The Lightning Thief & Greek Mythology (2020)

Lesson 1
icon/ela/white

ELA

Unit 8

6th Grade

Lesson 1 of 28

Objective


Complete a family tree of the Greek gods based on the myths "The Titans" and "Zeus and His Family."

Explain the purpose of mythology in Ancient Greece. 

Readings and Materials


  • Book: D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths by Ingri and Edgar Parin D’Aulaire  pp. 12 – 23 — "The Titans" and "Zeus and His Family"

Fishtank Plus

Unlock features to optimize your prep time, plan engaging lessons, and monitor student progress.

Target Task


Question 1

What purpose did mythology serve in ancient Greece?

Create a free account or sign in to view multiple choice options

Sample Response

Upgrade to Fishtank Plus to view Sample Response.

Question 2

Complete a family tree of the Greek gods based on the myths “The Titans” and “Zeus and His Family.”

Make sure to include the following gods in your tree: 
Cronus, Rhea, Zeus, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, Hestia, Demeter, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Apollo, Dionysus, Hephaestus, and Aphrodite.

Key Questions


Text to self: In ancient times, the Greeks had gods for many important forces in their lives—the sea, thunderstorms, farming, music, medicine, poetry, archery, etc. Why do you think they imagined many different gods rather than just one? Would this make life more confusing or less confusing? 

Questions for “The Titans” and “Zeus and His Family”

  • Where is Tartarus?
  • How does Cronus or Kronos overthrow his father Uranus?
  • Why does Cronus swallow his “offspring” or children?
  • How did Rhea protect Zeus from his father?
  • How does Zeus overthrow his father Cronus?
  • Explain the power of Zeus’s lightning bolt using details from the text.
  • What consequence does Zeus give the Titans for rising up against him? 
  • How did the ancient Greeks explain the natural phenomenon of the volcano Mount Aetna? 
  • How did the cyclops help Zeus and his siblings maintain power? Use details to support your answer.

References

Resource: The Lightning Thief: A Teacher’s Guide (Rick Riordan, 2005)p. 4

Vocabulary


Vocab from D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths
offspring (14)
fled (17)

Notes


  • It is key here that students understand Cronus (Kronos) in particular, as he will become a major player at the end of The Lightning Thief.
  • This lesson connects with a unit test and essential question.

Common Core Standards


  • RL.6.3 — Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.

Next

Connect to prior knowledge about the Greek Gods.

Research details about the Greek Gods. 

Lesson 2
icon/arrow/right/large

Lesson Map

A7CB09C2-D12F-4F55-80DB-37298FF0A765

Request a Demo

See all of the features of Fishtank in action and begin the conversation about adoption.

Learn more about Fishtank Learning School Adoption.

Contact Information

School Information

What courses are you interested in?

ELA

Math

Are you interested in onboarding professional learning for your teachers and instructional leaders?

Yes

No

Any other information you would like to provide about your school?

We Handle Materials So You Can Focus on Students

We Handle Materials So You Can Focus on Students

We've got you covered with rigorous, relevant, and adaptable ELA lesson plans for free