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Dreamcatchers
The Los Alamos National Bank Popejoy Hall Schooltime Series Teaching Guide
The Los Alamos
National Bank
Schooltime Series
Always new worlds to explore.
The Lightning Thief
Presented by: Theatreworks USA
Monday, April 18th, 2016
Grades: 2 - 6
Dreamcatchers Teaching Guides align with the Common Core State Standards and New Mexico State
Learning Standards.
‘‘
To a degree, the Greek and Roman mythological heroes are just
the first superheroes. They appeal to children for much the same
reason. These gods and heroes may have powers, but they get
angry and they do the wrong thing. They are human, too.”
– Rick Riordan
Synopsis
Based on the New York Times Bestseller by Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief renders ancient
Greek mythology into present-day reality in this action-packed, funny, bold, and wonderfully
imaginative musical. Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school
again, but that’s the least of his troubles. Lately, legendary monsters and the gods of Mount
Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of his Greek mythology textbook and into
his life. To his astonishment, he learns that his true father is Poseidon, the God of the Sea. What’s
more, Percy has managed to anger a few of the major Olympian deities: Zeus’s master lightning
bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect! Now he has ten days to find and return Zeus’s
property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. To succeed on his quest, Percy will have
to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him,
solve the riddle of the Oracle (which warns him of betrayal by a friend), and unravel a treachery
more powerful than the gods themselves. The show features creative costumes and sets,
electrifying choreography, captivating music and lyrics, and mesmerizing fight scenes all within the
storyline of important moral lessons and the ageless truths of a “hero’s quest.”
Standards
Addressed By
Attending the
Performance
2
NMCCSS
English Language Arts:
Speaking and Listening
(CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL):
- Comprehension and
Collaboration
New Mexico Content
Standards:
Fine Arts/Theatre & Music: Content
Standards 3 & 5
The Lightning Thief
Teaching Guide Dreamcatchers
Vocabulary
Agony: suffering in pain or distress
Demigod: the offspring of a god and
a mortal, or a mortal raised to divine
rank
Eavesdrop: to secretly listen to what is
said in private
Expelled: kicked out
Envy: to be jealous
Half-Blood: half mortal, half god
Immortal: lives forever; cannot die
Oath: a promise
Oracle: a wise person who some
believe can predict the future
Pawn: a person who can be used for
another person’s purposes
Pseudonym: a fictitious or made up
name
Rebellious: fighting against rules or
authority
Satyr: half human, half goat
Scrawny: very skinny
Smirk: a sly smile
Souvenir: something that serves as a
reminder (i.e. from a trip)
Talon: the claw of an animal (esp. a
bird)
Interesting Facts
for Students
3
studied Norse mythology that he
started to get into reading.
CHIRON: Eldest and wisest of the
centaurs
his parents and grandparents were all
teachers.
CYCLOPS: One-eyed giant
thought he was going to be a rock
star when he grew up. He worked his
way through college playing in bands
on the weekend.
showed the manuscript of The
Lightning Thief to his middle school
students before getting it published
and got their feedback.
Son of the Sea God was the original
title of this book, but his students told
him to change it. They felt that the
original title gave away the secret of
Percy’s dad too quickly.
Other:
The director of the film version of
The Lightning Thief, Chris Columbus,
directed the film versions of Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and
Harry Potter and the Chamber of
Secrets.
In 2010, The Lightning Thief was
adapted and released as a graphic
novel, illustrated by Attila Futaki.
Greek Gods & Mythical Creatures
APOLLO: The youthful god of the sun
and music
ARES: The fierce god of war
Rick Riordan:
ATHENA: The goddess of wisdom and
arts
didn’t like to read books as a child.
