Dickens and A Christmas Carol

What is a drama? Characteristics? How do you know? What can dramas tell us that books cannot?

Introduction You are about to read an adaptation of the classic novel, A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. As you read, you will come across some strange items, so before you begin, here’s a chance to become an expert on Dickens’s life and the Victorian times in which he lived.

Tasks Answer the following questions/complete the following tasks. Answer in note form (not complete sentences). You will be creating a probe (to be discussed later) using the information you have acquired so be thorough in your research.

Task #1 Read the biography of Charles Dickens and write down at least 5 facts from his life. Make sure they are relevant and important facts. /dickensbio1.html

Task #2 Visit this website and select 5 or more events in Charles Dickens’s life. Place the events on a timeline in correct order. Make sure the facts are spread throughout his life (do NOT just use the first 5!). nsbio2.html

Task #3 Tiny Tim was a little boy who had an illness which made it difficult for him to walk without a crutch. What disease did he have? Describe his illness. (Hint: scroll down to Tiny Tim’s Ailment) l

Task #4 Plum Pudding and Smoking Bishop are two dishes mentioned in the story. Choose 1 and describe the dish (include ingredients, how it is made, etc.). l (scroll down in the right hand column)

Task #5 In the Victorian era, coins were called pound, shilling, and pence. Scrooge paid his workers 15 shilling a week. What could you buy with that? Scroll down to find “Fifteen Bob a week”.

Task #6 When Scrooge is asked to donate money to the poor, he refuses and asks, “Are there no prisons? And Union Workhouses?” What is a Union Workhouse? What was it like? What did they eat?

Task #7 Create a list of at least 5 hardships that child laborers (Working Children) faced during Victorian times. labour-in-victorian-england.html

Conclusion Check to see that all questions were answered thoroughly. Put your name on your note sheet. Turn in your note sheet to the class stack.