The Sea of Monsters

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What do you know about the Olympians in Greek mythology? Who is the Greek god Poseidon, and what are his special powers?

Teaching Suggestion: It may be beneficial to break students into small groups or pairs to conduct research on Poseidon. Students who already read The Lightning Thief or who have pre-existing knowledge of Greek mythology could be invited to share their knowledge with their partner or group. Afterwards, volunteers might share what they learned.

• This article from Brittanica Kids provides information about the Greek god Poseidon and shares some key details about Greek mythology.
• This article from World History Encyclopedia explores the origin of the Greek god Poseidon and includes a 10-minute video about his history.

2. The Sea of Monsters is a sequel to Rick Riordan’s The Lightning Thief. Consider some of the sequels you have encountered in literature or film. How did those sequels compare to the original stories? What makes a sequel a sequel? Is it necessary for readers to read earlier works first? Why or why not?

Teaching Suggestion: You might use this prompt as an opportunity for students to learn more about their classmates. Consider asking them to walk around the room to find a partner who has read or watched the same sequel. Students could then create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the original story with the second book or film. You could then break the class into small groups for discussion and encourage them to share any patterns or findings of interest with the rest of the class. The resources below may be helpful to review prior to completing this exercise.

• This article discusses the definition of a sequel and includes examples of sequels in literature and film. In addition to supplementary videos, this resource also discusses what makes a sequel successful and why.
• This page on author Rick Riordan’s website provides a brief summary of The Lightning Thief and includes an excerpt from the beginning of the book.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

In Greek mythology, gods often had children with mortals. Imagine that you are the child of an immortal god. Which god or goddess would you most like to be related to? Make a list of your top three choices and explain why you chose them. You may wish to visit this page from History.com to learn more about the Olympian deities before making your decision.

Teaching Suggestion: For students who are unfamiliar with the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, this activity will provide helpful background information that will prepare them to read The Sea of Monsters. Consider preparing and sharing your personal choices in advance to give students a starting point before breaking them into pairs or small groups. Once they have discussed their top choices for a god or goddess with each other, you could invite volunteers to share their list with the rest of the class.

Differentiation Suggestion: English language learners may benefit from researching this question in their native language or exploring visual sources with narration and subtitles. For example, they may wish to review this 6-minute video or a similar resource. It may also be helpful to assign these learners this research task as homework the day prior to give them extra time to complete it.