It wasn’t until he read the Lord of the
Rings trilogy in middle school and
CENTAUR: Mythical creature with
head and torso of a man and body of
a horse
The Lightning Thief
FURIES: Avenging spirits controlled by
Hades
HADES: God of the underworld and
brother to Poseidon and Zeus
HARPIES: Female monsters in the
form of birds with human faces
HERCULES: Son of Zeus. Mortal hero
HERMES: God of the trade
KRONOS: Titan god of time and
the ages; fathered the gods and
goddesses of Mt. Olympus
MEDUSA: Gorgon sister who bragged
about her beauty and was turned into
a monster by Athena
MINOTAUR: Monster with the body of
a man and head and tail of a bull
ODYSSEUS: Leader in the Trojan War
PAN: God of the wild, shepherds and
flocks
POSEIDON: God of the sea, brother of
Zeus and Hades, and Father of Percy
Jackson
PROMETHEUS: Titan god of
forethought. Entrusted with task of
molding mankind out of clay
SATYRS: Poets and companions to
Pan
TITANS: The Elder Gods who ruled the
earth before the Olympians overthrew
them
ZEUS: King of the gods, ruler of
mankind
Teaching Guide Dreamcatchers
About the Author
Rick Riordan (born in 1964) is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians
series, the Kane Chronicles, the Heroes of Olympus, and Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard. After graduating
from the University of Texas at Austin with a double major in English and History, Rick taught at public and private
middle schools in the San Francisco Bay area and in Texas for fifteen years. While teaching full time, Riordan began
writing mystery novels for adults but soon turned to children’s fiction. He started The Lightning Thief as a bedtime
story for his oldest son, Haley, who refused to read but loved listening to his dad’s tales about Ancient Greek gods.
The Lightning Thief’s hero, Percy Jackson, resembles Haley in more than one way: they both have ADHD and dyslexia, and as a result, they don’t do well in school. Riordan admits that introducing this less-than-perfect hero into
children’s fiction has been extremely rewarding. Today, over forty million copies of his Percy Jackson, Kane Chronicles, and Heroes of Olympus are in print in the United States, and rights have been sold in more than 37 countries.
Riordan lives in Boston with his wife and two sons and now writes full-time.
4
The Lightning Thief
Teaching Guide Dreamcatchers
Grades: K-2
NMCCSS:
English Language
Arts:
Reading Standards
for Literature (CCSS.
ELA-Literacy.RL):
Key Ideas and Details
Integration of
Knowledge and Ideas
Writing (CCSS.
ELA-Literacy.W):
Text Types and
Purposes
Create-a-Creature
Lesson 1 Vaasl.org
In The Lightning Thief, Percy Jackson encounters several mythical creatures, the first of which is a Minotaur: a
man with the head of a bull. In this lesson, students will create their own mythical creatures taking inspiration
from the creatures found in Greek mythology.
Objectives
Students will:
• Use a choice grid to select the components of a unique creature creation.
• Name and write a description of the new creation.
Materials
• Activity sheet: Create-a-Creature (pg. 6)
Speaking and Listening (CCSS.ELALiteracy.SL):
• Pencils
Comprehension and
Collaboration
• Optional: books that contain drawings and photographs of animals
New Mexico
Content
Standards:
Fine Arts/ Visual
Arts: Content
Standards 2, 3 & 5
• Markers, crayons, colored pencils, etc.
• Selection devices (i.e. dice, spinner, etc.)
Procedure
1. Ask students if they know the
names of any mythical creatures.
Examples may include Pegasus,
Centaur, Cyclops, Medusa, and
Minotaur. Ask students to describe
the creatures. What makes these
creatures mythical? What makes
them unique?
2. Tell students that they will be
creating their own mythical creatures and coming up with names
for and interesting facts about
their creature, highlighting what
makes it unique.
3. Distribute “Create-a-Creature”
activity sheets and selection
devices (dice, spinner, etc.) Review
the directions.
4. Demonstrate how to use the
selection device in conjunction
with the activity sheet. The number rolled or spun represents what
type of body parts their creature
will have.
