Learning about the context of 'A Christmas Carol' | English

Starter quiz

True or False? Britain has only ever had one king or queen.
- True
- False ✓
Match the word with its antonym.
- rich
  
  ⇔
  
  poor ✓
- silly
  
  ⇔
  
  serious ✓
- noisy
  
  ⇔
  
  quiet ✓
How is a novel different to a short story?
- It is non-fiction.
- It is longer. ✓
- It contains illustrations.
What is a suitable definition of an adapted text?
- changing the story completely
- when an original story has been changed to fit into a different form or format ✓
- a longer fictional text with illustrations to support understanding
Which of the following things did not exist 200 years ago?
- television ✓
- horses and carts
- money
- mobile phones ✓
What is the most suitable definition of the term grumpy?
- when you feel very tired
- not wanting to help others
- being in a bad mood or being easily irritated ✓
- feeling full of life and energetic

When was Charles Dickens born?
- 1218
- 1812 ✓
- 1912
- 2012
Which of these did Charles Dickens write? Select two.
- 'A Christmas Carol' ✓
- 'Oliver Twist' ✓
- 'The BFG'
- 'The Odyssey'
Match the key words to their definition.
- Victorian era
  
  ⇔
  
  the period of time during which Queen Victoria was on the throne ✓
- context
  
  ⇔
  
  the background information from a particular period ✓
- poverty
  
  ⇔
  
  the state of being extremely poor ✓
- contrast
  
  ⇔
  
  significant difference between one thing and another ✓
Where does Chapter 1 of 'A Christmas Carol' take place?
- the park
- Scrooge's counting house ✓
- Fred's front room
What are some likely impressions that readers might make about Scrooge?
- Scrooge has lots friends.
- Scrooge had a nice childhood.
- Scrooge has been hurt at some point in his life. ✓
- Scrooge has lots of money. ✓
True or False? Streets in Victorian London were clean and calm.
- True
- False ✓

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Charles Dickens lived during the Victorian era.
He was a very popular author who often represented the contrast between the rich and the poor.
He wrote ‘A Christmas Carol’ in 1843.
It is set on the lively, bustling streets of Victorian London.
‘A Christmas Carol’ features a character called Scrooge. He is unkind and he doesn’t like Christmas.

Pupils may not have much knowledge or understanding of the Victorian era.

Prior to this lesson, provide an opportunity for pupils to conduct research into the Victorian era and what life was like for people at that time.

Victorian era - In British history, The Victorian era is the period of time during which Queen Victoria was on the throne (1837 - 1901).
Context - Historical context refers to the background information that existed at a specific period in history.
Poverty - Poverty is the state of being extremely poor.
Contrast - Contrast is significant difference between one thing and another.