Excalibur and the Lady of the Lake: read-along
Excalibur and the Lady of the Lake as a read-along for the projector: 11 pages, 1425 words, level 13, grade 8.
Page 1 of 11
King Arthur was resting in the Forest of Usk on a warm spring afternoon, surrounded by his knights, when a wounded stranger rode out of the trees with his head hanging on his chest. He came from a distant country, his young page explained, and had been seeking adventure when three golden-haired women, tossing a golden ball on a lawn, had pointed him toward a stone bridge across a river. On the bridge hung a black shield with a brass hammer beside it, and a warning in red letters: whoever struck the shield did so at his peril. The knight had struck it, and a giant in black armor had ridden out of the castle beyond and hurled him from his horse. Then the black knight had hung the stranger's shield on an apple tree, and gone inside without a backward look.
Keys: ← → or Page Up and Page Down turn the page, Space starts and pauses the voice, Home and End jump, F fills the screen. Tapping the right side of a page goes on; the left side goes back.
How to use it
- Press Full screen (F) to put the book on the projector.
- Press Read to me (Space), or read it yourself and turn pages with the arrow keys or a tap. Pick the Pace that suits the class.
- After the last page, three questions come up to talk about.
About this book
- Level 13, Grade 8
- 11 pages, 1425 words, about 11 minutes aloud
- A classic tale, a little spooky
Related
About Excalibur and the Lady of the Lake
King Arthur picks a fight with a giant knight at a bridge, and loses so badly that he nearly dies. A wizard and a woman in a lake offer him a second chance, and a sword that no one has ever managed to take.
Words to preview
- peril (PAIR-ul)
- danger
- hermit (HUR-mit)
- person who lives alone
- scabbard (SKAB-urd)
- sheath for a sword
- mercy (MUR-see)
- kindness to an enemy
- reproach (ree-PROHCH)
- blame
Questions that fit any book
- What happened at the beginning, in the middle and at the end?
- Which page was your favorite? Why?
- How did the main character feel at the end? What tells you?
Questions
How long does Excalibur and the Lady of the Lake take to read aloud?
It has 11 pages and 1425 words, so about 11 minutes at the Steady pace and a little less at Quick. If you stop to talk on the way, plan for more.
What reading level is Excalibur and the Lady of the Lake?
Level 13, Grade 8. The library numbers its levels from 0 to 18 and puts the level of a book on its cover; level 13 sits at grade 8. A level is a guide for choosing, so look at the pages yourself.
Whose voice is it?
Your browser's own. Read to me uses a speaking voice already on the computer, so it sounds like that computer and works without a sign-in. Voices differ: some light each word as it is spoken, and some do not, in which case the highlight follows a steady pace instead. Some browsers use an online voice; if yours does, the browser, not us, sends the words of the page to its speech service. If no voice is installed, turn the pages and read it aloud yourself.
Do students need an account?
No. Nothing is asked of anyone and nothing is sent to us. Project the page, or share the link and let students open it on their own screens.
Is this the original text?
No. It is a retelling in Peabody's own words at this reading level, so it may differ from the edition you know.
Nothing you do here is sent to us. The voice is your browser's own. No sign-in, no ads.