5. Encourage students to use their
prior knowledge of the various
animals that make up their creature to inform their choices when
answering the questions on the
activity sheet.
a. Interesting facts about
students’ creatures can include
information about the creature’s
personality, behaviors, habitat/
environment, favorite foods, etc.
b. Drawings should be as detailed
as possible. Make sure all 5
features of the creature are
included in the drawing.
6. Allow students to work for
about 20 minutes.
7. In small groups, have students
share their creatures. Encourage
students to give feedback to each
other and share their ideas.
8. Bind all of the activity sheets
together in a class book. Have the
class think of an alliterative title for
the book.
a. Examples: “Curious Classroom
Creatures,” “Mythical Monsters,”
“Bizarre Beasts,” or “Annoying
Anonymous Animals.”
Extensions/Modifications
• After students share their ideas, give them time to make adaptations to their creatures before collecting
them for the class book.
• Make up your own characteristics for the creatures. Generate ideas as a class and make your own grid of
features.
• Write a poem about your mythical creature. The poem should be funny. Include the creature’s name and
describe some if its physical characteristics.
• Write a story about an adventure involving your mythical creature. The creature can be the main character
or a challenge the main character has to deal with.
Assessment
• Students create a mythical creature by following instructions and successfully completing the activity sheet.
• Creature characteristics are thought out and are the result of informed choices.
• Quality of participation
5
The Lightning Thief
Teaching Guide Dreamcatchers
b
6
The Lightning Thief
Teaching Guide Dreamcatchers
Grades: 4-6
NMCCSS:
English Language
Arts:
Reading Standards
for Literature (CCSS.
ELA-Literacy.RL):
- Key Ideas and
Details
- Craft and Structure
- Integration of
Knowledge and Ideas
Writing (CCSS.
ELA-Literacy.W):
- Text Types and
Purposes
- Production and
Distribution of
Writing
Speaking and
Listening (CCSS.
ELA-Literacy.SL):
- Comprehension
and Collaboration
Even Gods Have
Bad Hair Days Lesson 2
EduPlace.com
In The Lightning Thief, ancient Greek gods and goddesses are present in the modern world. In this lesson,
students will have the chance to familiarize themselves with classic tales in Greek mythology and speculate
how some of the better-known characters in these stories might behave in present day situations.
Objectives
Students will:
• Research chosen gods or goddesses from Greek mythology.
• Relate their research to present day experiences.
• Write a narrative that exhibits characteristics of the god or goddess addressing a realistic school problem.
Materials
• Examples of Greek mythology • Computer access and library access (for research) • Writing supplies
Procedure
1. Gauge student knowledge about
Greek mythology. Depending on
student familiarity, a brief introduction to Greek mythology may be
helpful prior to this lesson.
2. Read a Greek myth to the class.
You may wish to select one with
characters that are familiar to the
students or characters featured in
the play. The Lightning Thief features Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Ares,
Dionysus, Athena, Aphrodite, Hera,
Demeter, Hermes, Artemis, and
Medusa, among others.
3. Discuss the characteristics of
a myth. Discuss the characters in
the story and what their personality traits are. How are these traits
important to the message of the
story? Generate a class list of
common qualities that gods, goddesses, and heroes hold. Encourage
students to use both the selected
myth and their prior knowledge to
inform their answers.
4. Tell students that they will need
to select one Greek god or goddess
to research. It may be helpful to
provide students with a list of the
main gods and goddesses in Greek
Resources
GreekMythology.com
Theoi Greek Mythology
Rick Riordan Educational
Resource
mythology. They will need to use internet and library resources to learn
the following about their character:
a. The origin and background
information of the character.
b. Any superhuman qualities,
strengths or powers.
c. Stories and/or people this
character is connected with.
d. Character flaws that cause
problems for this person.
e. Any areas that this character
has rule over.
Note: This could be assigned as
homework.
