1. A Christmas Carol
Lesson 1: Introduction

2. Lesson Objectives
At the end of this lesson we know who Charles Dickens was, and what life was like in England during his lifetime.

3. Who is Dickens?
What do you know about Charles Dickens?

4. A Brief History on Charles Dickens
Please click here to watch a clip about Charles Dickens.

5. Life in Dickensian England
In your table groups, discuss the following questions:
What do you suppose life was like for the average child during Charles Dickens lifetime?
How would things be different from our lives now?
Let’s share our ideas with the class, and compile a group answer.

6. Life in Dickensian England would have been...

7. Would you survive?
Please click here to play an interactive game about surviving in Dickensian England.

8. Could you survive life in Dickensian England?!

9. Researching
If you were asked to do a research project, what steps would you take in conducting your research? 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)
6) and so on......

10. Note taking
Taking clear and efficient notes is very important when conducting research.
You want to be able to know what your main points are, and then be able to back them up with details.

11. Note taking
One thing to remember while taking notes is that you can copy down important ideas, but you should not cut and paste the text directly.
You must get into the habit of putting information into your own words.
Take point form notes. Do not copy word-for-word!
Copying and pasting is called plagiarism, and it is illegal. It can result in you getting a zero, and could get you into a lot of trouble.

12. Questions are due NEXT LESSON!
Plenary Task
Questions are due NEXT LESSON!
On your own, you are to conduct research into life in England in the 1800s.
Childhood/Family Life
Role of Men
Role of Women
Food/Diet
Health
Living conditions
London/City life
Crime
Leisure/Fun
Work/Jobs
You will be assigned three of the following topics to research.

13. Plenary
After compiling research notes, you are to create 5 trivia questions, in a ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ style (which means with four possible answers, only one of which is correct).
All questions, will be give to Miss Carson, who will then create a ‘Who Wants to be a Dickensiannaire’ style quiz.
We will complete the quiz, in teams, in a later lesson.

14. Lesson 2: Intro to the Story
A Christmas Carol
Lesson 2: Intro to the Story

15. Lesson Objectives
At the end of this lesson we will have made predictions about the text, and have started reading the first chapter.

16. In table groups, come up with a list of things that you typically associate with the following themes at Christmas:
Table 1 – Food
Table 2 – Drink
Table 3 – Entertainment
Table 4 – People
Table 5 – Plants
Table 6 – Weather
Table 7 – Animals
Table 8 – Gifts
Table 9 - Activities

17. Brewing coffee for my Dad, Gifts are taunting me!
With the list of things you’ve created as a group, come up with a haiku poem about Christmas.
What is a haiku?
It is a non-rhymed verse poem, conveying an image or feeling in two parts spread over three lines, usually with a seasonal reference.
There are 5 syllables in the first sentence,
7 in the second
and 5 again in the last sentence.
Waking up early,
Brewing coffee for my Dad,
Gifts are taunting me!

18. share some of our Christmas Haiku’s with the class!

19. What do you know about the story?
A Christmas Carol
What do you know about the story?

20. Scrooge What’s in a name?
What are your expectations of the following characters, based on their names:
Scrooge
What has the name ‘Scrooge’ become associated with, since Dickens created the character?
What does this tell us about the importance of the story we are about to read?

21. What’s in a name?
What are your expectations of the following characters, based on their names:
Marley

22. Cratchit What’s in a name?
What are your expectations of the following characters, based on their names:
Cratchit

23. Tiny Tim What’s in a name?
What are your expectations of the following characters, based on their names:
Tiny Tim

24. Chapter 1 As a class, read and listen to the text as read here
(link in to downloaded part )
As you are listening, highlight any unfamiliar words in your workbook.
Using a dictionary, try to find the definition of the words.
Why do you suppose you were unfamiliar with some of the words used by Dickens? What does this suggest about the English language?

