The preface comes at the beginning of a book and introduces its aims or scope.

Someone impoverished would have very little money and very few possessions.

Being avaricious means having an extreme greed for wealth or possessions.

A miser is a person who hoards wealth and spends as little money as possible.

'A Christmas Carol' Stave 1: Scrooge the Miser

English

'A Christmas Carol' Stave 1: The Characterisation of Scrooge

'A Christmas Carol' Stave 1: Meeting Marley's ghost

'A Christmas Carol': Scrooge as a very Victorian character

'A Christmas Carol': planning an essay on Scrooge

'A Christmas Carol': writing about Stave 1

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

'A Christmas Carol' Stave 2: Scrooge's childhood and Fezziwig

'A Christmas Carol' Stave 2: Belle

'A Christmas Carol': writing about Stave 2

'A Christmas Carol': improving analytical writing

'A Christmas Carol' Stave 3: the second of the three spirits

'A Christmas Carol' Stave 3: Christmas around the world

'A Christmas Carol' Stave 3: the Cratchits' Christmas

'A Christmas Carol' Stave 3: Scrooge and Fred as opposite characters

'A Christmas Carol' Stave 3: Ignorance and Want

'A Christmas Carol': writing about the presentation of children

'A Christmas Carol' Stave 4: the last of the three spirits

'A Christmas Carol' Stave 4: a significant death

'A Christmas Carol' Stave 4: death in the novella

'A Christmas Carol' Stave 4: Scrooge's fears

'A Christmas Carol' Stave 5: the change in Scrooge

'A Christmas Carol': symbolism in the novella

'A Christmas Carol': Scrooge's redemptive journey

'A Christmas Carol': planning an extended argument

'A Christmas Carol': writing an extended argument

In 'A Christmas Carol: Scrooge's redemption, pupils trace the way Scrooge changes across the text as a result of his interaction with the ghosts. In 'A Christmas Carol: a ghost story', pupils  examine the use of gothic tropes in more detail and in particular the use of the supernatural and the ghosts, which allow the past to interrupt the present and even future.

In 'Victorian Childhood', pupils read a number of non fiction extracts about the suffering of poor children and campaign for better laws to protect them as part of a persuasive speaking role play. In 'A Christmas Carol', pupils learn about Dickens as a social campaigner and the way in which he wrote the novella to encourage people to help the poor.

In this unit, pupils read and explore 'A Christmas Carol'. They start by reading the novella in full, pausing during each stave to analyse key scenes, characters, themes and methods. After reading the novella, pupils chart Scrooge's redemptive journey and craft an essay on the presentation of fear.

Nineteenth century text: first study

Discriminatory behaviour or images, whether on the grounds of race, gender, disability, religion or belief or sexual orientation, or otherwise.

Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

Historic or outdated representations of people that may portray inequality or injustice.

Subjects which particular individuals may be sensitive to, eg, adoption, migration, bereavement or death, divorce, poverty, deprivation.

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

In relation to 'A Christmas Carol', choose the correct statements about Marley.

What year did Charles Dickens publish 'A Christmas Carol'? 

He campaigned for the rights of the rich.

He had to work as a young boy to support his family.

Which two events occurred in Dickens' life? 

Which values did Dickens want to champion through his novella 'A Christmas Carol'? Choose the most appropriate responses.

Scrooge's nephew visits him to invite him for Christmas dinner.

Scrooge is rude to his nephew and declines his offer of Christmas dinner.

Two gentlemen visit Scrooge and ask him for charity. Scrooge rudely declines.

Scrooge chides Bob Cratchit for wanting Christmas Day off.

Scrooge returns home and sees his dead friend Marley's face in his door knocker.

The ghost of Marley appears in Scrooge's house .

Starting with the first, put the plot events from Stave 1 of 'A Christmas Carol' in order from first to last.

represents generosity (Scrooge's are always very small).

represents Scrooge's miserliness - he denies himself luxury

In relation to 'A Christmas Carol', match the items with what they represent.

What do we call the era between 1837 and 1901?

Which law was reformed in 1843 to tackle poverty in England?

poor people deemed not fit enough to work

According to the 1834 Poor Law, who had to go to the Workhouse? 

An afterword from the author that comes at the end

The small section of text on the back of a book that states what it is about

An introduction to the book that comes at the beginning

Who the writer has dedicated their book to

"He was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone."

"Foul weather didn’t know where to have him."

"It was cold, bleak, biting weather: foggy withal."

"The city clocks had only just gone three."

"It was quite dark already—it had not been light all day."

Which of the following is an example of pathetic fallacy? 

Starter Quiz