Lesson 3: Old Myths, New Readers

Think-Pair-Share

Have students work with a shoulder partner. Invite them to pull out Lesson 1 and 2 notes so they can build on what they already know.

Say these Directions: Think about your responses to the questions first, and then share and refine your answers with a partner.

• Ask: If you retold an ancient myth for middle-school readers today, what would you keep, and what would you change?

  • I would keep the big conflict and the lesson, but I would change the setting and the way characters talk. For example, a monster could show up at a school or on a bus instead of in an ancient palace.

• Ask: Why might an author want to modernize an old story instead of copying it exactly?

  • An author might modernize it so readers can connect more easily. The main ideas can stay the same, but the details can feel more relevant to kids today.

• Say: Before we read about Riordan’s choices, we are going to study one word part that can help us name what adaptation does.

• Say: When a writer adapts a myth, the story moves across time and changes form. The prefix trans- means “across” or “change.” In the word transform, something changes form, and in the word transport, something carries across a distance. That helps us see that Riordan does not just repeat myths—he transforms them for a new audience.

• Ask: How does the prefix trans- help you understand the word transform?

  • The prefix trans- shows movement or change, so transform means to change into something different across time or form.

• Ask: How could that meaning connect to the way an author adapts myths?

  • It connects because the author changes an old story into a new version. The main idea travels across time, but the form becomes modern.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Now you are ready to read an informational article about Rick Riordan and Percy Jackson and look for the choices he makes when transforming myth for modern readers.

Say these Directions: We are going to read sections of an informational article about Rick Riordan and Percy Jackson. As you read, look for two things: what ideas connect to traditional myth and how those ideas are adapted for modern readers.

Jigsaw Reading

Say these Directions: Each expert group will focus on one part of the article. As you read, underline details that answer your section question and jot notes in your Jigsaw Worksheet.

• Group 1: In the part of the article explaining why Riordan first told Percy Jackson stories, how did an old myth become a story for a modern child?

• Group 2: In the part of the article describing Percy as a hero, what makes him both mythic and modern?

• Group 3: In the part of the article explaining Riordan’s larger impact, how does one adaptation lead readers toward more myths and cultures?

Say these Directions: After expert-group reading, move into mixed groups. Teach your section clearly, and listen for one idea from each other expert that helps answer our big question about how myths change across time.

Teach: Make Comparisons:

Say these Directions: When I read an informational article about adaptation, I do not just collect random facts. I look for a pair: one detail that stayed from the older myth tradition and one detail that changed for modern readers. In the section about why Riordan began telling these stories, I notice that Greek mythology stayed important, but the situation changed because he was creating a story his son would want to hear and read. In the section describing Percy, I can name myth details like heroes, gods, and monsters, and then I can name modern details like school, everyday problems, and a present-day voice. That helps me understand the phrase modern myth in context. A modern myth is not a completely new kind of story; it is an old myth pattern transformed for readers now. When I use comparison words like while, unlike, or both . . . but, my explanation becomes clearer and more precise.

• Ask: In the part of the article explaining why Riordan first created Percy Jackson, what need or problem led him to adapt the myth into a new story?

The article explains that Riordan began telling the story because his son loved Greek myths and needed a story that felt engaging and easier to connect to. Instead of only retelling old myths, he adapted them into a new story with a hero a modern kid could follow.

• Ask: In the section that describes Percy as a “modern myth,” what does that phrase mean in context? Use at least two details from the article.

In context, modern myth means a story that keeps myth patterns but places them in a world kids recognize now. Percy is connected to gods and monsters like a traditional myth hero, but he also deals with school, friendships, and everyday problems, which makes the story feel current and relevant.

• Ask: In the part of the article about Riordan’s broader work, how does the article show that adaptation can connect readers to more than one mythology or story tradition?

The article shows that Percy Jackson opened the door to more stories, not just one retold Greek myth. Riordan’s work led readers toward other myth-based books and traditions, which shows that one adaptation can help readers become interested in a bigger world of stories.

Quick Write

Say these Directions: Take one minute to think about what changed in your thinking today. Then write a short response explaining how Riordan modernizes myth. Use at least two specific details from the article and at least one comparison word, such as while, unlike, or both . . . but.

• Ask: How does Riordan transform myth for modern readers, and why might that matter? Use two specific details from the article in your response.

  • Riordan transforms myth by keeping important ideas like gods and heroes but placing them in a modern world. The article explains that Percy is a demigod who goes to camp and has adventures, which connects to traditional myths. It also explains that Riordan created the story to help his son connect to myths. While the story includes modern details, it still keeps mythic elements like quests and supernatural characters.

Have students read The Lightning Thief, Chapter 1, pp. 1–8. Instruct students to take notes in their Journal on the following prompt:

As you read, annotate the text for the following:

• One place where Percy’s ordinary world feels modern and familiar

• One place where something strange or myth-like begins to appear

• One line that helps you understand Percy’s perspective