The Last Olympian

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“The Art of the Elusive Prophecy”

In this activity, students will use creative thinking and active learning to write an elusive prophecy.

Prophecies play a key role throughout the novel. One of the defining features of these prophecies is how elusive they are: The prophecies that Percy and his friends encounter are obscure and difficult to understand, and they always seem to be saying something different from what everybody thinks they are saying. But how does one write a prophecy? In this activity, you will create your own elusive prophecy. First, decide what you want the prophecy to mean, then make that simple meaning more elusive using symbolism and obscure language. Consider the following as you begin:

• What does your prophecy mean in simple, straightforward terms?
• What are some symbols you can use to replace the names of specific individuals, places, or events in the prophecy?
• What are some misleading or ambiguous elements you can add to further obscure the meaning of your prophecy?

Once you have completed your prophecy, share it with other students. Can anybody guess what your prophecy means? After you have read your classmates’ prophecies, reflect on the nature of prophecy and why elusiveness is such an important element.

Teaching Suggestion: Whether students work on their prophecies individually or in groups should be conditioned by the size of the class (in a larger class, it may be beneficial to have students work in groups and then present their prophecies to other groups rather than to the whole class). You might encourage students to think about why it is important for prophecies to be elusive: What would be the problem with prophecies that are too obvious? It may be beneficial to present the class with some examples of famous elusive prophecies from mythology or even history (e.g., the prophecy given to Oedipus in poems like Sophocles’s Oedipus the King or even the Delphic oracle given to Croesus in Book 1 of Herodotus’s Histories).

Differentiation Suggestion: In ancient Greece, prophecies were usually put into poetic form. To encourage students with poetic and/or musical interests, consider allowing them to present their prophecy in the form of a poem or song. Students may also incorporate performance (e.g., dramatic recitation) when sharing their prophecy with the class.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Mythical creatures and monsters—including Typhon, the Lydian drakon, and the Clazmonian Sow—feature prominently in the novel.

• What role do mythical creatures and monsters play in The Last Olympian? (topic sentence)
• Choose one creature, then analyze its mythical origins and the way it is presented in the novel.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, reflect on the role of creatures and monsters in moving the battle forward.

2. Percy’s narrative voice is marked by a distinctive sense of humor.

• How is humor used in the novel? (topic sentence)
• Choose 2-3 examples of the author using a humorous tone and discuss how this tone influences the way the story is understood by readers.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, evaluate how the novel uses humor to undercut more serious themes, such as evil and death.

3. Both male and female characters play important roles in the novel.

• How are gender roles represented in The Last Olympian? (topic sentence)
• Choose 2-3 examples, then analyze the way specific characters of different genders are treated and portrayed.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, evaluate the extent to which the novel either challenges or reinforces traditional gender roles.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by textual details, and a conclusion.

1. There are several dichotomies at the heart of the novel, including good versus evil, mortals versus gods, Otherness Versus Interconnectivity, and Predestination Versus Free Will. Pick one of these dichotomies and write an essay analyzing its role in the novel. How is this dichotomy depicted? Is it a simple dichotomy, or are there subtle distinctions and shades of meaning? How does Percy’s understanding of this dichotomy evolve over the course of the novel?

2. What is an antihero? Which characters fulfill the role of the antihero in the novel? Define the concept of the antihero, citing specific passages from the novel to support your definition. How is an antihero different from a hero? How does the novel problematize the difference between heroes and antiheroes?

3. Like previous novels, The Last Olympian depicts a love triangle between Percy, Rachel, and Annabeth. Discuss this love triangle and its role in the novel. How does Riordan use this love triangle to create tension, develop character, and/or reinforce the story’s central themes of The Hero’s Journey, Predestination Versus Free Will, and Otherness Versus Interconnectivity? How does the love triangle finally resolve? Does this resolution provide the story with a happy ending? Why or why not?

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Why is Percy able to breathe underwater?

A) Because he is the son of Poseidon

B) Because he always carries a snorkel

C) Because all demigods can breathe underwater

D) Because he is invulnerable

2. With which Titan is Poseidon at war?

A) Oceanus

B) Zeus

C) Hades

D) Kronos

3. Why don’t mortals interfere in the battle with the Titans?

A) Because they are too afraid

B) Because Poseidon killed them all

C) Because Morpheus put them all to sleep

D) Because they are not good at fighting

4. What is Nico’s plan to make Percy invincible?

A) To give him a special root to eat

B) To bathe him in the River Styx

C) To get him armor forged by Hephaestus

D) To sell his soul to his father Hades

5. Why has nobody heard from Grover in two months?

A) Because he has been sleeping

B) Because he died two months ago

C) Because Kronos abducted him

D) Because he lost his memories

6. Why does Hades send Percy to the dungeon?

A) Because Zeus asked him to

B) Because he thinks Percy is dangerous

C) So that he can kill Kronos

D) So that Nico can fulfill the Prophecy instead

7. Who is the leader of the Hunters of Artemis?

A) Annabeth

B) Percy

C) Silena

D) Thalia

8. How does Annabeth get injured?

A) She falls from Olympus.

B) She is thrown off Olympus.

C) She is stabbed protecting Percy.

D) She is bitten by a drakon.

9. Why did Zeus order Maria’s death?

A) Because she cheated on him and broke his trust

B) Because he forbade the “Big Three” from having children with mortals

C) Because she lied to him and provoked his wrath

D) Because he was afraid of what her children would become

10. Why was May Castellan at Camp Half-Blood in the ’90s?

A) Because she was having an affair with Chiron

B) Because she was a demigod

C) To become the Oracle

D) To become a cooking instructor

11. Why is the war between the Olympians and the Titans so important to the rest of the world?

A) Because the Titans offer newer technology

B) Because humans will live forever if the Titans win

C) Because the Olympians will punish the humans if they lose

D) Because all western civilization will be destroyed if the Titans win

12. Why must Clarisse be the one to kill the Lydian drakon?

A) Because only a child of Ares can kill the Lydian drakon

B) Because she is the strongest demigod

C) Because she has the chariot of Apollo

D) Because she is invulnerable

13. Why does Rachel brush off Percy during the battle?

A) Because she has a new boyfriend

B) Because she needs to let go of distractions

C) Because she does not love him anymore

D) Because she discovered that she is his sister

14. Why does Hermes say that Kronos will always remain a threat?

A) Because others will follow his example

B) Because he escaped the battle

C) Because a prophecy says that he will eventually beat the Olympians

D) Because a Titan cannot be killed

15. Who becomes the new Oracle?

A) Rachel

B) Silena

C) Percy

D) Hermes

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating textual details to support your response.

1. Why does Silena help Kronos? Why does she ultimately decide to help the Olympians?

2. Who is tasked with redesigning Olympus? Why is this significant?