Looking for some The Lightning Thief reading activities? Try these! Background information introduces Greek mythology. Chapter analysis encourages kids to summarize, make inferences, and learn new vocabulary.
Ms. Sneed Looks for The Lightning Thief Reading Activities
Our favorite fourth grade teacher clicked away on her laptop. “What are you looking for?” asked her teaching partner, Mr. Frank.
“See that set of novels on the shelf?” She pointed to 30 brand-new copies. “I’ve had those for two years, but I’ve never used them. So I’m looking for some great activities.”
Mr. Frank hunched over the laptop. When he found what he liked, he pointed to the screen. “Check out this set of resources.”
When Ms. Sneed opened the preview, she knew she had a winner.
Background Information
“Look at this background information,” Mr. Frank commented. “These five pages teach kids about the Olympians, as well as their battle with Kronos.”
“That will tie into my myth unit perfectly,” Ms. Sneed responded.
“Look at this,” said Mr. Frank. “The Lightning Thief reading activities also include posters featuring the Olympians. These will look great on my classroom wall.”
The Lightning Thief Chapter Companions
Ms. Sneed flipped ahead. “I like these worksheets. Just one page for each chapter,” she said. “Each is arranged in four panes.”
References to Mythology in The Lightning Thief
As she studied the page, she continued, “The first section gives information about one character from Greek mythology.”
“That’s perfect!” Mr Frank exclaimed. “That way, they will understand the references.”
Summarizing
“In the second pane,” Ms. Sneed continued, “they explain each The Lightning Thief chapter title. For example, the first chapter is called ‘I Accidentally Vaporize My Algebra Teacher.’ When kids explain, they are actually summarizing the chapter.”
“Aha,” said her co-teacher. “That will tell you if they’ve read – and understood.”
Making Inferences
“Then this box asks them to answer a question.” Ms. Sneed’s eyes were gleaming. “What great variety of reading activities for The Lightning Thief!”
Vocabulary
“And the final section has key vocabulary terms,” said Mr. Frank.
“For my kids, I think I’ll discuss these before they read. That way, they’ll understand the chapter better.”
“Additionally, I’d like to move our allusions to Greek mythology here. It makes sense to study them in conjunction with this novel.”
As Ms. Sneed added it to her mythology lesson plans, she grinned. “Teaching The Lightning Thief is going to be a a great addition to our genre study.”
