Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
C H AT T E R PA C K
Ideas and activities for using the Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan and stories about Greek mythology with your Chatterbooks group and other young library users, in connection with Christopher Columbuss film
www.percyjackson.co.uk
1.THE FILM
Look, I didnt want to be a half-blood. I never asked to be the son of a Greek god. I was just a normal kid, going to school, playing basketball, skateboarding. The usual. Until I accidentally vaporized my maths teacher. Thats when things started really going wrong. Now I spend my time fighting with swords, battling monsters with my friends and generally trying to stay alive.
Based on Rick Riordans incredible book Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief and with stunning visual effects, Percy Jacksons story is brought to life. Percy (Logan Lerman cool name, right?) is a twelve year-old boy, living in New York with his mother. The first twelve years of his life have been fairly normal, although kind of troubled his dad left when he was a baby, and hes been in and out of schools ever since. Normal, that is, until Percy discovers that his Latin teacher, Mr Brunner (Pierce Brosnan), is an immortal centaur in disguise, that the foul-breathing creature who has been dogging him is actually a minotaur and that his dad is still very much alive and just happens to be a Greek GOD! What does that make Percy? A demigod of course . . . Taken to a top-secret training camp for demigods called Camp Half Blood, Percys training doesnt go quite to plan. For Zeus (Sean Bean), god of the sky, thinks that Percy has stolen his almighty lightning bolt his signature weapon. And making Zeus angry is a very bad idea indeed. So begins a mad quest by Percy Jackson and his friends, Grover and Annabeth, to find the real lightning thief. Along the way, they become entrapped by a slithery Medusa (Uma Thurman), meet a leatherjacketed biker going by the name of Hades, god of war, and descend into the fearful Underworld to meet Hades (Steve Coogan), god of the dead.
But will Percy find the missing lightning bolt and return it to Zeus before a fully fledged war of the gods erupts . . .
www.percyjackson.co.uk
PERCY JACKSON PERCY AND THE JACKSON: THE LIGHTNING DEMIGOD FILES THIEF
(FILM TIE-IN) PUFFIN 6.99 9780141329994 See Percy Jacksons amazing story brought to life with a brand-new jacket featuring artwork from the film. (FILM TIE-IN) PUFFIN 4.99 9780141331461 In these top-secret files, Rick Riordan, Camp Half-Bloods senior scribe, gives you an inside look at the world of demigods that NO regular human child is allowed to see.
Cover art Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, 2010. All rights reserved.
www.percyjackson.co.uk
9780141319131 6.99
9780141319148 6.99
9780141321264 6.99
9780141382913 6.99
9780141382944 12.99 HB
www.percyjackson.co.uk
Use these thirty questions and answers to kick off a Chatterbooks session or any other Percy Jackson event (see the Percy Party ideas on page 6). The early questions rely on knowledge of Greek myths and legends rather than the Percy Jackson books, so if your members are not yet familiar with the books you can run the quiz in several sections.
1. How many gods have thrones on Mount Olympus? 2. How many can you name? Can you also give their Roman names? 3. Which three brothers believe they are the most powerful gods? 4. Who is the father of the big three gods? 5. Which one of the big three is Percy Jacksons father? 6. Which god or goddess does Percy fail to greet when he arrives at Camp Half-Blood? (Not one of the twelve with thrones on Olympus.) 7. With which learning disabilities has Percy been diagnosed? 8. What kind of creature appears in mortal form as Percys maths teacher, Mrs Dodds? Answers: 1. 12 2. Zeus ( Jupiter), Hera ( Juno), Poseidon (Neptune), Demeter (Ceres), Hephaistos (Vulcan), Athena (Minerva), Artemis (Diana), Aphrodite (Venus), Ares (Mars), Apollo, Hermes (Mercury), Dionysus (Bacchus) 3. Zeus, Poseidon and Hades. 4.The Titan Kronos 5. Poseidon 6. Hestia, the goddess of the hearth. 7. ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and dyslexia 8. A Fury
3
www.percyjackson.co.uk
9. Which monster pretends to be Aunty Em? 10. Which monsters appear disguised as cheerleaders in Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth? 11. Which many-headed monster does Percy meet in a Monster Doughnut shop in Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters? 12. Which animals does Percy dream about before he is first taken to Camp Half -Blood? Which Olympian gods do they represent? 13. What is the difference between satyrs and centaurs? 14. Which of Percys friends is a satyr? 15. What is Grovers girlfriends name? 16. What kind of creature is she? 17. What kind of creature is Percys half-brother, Tyson? 18. Chiron the immortal centaur, Percys mentor, first taught Percy at Yancy Academy: what subject did Chiron teach and what did he call himself? 19. What is the difference between the two types of female spirits, naiads and nereids? 20. Who are the three old women that Percy sees knitting beside a fruit stand on his way home from school?
