Lesson flow
Opening Hook
Start with a quick discussion on what greed means and ask students if they have ever wanted something so much that it led to a negative outcome.
Story Exploration
Read "The Woman and Her Hen" aloud. After reading, have students summarize the story in their own words and identify the key events.
Analysis Exercises
Divide students into small groups. Ask them to discuss the motivations of the woman and the hen. Each group will then present their thoughts on how greed impacted the story's outcome.
Application/Reflection
Ask students to reflect on their own experiences with greed. They can write a short paragraph about a time they wanted something too much and what happened as a result.
Assessment Strategy
Conduct a quick quiz or a thumbs-up/thumbs-down activity to assess understanding of the moral and key points discussed during the lesson.
STORY OVERVIEW
- Title and moral/theme: The Woman and Her Hen; Moral: Greed can lead to loss; seeking more can result in having nothing.
- Plot summary: A woman owns a hen that lays one egg daily. Driven by her greed, she decides to feed the hen extra barley to make it lay more eggs. Instead, her actions lead to the hen becoming fat and stopping egg production altogether.
- Key characters:
- The Woman: Represents greed and the desire for more than what is sufficient.
- The Hen: Symbolizes the consequences of greed, as it stops laying eggs when overfed.
LESSON FUNDAMENTALS
- Learning Objectives:
- Students will identify the moral of the story.
- Students will analyze the characters' motivations and consequences of their actions.
- Students will discuss the implications of greed in real life.
- Students will create their own short story reflecting a moral lesson.
- Discussion Questions:
- What does the woman’s desire for more eggs teach us about greed?
- How did the woman's actions affect her hen and her situation?
- Can you think of a time when wanting more led to a negative outcome in your life?
- Required Materials:
- Copies of the story "The Woman and Her Hen"
- Whiteboard and markers
- Paper and writing utensils for students
Original text available on the story page.