A Christmas Carol. Teacher s notes

Transcription

1 level 2 Teaher s notes Teaher Support Programme Charles Dikens dinner, Srooge is visited by two kind gentlemen who are olleting money for the poor. Not only does he refuse to give them any, he also suggests that poor people should be kept in prisons and workhouses. After dinner, he reeives another visit, that of his long dead partner, Marley, who warns him that his miserly behaviour will make him suffer for eternity, unless he follows the advie of three ghosts that will ome to see him very soon. Chapter 2 About the author Charles Dikens, the most popular writer of the Vitorian age, was born near Portsmouth, England, in 1812 and died in Kent in When his father was thrown into debtors prison, young Charles was taken out of shool and fored to work in a shoe-polish fatory, whih may help explain the presene of so many abandoned and vitimized hildren in his novels. As a young man he worked as a reporter before starting his areer as a fition writer in In his novels, short stories and essays, Dikens ombined hilarious omedy with a sathing ritiism of the inhuman features of Vitorian industrial soiety. Many of his novels, suh as Great Expetations, David Copperfield and Oliver Twist, have been made into films. Summary The first ghost, that of Past Christmases, shows him senes from his life as a shoolboy and a young man. We learn that he had a sad and lonely hildhood, but that he won the heart of a lovely woman whom he lost through his greater love for money. Chapter 3 The seond ghost, the Ghost of Christmas Now, shows Srooge that people an spend a happy Christmas day even without muh money. He shows him Fred, his nephew, and Bob, his employee, enjoying Christmas with their families. However, the ghost also shows him two sad sights: that of Bob s ailing son and that of two other hildren who represent all the poor and ignorant hildren in the world. Chapter 4 The third ghost, the Ghost of Future Christmases, shows Srooge senes after his death. Everybody is happy that he has died. Only the Crathit family is very sad their son Tiny Tim has passed away. It is then than Srooge begs the ghost to let him hange suh a horrible future. On Christmas Eve, four ghosts teah Srooge, an elderly miser, that love and friendship are muh more important than amassing a fortune. The first ghost is that of Marley, his former business partner, who warns him about the suffering awaiting him if he does not hange. The three other ghosts reveal to Srooge senes from his past, present and future. After witnessing these senes, Srooge is a hanged man. Chapter 5 Chapter summary, first published in 1843, is the most popular of all his Christmas stories. Chapter 1 Srooge is a old, hard man who loves money more than people. For him, the worst part of the year is Christmas, a time in whih even the poor make merry. This Christmas Eve, after rejeting his nephew s invitation to Christmas pearsonenglishreaders.om Pearson Eduation Limited 2015 When Srooge wakes up after the visits have ended, he realizes it is only Christmas morning. He orders a large goose to be sent to the Crathits, promises to help the poor and dines at his nephew s house. Srooge, now a hanged man, beomes a seond father to Tiny Tim, who, fortunately, does not die young. The original text Its moral, whih still applies today, is that a hange of heart is needed among those who are well-off regarding the less fortunate, and that there is no better season for it to take plae than Christmas. - Teaher s notes 1 of 3

