A Christmas Carol – Homework – Year 7
Task one
Create a collage of pictures which represents some of the themes, ideas, characters and background to ‘A Christmas
Carol’.
You might want to include pictures of Charles Dickens, The Victorians, Scrooge, the Ghosts, the poor, Christmas etc
The collage should be beautifully presented, it can be hand made or done on the computer – your choice!
Don’t forget – a collage is a collection of many types of pictures that covers an entire page – NOT a few random pictures
with lots of space in between. It is also NOT one large picture covering the entire page.
Task two
Below is an extract from ‘A Christmas Carol’ which mentions Workhouses and the Poor Laws. Design a leaflet
telling younger students about the background to ‘A Christmas Carol’.
You MUST include the following:
1) What is a Workhouse? Describe them and what the conditions were like.
2) What were the Poor Laws? Where did the 1834 Poor Law say the poor had to go?
3) What is the Treadmill that Scrooge mentions? Type into the search engine ‘Treadmill punishment’ to see what
you
can find out.
4) Find out about Charles Dickens. What was his early life like? When did he write the book? Why did he write the
book? When was he born? When did he die?
You must write this leaflet in your OWN words – not just cut and paste from the internet.
You need to set this out as a leaflet:- include bullet points, headings and pictures as well as facts you have
found.
"'At this festive season of the year, Mr Scrooge,' said the gentleman, taking up a pen, 'it is more than usually
desirable that we should make some
slight provision for the Poor and destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. Many thousands are in want of
common necessaries; hundreds of
thousands are in want of common comforts, sir.'
'Are there no prisons?' asked Scrooge.
'Plenty of prisons,' said the gentleman, laying down the pen again.
'And the Union workhouses.' demanded Scrooge. 'Are they still in operation?'
'They are. Still,' returned the gentleman,' I wish I could say they were not.'
'The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then?' said Scrooge.
'Both very busy, sir.'
'Oh. I was afraid, from what you said at first, that something had occurred to stop them in their useful course,'
said Scrooge. 'I'm very glad to hear it.'
'Under the impression that they scarcely furnish Christian cheer of mind or body to the multitude,' returned the
gentleman, 'a few of us are
endeavouring to raise a fund to buy the Poor some meat and drink, and means of warmth. We choose this time,
because it is a time, of all others,
when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices. What shall I put you down for?'
'Nothing!' Scrooge replied.
'You wish to be anonymous?'
'I wish to be left alone,' said Scrooge. 'Since you ask me what I wish, gentlemen, that is my answer. I don't make
merry myself at Christmas and I
can't afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishments I have mentioned-they cost enough;
and those who are badly off must
go there.'
'Many can't go there; and many would rather die.'
'If they would rather die,' said Scrooge, 'they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. Besides -excuse me -- I don't know that.'
Task three
Write a letter to Scrooge persuading him that Christmas is a good time of the year and worth
celebrating.
You need to write this as a formal letter – so think how you set out a formal letter.
You need to write at least 3 paragraphs – each on a different subject about Christmas. Each paragraph
should contain at least 3 sentences.
You should try to refer to the text. You could refer to why he dislikes Christmas – eg his past – or how
he treats others at the moment – eg his clerk or his nephew – or how he might feel at Christmas without
his friends or family.
Try to ask a few questions in order to persuade. Try to use a simile to describe Christmas.
Word Bank:
however because
in addition also
my own view is
this shows that firstly
as I mentioned earlier
most importantly
secondly as a result
to sum up
Task four
Imagine you are Scrooge and you have just been visited by the three Ghosts. The visits have made you
realise you need to change your ways. You decide to write a Christmas Card apologising for your faults
and promising to make amends in some way.
Choose who you want to send the card to. This might be Bob Cratchit, Fred, Belle or another character
in the novel.
Decide what you need to apologise for and write about this in your Christmas Card. Decide how you
could make it better and promise to do so in your card.
