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Lesson 3: Old Myths, New Readers
California CCSS: Focus Standards
California CCSS: Supporting Standards
ELD Standards
In this lesson
Today you will
Compare classic mythological ideas with Rick Riordan’s modern adaptations to understand how ancient stories are reshaped for today’s audiences.
Use comparative language, including while, unlike, and both . . . but, to explain similarities and differences between traditional myths and modern adaptations.
Use the prefix trans- to determine the meanings of transform and transport and connect those meanings to adaptation.
Essential Questions
Why do cultures tell stories about gods, monsters, journeys, and transformations?
How do stories from different cultures explore danger, courage, or the unknown?
Texts used in this lesson
Short-Form Text
Percy Jackson and Mythology
Library of Congress, adapted by Newsela
Read text
Lesson Sequence
Think-Pair-Share
Directions: Think about your responses to the questions first, and then share and refine your answers with a partner.
If you retold an ancient myth for middle-school readers today, what would you keep, and what would you change?
Why might an author want to modernize an old story instead of copying it exactly?
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.
How does the prefix trans- help you understand the word transform?
How could that meaning connect to the way an author adapts myths?
Directions: You 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
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?
Make Comparisons:
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?
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 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?
Pulse Check |
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Which statement best explains adaptation in this lesson?
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Quick Write
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.
How does Riordan transform myth for modern readers, and why might that matter? Use two specific details from the article in your response.