9. Medusa 10.The empousai 11.The Hydra 12. A horse (Poseidon) and an eagle (Zeus) 13. Satyrs are half human and half goat; centaurs are half human and half horse. 14. Grover 15. Juniper 16. A dryad 17. A cyclops 18. Latin/Mr Brunner 19. Naiads live in fresh water (rivers and lakes); nereids live in the sea. 20.The Fates
4
www.percyjackson.co.uk
21. Who is Annabeths mother and what is she goddess of? 22. Who is Clarisses father and what is he god of? 23. What is Mr D, the director of Camp Half-Blood, short for? 24. Why cant Percy use a mobile phone? 25. He has to use Iris-messaging instead: how does it work? 26. Percy and his friends nearly get trapped in the Lotus Hotel and Casino where is it? 27. Percy finds two entrances to the Underworld: where are they? 28. In the Percy Jackson books, where in New York City is Mount Olympus? 29. Which god rides a Harley Davidson? 30. Who turns Percy into a guinea pig in Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters?
21. Athena, goddess of wisdom, invention and military strategy 22. Ares, god of war. 23. Dionysus 24.The signal will tell his enemies where he is. 25. The caller creates a rainbow using water spray or steam, then asks Iris, the rainbow goddess, to send a message. 26. Las Vegas 27. Los Angeles and New York 28. Above the Empire State building. 29. Ares. 30. Circe
5
www.percyjackson.co.uk
AN OLYMPIAN FEAST
BE A GODLY PARTY PLANNER (Activity Sheets 1 & 2) Make invitations (Activity Sheet 1) and plan the menu (Activity Sheet 2) for an Olympian Feast. Need some ideas? Go to www.rickriordan.com ITS ALL IN THE NAME Youll find a handout with the Ancient Greek alphabet in the downloadable guide http://www.rickriordan.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/teachers_guide_ lightning_thief.pdf Print out the sheet and get the guests to write out their first names in Ancient Greek for their name tags. If you are going to be seated for your feast, the guests could then find their Ancient Greek names on a table plan. DRESS THE PART Before the event, spend a session making masks, costumes (painted T-shirts would be good) or badges for each god or goddess (with the gods names in Ancient Greek!). Or ask guests to come in gods or monsters costume. CONSULT THE ORACLE Make a large cardboard wheel or clock with the names of the fourteen Olympian gods (the twelve throned gods plus Hestia and Hades) evenly spaced around the rim. Attach a spinner (a thin plastic ruler works well, or spin a bottle on a larger wheel) and let each guest take a spin to find out which Greek god has claimed them and given them demigod status.The guests can then wear their gods mask or badge for the event. If making the wheel proves too complicated, draw slips of paper from the oracles urn: just make sure there is some build-up to the ceremony. MINI QUIZ Use the questions at the front of the pack.Youll find more at www.rickriordan.com FOOD OF THE GODS Chocolate brownies make a good substitute for ambrosia, but remember that demigods burst into flames if they eat too many. Camp Half-Blood has strawberry fields, so serve a strawberryflavoured punch or nectar. Create a fantasy dish for each god or goddess to add to your fantasy menu on Activity Sheet 2: e.g. Poseidons fish soup, Aphrodites love biscuits and so on.
6
www.percyjackson.co.uk
Daughter of Kronos and Rhea, and wife to Zeus. Goddess of marriage and motherhood. Symbol: Cow, lion, peacock.
God of the sea, son of the Titan Kronos, and father of Percy Jackson. Like the sea, can be violent or calm and swiftly change between the two. Symbol: Horse, which he creates from sea foam. Weapon: Trident, which he uses to stir up storms at sea.
God of war, and son of Zeus and Hera. Symbol: Wild boar. Weapon: Bloody spear. Often pictured in a chariot with a sword and shield.
Born fully grown from Zeuss head. Goddess of wisdom, military planning, crafts and inventions. Symbol: Owl. Weapon: Can influence the outcome of battles. Helped the Greeks to build the wooden horse that defeated Troy after ten years of fighting. Punishes those who try to compete with her.
