Perseus and Medusa: read-along
Perseus and Medusa as a read-along for the projector: 18 pages, 1944 words, level 13, grade 8.
Page 1 of 18
Long ago, in the Greek city of Argos, there ruled a king named Acrisius who was terribly afraid of the future. An oracle, a priestess who could foresee what was coming, had warned him that one day his own grandson would cause his death. So when his daughter Danae gave birth to a baby boy named Perseus, the frightened king ordered his carpenters to build an enormous wooden chest. He placed Danae and the infant inside, nailed down the lid, and pushed the chest out onto the open sea, hoping that the currents would carry them far away and that he would never see either of them again.
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
- 18 pages, 1944 words, about 14 minutes aloud
- A classic tale, a little spooky
Related
About Perseus and Medusa
A fisherman's foster son promises a wicked king the head of Medusa, whose stare turns people to stone. With a mirror-bright shield, winged sandals and a cap that makes him invisible, Perseus flies to the edge of the world.
Words to preview
- Gorgon (GOR-gun)
- snake-haired monster
- reflection (rih-FLEK-shun)
- mirror picture
- invisible (in-VIZ-uh-bul)
- cannot be seen
- oracle (OR-uh-kul)
- fortune teller
- petrified (PET-ruh-fyde)
- turned to stone
- boastful (BOHST-ful)
- bragging
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 Perseus and Medusa take to read aloud?
It has 18 pages and 1944 words, so about 14 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 Perseus and Medusa?
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.