THE PERCY JACKSON SERIES

The ultimate pack for studying

ancient greece in the classroom

INCLUDES

Extracts, video, activity ideas,

writing tips and research templates!

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INSPIRATION PACK FOR. . .

THE PERCY JACKSON SERIES

PUFFIN SCHOOLS

AGES

9–12

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This resource pack can be used with all children from KS2 through to KS3, recommended ages 9–12. It is based

on the much-loved Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan, and invites everyone in your class to step into the world of

Ancient Greece!

The lessons included have been designed as sequential activities and can be taught as whole units or as individual



whether extracts, illustrations, video, or audio – in order to immerse children in the world of the Ancient Greeks.

Further activities and resources are available in the corresponding Percy Jackson Worksheet Pack

which is referenced throughout these notes.

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and Goddesses, to life in Ancient Greece – and will provide lots of opportunity for children to read and respond to

text, to develop their own writing and research skills, and to participate in an immersive journey to another world.

We hope you enjoy the adventure!

CONTENTS & OBJECTIVES

1. Introducing Percy Jackson Pages 3–6

Objectives: Analyse book covers; improve inference skills; identify themes;

create new book covers for the series.

2. Life in Ancient Greece Pages 7–9

Objectives: Identify the location of Greece; research interesting aspects

of Ancient Greek life.

3. Know your Greek Gods Pages 10-12

 

 

4. Myths and Legends Pages 13-15

Objectives: Use knowledge of Ancient Greece as inspiration for

creating new characters; plan a modern myth.

Reflection Activities Page 16

Percy Jackson Worksheet Pack Page 17-28

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1. INTRODUCING PERCY JACKSON IDENTIFYING THEMES IN THE BOOKS

OBJECTIVES: Analyse book covers; improve inference skills; identify themes; create new book covers

for the series. This prompt image is also supplied as a Powerpoint slide with this pack.

Introducing themes

PROMPT IMAGE!

ATHENS

PROMPT IMAGE: WORD BANK

Encourage pupils to discuss the image using some of the words in the word bank below:

ACROPOLIS

GODS

GODDESSES

MYTHOLOGY

ANCIENT

HISTORIC

CULTURE

PHILOSOPHY

LEGEND

ARCHITECTURE

TEMPLE

PARTHENON

BELIEF

BEAUTY

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Looking at the books

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Questions and Activities

Use the questions and activities below to think more deeply about the PERCY JACKSON book covers, to make

inferences about the books and to explore how covers are designed to entice readers.

•• Which cover stands out to you the most? Why?

•• What themes can you guess from the covers? How do they link to the prompt image that you’ve just seen?

•• Watch the trailer

•• If you had to create a title for the next book in the Percy Jackson series, what would it be?

• Consider what you know about Ancient Greece – what could you include?

• Consider how you might extend some of the themes that you’ve identified.

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•• Create a book cover for your new Percy Jackson book!

Use the template in the Percy Jackson Worksheet Pack

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2t-kTEh0no

Watch the 2-minute trailer for the major 2010 film, Percy Jackson

and the Lightning Thief – based on the first book in the series.

WATCH NOW

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To develop the lesson . . .

For more introductory activities, complete the first four worksheets in the Percy Jackson Worksheet Pack:

•• Book Cover Template Use this template to create a brand new book cover for the Percy Jackson series.

•• Capture the Flag! ‘Capture the flag’ is the game played regularly by the demigods at Camp

Half-Blood. The different ‘houses’ form alliances; students then fight using military tactics to capture one

of two flags. Ask students to design their team’s flag!

Go to Percy Jackson Worksheet Pack

if you want to bring the game to life in your

playground or sports field.

•• Extract from

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

and Comprehension Questions

Read the book and test students’ comprehension skills. (Answers on page 20).

