Charles Dickens Study at CMS

During December in ELA, the seventh graders dove deeply into the classic novella A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. When looking into symbolism used within the text, students worked in small groups to discuss what Marley’s chains represented. Students rotated in small groups to analyze quotes about the chains followed by a whole group discussion about how the chains can represent the weight of negative choices made in life. Students then took time to reflect on this and together they developed a class “chain” which they will proudly get rid of once the class has finished reading this classic tale of redemption. It was wonderful to see students connecting symbolism used in the text to the realities of our world today in a way that inspired thought-provoking conversations.