2 Teaher s notes Teaher Support Programme Bakground and themes In Dikens wishes to raise awareness of soial inequality in Vitorian England. Among the many soures of suffering for the poor were the workhouses, publi establishments that provided them with housing at the expense of brutal treatment. Soial inequality: Who is responsible for the well being of the less fortunate, the state or every one of us? Childhood: Does an unhappy hildhood neessarily lead to an unhappy adulthood? A hange of heart: Can human beings hange their behaviour for the better as Srooge does? Christmas and ommunal festivities: To what extent to they foster soial bonding? Suffering: Does suffering make us mature? Disussion ativities Chapter 1 Before reading 1 Disuss: Christmas time Have students disuss the importane of Christmas in their ountry. If they elebrate other religious festivals, get them to talk about them. Here are some suggested questions: Is it old or hot at Christmas time in your ountry? Do families meet to eat and drink? What do hildren like about Christmas? 2 Disuss: Celebrations Have students ompare what they do for their religious elebrations and what Srooge does for Christmas. Here are some suggested questions: Do you invite the family or also some friends? What do you eat? Does Srooge have any friends? Does he have a family? Why doesn t he go to his nephew s house for Christmas? 3 Disuss: Ghosts Have students stop reading on page 7 and disuss whether they believe in ghosts. Marley thinks that some people walk the streets of the world when they are dead. Why does he think they must do that? Do you think there are ghosts around us? 4 Write: Have students write a short letter as if they were one of the men who visit Srooge on pages 3 4. Yesterday I went to ask Srooge for some money for the poor people in the ity 5 Read arefully: Have students reread pages 7 and 8 to find out why Marley is so sad. 6 Read arefully: Then have students reread Marley s desription and ask them to draw him with his heavy hain. Chapter 2 7 Disuss: The Ghost of Past Christmases Have students disuss the ghost s appearane. Why is this ghost old and young at the same time? Why does it have a light? Why doesn t Srooge want to see the light? 8 Disuss: Srooge, the hild Have students disuss Srooge s hildhood. Was Srooge happy as a hild? What was his father like? Do you feel sorry for him? 9 Write: Have students write a letter that little Srooge sent his Dad when he was alone at shool. 10 Researh and Pair work: Have students find out about the stories Srooge loved as a hild: Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and Robinson Crusoe. Then, in pairs, have them make a list of their favourite hildren s stories. 11 Role play: Have students role play the dialogue between Srooge and his girlfriend on page 16. Chapter 3 Before reading 12 Predit: Have students predit what the hapter will be about. What will the next ghost show Srooge? Will Srooge be a better man after this new visit? 13 Look arefully: Have students look at the piture on page 19 and then answer the questions. How is this ghost different from the Ghost of Past Christmases? What is there near him? 14 Disuss: Lessons Have students disuss the lessons Srooge learns at the Crathits and at Fred s house. 15 Disuss: Shools and food Have students disuss what the two hildren next to the Ghost of Christmas Now represent. Here are some suggested questions: Why do the hildren look like animals? Why does the ghost show them to Srooge? Why does the ghost tell Srooge that they are everybody s hildren? When Srooge asks the ghost who an help the hildren the ghost answers: Aren t there any prisons? Aren t there any workhouses? Why does he say so? pearsonenglishreaders.om Pearson Eduation Limited Teaher s notes 2 of 3

3 Teaher s notes Teaher Support Programme 16 Artwork: Have students draw the two hildren desribed on page Read arefully and write: Have the students reread pages Then in pairs, they an write down what Mrs Crathit and Fred s wife think of Srooge. 18 Researh: Have students look for different illustrations of Srooge s fae on the Internet. Then they an hoose the one they like best and explain why they have hosen it. Chapter 4 19 Disuss: Faing fats Have students disuss the following: When does Srooge understand that the dead man is he himself? 20 Disuss: Fear Have students disuss the following: How does this ghost make Srooge afraid? Why does he do so? Whih is the worst thing that he shows him? Can that make you afraid? 21 Write: Have students write an obituary, a short newspaper note on somebody s death. Have the students write Srooge s obituary. 22 Predit: At the end of Chapter 4 Srooge says: I ll hange my future! Have students predit the hanges. Chapter 5 23 Disuss: Sudden hanges Have students disuss Srooge s hange. Do you like Srooge s hange? Does it make the story better or worse? 24 Write: Change Chapter 5 Have students suggest a different ending to the story and write two or three paragraphs as a new Chapter This traditional English Christmas arol is more than four hundred years old. To listen to it, download the musi from the Internet. Have students sing it and then make a list of the Christmas arols or traditional songs that people sing in their ountry for religious festivals and elebrations. We wish you a merry Christmas, We wish you a merry Christmas, We wish you a merry Christmas, And a happy New Year. Students may want to ollet the words of all the songs on the list and build a webpage with them. pearsonenglishreaders.om Pearson Eduation Limited Teaher s notes 3 of 3