•• Wordsearch Instead of a physical contest, as played in Camp Half-Blood, Athena the goddess of

wisdom has set students a quest. In the wordsearch, students will find the answers to all of the extract

comprehension questions. They should complete the wordsearch as quickly as possible to capture the flag

that they have already designed. (Answers on page 22).

Go to Percy Jackson Worksheet Pack

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2. LIFE IN ANCIENT GREECE: RESEARCHING GEOGRAPHY, CULTURE AND CUSTOMS

OBJECTIVES: Identify the location of Greece; research interesting aspects of Ancient Greek life.

Extending the research . . .

•• What continent is Greece in?

•• What sort of climate does it have?

•• How does the modern map of the

world differ from an ancient map?

Can you research and find any

differences?

Draw a line

linking the flag

to the country

of Greece

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To develop the lesson . . .

Religion and the Gods were a very important part

of Greek life, but there were many other interesting

aspects to Ancient Greek culture.

Working in pairs, give students one of the following

areas to research and create a Fact-file for their

classmates. They can use the images below as a

starting point!

Encourage children to use the Percy Jackson series

of books, non-fiction in their school library or the

Internet to conduct their research.

THE GREEK THEATRE

AGRICULTURE IN ANCIENT GREECE

THE OLYMPIC GAMES

ANCIENT GREEK ARCHITECTURE

THE TROJAN WAR

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For more activities about life in Ancient Greece, find the following in the Percy Jackson Worksheet Pack:

•• Looking at Greek Heroes Percy Jackson is named after another famous Ancient Greek hero,

Perseus. A child of Zeus, Perseus was sent on what was considered an impossible quest: to return with the

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reflection of his shield, and succeeded in his quest. There are a number of other important heroes in Greek

mythology. Ask children to choose one of them and research their life and legends.

•• Greek Hero: Social Media Profile Using their research, ask students to create a social media profile

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create a friends list for their heroes, based on what they have learned!

Go to Percy Jackson Worksheet Pack

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3. KNOW YOUR GREEK GODS: RELIGION IN ANCIENT GREECE

 Develop comprehension and inference skills; find out more about characters and

relationships; draw a new character.

There were twelve gods on the Olympian council. Each was immortal and had different symbols, as well as

different areas of power and control. The table below lists all of this information, but some of it is incomplete.

As a class, can you move the missing labels to the correct places?

For additional help, why not go to http://www.rickriordan.co.uk!

GOD/GODDESS POWER SYMBOL/ANIMAL

Zeus Eagle, lightning bolt

Hera  Cow, lion, peacock

 Horse, trident

Demeter Agriculture Red poppy, barley

Hephaestus Blacksmiths Anvil, quail

Athena Wisdom, battle, useful arts

 Dove, magic belt

Ares Wild boar, bloody spear

Apollo  

Artemis  She-bear

Hermes Travellers, merchants, thieves, messengers

Dionysus Tiger, grapes

Poseidon Aphroditewar owl

sky winecaduceus, winged helmet and sandals

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To develop the lesson . . . read the extract

EXTRACT from Percy Jackson and The Greek Gods

I hope I’m getting extra credit for this. A publisher in New York asked me to write

down what I know about the Greek gods, and I was like, ‘Can we do this anonymously?

Because I don’t need the Olympians mad at me again.’

But if it helps you to know your Greek gods, and survive an encounter with them if they

ever show up in your face, then I guess writing all this down will be my good deed for the

week.

If you don’t know me, my name is Percy Jackson. I’m a modern-day demigod – a half-

god, half-mortal son of Poseidon – but I’m not going to say much about myself. My story

has already been written down in some books that are total ction (wink, wink), and I am

just a character from the story (cough – yeah, right – cough).

Just go easy on me while I’m telling you about the gods, all right? There’s like forty

bajillion different versions of the myths, so don’t be all Well, I heard it a different way, so

you’re WRONG!

