A Christmas Carol WebQuest for Sixth Grade

A. Scavenger Hunt

ASSIGNMENT: Answer the following questions by visiting various sites on the Internet.  Each individual group member needs to submit their own set of 10 answers.  Answers should be written in complete sentences in your best handwriting or typed.  All answer sheets should be stapled together and placed in the final gift box for grading.

 1.  The story takes place during the Victorian Era - a period of history from 1837-1901 during the reign of the Queen Victoria. Where is Camden-Town located? Be specific. Dickens' London Map 

 

2.  Tiny Tim was a little boy who had an illness which made it difficult for him to walk without a crutch. What disease did he have?  Dickensian Diagnosis

 

3.  When Scrooge is asked to donate money to the poor, he refuses and asks, “Are there no prisons? And Union workhouses?” What is a Union Workhouse? What was it like? What did they eat? Check out Introduction to Workhouses

 

4.  Plum Pudding and Smoking Bishop are two treats mentioned in A Christmas Carol. What are their main ingredients? What did they make it in? Dickens' Christmas Page . The information can be found in the left column. Scroll down – you’ll find it!

 

5.  Visit this website and select six or more important events in Charles Dickens’ life. Place the events on a timeline in correct order. Charles Dickens: A Chronology of his Life 

6.  Create a list of at least 5 hardships that child laborers (Working Children) faced during Victorian Times. Victorian Era: Child Labor

7.  Back in the Victorian era, their coins were called: pound, guinea, crown, farthing shilling, and pence. Scrooge paid Bob Cratchit “fifteen shilling a week.” Visit the following website about Victorian Money.  Choose 3 (or more) different jobs and tell what the salary was for each one.  
 

 8.  Scrooge's mansion is obviously a cold, drafty place!  Yet, he couldn't head down to his thermostat and turn up the heat.  How did people of the Victorian Era stay warm? Staying Warm: How the Victorians Did it

 

9.  As a young boy, Scrooge was sent to a boarding school.  Read about Education during the Victorian Era.  Did most children go to boarding schools?  How were girls educated differently than boys?  Describe dame schools, ragged schools, Sunday schools, and schools for all!   

 

10.  Why did Charles Dickens write A Christmas Carol?  What impact did this story have on the people of England in the 1800's?  How does this story still affect "Christmas as we know it" today? The Classic Story of Ebenezer Scrooge

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B. Create a Holiday Menu

In the play A Christmas Carol, we read that Bob Cratchit earns 15 shillings a week (in America, today, that would equal 70 dollars a week, or 10 dollars a day).  Although Cratchit made very little, he was still able to provide a Christmas dinner (plum pudding and all!) for his family.

 

ASSIGNMENT:  Pretend that you are Bob Cratchit today and you have to use your salary to plan a holiday menu for your family (of 7 people).  In your groups, use the shopping advertisements to guide your food budget.  You have TWO WEEK’S pay and must design a menu that you can afford.  Your menu must include:

1)  A list of all foods that you plan on serving to your family (including drinks, desserts, and appetizers)

2)  An estimated cost of each item (using prices from your newspapers/internet)

3)  A creative format (printed or hand designed)

 *Each group must submit ONE menu in their final gift box*

 Remember, NEATNESS COUNTS and you may only spend two weeks pay (140 dollars)!!

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C. Apology Letters from Scrooge

ASSIGNMENT: You are the new Scrooge and you are going to write apology letters to the people you have hurt in the past.  Each group member must write a letter (from Scrooge) to either Bob Cratchit, Belle (Scrooge's ex), Fred, or the Portly Do-Gooder apologizing for your hurtful and miserly ways.  Each group member will write a two-paragraph letter (to a different character mentioned above) and identify the hurtful things you have said or done to one of these characters.  You must also explain how you have evolved from a grumpy misanthrope to a jolly do-gooder!

 

• Paragraph #1: Focus on being apologetic

Apologize to your selected character by focusing on your changed outlook and why you are sorry for the things you have done.  Describe two things that you said or did that would have been hurtful to your chosen character.  Make sure you use the text for evidence.  Explain why these things are important, how you are now a changed person, and what you want your life to be like from now on.

 

• Paragraph #2: Focus on Cause and Effect

Provide a summarizing statement that explains your (Scrooge’s) personality at the start of the play.  Provide two details from the text that may have caused you to become such a miserly misanthrope!  Then, provide a second summarizing statement that explains your (Scrooge’s) personality at the end of the play.  Provide three details from the text that show why you have had such a change of heart and are now a better person.

 

Your writing should be in correct letter format.  Each group member must write his/her own individual letter to a different character.  It is preferred that the letters are typed; however, do to time-restrictions in the computer lab, hand-written letters are acceptable.  Please staple or ribbon all letters together and place them in your gift box.  Be sure to include the following:

• Letter format:

          Dear Bob/Belle/Fred/Portly Do-Gooder,

          Sincerely, Ebenezer Scrooge

• Indenting for each paragraph
• Correct spelling/grammar

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D. Symbolic Tokens

In the final act, Scrooge is quoted as saying, “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach!”

It is the job of your group to REMIND Scrooge of what he vowed and to make sure he does not return to his miserly ways!

 

ASSIGNMENT:  Each member of your group is to contribute one symbolic token to your final gift box.  These tokens can be very simple, but each one holds great meaning.  Along with each token, a paragraph needs to be written explaining why that specific item was chosen, what it symbolizes, and how it will help Scrooge remember the lessons that the Spirits instilled upon him.

Discuss with your group what each member will contribute (so all of the items are not the same).  Examples may include: a coin, a Christmas card, a paperclip chain, etc.  BE CREATIVE and think of ORIGINAL objects that can be used as symbolic tokens.  Also, please make sure each member writes or types the required paragraph that explains each symbol. 

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E. Final Project Gift Box

Now that your group has completed all of the WebQuest requirements, it's time to get to work on submitting your final project!

1.  Please gather all of the answer sheets from the Scavenger Hunt and staple them together.  Each individual sheet should have the name of one group member on top.  Place these in the box.

2.  Place your group's Holiday Menu in the box.

3.  Please gather all of the Apology Letter's from Scrooge and either staple them together or festively tie them together with ribbon.  Each individual letter should have the name of one group member on top.  Place these in the box.

4.  Please gather all of the Symbolic Tokens (attached to their explanatory paragraph) and place them in the box.  Each group member should write his/her name on the top of each paragraph.

5.  DECORATE THE BOX!  Please make your box original and visually appealing.  Each group only submits ONE final project gift box that contains all of your project elements.  The box can be wrapped, but the lid needs to be able to come off, so you may want to wrap the bottom and top of the box seperately.  You can use wrapping paper, ribbon, stickers, WHATEVER to make your box stand out!

"He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world."

*THE END*