A Christmas Carol - Stave One - The Rich and the Poor - teaching resource

A Christmas Carol – Stave One: The Rich and the Poor

(13-slide editable PowerPoint with 2 worksheets)

This GCSE English Literature lesson explores Dickens’ presentation of the gap between the rich and the poor in Stave One of A Christmas Carol. Designed for KS4 learners, the 13-slide fully editable PowerPoint and two accompanying worksheets guide students through close reading, language analysis, and thematic exploration, helping them understand Dickens’ social commentary and moral purpose.

The lesson begins with a differentiated Do Now starter activity, where learners reflect on the significance of six quotations from Scrooge’s earlier dialogue with the charity collectors, encouraging retrieval and contextual understanding.

Learners then read from “Meanwhile, the fog and darkness thickened so…” down to “…to play at blindman’s buff”, focusing on:

• How Dickens presents the contrasts between the rich and the poor

• How the passage reflects Victorian society and class inequality

• At higher levels, Dickens’ use of light and dark imagery to symbolise hope, wealth, and suffering

Following this, learners examine an excerpt from “God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen” and consider how Dickens adapts its meaning within the novella to reinforce his themes of compassion and social responsibility.

The lesson concludes with a learning review, where learners summarise the events of the passage in 20, 15, or 10 words, encouraging concise expression and deeper retention.

Suggested answers are provided for all tasks, making this resource ideal for classroom teaching, revision, intervention, or exam preparation.

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A Christmas Carol

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