Students at XP in Year 11 have been preparing for their GCSE English Literature Exam studying a range of different texts. One of these was A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
As we learn predominantly through Learning Expeditions at XP Trust, students embarked on a Humanities based expedition entitled Is Charity Enough? Students studied A Christmas Carol whilst considering the work they had completed, and were continuing to study, as part of their GCSE History in the thematic module Health and Medicine through the Ages. Students focussed on A Christmas Carol considering what life was like particularly social conditions at the time the novella was written.
Students then began a detailed study of the Dickens classic by reading and writing about characters, themes and the intent of the novella. This was the foundation for the study guide that includes this content as well as beautiful artwork, interviews with Lucinda Hawksley (the Great Great Great Granddaughter of Dickens himself) as well as curators from the Dickens museum in London.
The result of this work is a fantastic guide for the students to use to help them in their GCSE revision as well as a beautiful product that reflects the students authentic voice and deep engagement with the text. However, this guide isn’t just for our students and their studies - it’s available to everyone studying A Christmas Carol at GCSE, as well as anyone else with a keen interest in Dickens!