5. In the next class period, start a
discussion about common elementary/middle school problems. Generate a class list of some common
problems that students deal with on
a daily basis. Some examples are:
a. Missing the bus to school.
b. Having a hard time with a
particular subject in school.
c. Disliking what is being served in
the cafeteria for lunch today.
d. A bully is picking on him/her.
e. Being caught by a teacher
doing something that is against
the rules.
f. Being picked last for a team.
g. Not getting along with another
student in class.
h. Not finishing homework on
time.
6. Instruct students to pick one of
the problems and write a narrative
describing how their selected god
or goddess would deal with and
resolve that problem.
7. Have students share their writing
in small groups. Groups should
discuss the writing, share thoughts
and ideas, and offer feedback.
Allow students time to edit their
writing based on the feedback of
their peers.
8. Have students share completed
writing with the class.
Extensions/Modifications
• Students may work in small groups or pairs to share the research and writing tasks. Group presentations
may be made in lieu of a written narrative.
• Choose only one school problem to work with. Students will have to think about how their selected god or
goddess would approach the same problem. Have students compare the various responses.
Assessment
• Narrative demonstrates general understanding of the characteristics of the selected god or goddess.
• The problem has a good resolution.
• Quality of participation
7
The Lightning Thief
Teaching Guide Dreamcatchers
Bonus Explorations
8
Lessons & Activities
Outreach Activities
Have students read the book before
seeing the musical and discuss the
differences. Was the musical how
you imagined it from the book? Then
compare it to the film. How are the
three mediums different? Discuss what
versions they liked best and why.
Make a family tree for Percy Jackson
using the references in the book to
Greek mythology.
Have students each draw a name of
one of the Greek gods/goddesses
out of a hat. Then have them research
the name they picked and give a short
presentation on their god/goddess.
Percy Jackson often feels like an
outsider, or like he’s not “normal” until
he discovers he’s a demigod. Have
students write about a time when they
felt different. Did it make them feel
special? Did they feel alone? How did
they deal with their feelings?
Percy has special powers with the
gods on his side, but often, when
students see trouble at school (like
bullying), they don’t know who to turn
to. Have students write down one or
two incidents where this happened to
them at school or with friends. Then,
have them put their answers in a hat so
it’s anonymous. Draw from the hat and
talk about each scenario. If students are
comfortable, role-play some solutions.
Scholastic The Lightning Thief
Discussion Guide
Fast Times @ Homeschool High Some
Lesson Plans
Fabulous Classroom Percy Jackson
Teaching Resources & Lesson Plans
BookLad.org An assortment of lesson
plans and resources.
TheatreworksUSA Company study
guide.
Lessons from ARTSEDGE
Exploring American Tall Tales Use
drama to explore American tall tales.
What can they tell us about the
American spirit?
Writing an Original Fable How are
fables written?
Writing Myths How can myths help to
explain nature and science?
A World of Myths How did past
civilizations explain natural phenomena?
If the battle scenes in The Lightning
Thief caught your imagination, you will
enjoy the Archery Shoppe —one of the
top five largest archery shops in the
nation.
Another way to enhance your chances
to win an epic battle is by learning how
to fence! At Duke City Fencing , you will
learn what it takes to be a master.
Come see real sword fights at the
Rio Grande Valley Celtic Festival
and Highland Games! The festival
brings to New Mexico an ever-shifting
kaleidoscope of Celtic song, dance,
traditional clothing (aye, the kilt!), foods,
language revival, stories, poetry, humor,
history, and Celtic sports.
Cloud Dancers Therapeutic
Horsemanship Program is an
Albuquerque-based recreational
program founded in 1982 for people
with disabilities.
Resources
Books
All books listed below are by Rick
Riordan and published by New York
Miramax Books/Hyperion Books for
Children.
(2005) The Lightning Thief
(2006) The Sea of Monsters
(2007) The Titan’s Curse
(2008) The Battle of the Labyrinth
(2009) The Last Olympian
Spence, L. (1921). An Introduction to
Mythology. New York: Moffat Yard and
Company. Available online on Project
Gutenberg
Websites
The Online World of Rick Riordan For
more facts about Greek mythology or
for a teacher’s guide for The Lightning
Thief.