4 Ativity worksheets Teaher Support Programme Photoopiable While Reading Chapter 1 1 What happened first? Put these sentenes in the right order. Number them a He hears the noise of a heavy hain down below. b Then he goes to his rooms in Marley s old house. Bob Crathit shuts the offie. d Srooge gives them nothing. e After Fred leaves, two men ome into Srooge s offie. f Fred omes to visit him. g He shuts the door and sits by the fire. h Srooge has dinner in a heap eatinghouse. i The two men leave the room. j They ask him for some money for the poor. k He invites Srooge to dinner. l Srooge is in his offie. 2 Math A and B. Who says what? A B Christmas is a good time a Srooge kind happy time. It s only on Christmas day. Fred I made this hain in my life. Humbug! The two men Aren t there any workhouses for the poor? Marley How muh will you give us? I sat next to you many times in Bob Crathit the days after I died. Why are you here? You re dead. Chapter 2 3 What s the right name, Old Srooge or Old Fezziwig? a had three daughters. b told everybody at his offie to stop work on Christmas Eve. paid his lerk one pound a week. d s party made everybody very happy. e spent Christmas at home without any friends. 4 Whih ones are wrong? In the story, Christmas time means: a working hard b being with your family reading d eating and drinking e daning f sleeping a lot g playing musi Chapter 3 5 Write the right words from the box. wife sees wine bak table takes dinner kithen lothes fruit fire help goose son The Ghost of Christmas Now Srooge to Bob Crathit s house. There he his lerk s family for the first time. Mrs Crathit is wearing her best. She is making and her son is wathing some food on the. When Bob omes in he has Tiny Tim, his youngest, on his beause the hild annot walk without Bob puts some in the, his brings the from the and they all sit round the Christmas. 6 Write the answers: a Mrs Crathit: How was Tiny Tim in hurh? Bob Crathit:. b Srooge: Will Tiny Tim live? Ghost: Srooge: Are ghosts lives very short? Ghost: d Srooge: Ghost, are these hildren yours? Ghost: e Srooge: Isn t there a plae for these hildren somewhere? Ghost: Chapter 4 7 Who says this? a I ll follow. b He s dead. He an t use these things. There was nobody there when he died. d We were all afraid of him before he was dead but not after. e Tiny Tim was very light. f Fred never knew Tiny Tim, but he was unhappy too. pearsonenglishreaders.om Pearson Eduation Limited Ativity worksheets 1 of 2

5 Ativity worksheets Teaher Support Programme 8 Let s think that Marley omes to visit Srooge after the Ghost of Future Christmases leaves. In pairs write down the talk between them and then read it to the other students. 9 At the end of Chapter 4 Srooge is a hanged man. You are Srooge. Write a letter to the poor people who have to pay you a lot of money (page 29) to tell them that they an pay you next year. Dear friends, Best wishes, Srooge Chapter 5 10 In Chapter 5 Srooge does a lot of things for the first time. Mark the right ( ) ones and the wrong ( ) ones. a Srooge started singing Christmas arols. b He visited Marley s ghost and thanked him for the lessons that he taught him. He laughed for the first time in many years. d He bought a big hiken for the Crathits. e He told the two men to go to his offie the next day beause he was wanted to give them money for the poor. f He went to hurh. g He had dinner with the Crathits. h He said Humbug again. 11 At the end of the story Srooge is a better person. He now knows that Christmas is a time to be kind. Make a list of the presents he an buy for the people that he knows. Fred Fred s wife Bob Crathit Tiny Tim The two men 12 What does eah ghost show Srooge? Marley s ghost Christmas Past Christmas Now Christmas Future Photoopiable 13 A fable is a story that teahes a lesson. The lesson in a fable omes at the end of the story. We all it a moral. is a fable. Choose the moral that you like best for the story: a Our friends and our family are more important than money. b Money doesn t make you happy. It s important to help the poor. d Christmas teahes us to be better people. e We an all learn how to be better people. f Adults an hange. g Good food and good shools are very important in a hild s life. pearsonenglishreaders.om Pearson Eduation Limited Ativity worksheets 2 of 2

