The objective of this class is to read through and analyze Rick Riordan’s first series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and discover what has made the series a Young Adult classic. We will read through the full first series and excerpts of the myths as they are recorded in classical literature. We will also investigate how Percy Jackson interacts with our socio-cultural beliefs with the help of supplemental theory, such as disability theory and gender theory, to understand what makes Percy Jackson such a captivating and unique hero.

Each book will be read over two weeks, allowing ample time for discussion and reading. Supplementary readings will be provided each week to help students make more informed analyses of the series and its use of classical myths. We will also have a week to discuss the controversial movie adaptation.

We will start on Berkeley time. Reading quizzes and discussions posts must be the day before class (Monday) at 11:59pm. We will open with a quick presentation, but the majority of each class period will be centered around group discussion. Activities will be decided on through student deliberation, emphasizing the opportunity for students to contribute to the course content and shape their learning experience.

Grading the course will be determined upon three categories:
40%: Attendance
25%: Participation, which will be graded based on alternating discussion posts and reading quizzes.
35%: Final project (presentation or short paper), which will be a five-minute PowerPoint presentation on any topic in the PJO universe of the students choosing. If students do not want to present a powerpoint, they have the option to email us and write a minimum one page paper on a topic of their choice instead.

To be considered for this decal, you must complete a Google Form application. The class will be held weekly on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The form will close on September 13th at 11:59 p.m.