GreekMythology.com A collection of
brief introductions to many Ancient
Greek gods and myths.
Theoi Greek Mythology A guide to
Greek mythology and the gods in
classical literature and art.
Vaasl.org Lessons by Lynne Farrell
Stover: “Mythical Monster Match” and
The Lightning Thief
Questions to
Engage & Connect
After seeing the show, ask your
students to answer these
questions:
•Before seeing this show, I didn’t
know that…
•This show made me think about…
•The part that most grabbed my
attention was…
•Overall, the show made me feel…
•Something I want to share with
my family about the experience is…
•To be a good friend means…
•If I were a Greek god, I would
want to be _____, because…
•If my mom or dad was a Greek
god, I would want them to be
_____, because...
•If I were granted one magical item
of my choice, it would be _____,
with the power to...
“Unsolved Mysteries”
Videos
Interview with the author Rick Riordan
at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
(audio)
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The
Lightning Thief (2010). Director: Chris
Columbus
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013).
Director: Thor Freudenthal
About the Company
Since the creation of Theatreworks
USA in 1961, its mission has been to
create, produce, and provide access
to professional theatre for young and
family audiences nationwide, including
disadvantaged youth and underserved
communities. Theatreworks USA has
brought literary- and historically-based
shows that stimulate reading and
discussion on cultural, historical, and
social issues to audiences all over the
US and Canada. The theater is actively
involved in numerous educational and
community initiatives, encouraging
positive values and life-long
appreciation for the arts.
Teaching Guide Dreamcatchers
Popejoy Hall, New Mexico’s
The Los Alamos
National Bank
Schooltime Series
The Schooltime Series
is a proud member of
The LANB Popejoy Schooltime Series
is supported in part by awards from:
The Eugene and Marion
Castiglia Popejoy Children’s
Schooltime Endowment
The Popejoy Schooltime Education
Endowment
premier nonprofit venue for the performing
arts and entertainment.
About the Schooltime Series
The Schooltime Series presents national and international touring companies and performers that you will
not see anywhere else in or around Albuquerque.
These companies are selected with youth and family
audiences in mind, from titles and materials that reflect
the cultural diversity of our global community. These
professional performing artists create educational
experiences designed to encourage literacy, creativity,
communication and imagination.
Join our community and sign up for our monthly
newsletter at: facebook.com/schooltimeseries. Click
on “Join My List,” or send an e-mail with your name
and e-mail address to schooltime@popejoypresents.
com requesting to be added to the newsletter list.
You can contact us at schooltime@popejoypresents.
com or visit us at www.schooltimeseries.com.
Etiquette
The performing arts—theater, music and dance—are all
collaborative endeavors. They require the cooperation
of many skilled people: playwrights, directors, performers, designers, technicians, lyricists, choreographers,
musicians, and the audience. Live performances can
transport you to other times and places but to do so,
they require you, the audience, to listen, observe, discover, and imagine.
The inside of a theatre is called a “house.” There are
rules inside the house to make the experience smooth
and enjoyable for everyone. A summary poster of
Theatre Etiquette is available on our website. Please
post it and discuss it with your students and chaperones before attending this show.
Dreamcatchers are teaching guides produced by the
Education Department of Popejoy Hall, New Mexico’s
premier nonprofit venue for the performing arts and
entertainment located in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Popejoy Hall’s Mission: To provide access to the
performing arts for all New Mexicans.
The Los Alamos National Bank Popejoy
Schooltime Series is a program of The University
of New Mexico.
House Policies
Please visit our website for detailed information about
House Policies. This includes our guidelines on safety,
special needs, food and drink, backpacks, cell phones,
photography, recordings, and more.
Credits
Selected Dreamcatchers Teaching Guide materials provided
by Theatreworks USA, Quizlet, The Official Website of Rick
Riordan, Schmoop.com, and other resources noted within
this guide.