by Felicity Gibson
For this unit of work you and your class are going to be studying 'Oliver Twist' by Charles Dickens. It is very likely that you have heard a lot about this story. There have been many television and film adaptations, some of which you may have seen.
You may already know that Charles Dickens wrote the story as a novel, you are going to be reading a specially adapted play which closely follows the story Dickens wrote.
During this unit of work you will be learning about some new English skills as well as refining some of the skills you already have. These skills will include;
Diary writing
Speaking and Listening presentations
Writing newspaper articles
Research
Script reading
Your teacher will guide you and your class through this unit of work with the help of this booklet.
How much do you already know about 'Oliver Twist'? Discuss with your teacher and class any information you have about the story. Where have you got the information from? Have you seen a television or film version of it? Have you, or has anyone you know, read the book?
Now start read Act 1, Scene 1 of the play. Throughout your reading of the play, your teacher will direct you as to who reads which parts.
You may have noticed that some of the language is quite difficult. Don't worry, by the time you have read a few more scenes you will be used to it. To help you, do this vocabulary work. Copy these words into your exercise books leaving one line between each word. Use dictionaries to discover the meanings of the words then write the meanings into your book in words which you understand.
| parochial | notwithstanding | superlative |
| foundling | delegate | Beadle |
| undertaker | gruel | wither |
| copper (not the metal) | forthwith | pauper |
Finish your vocabulary exercise. Your teacher will go over the answers with you. Make sure that you mark them in your book as you go through. How many did you get right?
Life at the workhouse was clearly awful for the boys. Discuss with your teacher and your class what sort of life they used to lead. What sort of food did they have? What sort of work did they have to do? What were the sleeping arrangements? How were they treated by the Board of Guardians?
At the back of this booklet you will see a copy of a worksheet looking at conditions in workhouses. Your teacher will supply you with a copy of your own. Write your name at the top of it and fill in as much as you can as neatly as you can. It might be a good idea to use a pencil so that if you make a mistake you can rub it out.
HOMEWORK - Find out as much as you can about workhouses and fill the information in on your worksheet. You could use the Library, the Internet, an encyclopaedia or Encarta to get your information.
As a class, read Act 1, Scene 2.
Using the points at the back of this booklet, start writing diary entries 1 - 3 . Remember that you are writing as if you are Oliver. Your teacher will give you a copy of the pointer sheet. Stick it into your book - you will need to use it regularly.
Continue writing your diary entries.
If you finish, continue working on your posters from lesson three.
HOMEWORK - Finish your diary entries and your poster.
Read Act 1, Scenes 3 and 4.
Life is changing dramatically for Oliver. He has arrived in London and has met the Artful Dodger. The Dodger takes him to Fagin's place. What is this place like? Who else is there? What do they eat? How does Oliver think they make money? How do they actually make money? How does Oliver respond when he sees Dodger and Charley stealing? What happens then?
In your exercise books, draw out character charts for Oliver, Artful Dodger and Fagin. Follow the examples given then think of some of your own. Use a full page for each chart.
| CHARACTERISTIC | PAGE NO | EVIDENCE |
| Proud | 16 | He attacks Noah Claypole when he is saying nasty things about his mother |
| Bold |
7 17 |
He asks for more food He tells Mr Bumble he isn't afraid |
| CHARACTERISTIC | PAGE NO | EVIDENCE |
| Friendly | 19 | He introduces himself to Oliver |
| CHARACTERISTIC | PAGE NO | EVIDENCE |
| Suspicious | 23 | He is worried Oliver saw where he put his stash of jewellery |
Finish working on your character charts. Your teacher will go over them with you as a class.
Read Act 1, Scenes 5 and 6.
Remembering to use your pointer sheet, write diary entries 4 - 6 .
HOMEWORK - Finish diary entries 4 - 6
Now the story goes back to the workhouse and we find out some important things about Oliver's past. Read Act 2, Scenes 1 - 3.
What is the information we have found out? How could it affect Oliver? Who else might be interested in the information?
