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Year 4

Learning about the context of 'A Christmas Carol'

I can discuss the author and context of ‘A Christmas Carol’.

New
New
Year 4

Learning about the context of 'A Christmas Carol'

I can discuss the author and context of ‘A Christmas Carol’.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

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

Keywords

  • 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.

Common misconception

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.

There are many different versions of the text that you can choose to read with your pupils. The additional materials in this lesson provides one version for you to use.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
True or False? Britain has only ever had one king or queen.
Correct Answer: False
Q2.
Match the word with its antonym.
Correct Answer:rich,poor

poor

Correct Answer:silly,serious

serious

Correct Answer:noisy,quiet

quiet

Q3.
How is a novel different to a short story?
It is non-fiction.
Correct answer: It is longer.
It contains illustrations.
Q4.
What is a suitable definition of an adapted text?
changing the story completely
Correct answer: when an original story has been changed to fit into a different form or format
a longer fictional text with illustrations to support understanding
Q5.
Which of the following things did not exist 200 years ago?
Correct answer: television
horses and carts
money
Correct answer: mobile phones
Q6.
What is the most suitable definition of the term grumpy?
when you feel very tired
not wanting to help others
Correct answer: being in a bad mood or being easily irritated
feeling full of life and energetic

6 Questions

Q1.
When was Charles Dickens born?
1218
Correct answer: 1812
1912
2012
Q2.
Which of these did Charles Dickens write? Select two.
Correct answer: 'A Christmas Carol'
Correct answer: 'Oliver Twist'
'The BFG'
'The Odyssey'
Q3.
Match the key words to their definition.
Correct Answer:Victorian era ,the period of time during which Queen Victoria was on the throne

the period of time during which Queen Victoria was on the throne

Correct Answer:context,the background information from a particular period

the background information from a particular period

Correct Answer:poverty,the state of being extremely poor

the state of being extremely poor

Correct Answer:contrast,significant difference between one thing and another

significant difference between one thing and another

Q4.
Where does Chapter 1 of 'A Christmas Carol' take place?
the park
Correct answer: Scrooge's counting house
Fred's front room
Q5.
What are some likely impressions that readers might make about Scrooge?
Scrooge has lots friends.
Scrooge had a nice childhood.
Correct answer: Scrooge has been hurt at some point in his life.
Correct answer: Scrooge has lots of money.
Q6.
True or False? Streets in Victorian London were clean and calm.
Correct Answer: False

Additional material

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