6 Progress test Teaher Support Programme Chapter 1 1 Ten things are wrong. Find them and make them right. It was seven o lok on a warm winter afternoon but it was already dark. There was a thik smoke in the streets but Srooge was in his offie near a big fire. Then his unle Fred ame into the offie. His fae was yellow from the old outside but it had a sad smile. Srooge didn t understand how his nephew ould be happy if he was rih. Fred answered that Christmas was a happy time for him. When he left, two women ame into Srooge s offie. They asked Srooge for money to buy the poor some lothes. But Srooge gave them nothing. Chapter 2 2 Are these sentenes right ( ) or wrong ( )? a Little Fan was Srooge s older sister. b Mr Fezziwig was a kinder boss than Srooge. Srooge s girlfriend left him beause he loved another woman. d Srooge s first name is Ebenezer. e Srooge wanted the Ghost of Past Christmases to show him more plaes from his past. Chapter 3 3 What happened first? Put these sentenes in the right order. Number them 1 8. a Then he takes him to Fred s house. b When he arrives, Srooge sees that he s very different from the Ghost of Past Christmases. Srooge gets ready for the visit of the Ghost of Christmas Now. d He also takes Srooge to hospitals and to prisons. e First the ghost takes Srooge to the Crathits house. f After the visits, Srooge sees that the ghost is getting older and older. g At twelve, the Ghost of Christmas Now leaves and a new one arrives. h Before leaving, the ghost shows him two hildren, a boy and a girl. Photoopiable Chapter 4 4 Who s who? Choose the right name from the box. You an use two names twie. Old Joe Mrs Dilber the leaner the undertaker s man the washerwoman Bob Crathit Peter Fred Srooge the ghost the little Crathits Tiny Tim a had some lothes and some books. b wanted to sell s bed-urtains, bedlothes and shirt. Very poor people brought things to s shop when they wanted to sell them. d was in blak. e was reading to very quietly. f walked very fast with on his bak. g met in the street. h ouldn t see s fae. Chapter 5 5 Answer why: a Why is Srooge so happy that it s Christmas day? b Why does Srooge send the Crathits a goose? Why does Srooge put on his best lothes? d Why does he talk to the two men? e Why is Srooge afraid when he goes to Fred s house? f Why is Fred so happy when he sees his unle? g Why doesn t Srooge say Humbug now? pearsonenglishreaders.om Pearson Eduation Limited Progress test 1 of 1

7 Answer keys Teaher Support Programme Book key 1 Open answers 2 a Merry b past, workhouse andle d fog e oal f ghost g Poor h lerk i prison j hain 3 a poor people b Bob Crathit Fred d Srooge e Marley s ghost f Srooge 4 a b d e f g h i 5 6 Open answers 7 a The Ghost of Past Christmases b young Srooge Srooge s sister d Fred e Srooge s first boss f Dik Wilkins g the love of money h Srooge 8 a hears b remembers omes d wants e takes f looks g shows h feels 9 10 Open answers 11 a 6 b Martha Tiny Tim d hot wine with fruit e goose f He is very ill. g Humbug! h Yes and No i Srooge j nothing 12 a red b green grey d brown e grey Open answers 16 a 8 b 3 5 d 1 e 4 f 2 g 10 h 6 i 7 j Open answers 19 a What s today? b for a goose. to Bob Crathit s house. d Come to my offie. e to Fred s house. f more money. 20 a before b after after (+ Open answers) Open answers Disussion ativities key 1 Open answers 2 Srooge doesn t have any friends. He has a nephew, Fred, who invites him home for Christmas beause he feels sorry for him. Srooge doesn t go to Fred s party beause he thinks that Christmas parties are humbug. 3 Marley thinks they are the people who never helped others in life. Open answer. 4 Open answers 5 Marley is sad beause a) he arries a heavy hain with him b) he an see happy people but he annot laugh with them ) he an see sad people but he annot ry with them, and d) he annot stay in one plae, he has to go to many sad plaes. 6 Open answers 7 Possible answers: The ghost may be old beause Srooge is an old man, and he may be young beause he may represent Srooge as a hild, or Srooge s reent past. The light in the ghost may represent past events in Srooge s life whih Srooge doesn t want to see or remember. 8 Possible answers: He was very sad. His father wasn t kind to him and he had no friends at shool Open answers 12 Open answers Srooge will be a better person beause he is starting to understand that, in the past, he lived in the wrong way. 13 Possible answers: This ghost is a fat, happy man. He is wearing green and white lothes and he has long brown hair. There are lots of bottles and plates with food near him. The other ghost was a hild and an old man at the same time. He was wearing white lothes. 14 Open answers 15 Possible answers: They look like animals beause the hildren don t go to shool and beause they are very hungry. Srooge has to learn about what happens in the world and start helping the poor hildren with his money. The ghost says these words beause Srooge used them with the two men who ame to ask for money for the poor in Chapter Open answers 17 Possible answers: They don t like Srooge. They think he is a old money-lover. 18 Open answers 19 Open answers 20 By showing Srooge what will happen when he dies. Open answer Open answers 23 Open answers Open answer Ativity worksheets key 1 a 12 b 10 8 d 6 e 4 f 2 g 11 h 9 i 7 k 5 k 3 l 1 2 Christmas is a good time a kind happy time. (Fred) It s only on Christmas day. (Bob Crathit) I made this hain in my life. (Marley) Humbug. (Srooge) pearsonenglishreaders.om Pearson Eduation Limited Answer keys 1 of 2

