Exploring characterisation in 'A Christmas Carol'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can analyse characterisation within a chapter.
Key learning points
- Characterisation is the way an author describes and develops the personalities and traits of the characters in a story.
- Authors choose adjectives carefully to build a picture of a character.
- The way a character treats others helps us understand a character, build an opinion and become invested in the story.
- Authors use contrasting characters to helps highlight particular characteristics.
- In the summary, Scrooge meets four ghosts who give him a new perspective on life.
Keywords
Characterisation - Characterisation is the way an author and illustrator describes and develops the personalities and traits of the characters in a story.
Synonym - A synonym is a word that has the same or similar meaning to another word.
Contrast - Contrast is a significant difference between one thing and another.
Common misconception
Children may not realise that characterisation is more complex than just adjective choice. It is also about how they treat other people and how they are treated by other people.
Practise drawing from real life examples of how you develop an impression of a person and their characteristics.
Teacher tip
Provide an opportunity for children to compare the character of Scrooge to other characters they have studied, particularly any by the same author.
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.When reading, what is meant by a making a prediction?
Q2.Which of these words has a similar meaning to 'mean'?
Q3.Which of these words relate to Christmas?
Q4.Which words also mean 'ghost'?
Q5.True or false? Words sometimes have related words in different word classes.
Q6.What is Scrooge's first name?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the keywords to their definitions.
Q2.Order the following events from the summary of 'A Christmas Carol'.
Q3.True or False? The ghosts all looked and acted the same.
Q4.In the morning, why did Scrooge jump from his bed with determination?
Q5.Which of these following words relates to the difference between Scrooge at the beginning of the summary and Scrooge at the end of the summary?
Q6.True or False? Scrooge is only characterised in a negative light.
To help you plan your 4 English lesson on: Exploring characterisation in 'A Christmas Carol', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 4 English lesson on: Exploring characterisation in 'A Christmas Carol', 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 2 English lessons from the 'A Christmas Carol': narrative writing and reading unit, dive into the full primary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.