In this activity, students will identify a theme and support the theme with evidence from the text. One theme is greed.
In the fable, Midas already has more gold than any other King, but he still wants more. After being warned that he would not be happy with his wish, he doesn’t hesitate or consider the possible results. The morning after meeting the fairy, he awakes eagerly to test out his powers; the King turns his bed, chair, table, and food into gold. It’s not until he turns his own daughter into gold that he realizes the price of his greed.
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that identifies a theme in King Midas' Golden Touch. Give three examples from the text. Illustrate and write a short description below each cell.
Foster a class discussion about the real-life impacts of greed by connecting King Midas's choices to students' experiences. Encourage them to share times when wanting more led to problems, and use open-ended questions to deepen understanding.
Invite students to relate events from King Midas's story to their own lives. Ask questions like, 'Have you ever wanted something so much that it caused a problem?' to help them build personal connections and empathy.
Display images or create simple drawings showing key moments in the story, such as Midas turning objects into gold. This helps visual learners grasp the consequences of his actions more clearly.
Organize a short role-play where students act out scenes from the story, focusing on Midas's choices. Guide them to discuss what could have happened if he made different decisions, reinforcing the lesson about greed.
The main theme of King Midas and the Golden Touch is the danger of greed. The story teaches that valuing wealth above all else can lead to negative consequences and personal loss.
Students can identify the theme by looking for repeated ideas or lessons in the story, such as how Midas’s desire for more gold affects him and those around him. Using specific examples, like when he turns his daughter to gold, helps support their ideas.
Three examples are: 1) Midas wishes for everything he touches to turn to gold, 2) he ignores warnings about his wish and is excited to test his new power, 3) he accidentally turns his daughter into gold, realizing the cost of his greed.
An easy activity is to have students create a storyboard that shows three scenes from the story representing the theme. They can draw or use images, then write short descriptions explaining each example of greed.
Understanding the theme of greed helps students recognize how actions and choices have consequences. It encourages them to think critically about what really matters in life, beyond material wealth.