'A Christmas Carol': Dickens' ghosts as agents of time
I can understand how and why time is manipulated in the novella.
'A Christmas Carol': Dickens' ghosts as agents of time
I can understand how and why time is manipulated in the novella.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Before the spirits’ visits, Scrooge viewed time as a resource that he could use to make money.
- Scrooge learns that time is a privilege and a gift that many in society are not blessed with.
- Scrooge learns that time's fluid and that all aspects of time interact with one another to inform a person's experience.
- The spirits’ visits defy time, but all occur within the course of one evening.
- Dickens illustrates how one person's drastic change in a short space of time can vastly improve the lives of others.
Keywords
Agent - If someone is the agent of something, it means that they act on its behalf or represent it.
Fluid - Something that is fluid does not have a fixed shape or pattern and flows freely.
Phenomenon - An extraordinary, unusual or abnormal occurrence.
Privilege - A privilege is a blessing or an advantage that someone has.
Common misconception
Students think that Scrooge's visit with the Ghost of Christmas Present is limited to Christmas Day.
Scrooge's time with the spirit goes beyond Christmas Day - to the Twelfth Day of Christmas, showing how time is manipulated in the novella.
To help you plan your year 11 english lesson on: 'A Christmas Carol': Dickens' ghosts as agents of time, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 11 english lesson on: 'A Christmas Carol': Dickens' ghosts as agents of time, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 english lessons from the A Christmas Carol: a ghost story unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' for this lesson.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
the consequences of greed and avarice
the importance of love and human connections
the importance of joy and charity
the value of human life
Exit quiz
6 Questions
someone who acts on its behalf of, or represents something
does not have a fixed shape or pattern - flows freely
an extraordinary, unusual or abnormal occurrence
a blessing or an advantage that someone has