7
ATHENA (Minerva)
www.percyjackson.co.uk
Twin brother of Artemis. God of healing (and disease), music, poetry and prophecy. Symbols: The lyre, the laurel tree (which is why poets wear laurel wreaths), the serpent, the mouse. Weapon: Bow and arrows. Can infect men and boys with plague or cause sudden death. Has the gift of prophecy which he can give to others.
APOLLO (Apollo)
Twin sister of Apollo. Goddess of hunting, wild animals and protector of young women and girls. Symbol: She-bear. Weapon: Bow and arrows. Can infect women and girls with plague or cause sudden death.
ARTEMIS (Diana)
The goddess of love and beauty, born from sea foam. Symbol: Dove, apple, scallop shell, mirror, the colour pink. Weapon: Can use her magic girdle to make men fall in love with her.
APHRODITE (Venus)
The blacksmith of the gods, married to Aphrodite. God of fire, metalwork and sculpture. Symbol: Anvil, quail (which walks like him). Weapon: Makes armour that makes the wearer impossible to defeat.
Messenger of the gods, and god of travel, merchants, medicine, thieves, roads, communication and language. Symbol: Winged boots and helmet to help him travel at speed. Carries a staff entwined with a serpent, the symbol of medicine today. Weapon: Trickery and deceit.
DEMETER (Ceres)
Goddess of agriculture, controlling the seasons. Symbol: Red poppy, barley Born a mortal, but Zeus granted him immortality because he invented wine. His companions are the satyrs. Symbol: Tiger, grapes.
8
DIONYSUS (Bacchus)
www.percyjackson.co.uk
Son of the Titan Kronos, god of the dead and the Underworld. He wears black robes covered with the faces of the damned and sits on a throne of bones. His servants include the three Furies, Charon the ferryman of the dead and the three-headed dog Cerberus. Weapon: A staff that shoots out bolts of dark energy. Helm of darkness that makes him invisible.
t o p t i ta n s
The golden-eyed Titan king of heaven and ruler of time.The father of many Olympian gods, he ate his children at birth except for Zeus, who was hidden by his mother, Rhea.When Zeus grew up, he freed the other Olympians from Kronoss stomach and led them in a ten-year battle against the Titans, which the Olympians won.The Titans were then thrown into the pit of Tartarus. Even before he escapes from the pit, Kronos can control gods and mortals by invading their dreams. In some cases he can take over a mortals body, as he does with Percys friend Luke.
KRONOS (Saturn)
Famous for his daring and endurance, Atlas led a Titans rebellion against Zeus and was condemned to carrying the heavens on his shoulders as punishment.
ATLAS
Second only to Atlas in warfare, with eyes like burning suns to dazzle his opponents. Capable of hurling his opponents to the ground with a yell.The Titan ruler of light, father of Eos (dawn), Helios (Sun) and Selene (Moon). As ruler of the east, he is the most important of the four Titans who ruled the corners of the Earth.
HYPERION
Created humans from clay, then gave them food and fire he had stolen from the gods. In punishment, Zeus chained Prometheus to a stake on Mount Kaukasos until he was rescued by the hero Heracles.
9
PROMETHEUS
www.percyjackson.co.uk
m o n sters
The storm-giant, desperate for revenge after being imprisoned in the pit of Tartarus by Zeus. Shaped like a man with vipers for legs and eyes that flash fire. He is also part volcano and streams of fire pour from his mouth.
TYPHON
The half-woman, half-serpent mate of Typhon, Echidna had many monstrous children, including the three-headed dog Cerberus, the Nemean Lion and the Chimera.
ECHIDNA
The Chimera had the body of a goat, the head of a lion and the tail of a serpent.
CHIMERA
Ancient giant Cyclops, son of Poseidon, with cannibal tendencies. If he doesnt eat his enemies, he crushes them with rocks.
POLYPHEMUS HYDRA
Nine-headed swamp-dwelling serpent which grows two new heads whenever a head is chopped off.
The Minotaur was half man, half bull: the son of Pasiphae, the queen of Crete, who mated with a white bull because of a curse inflicted by Poseidon. He caused so much destruction that King Minos imprisoned him in a maze called the Labyrinth.Young people from Athens were sacrificed to the Minotaur until Theseus, another son of Poseidon, and Percy Jacksons half-brother, killed him.
MINOTAUR MEDUSA
A former lover of Poseidon, Percy Jacksons father. Medusa, one of three sisters called the Gorgons, was beautiful until she upset the goddess Athena by meeting Poseidon in Athenas temple. Athena turned Medusa into a hideous monster with live snakes for hair. Special power: Medusa can turn anyone who looks at her to stone.
