Planning a setting description based on 'A Christmas Carol'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can generate precise vocabulary to plan a narrative setting description.
Key learning points
- ‘A Christmas Carol’ is set in Victorian London during the Christmas period.
- The atmosphere is the tone or mood created in a narrative.
- Precise vocabulary, including a range of sensory details, conveys the atmosphere in a narrative setting description.
- Personification is a linguistic device used to describe a non-living thing as if it acts or feels like a human.
Keywords
Atmosphere - the tone or mood created in a narrative
Sensory details - descriptions that include touch, sight, taste, sound and smell
Personification - a way of describing a non-living thing as if it acts or feels like a human
Common misconception
Children may find it difficult to identify appropriate adjectives and verbs and develop their own pieces of personification.
Brainstorm as a class and create a shared bank of human adjectives and verbs that would be appropriate for personifying elements of the scene. Children can then use this bank to support them in forming their own pieces of personification.
Teacher tip
Ensure children have access to the images when generating vocabulary and writing their plan. If time allows, hone in on the second image which shows the contrast between rich and poor and model how to include this in vocabulary generation. E.g. 'all walks of life'.
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Who is the author of 'A Christmas Carol'?
Q2.At what time of year is 'A Christmas Carol' set?
Q3.Where is 'A Christmas Carol' set?
Q4.Which period of history does 'A Christmas Carol' take place in?
Q5.Based on the time of year the story is set, what kind of weather would be experienced in the setting?
Q6.True or false? Christmas would have been the same for everyone in Victorian London.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.In which part of a narrative would there be a setting description?
Q2.What does atmosphere refer to?
Q3.Match each descriptive detail to the sense which it evokes.
Q4.What is personification?
Q5.Which of the following are examples of personification?
Q6.How are notes for a plan written?
To help you plan your 4 English lesson on: Planning a setting description based on '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: Planning a setting description based on '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.