Starter quiz
- What figure does the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come most resemble in 'A Christmas Carol'?
- Father Christmas
- Jack Frost
- Jesus Christ
- The Grim Reaper ✓
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- Starting with the first, put the scenes that the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come shows Scrooge in stave 4 of 'A Christmas Carol' in chronological order.
- 1⇔the businessmen's conversations about a dead man
- 2⇔Mrs. Dilber and her criminal accomplices in the beetling shop
- 3⇔the 'uncared for' dead body
- 4⇔the aftermath of the death of Tiny Tim
- Why doesn't the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come speak in 'A Christmas Carol'?
- because it's disgusted by Scrooge's attitude so doesn't want to speak to him
- because this allows Dickens to make it a more threatening presence ✓
- because it has nothing to teach Scrooge so doesn't feel the need to speak
- because this means that Scrooge has to interpret its lessons for himself ✓
- because it represents Scrooge's silence in the past about social issues
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- What do we know about Scrooge's little sister Fan in 'A Christmas Carol'?
- They didn't have a close relationship.
- She died as a young adult. ✓
- She was impoverished and disabled.
- They shared a very close relationship. ✓
- She was the only family member Scrooge had.
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- What is the opening line of 'A Christmas Carol'?
- "A merry Christmas Uncle!"
- Oh! but he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone.
- Little Fan had died: seven years ago.
- Marley was dead; to begin with. ✓
- It was a cold December night in the counting house.
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- What method does Dickens use in stave 4 of 'A Christmas Carol' to slowly reveal the identity of the anonymous dead man?
- mirroring
- extended metaphor
- foreshadowing ✓
- symbolism
- allegory
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Exit quiz
- Which is the first death mentioned in 'A Christmas Carol?'
- little Fan's
- Marley's ✓
- Scrooge's
- Tiny Tim's
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- Which of the following deaths does Scrooge react compassionately to in 'A Christmas Carol'?
- his own death ✓
- the death of Marley
- the death of little Fan
- the death of Tiny Tim ✓
- the death of the anonymous man ✓
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- Which of the following definitions is the correct one for 'repression'?
- the feeling of not being bothered by something
- being exceptionally harsh and cruel
- a person's happiness, health and wellbeing
- when emotions are pushed down and ignored ✓
- the process of investing in one's community
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- Complete the quotation from Stave 4 of 'A Christmas Carol': "unwatched, unwept, ______ for, was the body of this man."
- 'uncared' ✓
- What do the deaths in stave 3 and 4 of 'A Christmas Carol' teach Scrooge?
- the value of human life ✓
- the importance of wealth and possessions
- the importance of a sense of humour
- how important it is to live a fulfilling and moral life ✓
- how widespread and brutal poverty is
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- What did Dickens believe our purpose in life was?
- to make as many friends as possible to leave a lasting legacy
- to make as much money as possible so we can donate it
- to contribute to the welfare and happiness of others ✓
- to eradicate poverty and criminality
- to speak to others and understand what they go through
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Worksheet
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Scrooge’s reactions to the first two deaths in the novella are callous - he represses his emotions.
- Over the course of the novella, Scrooge learns the value of individual human life, so is more affected by the deaths.
- Through Tiny Tim’s death, Scrooge recognises that the "surplus population" are, in fact, human beings worthy of life.
- Scrooge recognises the importance of living a fulfilling life and contributing positively to the welfare of others.
- Dickens emphasises that having a positive impact on others doesn’t always require money, it requires compassion/empathy.
Common misconception
Pupils think that Dickens is solely emphasising the value of human life.
Dickens is also emphasising the importance of what we do with our lives - how we use them to enrich other people's human experience.
Keywords
Indifferent - If you are indifferent to something, you are not bothered about it.
Callous - Someone callous is exceptionally harsh and cruel.
To repress - If you repress your emotions, you push them to the back of your mind and try to ignore them.
Welfare - A person’s welfare is their happiness, health and wellbeing.
Social responsibility - Somebody who believes in social responsibility invests in their community and supports those in need.
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