8 Answer keys Teaher Support Programme Aren t there any workhouses for the poor? (Srooge) How muh will you give us? (The two men) I sat next to you many times in the days after I died. (Marley) Why are you here? You re dead. (Srooge) 3 Old Fezziwig: a, b and d Old Srooge: and e 4 a, and f 5 Christmas Now takes Srooge to Bob Crathit s house. There he sees his lerk s family for the first time. Mrs Crathit is wearing her best lothes. She is making dinner and her son is wathing some food on the fire. When Bob omes in, he has Tiny Tim, his youngest son, on his bak beause the hild annot walk without help. Bob puts some fruit in the wine, his wife brings the goose from the kithen and they all sit round the Christmas table. 6 Possible answers: a Bob Crathit: He was very good. I think that he s a little stronger. b Ghost: I an see his hair and nobody is sitting on it. Ghost: My life in this world is very short. It ends tonight. d Ghost: They are Everybody s. e Ghost: Aren t there any prisons? Aren t there any workhouses? 7 a Srooge b the washerwoman the undertaker s man d Mrs Dilber, the leaner e Mrs Crathit f Mr Crathit 8 9 Open answers 10 a b d, he bought a big goose e f g, he had dinner with his nephew Fred h, he never said Humbug again. 11 Open answers 12 Marley s ghost Christmas Past Christmas Now The ghost of Future Christmases 13 Open answers A hain made of money boxes His past life: when he was a hild, when he worked for Mr Fezziwig, when his girlfriend left him. Christmas Now in Bob Crathit s and Fred s house What will happen to him when he dies, if he doesn t hange Progress test key 1 It was three o lok on a old winter afternoon but it was already dark. There was a thik fog in the streets but Srooge was in his offie near a small fire. Then his nephew Fred ame into the offie. His fae was red from the old outside but it had a happy smile. Srooge didn t understand how his nephew ould be happy if he was poor. Fred answered that Christmas was a happy time for him. When he left, two men ame into Srooge s offie. They asked Srooge for money to buy the poor some food. But Srooge gave them nothing. 2 a, Little Fan was his younger sister. b, his new love was money. d e, it made him ry to remember his past. 3 a 4 b 2 1 d 5 e 3 f 6 g 8 h 7 4 a The washerwoman b Mrs Dilber, the leaner Srooge Old Joe d the undertaker s man e Peter the little Crathits f Bob Crathit Tiny Tim g Bob Crathit Fred h Srooge the ghost 5 a Beause he thought he was with the ghosts for three nights but it was only one night. b Possible answers: Beause he wants to help them Beause he feels happy Beause he s a hanged man Possible answers: Beause it s Christmas Day Beause he s happy d Possible answers: Beause he wants to give them money for the poor Beause he feels sorry for what he told them the day before e Beause he doesn t know if Fred will want to see him. f Beause he loves his unle. g Beause he s a hanged man and a happy man. pearsonenglishreaders.om Pearson Eduation Limited Answer keys 2 of 2