Knowing that stories teach so much more than lectures, Charles Dickens set out in 1843 to craft a tale to make his countrymen care about the plight of the impoverished, especially the children who labored in the dangerous mines and factories of England. Rather than draft a pamphlet or essay on the topic, he invented Ebenezer Scrooge and modeled the Cratchit family on his own boyhood experience of having to leave school at age 12 to help support his family by working in a boot-polish factory.
It took Dickens just six weeks to write A Christmas Carol, a “sledge-hammer blow on behalf of the Poor Man’s Child” dressed as a beloved holiday tale.
Two favorite slices:
I hope you’re enjoying the winter holidays with friends, family, and lots of good food. Rest. Give to others. And God Bless Us, Every One!
Thank you for sharing this information, Laura! I will share this with my students next year. I hope you are having a wonderful, relaxing winter break.
On another note: I did your haiku activity before break, and the students loved it! They were recalling fond memories from previous years. I felt like Santa as I was sending the haiku to the teachers. Most of the teachers replied how much-needed the kind words were.
My pleasure, Michelle! SO glad you were able to spread a little love via haiku – much cheaper than FedEx! 🙂