Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)

118 min  –  Action | Adventure | Family

Director: Chris Columbus
Writers: Craig Titley (screenplay), Rick Riordan (novel)
Stars: Logan Lerman, Kevin McKidd and Steve Coogan

A teenager discovers he’s the descendant of a Greek god and sets out on an adventure to settle an on-going battle between the gods.

Percy Jackson is a normal twelve-year old boy (or so he thought), who is diagnosed with ADHD. His ADHD causes him to lack control and get into trouble over and over again. What Percy doesn’t know is that his misbehavior may have something to do with him being a “half-blood”— the son of a human and a Greek god. Percy becomes aware of his true identity when he loses his mother and is sent to a “half-blood” camp. After being at camp, Percy discovers that his father is the Greek god Poseidon. Percy has become a pawn in a battle between the gods that may be the cause of World War III. Percy is sent on a journey to the underworld to retrieve Zeus’s stolen lightning bolt from Hades. Grover, the satyr, and Annabeth, the daughter of Athena, accompany Percy on the journey. If all goes well, their quest should restore peace on Mount Olympus (which is the 600th floor of the Empire State Building). On their journey to the underworld, they battle a variety of mythological beings and receive guidance from Percy’s mother Sally and a centaur named Chiron. This fast-paced, engaging tale will easily capture and hold the interest of young adult readers from Percy’s warning to the reader on page one until the surprise twist at the end.

Why I chose this:

The film is based on the book of the same title by Rick Riordan.    It has Greek mythology tale with teenagers who discover their hidden heritage.  It has action, adventure, and drama twisted in mythology.   A fast-paced quest of a young hero and his friends to save the world”

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Book 1) by Rick Riordan. Hyperion
Books for Children, 2005. 384 pages.

 Awards and “Best Book” List

  • 2005 School Library Journal Best Book
  • 2005 New York Times Notable Book
  • 2005 Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book List
  • 2005 VOYA Top Shelf Fiction List
  • 2005 ALA Notable Book
  • 2005 YALSA Best Book for Young Adults
  • 2006 Red House Children’s Book Award Winner (UK)
  • 2006 Notable Children’s Book, National Council for Teachers of English
  • 2006 Askews Torchlight Award (UK)
  • 2006 CCBC Choice Award; Cooperative Children’s Book Center

Curriculum Tie Ins:

Language Arts:

Have the children read about the Greek Gods from the website: http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/religion/gods.htm Then tell the students to imagine that they are a Greek gods. Have the students write a paragraph including the following information:

  • What his/her name would be if they were a god.
  • What his/her name would mean (Ex: Hermes is the messenger of the gods).
  • What he/she would look like.
  • What powers he/she would have.

Social Studies:

  • • Percy Jackson has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Have the class discuss ADHD.
  • • Resource book: A.D.D. Not B.A.D. by Audrey Penn.

Drama:

  • • Divide the students into groups of four to five students each. Have them pick their favorite scene from the story and act it out in front of the class.

Geography:

  • • Have the students research Greece and do a presentation that includes facts and interesting information about the country. Resource

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