I’m going to tell you the versions that make the most sense to me. I promise I didn’t make

any of this up. I got all these stories straight from the Ancient Greek and Roman dudes

who wrote them down in the rst place. Believe me, I couldn’t make up stuff this weird.

So here we go. First I’ll tell you how the world got made. Then I’ll run down a list of

gods and give you my two cents about each of them. I just hope I don’t make them so mad

they incinerate me before I –

AGGHHHHHHHHH!

Just kidding. Still here.

Anyway, I’ll start with the Greek story of creation, which by the way is seriously messed

up. Wear your safety glasses and your raincoat. There will be blood.

Use the questions below to test your comprehension and inference skills!

1. Who asked Percy to write this book?

2. Who is Percy’s godly parent?

3. Where did Percy get the stories?

Find examples in the extract that Percy is:

FUNNY

BRAVE

SARCASTICSARCASTIC

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Interviews with the Gods!

If Percy Jackson was interviewed on the television, what do you think he’d be like in real life? Consider the

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Now, refer back to the table of Greek Gods and Goddesses (page 10). Choose one and do the same thing

again. Get into pairs and carry out interviews between Percy and a Greek God or Goddess!

For more activities about Ancient Greek Gods, find the following in the Percy Jackson Worksheet Pack

•• Modern God Profile Using everything that they’ve learned, encourage students to create their own



template and to swap their Gods or even use what they’ve done to create a classroom display.

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4. MYTHS AND LEGENDS: WRITING INSPIRED BY ANCIENT GREECE

 Use knowledge of Ancient Greece as inspiration for creating new characters; plan a

modern myth.

In this 3-minute video, Rick Riordan shares his top tips for ‘borrowing’ ideas from myths and legends to create

your own stories and characters!

As a class, identify and discuss the four steps that Rick Riordan speaks about.

RICK’S CHALLENGES:

•• 



•• Try taking inspiration from another culture. It doesn’t have to be Ancient Greek! Why not try Hindu, Chinese,



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsalC92aRro

WATCH NOW

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To develop the lesson . . . read the extract

Here is another example of a monster from classical mythology who Percy meets in Percy Jackson and the

Lightning Thief:

Then the door creaked open, and standing in front of us was a tall Middle Eastern

woman – at least, I assumed she was Middle Eastern, because she wore a long black

gown that covered everything but her hands, and her head was completely veiled. Her

eyes glinted behind a curtain of black gauze, but that was about all I could make out.

Her coffee-coloured hands looked old, but well-manicured and elegant, so I imagined

she was a grandmother who once had been a beautiful lady.







modern context?

Below are some more famous monsters from Greek mythology. Do you recognize them from the PERCY

JACKSON novels? How have they changed (if at all)?

•• ARGUS: Hera’s guard, who had eyes all over his body. When Hermes killed him, Hera placed his eyes in

the tail of the peacock.

•• CERBERUS: A powerful three-headed dog, which guarded the entrance to the Underworld.

•• CYCLOPES: A Cyclopes was a giant with a single eye in the middle of his forehead. They made lightning

and thunderbolts for Zeus.

•• HYDRA: A gigantic serpent with many heads. If one was cut off, another two would grow in its place.

•• SIRENS: Huge, winged creatures with the heads of women, who lived on rocks by the sea and lured sailors

to their death with their beautiful singing.

CHOOSE one of the monsters above and draw him/her!

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

•• Watch Rick Riordan This special 30-minute myths and legends show explores in more detail the

tangled lives of Greek gods and goddesses and students can take part in a gladiatorial draw-along.

Rick also reads an extract from The Trials of Apollo!

•• Modern Myths Planning Sheet Encourage students



planning sheet. They could even include their newly created



beginning, middle and an ending, as well as an interesting

setting. Once students have finished planning, they should

try writing their myth in best. They can swap their stories with

each other and refer back to their planning sheets to identify

the different sections of their myths. Choose the best ones to

act out as a class!

