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Year 10
AQA

'A Christmas Carol': writing about Stave 2

I can write a convincing analytical response about the Ghost of Christmas Past.

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New
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Year 10
AQA

'A Christmas Carol': writing about Stave 2

I can write a convincing analytical response about the Ghost of Christmas Past.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Context should be integrated into your argument to support your ideas and opinions about the writer’s intentions.
  2. An essay should have a strong central argument. Use an evaluative or critical thesis to “hang” your essay on.
  3. Support your argument with clear topic sentences and clear closing sentences.
  4. Analysis of language, form and structure should be interwoven and used to support each other.
  5. Essays should focus on the writer’s message. The conclusion is an opportunity to summarise this.

Keywords

  • Context - Context is the circumstances in which a text was produced.

  • Impact - The impact of something is its influence on something else.

  • Integrate - If you integrate two things, you combine them together.

  • Analytical - Being analytical means examining the text in detail to learn more about it.

Common misconception

Students tend to 'bolt' irrelevant context onto the end of analytical paragraphs.

Context should be integrated into students' responses and should enhance or support their arguments.


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

When the question is introduced in learning cycle two, go through the question, highlighting key points and emphasising that students should draw upon textual evidence not only from the extract, but the whole novella as well.
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Teacher tip
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Equipment

A copy of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'.

content-guidance

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.
What do we mean when we talk about the context of a novel?
Correct answer: The circumstances in which a text is produced.
The details about who published the text.
The details of what happens in the text.
The details about who has read the text over time.
The amount of words in the text.
Q2.
Which of the following is an example of context?
The word 'solitary' shows how isolated Scrooge is.
I believe that Scrooge represents the Victorian middle-upper classes.
Correct answer: A Christmas Carol was published in 1843.
Scrooge epitomises a Victorian misanthropist.
Correct answer: Conditions in Victorian workhouses were harsh - as harsh as those in prisons.
Q3.
Which of the following statements about Charles Dickens are true?
Dickens was 85 when he died.
Dickens was born in 1843.
Correct answer: Dickens' father was sent to prison for debt.
Correct answer: Dickens campaigned for greater rights for the poor throughout his life.
Correct answer: Dickens had to get a job at 12 years old to support his family.
Q4.
Which of these are examples of embedded quotations?
Correct answer: The ghost's "long arms" represent the past.
Correct answer: The ghost wears a "white tunic".
Marley's ghost has chains around him, including: "cashboxes and padlocks".
Marley's ghost asks Scrooge to "ask me who I was."
When the ghost tells Scrooge: "you don't believe in me"...
Q5.
The sentence summarises the argument in each paragraph with a sharp focus on writer’s purpose.
Correct Answer: closing, concluding, summary
Q6.
What is the primary purpose of Jacob Marley's ghost in 'A Christmas Carol'?
Correct answer: To warn Scrooge of his impending doom.
To deliver a message about holiday cheer.
To reveal Scrooge's childhood mistakes.
To lead Scrooge to a treasure chest.
To introduce Scrooge to other ghosts.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following can be considered 'context'?
Correct answer: Details about the writer and their life.
The reader's socio-political beliefs.
Details about each of the characters.
Details about the reader and their life.
Correct answer: The writer’s socio-political beliefs.
Q2.
Which of the following statements about context are true?
Any context can be used to support your argument.
Correct answer: Context should be integrated into your argument.
Correct answer: Context should be relevant to your argument
Context should be extremely detailed and specific.
Context should always be added to the end of your paragraph.
Q3.
Which of the following can be used as a synonym for 'impact' in the following sentence: 'Scrooge realises the impact of his actions on others'.
Correct answer: Influence
Catalyst
Endeavour
Q4.
A conclusion should your overarching argument, expressing a clear thought on the writer’s message.
Correct Answer: summarise
Q5.
Which of the following can you do to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the text?
Have a clear argument that you stick to.
Correct answer: Maintain a razor sharp focus on the writer’s central message.
Comment on form and/or structure, as well as language.
Use context appropriately.
Correct answer: Give your own interpretation of the text and your argument centres round this.
Q6.
Which of these would make the strongest start to an analytical essay about Scrooge in 'A Christmas Carol'?
I think that 'A Christmas Carol' is a text about greed and poverty.
Charles Dickens wrote 'A Christmas Carol' in 1843.
I really enjoyed reading Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' because of the characters.
Correct answer: Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' serves as an allegory for the middle-upper classes.
In 'A Christmas Carol', Dickens presents Marley's Ghost as remorseful character.