Imagine this: you just wanted to heat up a slice of leftover pizza, but something went terribly wrong. As soon as you touched the microwave, you felt a jolt, saw sparks, and then everything went dark. You got an electric shock! Luckily, you’re okay, and there’s no fire in your apartment.
Shaken, you try to pour yourself a glass of water, but the glass feels heavier than usual. Even stranger, it’s now yellowish and not transparent. After examining it, you realize it looks like gold. Laughing at the idea, you take the glass to a jewelry appraiser. To your amazement, the appraiser confirms it’s made of pure gold, though they mention it’s a bit strange.
Back home, you start experimenting. You touch various objects like your sofa, bed, and silverware. To your surprise, a spoon in your hand turns into gold! Your ability works, but not always. Still, you dream of becoming rich, imagining vacations and a dream house.
However, as time passes, you notice you turn things into gold more frequently. Soon, it happens every third time you touch something, and eventually, everything you touch becomes gold. At first, you celebrate, but then you realize the downside. How will you cook, sleep, or even walk your dog?
Your situation reminds you of the myth of King Midas, who wished for everything he touched to turn into gold. His wish was granted, but it turned out to be a curse. You start to worry about accidentally turning your dog or a friend into gold.
Panicking, you remember a scientist friend who might help. After her initial shock, she creates a pair of special gloves for you. These gloves prevent your touch from turning things into gold. Your life becomes both easier and more challenging as you learn to do everything while wearing gloves.
One sunny day, while at the park, your dog runs around playfully. Your hand itches inside the glove, and you decide to take it off. Just then, your dog crashes into you, and you fall, touching the ground with your gloveless hand. Golden waves spread from your touch, turning everything into gold.
Suddenly, you’re floating in the air. The entire planet is turning into gold, causing it to shrink rapidly. The Earth becomes smaller, and you feel like you’re in a falling elevator. You see water droplets floating and realize the oceans have turned to gold too.
As the planet shrinks, it reaches a size where it stops collapsing. You should have crashed to the ground, but mysteriously, you don’t. However, you realize the dire situation: no food, no water, and no atmosphere. The planet’s core heats up like a star, and eventually, Earth will become a shiny ball of gold in space.
Standing in a vast golden plain, your mind is filled with questions and no answers. What started as a strange ability has led to a catastrophic change, leaving you to ponder the consequences of your golden touch.
Imagine you have the golden touch. Write a short script and perform a skit with your classmates, showing how you would handle everyday situations with this ability. Think about the challenges and solutions you might encounter.
Draw a comic strip that illustrates the story of the golden touch. Use your creativity to depict key moments and unexpected consequences. Share your comic with the class and discuss the moral of the story.
Conduct a simple experiment to explore how metals conduct electricity. Use a battery, wires, and different metal objects to see which ones allow electricity to pass through. Discuss how this relates to the story and the concept of electricity.
Participate in a class debate about the advantages and disadvantages of having immense wealth. Consider the story’s lesson and how wealth can impact life positively and negatively. Prepare arguments for both sides.
Write an alternate ending to the story where the protagonist finds a different solution to the golden touch problem. Share your ending with the class and discuss how it changes the story’s message.
Gold – A shiny, yellow metal that is a good conductor of electricity and is often used in electronics and jewelry. – Gold is used in many electronic devices because it conducts electricity very well.
Touch – The act of coming into contact with something, which can affect how it feels or behaves. – When you touch a metal object, it can feel cold because it conducts heat away from your hand.
Scientist – A person who studies or has expert knowledge in one or more of the natural or physical sciences. – The scientist conducted an experiment to test the effects of gravity on different objects.
Experiment – A scientific procedure undertaken to test a hypothesis or demonstrate a known fact. – In the experiment, the students measured how fast different materials fall to the ground.
Ability – The capacity to do something or perform a task effectively. – The ability of a magnet to attract iron is a fundamental concept in physics.
Curse – A harmful effect or result that seems to be caused by a supernatural force, often used metaphorically in science to describe a negative outcome. – The scientist joked that the “curse” of the experiment was the unexpected reaction that ruined their results.
Planet – A celestial body that orbits a star, is spherical, and has cleared its orbit of other debris. – Earth is the third planet from the Sun and is unique for its abundant water and life.
Water – A transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, essential for all known forms of life. – Water covers about 71% of Earth’s surface and is vital for all living organisms.
Atmosphere – The layer of gases surrounding a planet, held in place by gravity, which can affect weather and climate. – Earth’s atmosphere is composed mainly of nitrogen and oxygen, which are crucial for life.
Consequences – The results or effects of an action or condition, often used to describe outcomes in scientific experiments. – The consequences of mixing the chemicals were unexpected, leading to a new discovery.
