Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

• RL.6.4 - Opening A: Students complete an entrance ticket in which they consider the word choice and figurative language used by the author in chapter 19 of The Lightning Thief.
• RL.6.1 - Work Time A: Students read the next chapter of the text and find the gist. Students also unpack unfamiliar vocabulary and answer comprehension questions using inferences and evidence from text.
• RI.6.10 - Closing and Assessment A: Students share about their independent research reading texts to hold them accountable for their reading homework. Consider using Independent Reading: Sample Plans (see the Tools page, http://eled.org/tools) if you do not have your own independent reading review routines.
• Directions for routines that are repeated from previous lessons have been pared down and noted with "Repeated routine." For the detailed outline of how to facilitate this part of the lesson, please refer back to previous lessons.
• In this lesson, students focus on working to become ethical people, showing respect, empathy, and compassion as they discuss the novel, and integrity as they share their independent research reading.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

• The novel contains a number of moments of foreshadowing. Define foreshadowing, and direct students back to examples of foreshadowing earlier in the text (e.g., Percy attacks Nancy Bobofit with water from the fountain in chapter 1, which hints that Percy will be related to the god of water).

How It Builds on Previous Work

• In Unit 2, students read several chapters in The Lightning Thief. They also analyzed the Greek myths highlighted in the novel and compared themes and topics in the Greek myths with those evident in The Lightning Thief. In the second half of the unit, students wrote a literary analysis essay comparing and contrasting the experience of watching parts of The Lightning Thief movie with reading about the same events in the novel.
• In this unit, students finish the novel, conduct research on a Greek god or goddess of their choosing, and rewrite a scene from the novel inserting an original character, the child of the god they researched.

Support All Students

• In this unit, students will research a Greek god or goddess in preparation for the end of unit assessment, in which they rewrite a scene of The Lightning Thief, inserting a new character of their own creation. To maintain the first person point of view, students will rewrite the scene as if they are their new character, a child of a Greek god or goddess of their choosing. Some students and their families may find this exercise in conflict with their religious views. Create a safe space for students to approach with their concerns, and be prepared with alternative ways for students to complete the assessment. Students may choose a different historic or traditional figure to research and on which to base their character (e.g., Superman, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Oprah Winfrey, etc.). Guide students in their choice for an alternative figure by asking 1) Can you conduct substantial research on this person; and 2) What powers or special abilities would the character inherit from this person?
• Students may be surprised, offended, confused, or upset by some of the events in chapter 19, for example:
• Percy's arrival in the underworld (may conflict with students' religious beliefs, especially if mistakenly equated to hell);
• Discussion of death and depiction of the deceased;
• Mention of Hitler, terrorism, and suicide bombers.
• Time for debriefing and reflection might help get these concerns out into the open so they can be addressed and tracked throughout the text.

Assessment Guidance

• Monitor students' comparisons between the model and the anchor chart. Use misconceptions as an opportunity to provide clarification.
• Students may be overwhelmed by the amount of work shown in the model presentation. Assure students that they will have plenty of time in class to work toward the final product, drafting and revising each step.
• Celebrate reading completed for the independent research reading share. Remind students that the purpose of research reading is to build their content knowledge, domain-specific vocabulary, and achievement on reading complex texts. Maintain positivity and excitement around the habit of recreational reading.

Down the Road

• In the next lesson, students move away from the novel to build background on another Greek figure, Hestia. They read an informational text and identify a central idea to include in a summary. They also engage in a Language Dive to further explore the concept of central idea.
• Students will present their performance tasks in Lesson 12 of this unit. If an outside audience is being invited to this celebration of learning, remember to invite guests long in advance and secure any necessary rooms and equipment.