What are our learning

targets?

I can reflect on the things close readers do.

I can use details to make a claim about the

elements of mythology in the myth of
Prometheus.

I can use details to make a claim about a

theme of the myth of Prometheus.

Think-Pair-Share
In chapter 17 of The
Lightning Thief, how does
Percy show that he is a
hero?
Think

Pair

Share

Guess what? You just

made a claim! There is no
right or wrong answer to
this question. It is based
on your opinion and the
evidence you find to
support it.

You previously read the

myth of Prometheus to
get the gist. Today you
will dig deeper into it to
understand the elements
of mythology and the
theme so that you can
write an analytical miniessay.

Think-Pair-Share
Why are we reflecting
on the things close
readers do? How is this
helpful?
Think

Pair

Share

We want to be great at
close reading so that we
get a really good
understanding of what we
read. Reflecting
on the things close
readers do will help us to
get better at close
reading.

Think-Pair-Share
What are the themes of
a myth? How can we
figure out what the
themes are and which
one is most significant?
Think

Pair

Share

A theme is an idea that is

repeated throughout the text
to communicate a message.
We can work out what the
themes are by reading for
details about the elements of
mythology and identifying
elements that run throughout
the myth to communicate a
message.

Take a look at
your
Questioning
Texts handout
from Lesson 7.

Remember to
use these
questions to
help you get a
better
understanding
of the text.

Look at your copy of

the myth of
Prometheus. Follow
along as I read aloud. I
will stop at certain
points to ask themerelated questions.

Paragraph 1

The world, as first it was, to the

Greeks was a sunless world in
which land, air, and sea were
mixed up together, over which
ruled a deity called Chaos. A giant
race of Titans lived on this newly
made earth. One of the Mightiest
Titans was Prometheus.

Think-Pair-Share
What information/ideas
are described in detail?
Think

Pair

Share

Paragraph 2

Prometheus and his brother

Epimethus were trusted to give special
gifts, abilities, and instincts to the
beasts, birds, and fishes of the world.
They also were given the task of
making a creature lower than the
gods, less great than the Titans, yet in
knowledge and in understanding
higher than the beasts and birds and
fishes. This being was called Man.

Paragraph 3

Prometheus took some clay from

the ground at his feet, moistened
it with water, and made it into an
image, in form like the gods. Into
its nostrils Eros breathed the spirit
of life, Pallas Athen gave it a soul,
and the first Man looked
wonderingly round on the earth.

Paragraph 4

Prometheus, proud of the beautiful thing

of his own creation, wanted to give Man a
worthy gift, but no gift remained for him.
He was naked, unprotected, more helpless
than any of the beasts. And Prometheus
pitied him more than the animals, since
Man had a soul to suffer. Surely Zeus, ruler
of Olympus, would have compassion for
Man? But Prometheus looked to Zeus in
vain; he did not have compassion for Man.

Think-Pair-Share
Are there any elements
of mythology that keep
coming up?
Think

Pair

Share

Paragraph 5
Prometheus pitied Man, and thought of a power
belonging to the gods alone. We shall give fire to the
Man we have made, he said to Epimethus. He waited
patiently and, unseen by the gods, made his way into
Olympus, lighted a hollow torch with a spark from the
chariot of the Sun, and brought this royal gift to Man.
With fire, Man no longer trembled in the darkness of
caves when Zeus hurled his lightning across the sky. He
was no longer scared of the animals that hunted him
and drove him in terror. With fire, Man made weapons,
defied the frost and cold, made tools and money,
introduced the arts, and was able to destroy as well as
to create.

Think-Pair-Share
Are you getting any
ideas about the theme?
Think

Pair

Share

Paragraph 6
From his throne on Olympus, Zeus looked down
on the earth and saw blue-gray smoke that
curled upward to the sky. He watched more
closely and realized with terrible wrath that
what he saw came from fire, that before had
been the gods own sacred power. He gathered
a council of the gods to decide how to punish
Prometheus for deceiving him. Zeus chained
Prometheus to the top of a mountain, and
every day an eagle came and ate Prometheus
liver. Every night, his liver grew back.

Think-Pair-Share
Is there an idea that
seems to run all the way
through the text?
Think

Pair

Share

Paragraph 7

This council also decided to punish

Man. They decided to create a
thing that should forever charm
the souls and hearts of men and
forever be Mans downfall. This
thing was Pandora.

Think-Pair-Share
Is there a significant
element of mythology
that points you toward
a theme?
Think

Pair

Share

Take a look at
your Analyzing
Details
handout.

Now look at your

Elements of Myth
Graphic
Organizer
worksheet.

DETAIL FROM THE PROMETHEUS MYTH

DETAIL FROM THE PROMETHEUS MYTH

What information goes

in these two boxes?
MY THINKING ABOUT THIS DETAIL

MY THINKING ABOUT THIS DETAIL

What information goes

in these two boxes?

With a partner, complete

the Elements of Myth
Graphic Organizer
worksheet. Reference your
Key Elements of Mythology
text to remind you of
certain aspects myths must
have.
7 minutes

Look at your Theme

Graphic Organizer.
Notice, this is exactly
the same as the other
organizer. You are just
searching for themerelated details.

Connect the details, as

you have done in
previous worksheets,
and come up with your
claim. This claim is
your theme.

Take the rest of

class to finish this
worksheet. If you
do not finish, it is
homework.