A Christmas Carol - The Market Scene - teaching resource

A Christmas Carol – The Market Scene

(18-slide editable PowerPoint with 6 worksheets)

This GCSE English Literature lesson focuses on Dickens’ presentation of Victorian London on Christmas morning in Stave Three of A Christmas Carol. Designed for KS4 learners, the 18-slide fully editable PowerPoint and six accompanying worksheets guide students through close reading, language analysis, and thematic interpretation, developing an understanding of Dickens’ social commentary and narrative techniques.

The lesson explores the passage from “The Ghost of Christmas Present rose…” down to “…it was possible he could have done in any lofty hall”, highlighting Dickens’ depiction of bustling market life, festive energy, and the contrasts within Victorian society.

The lesson begins with a ‘Blockbusters’-style game to revise key ideas and quotations from Staves One and Two, encouraging retrieval and consolidation of prior knowledge.

Learners then read the passage and focus on:

• The social and economic problems Dickens draws the reader’s attention to

• The positive aspects of the market and its lively atmosphere

• What this passage reveals about the Ghost of Christmas Present

Following this, learners analyse Dickens’ presentation of the market scene using a differentiated worksheet containing a range of questions designed to develop inference, analysis, and evaluative skills. Suggested answers are included within the PowerPoint to support teaching and independent study.

The lesson concludes with a creative plenary, where learners summarise their understanding of the passage by composing three Tweets that capture its key ideas concisely.

Perfect for classroom teaching, intervention, revision, or exam preparation, this resource helps students explore Dickens’ characterisation, themes, and imagery, supporting success in the GCSE English Literature exam.

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