Design your Christmas Card – remember that Scrooge is from Victorian times. Try to design a card
using Victorian festive images. Remember to include a printed greeting (eg Happy Christmas) on the
front. Inside – write your apology from Scrooge.
Part 5
Past
'Ghosts of Christmas: Draw and label the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future.
Remember to imagine their costumes their accessories and even their footwear! Be creative but make it realistic. Include
descriptions.
it, and the tenderest bloom was on the skin. The alms were very long and muscular; the hands the same, as if its hold
were of uncommon strength. Its legs and feet, most delicately formed, were, like those upper members, bare. It wore a
tunic of the purest white; and round its waist was bound a lustrous belt, the sheen of which was beautiful. It held a branch
of fresh green holly in its hand; and, in singular contradiction of that wintry emblem, had its dress trimmed with summer
flowers. But the strangest thing about it was, that from the crown of its head there sprung a bright clear jet of light, by
which all this was visible; and which was doubtless the occasion of its using, in its duller moments, a great extinguisher for
a cap, which it now held under its arm.
Even this, though, when Scrooge looked at it with increasing steadiness, was not its strangest quality. For as its belt
sparkled and glittered now in one part and now in another, and what was light one instant, at another time was dark, so
the figure itself fluctuated in its distinctness: being now a thing with one arm, now with one leg, now with twenty legs, now
a pair of legs without a head, now a head without a body: of which dissolving parts, no outline would be visible in the
dense gloom wherein they melted away. And in the very wonder oft his, it would be itself again; distinct and clear as ever.
'Are you the Spirit, sir, whose coming was foretold to me?' asked Scrooge. 'lam.'
The voice was soft and gentle. Singularly low, as if instead of being so close beside him, it were at a distance.
'Who, and what are you?' Scrooge demanded. 'I am the Ghost of Christmas Past.'
Present
'I am the Ghost of Christmas Present,' said the Spirit. 'Look upon me!'
Scrooge reverently did so. It was clothed in one simple green robe, or mantle, bordered with white fur. This garment hung
so loosely on the figure, that its capacious breast was bare, as if disdaining to be warded or concealed by any artifice. Its
feet, observable beneath the ample folds of the garment, were also bare; and on its head it wore no other covering than a
holly wreath, set here and there with shining icicles. Its dark brown curls . were long and free; free as its genial face, its
sparkling eye, its open hand, its cheery voice, its unconstrained demeanour, and its joyful air. Girded round its middle was
an antique scabbard; but no sword was in it, and the ancient sheath was eaten up with rust.
Future
The Phantom slowly, gravely, silently approached. When it came, Scrooge bent down upon his knee; for in the very air
through which this Spirit moved it seemed to scatter gloom and mystery.
It was shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its head, its face, its form, and left nothing of it visible save one
outstretched hand. But for this it would have been
It was a strange figure-like a child: yet not so like a child as like an old man, viewed through some supernatural medium,
which gave him the appearance of having receded from the view, and being diminished to a child's proportions. Its hair,
which hung about its neck and down its back, was white as if with age; and yet the face had not a wrinkle in
difficult to detach its figure from the night, and separate it from the darkness by which it was surrounded.
He felt that it was tall and stately when it came beside him, and that its mysterious presence filled him with a solemn
dread. He knew no more, for the Spirit neither spoke nor moved.
'I am in the presence of the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come?' said Scrooge. The Spirit answered not, but
pointed onward with its hand.
'You are about to show me shadows of the things that have not happened, but will happen in the time before us,'
Scrooge pursued. 'Is that so, Spirit?'
The upper portion of the garment was contracted for an instant in its folds, as if the Spirit had inclined its head. That
was the only answer he received.
Although well used to ghostly company by this time,
Part 6
Ghost story: Write a recipe for a good ghost story. Be sure to follow a recipe format i.e. ingredients needed and step by
step commands telling the "chef" what comes next. Try to think about what makes a good ghost story first and to help
think about what you might have discussed in class.