The Lost Hero

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

Think about adventure stories with which you are familiar. What are the different types of friendships portrayed in these stories? Are friends close-knit and supportive from the beginning, or must they build trust and overcome initial differences? Why are stories about friendship and adventure popular with a wide array of audiences?

Teaching Suggestion: This question provides an opportunity to introduce the theme The Bond of Friendship. Students might work in pairs to brainstorm adventure titles before working independently on the remaining questions. Discussion of familiar examples from pop culture such as the Harry Potter series or The Wizard of Oz might be helpful in inspiring additional titles for students to reference.

• Friendship Quotes - This article provides quotations about friendship from various stories. Students might analyze these quotations as an activity relating to discussion on different types of friendships.
• “Iconic Literary Friendships” - This article offers examples of well-known friendships in literature. (Teacher-appropriate; not student-facing without teacher guidance due to mature themes in some examples.) 

Short Activity

Choose a god from the Roman pantheon to research. Describe the characteristics that the Romans attributed to this god; then, research how the Greeks viewed the same god. Compare and contrast the Roman and Greek versions of this deity, considering their domains, symbols, personalities, and any interesting myths associated with them. Create a Venn diagram or a chart to visually represent the similarities and differences you discovered.

Teaching Suggestion: Students might work in pairs, with one reader researching the Greek god’s traits and the other researching the Roman god’s traits. After researching, students can collaborate on the middle part of the Venn Diagram or chart. After sharing their discoveries, students might participate in a class discussion on the general differences between Greek and Roman deities.

• “Roman Gods” - This page could serve as a starting point for students researching a Roman deity.
• “Greek Gods” - This page may be a beginning point for students researching the Greek counterpart. 

Differentiation Suggestion: For students who would benefit from assistance in topic selection, a provided short list of Roman deities may be helpful. These deities could be limited to the ones prominently featured in the novel (such as Jupiter, Juno, and Venus) or to those for whom an abundance of information can be found.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

Think about a time when you accepted a leadership position. What challenges or pressures did you face? Who supported you, and what kind of help did they offer? Is there any other support that you wish that you had? Is there anything you wish you had done differently as a leader?

Teaching Suggestion: This question connects to the theme ​​Power and Responsibility and may connect to the theme The Bond of Friendship as well. If students are having difficulty thinking of leadership positions that they have held, it may be helpful to prompt them with small or unconventional forms of leadership: a class job in elementary school, supporting or sticking up for a friend, helping a family member, and advising or instructing a younger sibling are all roles that demonstrate leadership capabilities.

• “Recognizing the Challenges of Leadership” - This site can help students identify challenges in leadership and specific strategies to overcome them.