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Lesson 1 (from Book the First: Poverty, Chapters I-VII)

Objective

Book the First: Poverty, Chapters I-VII

Knowing the background of an author, especially one as famous as Charles Dickens, can help a reader understand a literary text on a much deeper level. The objective of this lesson is to provide the class with information on Charles Dickens.

Lesson

1) Focusing Exercise: Have students write for five minutes on the following prompt: "Why is knowing information about the author important when reading a text?"

2) Class Discussion: Who was Charles Dickens? What novels is he famous for? Why is he so famous? What are the common themes in his novels (poverty/riches, humility, family, a vast cast of characters all becoming intertwined by a story's end, etc.)? What was his life like? What kind of legacy did he leave? How is he viewed in modern America today? This can also be a good opportunity for the students to practice...

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