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Year 10
AQA

'A Christmas Carol' Stave 2: the first of the three spirits

I can understand the role of the first spirit.

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Year 10
AQA

'A Christmas Carol' Stave 2: the first of the three spirits

I can understand the role of the first spirit.

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Share activities with pupils
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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The Ghost of Christmas Past’s appearance reflects his role (to enlighten Scrooge)
  2. This ghost shows how Scrooge has been shaped and embittered by his own past experiences
  3. The spirit is a physical manifestation of our memories, which shift and change over time
  4. The spirit’s light makes him resemble a candle, which could show that he represents guidance and hope for Scrooge
  5. The ghost's revelations about Scrooge's past make the reader more sympathetic towards the old miser

Keywords

  • Emanating - If light is emanating from a lamp, it is coming from, or beaming out of the lamp.

  • Empathy - Showing empathy means putting yourself in someone else’s position and understanding how they might feel.

  • Enlighten - If you enlighten someone, you provide them with the information necessary for them to understand something.

  • Inescapable - If something is inescapable, you cannot get away from it.

  • Manifestation - A manifestation is a visible representation of something (usually something abstract).

Common misconception

Students think that Scrooge is selfish and miserable because he is a wicked person.

Scrooge's miserliness comes from his deep-rooted fear of being poor.


To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: 'A Christmas Carol' Stave 2: the first of the three spirits, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

For task 2 in learning cycle 2, ask the students to complete both activities in pairs, to better facilitate discussion about where the turning point for Scrooge in this stave is and how genuine his empathy is at this point.
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Teacher tip
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Equipment

You will need access to a copy of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' for this lesson.

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Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
supervision-level

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), 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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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
At what time the following evening did Marley's Ghost warn Scrooge to expect his visit from the first spirit in 'A Christmas Carol'?
12am
Correct answer: 1am
2am
3am
4am
Q2.
What is symbolism?
something that links two ideas together
something that tells the reader something hidden
Correct answer: something that represents something else
something that helps the reader read between the lines
Q3.
In 'A Christmas Carol', Scrooge's is the only family member he has, but he treats him horribly, refusing to spend time with him or be kind to him.
Correct Answer: nephew, Nephew, nephew.
Q4.
What does the word 'empathy' mean?
to consider other people's ideas and beliefs
to feel sorry for someone
to feel love for someone
Correct answer: to understand how someone else might be feeling
to hate someone that has wronged you
Q5.
Foreshadowing is...
when there are two similar characters who share similar pasts.
when the character is able to predict the future.
when the writer gives clues about a character's past.
Correct answer: when the writer makes subtle hints about what is to come.
when the writer starts the novel or book in the future.
Q6.
Match Scrooge's miserly actions up to the character they affect in 'A Christmas Carol'.
Correct Answer:portly gentlemen,Scrooge refuses to donate money to help the poor.
tick

Scrooge refuses to donate money to help the poor.

Correct Answer:Scrooge's nephew,Scrooge declines his invite to Christmas dinner
tick

Scrooge declines his invite to Christmas dinner

Correct Answer:Bob ,Scrooge berates him for asking for Christmas Day off
tick

Scrooge berates him for asking for Christmas Day off

Correct Answer:the caroler boy,Scrooge brandishes a ruler at him and scares him away
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Scrooge brandishes a ruler at him and scares him away

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
In 'A Christmas Carol', the Ghost of Christmas Past's role is to Scrooge.
Correct Answer: enlighten, enlighten., Enlighten., Enlighten
Q2.
Which of these is not a feature of the Ghost of Christmas Past's appearance in 'A Christmas Carol'?
long muscular arms
a sparkling belt
long white hair
Correct answer: a green tunic
a jet of white light from its head
Q3.
What does the Ghost of Christmas Past's shifting and changing appearance reflect in 'A Christmas Carol'?
it reflects how our view of the past isn't accurate
it reflects how Scrooge is very willing to change in stave one
Correct answer: it reflects how our view of the past changes over time
it reflects how difficult it is to see the spirit
it reflects that the future is uncertain
Q4.
What kind of relationship did Scrooge share with his family in 'A Christmas Carol'?
He was close to his father but did not get on with his sister.
Scrooge's father was more fond of Scrooge than his sister.
Scrooge's sister hated him but loved their father.
Correct answer: He was extremely fond of his sister but treated harshly by his father.
Q5.
Starting with what Scrooge is shown first in 'A Christmas Carol', put the aspects of Scrooge's past in the order that the spirit shows them to him.
1 - Scrooge's home town
2 - Scrooge's experiences at boarding school
3 - Scrooge's little sister Fan comes to collect him from boarding school
4 - Scrooge's old employer Fezziwig
5 - Scrooge's former fiancée Belle breaking off their engagement
6 - Scrooge's former fiancée Belle's life with her family
Q6.
Why was it so important for Dickens to show us Scrooge's past and memories in 'A Christmas Carol'?
so that we can see that Scrooge has always been a miserly character
so that we can feel sorry for Scrooge and excuse his behaviour in stave one
Correct answer: so that we can empathise with Scrooge and understand how he has become miserly
Correct answer: to show us that Scrooge has the potential to change because he used to be kind
to show us that Scrooge cannot change because he is too damaged by his past