Lesson 32: The Lightning Thief, Comparison Writing, Part 4

Begin by briefly situating today’s work within the unit arc. Remind students that in the previous lesson, Percy proved himself through action, but now the focus shifts from individual heroism to systems of power. Emphasize that myths often place power in distant, elevated spaces and that modern authors may reshape those spaces to reflect contemporary ideas.

Preview that students will compare how two authors construct Olympus and consider what those choices reveal about cultural values. Reinforce that this comparison work directly supports the unit performance task.

Think-Pair-Share

Place students in pairs and remind them of Percy’s growth in Lesson 31 so they can connect character growth to the larger structure of mythic power.

Say these directions: In Lesson 31, we saw Percy defeat Ares and stop being seen only as a problem kid. Today, we move from Percy’s personal victory to the place where divine power lives: Olympus. This work matters because our final performance task asks us to explain how modern authors use the idea of a myth by reshaping it for new readers.

• Ask: Why does it make sense that Percy goes from fighting Ares to visiting Olympus?

  • It makes sense because after Percy proves himself in battle, he has to face the highest level of power. Fighting Ares shows his courage, but going to Olympus shows what kind of world that courage belongs in. It also helps readers see how Riordan turns an ancient myth setting into something modern.

Connection to Today's Learning

• Say: Now that we have connected Percy’s victory to a larger power structure, we are ready to study how authors make Olympus feel powerful in different ways.

Language Study

Say: Today, we are focusing on one grammar move that will make your comparison writing clearer: fixing vague pronouns. A pronoun is a word like it, they, or this that stands in for a noun. A pronoun becomes vague when the reader cannot tell exactly what it refers to. We are going to study a comparison sentence, find what is unclear, and revise it so the reader always knows whether we mean Homer’s Olympus, Riordan’s Olympus, or the gods.

Teach: Revising Vague Pronouns in Comparison Writing

• Say: When I draft a comparison, I might write, “It feels more modern because they have guards and waiting areas.” Right away, I notice that my reader has to guess what it means and who they are. I stop and ask myself, “What feels more modern?” In my paragraph, the answer is Riordan’s Olympus. Then I ask, “Who has guards and waiting areas?” That answer is the city of the gods or Riordan’s version of Olympus. So I revised the sentence to say, “Riordan’s Olympus feels more modern because the city of the gods has guards and waiting areas.” Now the sentence is clearer because each pronoun points to a specific noun, and my comparison is easier to follow.

• Ask: What makes the pronouns vague in the sentence “It is more welcoming, but they still seem powerful”? How would you revise the sentence to make the comparison clearer?

  • The pronouns are vague because the reader does not know whether it means Homer’s Olympus or Riordan’s Olympus, and they could mean the gods or the buildings. I would revise the sentence to say, “Riordan’s Olympus seems more welcoming, but the gods still seem powerful.” Now the nouns are clear, so the comparison makes sense.

Connection to Today's Learning

• Say: You will use clear noun references as you compare how each author builds Olympus and as you draft your explanatory paragraph.

Part A: Compare the Two Olympuses (RL.6.5, RL.6.9) (14 minutes)

As students work, monitor for the difference between listing details and explaining meaning. Prompt students to connect each detail to an abstract idea about power (e.g., majesty, hierarchy, accessibility, control).

If students focus only on Riordan’s version, redirect them to ensure both texts are represented. Encourage use of comparative language during discussion, not just in writing.

Model briefly if needed: contrast distance and elevation in Homer with structure and organization in Riordan, emphasizing how each reflects a different way of imagining authority.

You will read the Homer excerpts with the students and model using the Venn diagram. First, fill out details about Homer’s Mt. Olympus, explaining your choices as you go.

• Say: We are going to examine how Homer and Riordan create their own versions of Olympus. We will use a Venn diagram to show how, despite their differences, they are both described as being places of power. I am labeling the first circle as “Homer’s Olympus” and the second circle as “Riordan’s Olympus.”

Say these directions: Label your Venn diagram as I did. Open your Homer excerpts and read along as I read aloud lines 493–499, 595–604, and 605–611 from Book One of the Iliad. Look for details that show the power, majesty and distance of Mt. Olympus.

Read the Homer excerpt.

• Say: Remember, both versions of Olympus are powerful, so this will be the middle sections. The differences will go in the outside sections. Watch as I fill in the Venn diagram with details about Homer’s version of Olympus.

Students will now work in pairs to reread a section of Chapter 21 and record details in their Venn diagrams.

Say these directions: Open to Chapter 21 and with your partner, and read from “I was standing on a narrow stone walkway” to “made Grand Central Station look like a broom closet.” Pay attention to details that show how Mount Olympus is powerful but also modern, accessible, and bureaucratic.

Now, with your partner, record details about Riordan’s Olympus in the other circle. Focus on details that make it seem modern or bureaucratic.