Find the following in the Percy Jackson Worksheet Pack

https://www.puffinschools.co.uk/shows/myths-and-legends-with-rick-riordan/

WATCH NOW

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REFLECTION QUESTIONS: PERCY JACKSON AND ANCIENT GREECE

1. What have you learned about Greek gods? Which is your favourite?

2. What sort of character is Percy Jackson? What are his personality traits?

 

 

the same age?

5. Why do you think it is important to remind people of Ancient Greece and Greek mythology?

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PERCY JACKSON WORKSHEET PACK

1. DESIGN A NEW FRONT COVER!

Use the template to design the next book in the Percy Jackson series!

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2. CAPTURE THE FLAG

‘Capture the flag’ is the game played regularly by the demigods at Camp Half-Blood. The different

‘houses’ form alliances; students then fight using military tactics to capture one of two flags. Use the

template to design your team’s flag!

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3. EXTRACT AND COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

Capture the flag!

EXTRACT

Here is an extract from Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.

That night after dinner, there was a lot more excitement than usual.

At last, it was time for capture the ﬂag.

When the plates were cleared away, the conch horn sounded and we all stood at our tables.

Campers yelled and cheered as Annabeth and two of her siblings ran into the pavilion carrying a silk banner. It was

about three metres long, glistening grey, with a painting of a barn owl above an olive tree. From the opposite side of the

pavilion, Clarisse and her buddies ran in with another banner, of identical size, but gaudy red, painted with a bloody

spear and a boar’s head.

I turned to Luke and yelled over the noise, ‘Those are the ﬂags?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Ares and Athena always lead the teams?’

‘Not always,’ he said. ‘But often.’

‘So, if another cabin captures one, what do you do – repaint the ﬂag?’

He grinned. ‘You’ll see. First, we have to get one.’

‘Capture the ﬂag’ is the game played regularly by the demigods at Camp Half-Blood. The different ‘houses’ form alliances,

and students are heavily armed, using military tactics and ﬁghting to capture one of two ﬂags. Instead of a physical contest

of capture the ﬂag, as played in Camp Half-Blood, Athena the goddess of wisdom has set you a quest. In the following

wordsearch, you will ﬁnd the answers to all of the questions below. Complete the wordsearch as quickly as possible to

capture the ﬂag!

CAPTURE THE FLAG: QUIZ

1. What is the name of Percy’s magical sword?

2. Name the Greek, Roman and Egyptian gods of the dead.

3. Who is the writer of the Percy Jackson, Heroes of Olympus and Kane Chronicles books?

4. What are the Greek and Roman names of Percy’s father?

5. What are the Greek and Roman names of Jason’s father?

6. What bond do Jason and Percy’s fathers share?

7. Which river do the gods make their solemn vows on?

8. What animal does Bast have the head of?

9. What is the name of the god who takes Carter and Sadie’s father hostage?

10. Which monster’s hair is made of snakes?

11. The minotaur is half man and half of which animal?

12. Name the Greek/Roman and Egyptian gods of medicine.

13. What is the name of the staff carried by Hermes in Greek mythology?

14. What was the name of Set’s brother, whom he killed?

15. Jason Grace is named after the hero Jason, who led a group of heroes. What were they called?

16. Who were the mythological creatures who lured sailors to death with their beautiful singing?

17. Sekhmet, the Egyptian goddess of war, has the head of which animal?

18. What are the Greek and Roman names for the god of war?

19. After which Greek hero is Percy Jackson named?

20. In Greek mythology, where was the Minotaur kept?

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CAPTURE THE FLAG: QUIZ ANSWERS

