'A Christmas Carol': Dickens as a Christian writer
I can understand how Dickens uses the parable structure to deliver his humanitarian message in ‘A Christmas Carol’.
'A Christmas Carol': Dickens as a Christian writer
I can understand how Dickens uses the parable structure to deliver his humanitarian message in ‘A Christmas Carol’.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Dickens felt that people should live life adhering to Christian virtues, especially in relation to social justice.
- Dickens was very familiar with the Bible - he regarded it as his ‘unfailing guide to life’.
- Dickens' message is perhaps not entirely theological, but focuses on living out Christian morals to better society.
- Arguably, Dickens emulated the parable structure to teach his readers the importance of adhering to Christian virtues.
- ‘A Christmas Carol’ can arguably be viewed as one large parable, or several smaller parables.
Keywords
Parable - A story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, told by Jesus Christ in the Gospels.
Virtue - A virtue is a behaviour showing high moral standards.
Humility - Somebody with humility has a modest view of their own importance versus other people’s.
Prophet - A person who teaches the will of God.
To emulate - To emulate means to copy someone, or something else’s style.
Common misconception
Students think that a parable is just a story with a moral/didactic message.
The word 'parable' relates specifically to the stories told by Jesus in the Gospels. A story with a moral/didactic message is an allegory.
To help you plan your year 11 english lesson on: 'A Christmas Carol': Dickens as a Christian writer, 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 as a Christian writer, 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 Christian parable unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
You will need a copy of Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' for this lesson.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
"like a child: yet not so like a child as like an old man"
"clothed in one simple green robe, or mantle"
"folded kerchief bound about its head and chin"
"coming, like a mist along the ground"