WEEK 7- Myths, Folklore, & Fantasy- OH MY!

 

                                  The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare 


    Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments Series is enthralling from start to finish. Thrust into a world of demons, "mundies," and Shadowhunters, protagonist Clary Fray must join forces against all evil to save her new friends, uncovering truths about her past along the way. 

This is an adventure in a fantasy world featuring various mythical and fantastical —even spiritual — creatures like angels, demons, vampires, werewolves, faeries, and warlocks —if you can think it, it's probably in this book. However, reading it, it is somehow grounded and contained. It never feels like too much. You get pretty swept up in what happens to the protagonist and the kinds of things that she sees, the world that unfolds around her. No matter how lively the world gets, the themes of love, family, destiny, and betrayal never get lost in translation. 

If I had a classroom,

I would have them choose which faction they'd belong to, maybe werewolf clan vs faeries or demons vs shadowhunters. In these teams, we could play trashketball about what happens in the book, a fun way to test what they've comprehended. This could also work with Jeopardy based on the context of the book. I think this would be for Freshmen/Sophomore aged students in high school (9-10th Graders). I'd also assign this book for silent/independent reading and then have them free draw based on something that happened in the book- their favorite moment or a drawing inspired by the text. 


Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

    Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson will always be iconic because of its themes of self-acceptance, found family, and destiny that are rooted in mythology and just super fun to immerse yourself in. In The Lightning Thief, specifically, Percy Jackson discovers that he is the son of Poseidon, making him a demigod. Zeus's lightning bolt is stolen, and Percy is the perceived criminal. To clear his name, he embarks on a thrilling journey with newfound friends, fighting and evading mythological creatures like Medusa and the Chimera.

This book was among my favorites of the chapter books that I used to read as a child. The situations were just harrowing enough to keep me on the edge of my seat, and the kinship between Percy, Annabeth, and Grover kept me turning the pages to see them overcome various foes and challenges together. I love this book, and I think elementary students would love it, specifically third grade.

If I had a classroom,
I would engage in background discussions about the tales and characters of mythology so that the richness of the subject matter is understood. I would then lead classroom discussions about students' favorite parts of the book, their favorite characters, and things in the book that they related to. I would love to just sit and talk about the book. To connect the book to an activity, I might have them separate into "cabins" and play field games against each other, or maybe just a friendly game of kickball, Camp Half-Blood style. 

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