25. Lesson 3: Characterization
A Christmas Carol
Lesson 3: Characterization

26. Lesson Objectives
At the end of this lesson we will have studied how Scrooge is described.

27. If LOVE were a person, what would he/she look like?
Characterization
Choose one of the following emotions, and write a description to embody the emotion as a person.
ANGER
If LOVE were a person, what would he/she look like?
PEACE
If GREED were a person, what would he/she look like?
If RAGE were a person, what would he/she look like?
JEALOUSY
HAPPINESS
CALM
STRESS
CHARITY
HONESTY
Be sure to include: Facial expressions and features, body shape and size, clothing, posture, body language and gestures.

28. Pay close attention to how Scrooge is described.
Let’s read!
Please follow along
Pay close attention to how Scrooge is described.

29. How is Scrooge described?
Looking back at the section of the text in which Scrooge is described, what sort of words are used? Let’s compile a class list here:

30. Task
Using the words used to describe Scrooge, and what we know of him from our reading so far, sketch an image of Scrooge in your workbooks.
Label him with the features described by Dickens.

31. Characterization
Last lesson we discussed how ‘Scrooge’ has now become linked with grumpiness and a dislike for Christmas. Therefore it can be said he personifies these type of characteristics.
How does Dickens effectively show us that Scrooge is a grumpy old miser in his description alone?

32. Plenary What is Scrooge’s attitude towards Christmas?
How can his attitude be linked to Victorian attitudes at the time?

33. A Christmas Carol
Lesson 4: Stave 1

34. Lesson Objectives
At the end of this lesson we will have written an empathetic response as Scrooge.

35. Create three questions that you would want to ask
Scrooge about his feelings at this point in the novel.
The encounter with his nephew?
How he feels in general about Christmas?
Ask the questions to SCROOGE!
Scrooge MUST give realistic answers based on evidence from the book!
About his general outlook on life?

36. Think (on your own): Pair: Scrooge
What three adjectives could you use to describe Scrooge best?
Pair:
Find two quotes that you could use from the book to support your points about Scrooge.

38. Follow along with the next section of the text.
Let’s read!
Follow along with the next section of the text.

39. I hate Christmas. Questions to consider
We stop reading as Scrooge is locking up the shop, and heading home.
Imagine what Scrooge would be thinking on his way home – about the events of the day; about Christmas; about his life.
Write a monologue as Scrooge, starting with…
I hate Christmas.

40. Plenary
Let’s have some volunteers read their monologues aloud.
Which monologues did you feel were most effective? What qualities did the effective monologues have?

41. A Christmas Carol
Lesson 5: Finish Stave 1

42. Lesson Objectives
At the end of this lesson we will have learnt what pathetic fallacy is, and commented on how Dickens creates tension and suspense in the novel.

43. What is pathetic fallacy?
Starter
What is pathetic fallacy?

44. Pathetic Fallacy
The treatment of inanimate objects as if they had human feelings, thought, or sensations.
For example:
 There has fallen a splendid tear     From the passion-flower at the gate.   She is coming, my dove, my dear;     She is coming, my life, my fate.   The red rose cries, "She is near, she is near;"     And the white rose weeps, "She is late;"   The larkspur listens, "I hear, I hear;"     And the lily whispers, "I wait."

45. Stave One
Let’s continue our reading of Stave One, up to the point with the knocker.
How is the knocker an example of pathetic fallacy?
Continue reading until the end of the Stave.

46. Questions to consider
How does Dickens build a sense of tension and suspense, prior to the appearance of Marley’s ghost?
What does Marley’s ghost look like? Sketch an image of Marley.
Why does he wear chains? What do the chains represent?

47. Questions to consider Is Marley happy in death? Why or why not?
What message does he have for Scrooge?
What message is Dickens trying to give to society?

48. ‘Mankind was my business, The common welfare was my business...’

49. Questions to consider
What prediction does Marley’s ghost make for Scrooge?
How does Scrooge react to the visit by Marley’s ghost?

