December is the perfect time to teach Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. The story’s themes of redemption, generosity, and transformation resonate with students, while the festive elements make it a wonderful holiday read. Whether you’re working with upper-grade or middle-school students, here are six creative ideas to bring A Christmas Carol to life in your language arts classroom.
Explore England in the 1800s
To set students up for success with A Christmas Carol, it’s essential to provide some background on 1800s England and Charles Dickens. Begin by exploring the historical context—Victorian England was marked by extreme poverty and wealth inequality, which directly influenced Dickens’ writing. Introduce students to the harsh conditions faced by the working class, the rise of industrialization, and the limited social support for the poor, which will help them better understand characters like Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim.
Paint a picture to show what life may have been like for your students if they were children living in this era. School wasn't something all children could enjoy during the early 1800s. Only wealthy families could afford to send their kids to school, while most children from poor families had to work. Sometimes children worked for 10 to 12 hours a day—in places like factories or as chimney sweeps. Some youth started working as young as five or six years old, making life very tough for them.
Learn About the Author
Additionally, a brief author study on Dickens can highlight how his own experiences with poverty shaped his stories. Dickens, who had to leave school to work in a factory as a child when his father was imprisoned for debt, often used his novels to critique societal issues and inspire change. By the time he wrote A Christmas Carol in 1843, he had already become a successful writer. But something was bothering him—he was deeply worried about the way poor people, and children, were being treated in England. He wanted to bring attention to the need for social change. Giving your students this background helps them appreciate the deeper themes in A Christmas Carol and makes the text more accessible and meaningful. #charlesdickens
Divide the Story into Sections
Break the story into parts when teaching it in your literature study. Here are the five sections I chose:
Part 1: Ebenezer Scrooge and the Ghost of Jacob Marley
Part 2: The Ghost of Christmas Past
Part 3: The Ghost of Christmas Present
Part 4: The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
Part 5: Scrooge’s Change of Heart
Whether you read the book, a shortened version of the story, or watch a film adaptation, pausing to discuss the plot after each section will help you dive deeper into the author's message. Consider choosing some of the following prompts for students to write about in their journals. Following their reflective writing time, invite them to share their ideas in a small group and then with the whole class.
If you were Jacob Marley, what would you say to convince Scrooge to change his ways? Write a script from his perspective.
If you could visit any moment from your past, what would it be and why? Do you think it’s important to reflect on both good and bad moments in life? Why or why not?
What do you think Scrooge learns from watching the Cratchit family celebrate when he is with the Ghost of Christmas Present?
Why do you think the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come doesn’t speak? How does that affect Scrooge?
Which ghost do you think had the biggest impact on Scrooge's transformation? How would the story change if this ghost never appeared?
Build a Dickens-Style Dictionary
In order to make sense of this story, students need to master the language of Charles Dickens. Help them by creating a personal dictionary. This can be as simple as dedicating a few pages of their composition notebooks to jot down unfamiliar words while reading and adding definitions later on. One of my favorite options is to have students create a picture dictionary like the one shown below. #picturedictionary
Create Character Projects
With Ebenezer Scrooge making such a transformation, I wanted students to make a craft that highlighted these major character changes. I created a spinning character card that we attached to a toilet paper roll. This allows students to physically switch Scrooge's appearance and words symbolizing how he transformed from the beginning to the end of the story. #ebenzerscrooge
Students also enjoy creating character trading cards. Get the template here or simply have students cut a piece of paper into four sections and write details on the front and back. Here are some of my favorite prompts:
Describe the character's personality traits.
What are his or her special skills?
What is his or her greatest fear?
Does he or she have a favorite item?
It's fun to have students share their character cards with each other. I love hearing about their creative ideas and how they interpret and analyze details related to the characters.
Compare the Movie
What better way to host a holiday party during the school day than to show a movie?! I don't know about you, but by the end of December, I am certainly ready for a quiet classroom engaged in eating popcorn and watching A Christmas Carol film. #achristmascarolmovie Following the movie, we draw a Venn Diagram in our journals to compare the book and movie. I like asking students these questions:
Which did you like better—the book or the movie? Why?
What changes would you make to improve either the book or the movie?
What other titles or phrases would you use to advertise and promote this story?
Imagine an alternate ending or sequel to the story; how would you continue the narrative?
Make a Time Capsule
After reading A Christmas Carol, students can create a time capsule to reflect on the themes of change, kindness, and personal growth. In the capsule, they can include letters to their future selves. They might also add small objects that represent what brings them joy today—like a photo, drawing, or trinket—similar to how the story encourages appreciation for the present. To capture the spirit of generosity, students can write notes about ways they plan to help others or spread kindness. The capsule can be sealed and set to open at a later date, such as the end of the school year or next Christmas, giving students a chance to reflect on their growth just like Scrooge did. #timecapsulecraft
My favorite way to create time capsules with students is by placing notecards and small items inside a paper lunch sack. We write the future date on which they are to open their time capsules on the outside and staple the top. (You might want to monitor this—one year I had a student use up an entire sleeve of staples since she eagerly wanted to secure her paper bag closed making sure no one would peek for years to come 🤦♀️)
Check out the contents of A Christmas Carol Literature Study:
✏️ A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Activities (65 Pages)
Passages: England in the 1800s and About the Author
A Christmas Carol: 5 Part Story
Key Terms: Matching and Picture Dictionary
Comprehension Questions: 1 Page for each of the 5 Parts
Character Study: Trading Cards, Interview, and Scrooge’s Transformation
Compare the Movie - (Use with any film adaptation)
Review Game: Read the instructions, print materials (or present the Google Slides), and ask the included questions. Check the answer key for possible responses.
Math: Money Miser and $100 Word Challenge
Project: Create a Time Capsule
Final Assessment: Assign multiple choice and extended response questions.
✏️ Answer Keys
✏️ PDF & Google Slides
Hear about these activities to match A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens:
⭐️ “This literature study is fantastic! The slides are gorgeous and they save me from printing so many copies. There are enough academic activities to fill my whole month of December.”
⭐️ “I’m so glad this works with Google Classroom! I was able to quickly share the slides with my fifth graders and they enjoyed the activities.”
⭐️ “This resource is AMAZING! I love the difficulty of the multiple-choice and extended-response questions. They are similar to what my students answer for state testing and they prompted great discussions throughout December.”
⭐️ “I love that this resource includes so many Christmas Carol activities. It worked great as an independent study project for my gifted and talented students. I printed the workbooks and didn't even have to track down copies of the novel because this has everything I needed in one place.”
Use these Christmas Carol Worksheets and Slides in so many ways!
✅ Quickly print literature study workbooks and projects.
✅ Or, present every page using colorful Google Slides.
✅ Check responses with the answer key.
✅ Assign comprehension worksheets to students for homework. Have them take notes and come prepared to discuss this story in your language arts class.
✅ Invite students to read the five parts of "A Christmas Carol" in small groups and complete the worksheets or slides together.
Download this resource to make a Scrooge transformation craft with your students! Cut apart and decorate the paper templates. Invite students to write a quote or imagine what Scrooge might say at the beginning and end of the story. Then, attach the pieces to a toilet paper roll to make it easy to rotate and spin.
Find answers to your questions about this December Literature Unit:
✋ Do I need copies of the book for each student?
No - share the included 5 part story in print or digital format.
✋ How can I teach this unit?
Use these activities with your whole class, small groups, or even individual students. Fast finishers can complete the pages independently if you choose.
✋ Which grades will benefit the most from using this resource?
4th - 6th Grade