1. What is the name of Percy’s magical sword? Riptide

2. Name the Greek, Roman and Egyptian gods of the dead. Hades, Pluto, Osiris

3. Who is the writer of the Percy Jackson, Heroes of Olympus and Kane Chronicles books? Rick Riordan

4. What are the Greek and Roman names of Percy’s father? Poseidon, Neptune

5. What are the Greek and Roman names of Jason’s father? Zeus, Jupiter

6. What bond do Jason and Percy’s fathers share? They are brothers

7. Which river do the gods make their solemn vows on? Styx

8. What animal does Bast have the head of? Cat

9. What is the name of the god who takes Carter and Sadie’s father hostage? Set

10. Which monster’s hair is made of snakes? Medusa

11. The minotaur is half man and half of which animal? Bull

12. Name the Greek/Roman and Egyptian gods of medicine. Apollo, Sekhmet

13. What is the name of the staff carried by Hermes in Greek mythology? Caduceus

14. What was the name of Set’s brother, whom he killed? Osiris

15. Jason Grace is named after the hero Jason, who led a group of heroes. What were they called? Argonauts

16. Who were the mythological creatures who lured sailors to death with their beautiful singing? Sirens

17. Sekhmet, the Egyptian goddess of war, has the head of which animal? Lion

18. What are the Greek and Roman names for the god of war? Ares, Mars

19. After which Greek hero is Percy Jackson named? Perseus

20. In Greek mythology, where was the Minotaur kept? Labyrinth

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4. WORDSEARCH

Complete the wordsearch as quickly as possible to capture the flag that you have already designed!

F P P Y N V H A D E S M Z J U P I T E R

D A E N H R Z L S H I C N R N O M O B K

X R R R I C K R I O R D A N Q D N T D O

K E S N G K A Z O P E W T M J I U W N W

N S E S E M F V G U N O T N S Z E U S R

V G U U I P L R S P S O F F D L F Q O U

W L S F P S T R E A P O L L O A C U Y R

N A R G O N A U T S T L L L I O N S Y I

X V N E B S Z L N G C A D U C E U S J P

X T F S U X N B N E N B C J X A S E R T

Y Z Y D V P E O I M S Y Q V Q I T T Q I

M K E K B R D P N R S R E F D B Y V B D

S M K K A I E X E I N I U F C V X W A E

K F I K E Y C H R V X N Z M L L L I P F

Y A T S O V T I D L U T S E K H M E T I

L R O T J O S C O J J H Q K V Y S L J L

G P U T R O B G L J D P L Y L O S C P X

E L A B Q F T K J F L G V B U J A X B B

P C R Z O T T V B U L L D F C J L D E Y

D C C N V K G H H Q F U K R J R V P H M

RIPTIDE

HADES

PLUTO

OSIRIS

RICK RIORDAN

POSEIDON

NEPTUNE

ZEUS

JUPITER

BROTHERS

STYX

CAT

SET

MEDUSA

BULL

APOLLO

SEKHMET

CADUCEUS

ARGONAUTS

SIRENS

LION

ARES

MARS

PERSEUS

LABYRINTH

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F P P Y N V H A D E S M Z J U P I T E R

D A E N H R Z L S H I C N R N O M O B K

X R R R I C K R I O R D A N Q D N T D O

K E S N G K A Z O P E W T M J I U W N W

N S E S E M F V G U N O T N S Z E U S R

V G U U I P L R S P S O F F D L F Q O U

W L S F P S T R C A P O L L O A C U Y R

N A R G O N A U T S T L L L I O N S Y I

X V N E B S Z L N G C A D U C E U S J P

X T F S U X N B N E N B C J X A S E R T

Y Z Y D V P E O I M S Y Q V Q I T T Q I

M K E K B R D P N R S R E F D B Y V B D

S M K K A I E X E I N I U F C V X W A E

K F I K E Y C H R V X N Z M L L L I P F

Y A T S O V T I D L U T S E K H M E T I

L R O T J O S C O J J H Q K V Y S L J L

G P U T R O B G L J D P L Y L O S C P X

E L A B Q F T K J F L G V B U J A X B B

P C R Z O T T V B U L L D F C J L D E Y

D C C N V K G H H Q F U K R J R V P H M

WORDSEARCH ANSWERS

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5. LOOKING AT GREEK HEROES

Choose from the list of Greek Heroes below and complete the Research Sheet

❊ HERCULES ❊ ACHILLES ❊ THESEUS ❊ ODYSSEUS ❊ JASON ❊ BELLEROPHON ❊ ORPHEUS

Name:

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6. GREEK HERO: SOCIAL MEDIA PROFILE

Using your research, create a social media profile for your chosen hero using the template! As an

extension, create a friends list and a reel of photos!

