Starter quiz
- What was the main source of food for poor Victorians?
- meat and fish
- bread and potatoes ✓
- fruit and vegetables
- cakes and pastries
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- What luxury item was often a sign of wealth during Christmas in the Victorian era?
- sugar ✓
- milk
- spices ✓
- vegetables
- exotic fruits ✓
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- The Cratchit family in 'A Christmas Carol' represents ...
- the wealthy elite.
- the middle class.
- the struggling working class. ✓
- landowners.
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- The Victorian wealthy class typically lived in ...
- small, crowded homes.
- grand houses with servants. ✓
- cottages near factories.
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- Which of the following best describes imagery?
- dialogue between characters
- descriptive language appealing to the senses ✓
- words with multiple meanings
- repetition of words
-
- What is the theme of a text?
- the main topic or underlying message ✓
- the setting of the story
- the length of the story
- the number of characters in the story
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Exit quiz
- What is the 'class divide'?
- the differences between genders in society
- the gap between social classes based on wealth, status and opportunity ✓
- the division between rural and urban areas
- the separation of people based on their age
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- Which of these is a synonym for modest?
- humble ✓
- extravagant
- resilient
- dilapidated
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- Which of the following groups does Dickens portray as celebrating Christmas despite poverty in 'A Christmas Carol'?
- the Christmas shoppers
- the miners ✓
- the grocers
- the lighthouse keepers ✓
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- Complete this sentence: 'Through 'A Christmas Carol', Dickens implies the rich should focus less on ______ and more on showing compassion to those in need.'
- family
- charity
- material wealth ✓
- education
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- Complete this sentence about Stave 3 of 'A Christmas Carol': 'The Christmas shopping scene at the grocer's focuses on ______.'
- loneliness and isolation
- poverty and sadness
- excess and abundance ✓
- compassion and charity
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- Complete this sentence about 'A Christmas Carol': 'Dickens implies that poorer people are ultimately happier than wealthy people because ...'
- they value relationships and community over material wealth ✓
- they have no responsibilities or worries
- they can enjoy life's simple pleasures ✓
- wealthy people like to feel sorry for themselves
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Worksheet
Presentation
Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Christmas for wealthy Victorians was a time of extravagant parties, feasts and gift giving.
- Poorer people often had to work at Christmas for little money so Christmas was a time of simple, modest celebrations.
- Dickens depicts wealthy Victorians as materialistic and oblivious to the struggles of others.
- Dickens suggests poor people are happier than the wealthy because they are able to appreciate simple pleasures.
- He arguably does this to urge wealthy readers to focus less on wealth and show compassion to those in need.
Common misconception
Dickens aims to shame his wealthy readers into showing compassion by demonstrating that poor people cannot enjoy Christmas because of the poverty they are forced to live in.
While Dickens does use the novella to encourage his readers to show compassion, his depictions of poor people do show them enjoying Christmas. In fact, we could argue poorer characters seem happier because they are able to enjoy simple pleasures.
Keywords
Modest - humble or moderate in amount, size or quality; not extravagant or overly showy
Social class - a division of society based on economic status, wealth, occupation and social standing
Class divide - the gap between different social classes, often marked by inequality in wealth and opportunity
Symbolise - to represent or stand for something, often through a symbol, action or object
Excess - an amount beyond what is necessary or reasonable; overindulgence or surplus