Prepare for Learning

What is a stave?
In what subject in school would you hear
references to staves?

A stave is a musical term.

‘A Christmas Carol’ is
constructed of five staves.
Why is this an appropriate
term to use for this book?
 Stave One:
Meeting Scrooge
Lesson Objective:
To show an understanding of Scrooge.
What can we infer
from this image
about the
character of
Ebenezer Scrooge?

Why might he be
like this?

What EVIDENCE
can you use to
support your
opinion?
 A Christmas Carol:
Context

• The book was first published on 19 December

1843 and was very successful.
• The tale has been viewed as a glimpse into
nineteenth century life and its hardships. It has
also been described as one of the reasons
Christmas returned to a holiday full of merriment
and festivity in Britain and America after a period
of dark times. A Christmas Carol remains popular
today, in fact it has never been out of print.
• It has also been adapted to film, opera, and other
media.
 Reading the Text
Let’s read the opening pages
As we read, think about what we learn
about the character of Scrooge.
We will create a mind map about this
character later.
 Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand
Scrooge at the grindstone, Scrooge! a
squeezing, wrenching, grasping,
scraping, clutching, covetous old
Stick in the paragraph about sinner! Hard and sharp as flint,
from which no steel had ever
Scrooge. struck out generous fire; secret,
Annotate with the following: and self-contained, and solitary as
an oyster.  The cold within him
1.Adjectives froze his old features, nipped his
2.Similes pointed nose, shriveled his cheek,
3.Metaphors stiffened his gait; made his eyes
red, his thin lips blue and spoke
What does this paragraph out shrewdly in his grating voice. 
tell us about his A frosty rime was on his head, and
on his eyebrows, and his wiry
appearance?
chin.  He carried his own low
temperature always about with
Go for Gold: him; he iced his office in the
How does his appearance reflect dogdays; and didn't thaw it one
his personality? degree at Christmas.
 How do you know?

How does he seem

as a person?

How does Dickens

want the reader
to feel about
First Scrooge?

impressions
of Scrooge
How do you know?
 Prepare for Learning

Based on what we have read so far, draw

a picture of how you interpret Scrooge.

“as solitary
as an oyster”

Go for Gold:
Label this picture with quotations
from the novella.
 Stave One:
Analysing Scrooge
Lesson Objective:
Show understanding of the character of
Scrooge using detail from the text.
Does Disney do it justice?

Watch the opening scene

from the 2009 Disney
version of ‘A Christmas
Carol’.

Does the description of

Scrooge in the novel match
the way he appears in the
film?

Go for Gold:
Write down 2 similarities and 2 differences in the opening scene.
 Reading the Text
Let’s read the opening pages
As we read, think about what we learn
about the character of Scrooge.
You can add to the mind-map we started
last lesson.
 Scrooge’s Dialogue
Read Scrooge’s dialogue with his nephew.
‘Bah!’ said Scrooge, ‘Humbug!’ This nephew of Scrooge’s had so heated
himself with rapid walking in the fog and frost that he was all a glow;
his face was ruddy and handsome; his eyes sparkled.
‘Christmas a humbug, uncle!’ said Scrooge's nephew. ‘You don't mean
that, I’m sure.'
‘I do,' said Scrooge. ‘Merry Christmas! What right have you to be
merry? What reason have you to be merry? You're poor enough.'
‘Come, then,' returned the nephew gaily. ‘What right have you to be
dismal? What right have you to be morose? You're rich enough.’
Scrooge, having no better answer, said ‘Bah!’ again; and followed
it up with ‘Humbug.’
‘Don't be cross, uncle,’ said the nephew.
‘What else can I be,’ returned Scrooge, ‘when I live in such a world of
fools?

Highlight examples of Scrooge’s speech that reveal his

character.
 Scrooge’s Dialogue
Read Scrooge’s dialogue with his nephew.
‘Bah!’ said Scrooge, ‘Humbug!’ This nephew of Scrooge’s had so heated
himself with rapid walking in the fog and frost that he was all a glow;
his face was ruddy and handsome; his eyes sparkled.
‘Christmas a humbug, uncle!’ said Scrooge's nephew. ‘You don't mean
that, I’m sure.'
‘I do,' said Scrooge. ‘Merry Christmas! What right have you to be
merry? What reason have you to be merry? You're poor enough.'
‘Come, then,' returned the nephew gaily. ‘What right have you to be
dismal? What right have you to be morose? You're rich enough.’
Scrooge, having no better answer, said ‘Bah!’ again; and followed
it up with ‘Humbug.’
‘Don't be cross, uncle,’ said the nephew.
‘What else can I be,’ returned Scrooge, ‘when I live in such a world
of fools?’

Examples of Scrooge’s speech that reveal character.

 Writing Task:
How does Dickens use dialogue to convey Scrooge’s
character?

Dickens uses dialogue to convey Scrooge’s character

when…

For example…

This portrays Scrooge as…