This Key Stage 2 lesson on the myth of King Midas is a carefully crafted resource designed to deliver essential Evidence-Based Learning (EBL) skills within a captivating story framework. It enables pupils to engage with the myth’s themes and structure while building crucial learning skills, making it an ideal tool for any KS2 teacher aiming to enrich their curriculum.
Key Features:
– Engaging with Myth: The lesson centres around the story of King Midas, emphasising key elements such as character motivation, moral lessons, and the influence of the gods. Pupils will explore how myths convey lessons through a narrative, specifically the pitfalls of greed and the importance of thoughtful choices, with relatable activities like summarising key plot points and analysing the character’s transformation.
– Development of EBL Skills:
– Collaboration: Pupils work in pairs to discuss and answer questions about the myth, enhancing their ability to articulate and justify their thoughts, while promoting cooperative problem-solving.
– Thinking Skills: The lesson includes a range of higher and lower-order questions on the myth’s content, encouraging critical analysis and comprehension. Pupils engage in tasks like identifying features of myths, connecting these features to the Midas story, and synthesising their understanding into concise responses.
– Peer Assessment: A structured peer assessment activity allows pupils to evaluate each other’s work constructively. By assessing a peer’s responses or written myth, pupils reflect on quality and provide supportive feedback, reinforcing the lesson’s learning goals and fostering a culture of shared improvement.
– Independent Learning and Metacognition: Pupils complete an independent learning activity to reinforce the myth’s moral, encouraging personal reflection on the story’s lesson about greed. The metacognitive task prompts pupils to think about how they approach activities and what strategies help them remember the material, making them more aware of their learning processes.
– Creative Writing Application: A collaborative writing task allows pupils to create a modern myth inspired by King Midas, such as a story about a football player who wishes to score every goal. This activity develops creativity, narrative skills, and application of myth structures while allowing pupils to imagine how the classic theme of “be careful what you wish for” could be relevant today.
Five-Minute CPD Activity for Teachers:
The resource includes a concise professional development activity focusing on peer assessment. Drawing from educational research, this CPD activity helps teachers reflect on the benefits of peer feedback and guides them in implementing it effectively in the classroom. It includes a checklist to assess the success of peer assessment within the lesson, helping teachers identify any areas for improvement.
This lesson offers a balanced approach, combining literacy and moral exploration with evidence-based learning strategies, making it an invaluable resource for developing independent, reflective, and collaborative learners. With minimal preparation required, it is a robust addition to a KS2 curriculum, aligning with core educational objectives while engaging pupils in meaningful, skill-focused learning.