50. Re-enactment For example…
In your table groups, re-read the last section of stave one (starting with the ringing of the bells).
As a group, write a script for the end of the stave. You should be sure to focus on sound effects that could be used to give dramatic effect to the action of the novel.
For example…
*The sound of bells ringing*
*Clanking sounds, as if chains are being dragged*
*The ghost emerges* Scrooge: “Its humbug still! I won’t believe it!”
*The ghost faces Scrooge*

51. One or two groups
Should perform their
script

52. What is Scrooge feeling at the end of Stave One?

53. Lesson 6: End of Stave One: Recap
A Christmas Carol
Lesson 6: End of Stave One: Recap

54. Lesson Objectives
At the end of this lesson we will have considered the type of narration used by Dickens, and compared a film adaptation of the story to the text.

55. First person narration
What does it mean?
The story is told by only one character at a time, who explicitly refers to him-or herself using words and phrases involving "I“ and/or "we”.

56. What advantages does first person narration provide?

57. Third person narration
What does it mean?
Each and every character is referred to by the narrator as "he", "she", "it", or "they“. The story is told from a ‘god-like’ point of view.

58. What advantage does third person narration provide?

59. What style of narration does Dickens use?

60. Mankind was my business, The common welfare was my business...’
Recap
What’s happened so far in the novel?
What is the purpose of Marley’s visit to Scrooge?
Consider the following quote  How could we devise a paragraph, using P.E.E. Around this quote?
Mankind was my business, The common welfare was my business...’
Complete handout entitled ‘Marley’s Ghost’

61. Question to Consider...
How does Dickens hook the reader into the story, in Stave One? What makes you want to read on?

62. A Close Analysis
Turn to page 9 of your text, and find where the text starts with ‘The door to Scrooge’s counting-house was open...’ and read to ‘Bah!’ said Scrooge, ‘Humbug!’
Write down in your books the impression the text gives you of:
Scrooge’s treatment of Cratchit
How Cratchit feels about his surroundings

63. A Close Analysis
Let’s recap Scrooge’s nephews arrival at the counting-house...
Return to page 9, where we left off. We’ll need one person to read all of the speeches made by Scrooge and one to read all the speeches made by Fred. We shall only read to page 10.
What impression does Dickens want you to get of Scrooge, based on his interaction with his nephew?

64. Text vs Film
How do you suppose a film version of the novel will differ from the text?
What could they illustrate effectively in a film?
What could the text give an audience, that a film version cannot?

65. sequence of the 1999 film version (up to the end of Stave One).
Watch the opening
sequence of the 1999 film version (up to the end of Stave One).

66. Charting the similarities and differences between the text and the film

67. Marley’s ghost
Let’s take a close look at how the ghost is described (page 17):
Marley in his pigtail, usual waistcoat, tights, and boots; the tassels on the latter bristling, like his pigtail, and his coat-skirts; and the hair upon his head. The chain he drew was clasped about his middle. It was long, and wound about him like a tail; and it was made (for Scrooge observed it closely) of cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds, and heavy purses wrought in steel. His body was transparent...he felt the chilling influence of its death-cold eyes, and marked the very texture of the folded kerchief bound about its head and chin...though the Ghost sat perfectly motionless, its hair, and skirts, and tassels were still agitated as by the hot vapour from an oven.

68. Plenary
Similarities
Differences
Marley’s ghost: Do you get a better impression of the horror of the ghost in the film or in the text? Why?

69. Homework
Be specific. You’ve taken notes on how various characters and events are described. Make reference to how Dickens described each character and how the film portrayed them.
Write a letter to David Jones, the director of this version of A Christmas Carol, stating whether or not you think he has done a good job of bringing the novel to life. You should comment on:
The good points:
Were there any things you felt the film did more effectively than the novel?
Setting, characters, the portrayal of emotion, special effects
The bad points:
Were there any things you felt the novel did more effectively than the film?
Setting, characters, the portrayal of emotion, special effects,