Unit Plan

Beyond the Story: A Dickens of a Party

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

It's time to party like it's 1899! Incorporate a research-based celebration of the Victorian Era into your unit on A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. After learners read the novella or view a production of the play, they craft a character sketch of a person from the 19th century and role-play that person during a final presentation at a festive holiday party set in Dickens' time.

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CCSS: Adaptable
Instructional Ideas
  • Split the class into several groups and assign general socioeconomic levels from the Victorian Era, such as the elite aristocracy and the working poor
  • Coordinate the party so that everyone gets to help plan, set up, attend, and clean up
Classroom Considerations
  • WebQuest is no longer available, but the resource is not vital to 
  • Requires Internet access for researching characters and elements of a Victorian-era party
  • Lesson is divided into ten part; adjust the schedule as needed for your curriculum
Pros
  • A fun and engaging way to incorporate historical context into a novel unit
  • Includes links to relevant lessons
  • Provides worksheets, character sketch templates, role play cards, and rubrics
Cons
  • None