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Year 10 - English

'A Christmas Carol': writing an extended argument

A Christmas Carol: Scrooge's redemption

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils read and explore 'A Christmas Carol'. They start by reading the novella in full, pausing during each stave to analyse key scenes, characters, themes and methods. After reading the novella, pupils chart Scrooge's redemptive journey and craft an essay on the presentation of fear.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to write a sophisticated and convincing extended response and then evaluate and improve it.

Key Notes

  • If given an extract in your question, at least one of your ideas needs to come from the extract.
  • When responding to a text, you should consider a range of evidence from across the whole text.
  • Your argument can build in complexity from foundational knowledge to a personal interpretation.
  • Discourse markers are useful in structuring your response and showing links between ideas.
  • Your analysis of the text should be rich, with context integrated to support.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • To evaluate: When evaluating a response, you weigh up its success and make a judgement about it.
  • To catalyse: If something catalyses something else, it starts or triggers it.
  • Plight: A plight is an unpleasant condition.
  • To evolve: Evolving means developing or changing gradually (usually for the better).

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Students do not understand that an argument should build in complexity.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

If given an extract in your question, at least one of your ideas needs to come from the extract. When responding to a text, you should consider a range of evidence from across the whole text.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'To evaluate'

When evaluating a response, you weigh up its success and make a judgement about it.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Students do not understand that an argument should build in complexity. Correction: Students should consider the structure of their argument. Which ideas need to come first in order to foreground other ideas?

More Lessons In This Unit

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