10
www.percyjackson.co.uk
Enchantress who lures men to her magical island with her beauty and sweet singing, then changes their shape. She turned Odysseuss sailors into pigs and Percy into a guinea pig.
CIRCE
The three Furies serve Hades, god of the underworld.They are terrifying hags with clawed hands but frequently appear disguised as humans.
FURIES
Underworld vampire demons who appear in mortal form as beautiful young women to attract their victims, such as the cheerleaders in Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth.
EMPoUSAI
Blue giants with freezing powers everything they touch or breathe on turns to ice.
HYPERBOREANS
11
www.percyjackson.co.uk
TALK ABOUT IT
SOME THEMES FOR CHATTERBOOKS SESSIONS FROM THE PERCY JACKSON BOOKS
Percy and his friends are beginning to establish their identities, find their place in the world and set their goals in life.This requires courage from anyone, but especially from the young demigods, who are living in particularly extreme circumstances. Percy is an awkward schoolboy when we first meet him, but has to learn to be a hero and to use his powers responsibly. How does he do this? When do Percy, Annabeth and Grover have to be most courageous? For example, Grover, as a satyr (woodland creature), has to overcome fear of confined spaces to play his part in the groups journey to the Underworld.
COURAGE
The war between the Olympians and the Titans is about revenge (Kronos, Prometheus and other Titans have been imprisoned and/or tortured by Zeus). Percy also has reasons for wanting revenge in his mortal life: he has the chance to take revenge on his cruel stepfather, but chooses to let his mother make her own decision. Luke makes some unfortunate decisions because he wants revenge for his unhappiness.When the various characters get their revenge or seem within reach of it, does it solve their problems? What are the longer term results of seeking revenge?
REVENGE
When we meet Percy he is twelve years old and unhappy at school. He has changed schools many times and is often expected to do badly because he has been diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and dyslexia. At his latest school, one teacher has very high expectations of him, which turn out to be connected to his discovery that he is a demigod. At Camp Half-Blood, he is poor at some things but excellent at others, and finds himself capable of acquiring new skills and even learning Ancient Greek. How do teachers and fellow students expectations affect Percy? And how do they affect others, such as Percys Cyclops half-brother Tyson who struggles when he joins Percy at Camp Half-Blood?
EXPECTATIONS
ADHD
Being diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) has led to Percy being labelled in a certain way. Brainstorm on some of the behaviour associated with ADHD: difficulty concentrating, except on tasks that the child enjoys; difficulty learning something new; poor organisational skills; trying to do several things at once; impulsive behaviour; failure to think of consequences.Then discuss whether Percy behaves in this way. If he does, why might he do that? Could any of his behaviour be useful to his status as a demigod? Does his behaviour change during his first summer at Camp Half-Blood?
12
www.percyjackson.co.uk
Because of his frequent changes of school, family problems and negative feelings about himself, Percy finds it hard to make friends. Part of his journey to being a hero involves learning how to build friendships and trust his friends with his life. Grover, who befriends him at his latest school, later turns out to be a satyr/guardian charged with seeing him safely to Camp Half-Blood. At first Percy relies on Grovers protection: what happens to put the friendship on a more equal footing? Grovers skill in reading emotions is also important to Percy, who is not always able to express what he feels. Annabeth and Percy have to overcome some doubts and fears to trust each other on their quest to recover Zeuss lightning bolt: there is rivalry between Percys father, Poseidon, and Annabeths mother, Artemis.
FRIENDSHIP
The gods are almost all related to each other with long-running disputes as part of their mythology.The demigods inherit the rivalries between their immortal parents and also experience difficulties in their mortal families. Discovering the truth about an immortal parent suddenly, as Percy does, can be challenging. However, finding that your parents are not your real parents is a popular fantasy for young people. Meanwhile some of the young demigods do not know who their immortal parents are (such as the demigods in the Hermes cabin at Camp Half-Blood): what difficulties does this create for them? Some demigods mortal families cannot cope with their childrens immortal status: Annabeth suffers from this. Meanwhile, Lukes difficult relationship with his father, Hermes, has far-reaching consequences. Discuss how the various characters resolve their difficulties in their immortal and mortal families.
