author characterize the Greek gods and goddesses

in the novel Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief?

In their myths, the ancient Greeks gave their gods and goddesses immortality, amazing powers and very human personalities. In this lesson, you will really get to know the Olympians! First, you will research a god or goddess and create a visual aid to share your findings with the class. Then, you will evaluate how well these gods and goddesses have been characterized in the novel Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief to answer the essential question:

Information SourcesInformation Sources

You will use 2-3 of these sources to locate specific information about one Olympian god or goddess and complete the Student Activity on Slide 3.

Preview the Web sites to select the 2-3 best sources of information about your topic.

Ancient Greek Gods for KidsAncient Greece: Gods and GoddessesOlympian Gods and Goddesses The Olympians

Do a keyword search on the name of your selected god or goddess in:

World Book Kids or World Book Student

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Reading Levels: = Basic = Intermediate = Challenging

The Student ActivityThe Student Activity

Gather information about a Greek god or goddess from the Sources on Slide 2 to take notes on this note-taking chart.

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Use the information in your research notes to create a Poster, Trading card, or Bookmark introducing your god or goddess to the class, and for reference during your reading of The Lightning Thief.

• Open the template and SAVE AS to your DOCUMENTS folder with FILE NAME: YourLastName – God/GoddessName (for example: Jones-Aphrodite)

• Include a picture of your god or goddess!

Present your research project to the class. As classmates introduce the gods and goddesses they researched,

take notes to summarize the information on this presentation chart.

• Your teacher may use this scoring tool to assess your project.

The Assessment ActivityThe Assessment Activity

Evaluate the author’s characterization of the god or goddess you researched in the novel Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. Use details and examples from your research to support your reasoning.

Respond using one of these formats as directed by your teacher:• Type in the text box below and save this file to your class folder on the Students

drive• Type your response on a Microsoft word document and save or print out• Write your response on a sheet of notebook paper• Post your response on a Voice Thread or Padlet wall created by your teacher

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How well did the author characterize this god or goddess in the novel Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief? How well did the author characterize this god or goddess in the novel Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief?

Expand your knowledge of the major Greek gods and goddesses by completing one of these FUN activities!

• Take the quiz! How well do you know your mythology? (From National Geographic Kids.)

• Watch the BrainPop video Greek Gods,and then take the Quiz or try one of these Activities or Related Features:– Name that God Family Tree – Experiment Q & A FYI – BCPS Username and Password are

needed for home access to Brain Pop; see your Library Media Specialist for these.

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Time Management:Two 50-minute periods in the computer lab

Differentiation Strategies:• Group students heterogeneously by reading

ability• Direct students to resources appropriate to

their reading levels as labeled on Slide 2.• Allow students to choose from the suggested

digital formats for sharing their learning.

Learning Preferences/Styles: Field dependent, visual, auditory, tactile, active, reflective, global, sequential.

Notes to the Teacher• Collaborate with your school’s Library Media

Specialist to implement this Slam Dunk Lesson.

• If a computer lab is not available, this lesson may be implemented in the classroom or Library using print resources and printouts of the linked digital resources and lesson materials.

• For more information about digital formats and Web 2.0 tools, see the BCPS Office of Library Information Services Resource Wiki for Software, Assistive Technologies, Web 2.0 Tools, Digital Content, and Resources; scroll down to the Presenting/Sharing section.

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Created by Kelly Ray, Library Media Specialist, updated July 2013BCPS Slam Dunk Model, Copyright 2013, Baltimore County Public Schools, MD, all rights reserved. The models may be used for educational, non-profit school use only. All other uses, transmissions, and duplications are prohibited unless permission is granted expressly. This lesson is based on Dr. Jamie McKenzie’s

Slam Dunk Lesson module available at http://questioning.org/module2/quick.html.

Lesson Objective: Students will predict a character’s role in the myths and novel they will be reading by researching a Greek god or goddess.

MSC Standards:1.E.2 Use strategies to prepare for reading (before reading)

b. Set a purpose for reading the textc. Make predictions and ask questions about the textd. Make connections to the text from prior knowledge and experiences

AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner:1.1.2 Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.1.1.6 Read, view, and listen for information presented in any format

(e.g., textual, visual, media, digital) in order to make inferences and gather meaning.

1.1.8 Demonstrate mastery of technology tools for accessing information and pursuing inquiry.

1.1.9 Collaborate with others to broaden and deepen understanding.

MD Technology Literacy Standards for Students:

3.B.1.a. Use technology tools to work collaboratively within the school community.

4.D.1.b. Present ideas and information in formats such as electronic presentations, web pages, graphic organizers, or

spreadsheets that are appropriate to a specific audience.5.A.1.a. Select relevant information from appropriate technology

resources.

Teacher ResourcesTeacher Resources