• Ask: Which detail from Homer makes Olympus feel separate from ordinary human life?

  • When Zeus is described as sitting “all alone upon its topmost ridges,” Homer makes Olympus feel far away from human life. That height gives the setting majesty because power is shown as distant and above everyone else.

• Ask: Which detail from Riordan makes Olympus feel more like a modern center of power?

  • In Chapter 21, when Percy reaches Olympus by elevator from Manhattan and moves through a place with guards, messengers, and waiting spaces, the setting feels more modern. Riordan still shows power, but he makes it feel organized in a way people today recognize.

• Ask: What does this detail suggest about how power works in this world?

  • This detail suggests that power in Riordan’s world works through systems and organization rather than distance alone. The guards, waiting areas, and structure show that even the gods’ authority operates like a managed institution, which emphasizes accessibility and control instead of just separation.

By the end of this section, students should be able to compare Homer’s and Riordan’s depictions of Olympus using specific textual evidence and explain how each version reflects different cultural ideas about power and authority.

Check for Understanding

Provide students with a confidence continuum (i.e., 1–5). As needed, model how to demonstrate a level of confidence using the continuum.

Part B: Explain the Cultural Shift (W.6.2.b, W.6.4, L.6.1.d) (16 minutes)

While circulating, check that each student includes both texts, uses at least one clear comparison, and avoids vague pronouns. Prompt students to replace unclear references with precise noun phrases (e.g., “Riordan’s Olympus,” “the gods in Homer”).

If students are overwhelmed, guide them to focus on one strong contrast and fully explain its cultural meaning rather than listing multiple details.

Encourage students to reread their paragraph and verify that they have explained what the difference reveals about culture, not just described the settings.

Frontload this routine by setting the expectation for what a strong paragraph should include.

Direct students to review the checklist, and say:

A strong paragraph will:

• Name both texts clearly

• Include one detail from each

• Use a comparison word

• Explain what the difference shows about culture

Quick Write

Say these directions: Use your Venn diagram to write one explanatory paragraph answering today’s question: “Why would a modern culture need a bureaucratic Olympus to represent the unknown power of the gods?” Include at least one detail from Homer and one from Riordan. Make every pronoun clear so your reader always knows which text or setting you mean.

Write your paragraph. Use at least one comparative transition learned previously, such as whereas or unlike, and at least one abstract noun from today’s lesson.

• Both texts portray Olympus as a place of great power, but they present that power in different ways. In Homer, Zeus sits “all alone upon its topmost ridges,” and the gods rise from their seats when he enters, which gives Olympus majesty and makes divine authority feel distant and hierarchical. In Riordan, however, Percy reaches Olympus by elevator above Manhattan and enters a place that feels full of schedules, guards, and official spaces. This difference suggests that a modern culture imagines power through systems and structures people already recognize, so Riordan’s Olympus feels more accessible while still showing the gods’ influence.

By the end of this section, students should produce a cohesive explanatory paragraph that integrates evidence from both texts, uses clear comparative structure, avoids vague pronouns, and explains how differences in the portrayals of Olympus reflect differing cultural values about power.

Lesson 32 Writing Rubric: Explanatory Paragraph — Olympus Gets a High-Rise Makeover

Writing prompt: Write an explanatory paragraph analyzing how Homer and Riordan describe Olympus to reveal different ideas about power and authority. Use evidence from both texts and explain what the description of Olympus reveals about each author's view of divine power.

Use this time to reinforce that comparison requires interpretation, not just identification. Highlight that strong responses connected specific details to broader ideas about power and culture.

Bridge explicitly to the performance task by noting that today’s work—selecting evidence, using comparative language, and explaining significance—will be essential in their final writing.

Quick Write

Say these directions: Take two minutes to reflect on a comparison strategy, the Venn diagram, or on how using words such as whereas and unlike helped you explain culture most clearly today. Use one detail from Homer and one from Riordan in your answer.

• Ask: Which comparison move helped you answer today’s question most clearly, and what did the two details show about cultural values?

  • The move that helped me most was using whereas to connect the two settings in one sentence. Homer’s detail about Zeus sitting “all alone upon its topmost ridges” showed majesty and distance, whereas Riordan’s detail about reaching Olympus by elevator showed accessibility. Those two details helped me explain that ancient culture imagined power as far above humans, but modern culture often imagines power inside systems people can enter, even if those systems still feel intimidating.

Performance Task Bridge

• Say: Today showed how Riordan transforms a mythic setting to match modern ideas about power. You compared two versions of the same mythic setting and explained why the author changed it. You named precise details and explained why they reveal. This is the kind of thinking you will need for the unit performance task..

Instruct students to read and annotate The Lightning Thief, Chapter 21, pp. 344–353.

As you annotate, mark the following:

• one detail that makes Olympus feel powerful

• one detail that makes Olympus feel modern

• one place where Percy’s understanding of power shifts