FAMILIES
read IT
Inspired by the film to read all five Percy Jackson books? Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters Percy Jackson and the Titans Curse Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian Finished them all? Of course, you can read them all again and look out for Ricks new series about the gods of Ancient Egypt, starting in May 2010 but also try these other adventure stories from Puffin that we think Percy Jacksons fans will like:
www.percyjackson.co.uk
13
www.percyjackson.co.uk
STAND-ALONE ADVENTURES
The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer. 9780141317410 Airman by Eoin Colfer. 9780141322216 COMING SOON TimeRiders by Alex Scarrow, publishing on 4 February 2010. 9780141326924. Go to www.time-riders.co.uk to see the amazing trailer, created by the author himself.
15
www.percyjackson.co.uk
book to film
TALK ABOUT IT:
Have you seen the amazing movie trailer? If not, check it out on www.percyjacksonthemovie.com
What other books can you think of that have become films? What sort of book do you think makes the best film and why? Think of when you last saw the film of a book you have read: how was the film the same and how was it different? If it was different, did you mind?
www.percyjackson.co.uk
PLAY IT:
Hold a rehearsed reading or performance of the Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief novel.
17
www.percyjackson.co.uk
activity sheet 1
the mighty Zeus
You,
[ i n s e rt n a m e ]
By command of
are hereby summoned to a feast in celebration of the forthcoming portrayal of the mighty Zeus at a cinema screen near you on Mount Olympus, near
[ i n s e rt n a m e o f v e n u e ]
www.percyjackson.co.uk
activity sheet 2
olympian Feast: The Menu
e hearth, offers you Hestia, goddess of th luding an Olympian buffet inc Poseidons sh soup its Aphrodites love biscu fer a portion of your Please remember to of cially Hestia. food to the gods, espe
. Bring your own nectar
use this template as inspiration for your own invitation here. add a dish for each god, plus some for the monsters.
19
www.percyjackson.co.uk
activity sheet 3
CREATE YOUR OWN GODS AND MONSTERS
Choose the following for your god or goddess:
1. A name. 2. An area of influence (this could be one of the elements earth, air, fire or water or a type of human activity such as sport or music). It could be fun to choose an area that does not have a god or goddess responsible for it. 3. A symbol, usually a creature that has some of the gods qualities. 4. A special power and/or a weapon 5. You might want to give your god a special colour. For example, Aphrodite is usually associated with pink while Ares is associated with red.
20
www.percyjackson.co.uk
activity sheet 4
CREATE YOUR OWN DEMIGOD ADVENTURE
To star in your own adventure:
1. F ollow the steps above to create two or three gods and two or three monsters, including some who are likely to fight with each other. 2. Create an illustration for each god or monster in any form you like (painting, computer graphic, 3-D model). 3. Create demigod hero identities for yourself and one or two friends.To do this, you will need to decide, as above, from which god or goddess you are descended and what special powers this gives you. 4. Choose your weapons. For example, Percy never goes anywhere without his bronze sword Riptide. 5. Dont forget to take some ambrosia.This food of the gods is like very expensive chocolate: demigods can only eat a small square at a time or it destroys them.
www.percyjackson.co.uk
activity sheet 5
Percy Jackson film reviews
Some questions to ask yourself first: How do you decide which films you want to see? What would make you want to see a film? Is there anything you need to know before you can decide? As soon as you can after youve seen the film, write down in any order as you remember: T he most surprising thing that happened in the film (this does not need to be an event; it can be how something looked or sounded). What made you laugh the most? What made you feel sad, scared or excited? Dont worry about correcting your spelling and grammar at this stage or writing these notes in a way that will be clear to anyone else, the notes are just to help you. Then think about the following points and make some more notes for each one: I f you have read Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief already, how was the film different from the book and how was it similar? Did it look and sound as you expected from the book or was there anything you werent expecting? Did you notice anything about the characters or the story in the film that you hadnt noticed in the book so much or not at all? If you havent read Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief already, did the film make you want to read the book? Did it make you want to read more books about Percy Jackson? Then ask yourself: Would I tell someone else to go and see this film? What sort of person would like it?
22
www.percyjackson.co.uk
activity sheet 5
Percy Jackson film reviews
When you have made your decision, look back at your first set of notes and choose the particular memory of the film that you think would most help someone else decide whether to go and see it.When you start writing your review, put this memory at the top. Go through the rest of your notes and underline what you think are the most important points that you have the strongest opinions about.Then make sure that you mention all these points in the review. Also, dont forget to include the following: Whether or not you would recommend the film. What the story is about (although you only need a few details and you shouldnt tell the whole story). What kind of story it is. That the film comes from a book by Rick Riordan, the first of five books about Percy Jackson. Your name. Where the film is showing and what time, or the cinema website or phone number.You can put this information at the very end, below your name.
23
www.percyjackson.co.uk