You are now going to start working on a Speaking and Listening Assessment which your teacher will assess and give you a National Curriculum level for. You will be given the rest of this lesson and one more lesson to rehearse. After that you will be expected to perform to the rest of the class.
You will be working in pairs. Your teacher will guide you in the formation of the pairs. You are going to work on a performance of Act 2, Scene 3.
In your pair, decide which of you is going to play which character.
In your pair, re-read Act 2, Scene 3 at least three times.
By this time you should be fairly fluent at reading your part.
Think carefully about;
body language
tone of voice
set
facial expression
Rehearse your performance - it needs to be ready to show next lesson.
Performance. Your teacher will give you a few minutes to do a final rehearsal.
Read Act 2, Scenes 4 - 6. What has happened to Oliver? Where is he now? What information has Mrs Bumble given to Mr Monks? Who do you think Monks might be? Why do you think he wants the information?
Now draw out some more character charts, this time for Bill Sikes, Mr Brownlow and Nancy. Fill in as many characteristics as you can.
Continue working on your character charts. Your teacher will go over them with you. Now it's time to get up to date with your diary. Using the pointer sheet, write diary entry 7 .
Read Act 2, Scenes 7 -11.
What do you think about what has happened? Were you surprised? Did you expect Bill to be so brutal? Why did he do it? What do you think of Fagin's part in it all?
In Act 2, Scene 11, the paper boy is selling the paper describing what has happened. Using a double page in your exercise book, design and write the front page of the newspaper. Use the example at the back of this booklet to help you.
HOMEWORK - Finish your newspaper article
You are going to finish reading the play this lesson. Read Act 2, Scenes 12 - 14.
Did you think the ending would be like that? Do you feel at all sorry for Fagin? What about Bill? What did Mr Brownlow do about Oliver and Mr Monks? What did we finally find out was the truth about Oliver's background?
Write your final diary entry using the pointer sheet to help you.
HOMEWORK - Finish diary entry 8
For the next few lessons you are going to be preparing for and involved in a quiz. Your teacher will direct you into six groups. Each group will be given a topic or a set of characters. The character sets and groups are thus;
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GROUP ONE
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GROUP TWO
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GROUP THREE
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GROUP FOUR
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GROUP FIVE
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GROUP SIX
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Once your groups have been decided, you need to start working on your questions. Each group must come up with ten good questions about your topic or characters. Work as a team to make them interesting and clever.
Once you have come up with your questions, write them neatly - with the answers - on a piece of A4 paper. Write your team name at the top and hand the sheet to your teacher. Your teacher will need this sheet for when they are conducting the quiz.
Use any spare lesson time to revise as much information as possible.
GOOD LUCK!
HOMEWORK - finish designing your book cover
YOU HAVE REACHED THE END OF THIS UNIT - WELL DONE!
ENTRY 1 - Life at the workhouse
what do you eat?
where do you sleep?
what work do you do?
ENTRY 2 - Life at the Sowerberry's
how is life different to the workhouse?
who do you work with and what are they like?
what/where do you eat?
ENTRY 3 - How and why you left the Sowerberry's
what did you do to Noah, why did you do it?
what did Mr Bumble say was the reason you went 'wild'
how and why did you leave?
ENTRY 4 - Life at Fagin's
how did you come to be there?
how is life different to the workhouse and the Sowerberry's?
what do the boys and Fagin do for a living?
ENTRY 5 - Life at Mr Brownlow's
how did you come to be there?
what do you think of Mr Brownlow and Mrs Bedwin?
are you happy?
ENTRY 6 - Back at Fagin's
why are you back at Fagin's?
what is it like?
ENTRY 7 - The robbery at Chertsey
what were you supposed to do in the robbery?
what actually happened?
where are you now?
ENTRY 8 - How it all came together
how did the people from Chertsey know who you were?
how did Mr Brownlow respond when he saw you again
what did Mr Brownlow do about Mr Monks and who is he?
what did you think when you saw Fagin in prison?
are you going to live happily now?
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