Profile Inbox Friends

fakebook

Basic information

Birthday:

From:

Work / Studies at:

Groups

Recently visited

Events

Recent

Upcoming

Wall Info Photos

Update Status

Recent Activity

About Me

Likes

Quotes

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7. MODERN GOD PROFILE

Create an appropriate name for your own modern-day god using interesting nouns, adverbs or

adjectives. Think about the names of Greek Gods you’ve read about for inspiration.

Complete a God Profile for your character using the template below.

Name:

Appearance:

Gender:

Occupation:

Weaknesses:

Birthplace:

Strengths:

Mugshot: About me:

Likes/Dislikes:

Special features/Powers:

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8. MODERN MYTHS

Use the planning sheet below to start drafting your myth inspired by Ancient Greece! Your plan

should include a beginning, middle and ending, an interesting setting, a hero, and a monster!

THE QUEST: BEGINNING

SETTING

THE QUEST: MIDDLE

THE HERO

THE QUEST: ENDING

THE MONSTER

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CAPTURE THE FLAG GAME

Based on the game played at Camp Half-Blood in

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

by Rick Riordan.

YOU WILL NEED

• Eight or more people divided into two teams

• Twoﬂags

• Open space

• A physical marker of the central border line – if there are no natural dividing lines, a string

line or even a chalk line along the ground or a line of backpacks or mats, branches or

cones could also work well.

• A map that marks the location of each team’s prison

area and the central border line between both

teams’ territory. See example on the left.

The objective of the two-team

game is to be the team that

nds and captures the ag from

the opposing team and brings it

back to their own territory.

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CAPTURE THE FLAG GAME

RULES

1. Bothteamshavetoensuretheirﬂagis‘prominentlydisplayed’whichmeansthatitcannotbe

buried out of sight or covered, and opposition members should be able to grab it as they run

past, so it cannot be tied down or wedged tightly.

2. Nomorethantwopeoplecanstandguardovertheﬂag.

3. Atnotimeduringthegamecantheﬂagbemovedbythehometeamoncetheyhavepositionedit.

4. One-handed tagging is the only counterattack allowed – there must not be any form of

aggressive physical attack and absolutely no binding or gagging prisoners.

5. If you are caught across the boundary line and tagged by a member of the opposite team, you

are taken prisoner and put into their prison area.

6. You can only get out of prison if a teammate tags you out, without getting caught themselves.

If your teammate gets caught trying to free you, they must join you in the jail.

OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER

• Theﬂaghastobevisiblebutyoucouldpositionitsothatitisonlyinviewfrombehind–make

clever use of trees or other structures.

• Puttingtheﬂagnearyourjailmayleadtoaprisonerseeingitwhiletheywait,sokeepsome

distance between the two.

• Taking on roles within the team:

• A guard’s role is to patrol the boundary line and the rest of their territory. They need to be

readytotaganyonewhotheyﬁndhidingorsneakingontheirside.Theyalsoneedtotryto

prevent jailbreaks.

• Araider’sroleistosneakawayoroutrunguardsastheysearchfortheﬂag.Theywill

probably go to jail a number of times while searching, so other raiders need to take turns

saving them so that all the raiders don’t end up in jail at once.

• Onceaﬂagislocated,allprison-freeteammembersneedtobealertedandbepart

of a plan to capture it.

GOOD LUCK AND ENJOY!