Thursday, February 24, 2011

The Lightning Thief Introduction (Assignment #1)

Welcome to my The Lightning Thief Blog. Here we will engage in an inquiry and discussion lesson covering the novel by Rick Riordan. This blog will be your hub for all assignments and discussion board questions. Please make sure you follow this blog to have the rss feeds come directly into your dashboard.

Before you begin, let's take a look at some background knowledge on the creation of the Percy Jackson Series. Click the following link: Rick Riordan Interview

So, let's get started with an introductory activity:

Create your first post by responding to 4 of the 7 following prompts. Choose any 4 you like but only make one entry to answer all 4 questions. Make sure that you retype the question prior to answering; include the question number and then make sure there is a space between the question and your response.

Here are the questions:

1. Have you ever been treated unfairly by a teacher (or parent, or other adult)?
Describe the circumstances and why you considered the treatment unfair.

2. What do you know about learning disabilities such as ADHD or dyslexia? Do you
know anyone who has a learning disability? Do you think a person with a learning
disability should receive more time to complete tests or less homework than a
person without a learning disability? Explain your position.

3. 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?

4. Young children often imagine that their parents aren’t really their parents. What
would it be like if you suddenly found out that you had a “real” father or mother
you never knew about? What if this person was extremely rich and powerful –
would you accept them as a parent?

5. Do you believe in anything that science can’t prove -- such as magic, or ghosts, or
creatures like the Loch Ness monster? Why or why not?

6. Have you ever been to summer camp? If so, describe what you did or did not like
about it. If not, imagine and describe what you think a typical summer camp
would be like – any impressions from television or movies?

7. You have been granted one magical item of your choice. What would this item be,
and what power would it have? Explain your choice.

Happy Blogging

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

I'm Related to Who? (Introduction Assignment #2)

So, The Lightning Thief talks about Greek Mythology so we will discuss some of the mythical gods associated with the history. However, some of the gods frequently had children with mortals. What if you were the child of a god or goddess? Well that would be interesting... So, Research which god or goddess they would most like to be related to. For ideas,
visit the web site

http://www.mythweb.com

Create a blog entry that list three (3) possible choices of who your god or goddess parent might be and explain why you feel you are related to them.

This does not have to be a long post, just make sure you become familiar with at least three (3) of the gods or goddesses we will cover in our novel study.

Title your post: I'm Related To...


Happy Blogging!

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Chapter 1 - I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher (Assignment #3)

I know you are extremely excited to get started reading The Lightning Thief, you have show great anticipation in your prior assignment. However, before we get started with chapter 1, let us begin with a Pre-Chapter Post warm-up. Each pre-chapter post is expected to only be a short post; a few sentences, but clear and concise enough to answer the question thoroughly. Please, no more than 1 paragraph unless otherwise noted. So, let's get into the first post.

Choose one(1) of the following to create a new entry:

a. Brainstorm as many school field trips as you can remember. What’s the
best (or worst) experience you’ve ever had on a school field trip?

b. Have you ever learned something in school you were absolutely sure you
would never use in your life? Explain.

After completing your entry, please get with a partner within your group to complete the following assignment. You do not have to submit a post for this activity.

2. Take a virtual field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan.
(http://www.metmuseum.org/home.asp). Go to “Collection” and choose “Greek
and Roman Art” from the drop down menu. Have students explore the collection and fill out the following information for at least five different objects:

Art Object Analysis

What kind of object is it?

What is it made out of?

Does it have a use, other than art? If so, what?

When was it created?

Where is it from?

Describe what it looks like:

Does it have illustrations from the Greek myths? If so, what?

Once you finish this portion you will be ready to begin chapter 1. Therefore, copy and paste the following questions to a new post, title it: As I read Chapter 1

1. What kind of school is Yancy Academy ?
2. What bad experiences has Percy had on past field trips?
3. Why can’t Percy get back at Nancy when she starts teasing Grover on the bus?
4. Why doesn’t Percy get along with Mrs. Dodds?
5. When do you first suspect that something may be unusual/supernatural about Mrs.
Dodds?
6. In the story about the gods and titans, who was Kronos and what happened to him
after the gods defeated him?
7. Why does Percy get angry at Mr. Brunner? How would you have felt in his
position?
8. What do you learn about Percy’s home life as he’s watching the taxis on Fifth
Avenue?
9. How does Percy get in trouble with Mrs. Dodds? Do you think it’s his fault?
10. How have things changed when Percy returns to the front steps of the museum?

As we read, you may complete this entry by answering the questions. Please be sure to use the text to validate your response.

Happy Blogging!