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Year 4 - English

Planning the climax of a 'A Christmas Carol'

'A Christmas Carol': narrative writing and reading

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils explore A Christmas Carol, learning about its context and developing comprehension through targeted questions. They analyse characterisation, themes, and the story's ending. Pupils then plan and write a setting description, along with the opening, build-up and climax.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to generate precise vocabulary to plan the climax of 'A Christmas Carol'.

Key Notes

  • The purpose of the climax is to describe the main action and take the suspense to its highest point.
  • The climax of 'A Christmas Carol' describes Scrooge's encounter with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (Future).
  • Scrooge feels great regret and sorrow upon seeing the future visions and realises he must change his ways.
  • Precise and descriptive vocabulary, including 'show and tell' is used to convey an ominous atmosphere.
  • Direct speech and Scrooge's inner thoughts are used to convey Scrooge's fraught emotions.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • climax: the point in the narrative that describes the main action and takes the suspense to its highest point
  • suspense: a state of feeling excited or anxious uncertainty about what may happen
  • ominous: an adjective used to describe something showing a sign of misfortune to come
  • fraught: an adjective used to describe something that causes anxiety and stress

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Children may find it difficult to understand some of the vocabulary modelled (e.g. indifference) and they may struggle to generate their own vocabulary ideas to convey an ominous atmosphere.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

The purpose of the climax is to describe the main action and take the suspense to its highest point. The climax of 'A Christmas Carol' describes Scrooge's encounter with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (Future).

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

the point in the narrative that describes the main action and takes the suspense to its highest point.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Children may find it difficult to understand some of the vocabulary modelled (e.g. indifference) and they may struggle to generate their own vocabulary ideas to convey an ominous atmosphere. Correction: Model the use of a thesaurus to up level simple pieces of vocabulary. For example, instead of 'lonely', children might use 'isolated' or 'deserted'.

More Lessons In This Unit

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