Greek Myths Series Audio Lesson E04 Echo and Narcissus | Greek Mythology

This lesson is E04 within the Greek Myths Series. These are curriculum-style audio mini-lessons built for real classrooms, with ready-to-use assessments that line up with ELA and social studies literacy standards. Press play, then discuss or assign the flexible worksheet and assessments—no extra prep.

Myth Focus: The loss of Echo’s voice, Narcissus’s destructive vanity, and Nemesis’s fitting retribution, showing how misused gifts and selfish pride can harm both the speaker and the silent.

Key Figures: Echo | Narcissus | Juno | Nemesis | Liriope | Tiresias | Jupiter

Big Idea: The myth of Echo and Narcissus shows that when people use their gifts selfishly and treat others without empathy, they can become trapped in their own pride, leaving behind only faint echoes and fragile warnings for those who come after them.

This stand-alone episode, “Echo and Narcissus,” takes students into the glades, caves, and hidden pools of ancient Greece, where a stolen voice and a deadly pride collide. Students hear how Echo’s eloquence is twisted into a curse, how Narcissus’s vanity pushes away every admirer, and how Nemesis designs a retribution that fits his cruelty exactly. Along the way, they grapple with unreturned love, the danger of loving only one’s own image, and how myths use echoes and flowers to carry warnings about pride and empathy.

Perfect for upper elementary and middle school ELA, listening centers, morning meeting, sub plans, early finishers, or intervention/ELL—with built-in vocabulary, discussion prompts, and multiple ways to show understanding.

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[FREE DOWNLOAD] Audio Lesson E01 Daedalus and Icarus | Greek Mythology

What’s included

• MP3 episode (10–15 minutes)
• Teacher’s guide and answer key (PDF/DOCX)
• CCSS alignment section for Grades 6–8 and CCRA (also suitable for Grades 9–12 depending on your classroom needs)
• Themes & discussion prompts: 5 open-ended themes designed for whole-class or small-group talk
• One-page graphic organizer (cause & effect)
• 5 SAT-level vocabulary words in context
• Short answer questions (1–5): focused on recall and basic reasoning
• Challenge questions (6–12): focused on application, inference, creative response, historical connection, and civic/modern connection
• 20-question multiple-choice self-graded exit quiz

What makes Greek Mythology Audio Lessons different?

• Short on time, big on thinking: each episode is a complete myth mini-lesson in about 11–15 minutes of audio, built around one clear mythic moment and its consequences.
• Designed for listening stations and full-class use: calm pacing, clear vocabulary, and printable supports that work whether you play it whole-class or at a single Chromebook station.
• Flexible assessments, one myth at a time: from verbal discussion to organized notes, from short answers to multiple-choice, you can scale rigor up or down without rewriting materials.
• Offline-friendly: load the MP3 to an old phone, tablet, or computer and use it even if Wi-Fi is unreliable.

Classroom use ideas

Whole-class lesson

• Press play during ELA or humanities, pausing at key moments to answer the short answer questions.
• Use the Main Ideas & Themes questions to get hands in the air and push students beyond simple plot summary.
• Have students complete the graphic organizer and/or worksheet individually or in pairs.

Listening center / stations

• One device + headphones + worksheet = an independent mythology station.
• Great for early finishers, small-group rotations, or mixed-level classes where some students need more listening practice.

Make-up lesson / home learning

• Send the audio and worksheet home for students who missed the lesson.
• They can listen once, fill in the organizer and questions, and come back ready to join discussion.

What to expect

• Fits real schedules: use in a single class period, during morning meeting, as a station, or as a ready-made sub plan.
• Micro-lesson design: one episode, one big myth, clearly explained with built-in vocabulary and structured follow-up.
• Easy to use: audio, teacher’s guide, discussion prompts, graphic organizer, short-answer and challenge questions, and a 20-question MC quiz are all aligned and ready to print.
• Differentiated assessment: verbal (discussion), visual (graphic organizer), written (short answer and challenge), and recognition-based (MC quiz) options built around the same core story.
• No internet required: download once; play anywhere.

If you’re looking for an engaging, classroom-ready way to explore voice, vanity, and justice in Greek mythology, this Episode 4 “Echo and Narcissus” audio lesson gives you a complete, offline-ready mini-lesson. Students not only follow what happens to Echo and Narcissus—they also think hard about pride, empathy, and what remains when someone’s voice is taken away.