1. The Lightning Thief Rick Riordan
Chapter 16
“We Take a Zebra to Vegas “
The Lightning Thief Rick Riordan

2. Myths in this chapter The Land of the Lotus Eaters (from the Odyssey)
The Trojan War

3. Vocabulary
sarcastic- saying something that has a tone of teasing to it
defenseless- unable to protect oneself
metamorphosis- a change
pathetic- feel pity for
destination- the place where the journey ends
decency- being decent, polite and respectful
*mournful- full of sadness
befriended- made friends with
advice- to offer an opinion or recommendation
deception- the act of tricking, deceiving
torment- torture
replica- a copy of something
relieved- happy something is over
sympathetic- feel sorry for
jarred- to have an unpleasant effect on one’s nerves, feelings or thoughts

4. Journal Topic
Have you ever had a fight with your parent? What was it about? How did you resolve the problem?
Describe your dream vacation. Where would you go? What would you do?

5. Correct This Sentence
On june percy annabeth and grover takeing a trip to los vegas?
On June 15, 2010, Percy, Annabeth and Grover took a trip to Las Vegas.

6. Setting
Truck on the way to Las Vegas
Arriving at the Lotus Casino

7. Characters Ares Percy Annabeth Grover Eddie Maurice Animals Bellboy
Darrin

8. Method of Narration
Chronological order

9. Conflicts Percy vs Ares Grover vs “humane” zoo transport
Annabeth vs nature (spiders)
Percy vs power of the Lotus

10. Point of View
First - Percy

11. Symbols The Humane zoo transport – how zoos are NOT humane
The returning backpack

12. Literary devices
Irony – The name on the truck
Sarcasm -

13. Important Quotes

14. Discussion Question
The god Ares says he loves America. He calls it “the best place since Sparta.” What does he mean? Do you think this is a fair critique of American society? Why or why not?

15. Study Questions
What’s in the backpack Ares gives Percy? If you were him, would you have accepted this gift?
What news does Ares give Percy about his mom?
Annabeth says Percy wasn’t smart to anger Ares. Was Percy right to talk back to him? Why or why not?
What do the beads mean on Annabeth’s necklace?
Percy says that Annabeth should write her father a letter. What would you advise her to do?
Percy’s dream has three different parts – what does he see in each scene?
How does Grover make sure the animals will be safe after they are released?
Percy, Grover and Annabeth are attracted to different types of games at the Lotus Casino. What does each one like, and what does this tell you about their personality?
When does Percy start to realize the casino is a trap?
How does Percy snap Annabeth out of her trance?

16. Write a Summary

17. Activities
Journal: The Perfect Trap. The Lotus Casino is designed to make kids never want to leave. Do you think it would keep you entranced? Write a description of a place that would be a “perfect trap” to keep you there forever. What would such a place look like? What activities would be available? What kind of food?
Journal: Time Travel. Time travels slowly in the Lotus Casino. Darrin has been there since the 1970s but he’s still a kid, and it seems to him that he’s only been there a few days. Would you like to spend some time in the Lotus Casino? How far ahead in time would you like to travel before you stepped outside? Remember, though, you could never go back.
A virtual trip to Las Vegas. In this chapter, Percy and his friends arrive in Las Vegas. What do you know about the city’s attractions? A good place to start researching is for kid-friendly activities. Pretend you are going to Las Vegas. Make a top ten list of activities you would want to do. (Not gambling!)

18. Bibliography Card Riordan, Rick. The Lightning Thief. New York:
Miramar Books, 2005.