'A Christmas Carol' Stave 2: the first of the three spirits
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can understand the role of the first spirit.
Key learning points
- The Ghost of Christmas Past’s appearance reflects his role (to enlighten Scrooge)
- This ghost shows how Scrooge has been shaped and embittered by his own past experiences
- The spirit is a physical manifestation of our memories, which shift and change over time
- The spirit’s light makes him resemble a candle, which could show that he represents guidance and hope for Scrooge
- The ghost's revelations about Scrooge's past make the reader more sympathetic towards the old miser
Keywords
Emanating - If light is emanating from a lamp, it is coming from, or beaming out of the lamp.
Empathy - Showing empathy means putting yourself in someone else’s position and understanding how they might feel.
Enlighten - If you enlighten someone, you provide them with the information necessary for them to understand something.
Inescapable - If something is inescapable, you cannot get away from it.
Manifestation - A manifestation is a visible representation of something (usually something abstract).
Common misconception
Students think that Scrooge is selfish and miserable because he is a wicked person.
Scrooge's miserliness comes from his deep-rooted fear of being poor.
Teacher tip
For task 2 in learning cycle 2, ask the students to complete both activities in pairs, to better facilitate discussion about where the turning point for Scrooge in this stave is and how genuine his empathy is at this point.
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' for this lesson.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.At what time the following evening did Marley's Ghost warn Scrooge to expect his visit from the first spirit in 'A Christmas Carol'?
Q2.What is symbolism?
Q3.In 'A Christmas Carol', Scrooge's is the only family member he has, but he treats him horribly, refusing to spend time with him or be kind to him.
Q4.What does the word 'empathy' mean?
Q5.Foreshadowing is...
Q6.Match Scrooge's miserly actions up to the character they affect in 'A Christmas Carol'.
Scrooge refuses to donate money to help the poor.
Scrooge declines his invite to Christmas dinner
Scrooge berates him for asking for Christmas Day off
Scrooge brandishes a ruler at him and scares him away
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.In 'A Christmas Carol', the Ghost of Christmas Past's role is to Scrooge.
Q2.Which of these is not a feature of the Ghost of Christmas Past's appearance in 'A Christmas Carol'?
Q3.What does the Ghost of Christmas Past's shifting and changing appearance reflect in 'A Christmas Carol'?
Q4.What kind of relationship did Scrooge share with his family in 'A Christmas Carol'?
Q5.Starting with what Scrooge is shown first in 'A Christmas Carol', put the aspects of Scrooge's past in the order that the spirit shows them to him.
Q6.Why was it so important for Dickens to show us Scrooge's past and memories in 'A Christmas Carol'?
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: 'A Christmas Carol' Stave 2: the first of the three spirits, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: 'A Christmas Carol' Stave 2: the first of the three spirits, 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: Scrooge's redemption unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.