The Muppet Christmas Carol
Activity Pack
See, think, make.
Imagine
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See, think, make.
Imagine
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Our downloadable resources are designed to be used in conjunction with selected film titles, which are available free for clubs at www.filmclub.org
The Muppet Christmas Carol
The Muppet Christmas Carol Activity Pack
Nothing gets everyone more in the mood for Christmas than Charles Dickens’ timeless tale, A Christmas Carol with
Ebenezer Scrooge, and when you add Muppets into the mix this heartwarming tale gets an extra sprinkling of fun.
This special Into Film Christmas resource focuses on The Muppet Christmas Carol and contains fun film and Christmas
activities plus games.
To complete these activities you will need a copy of The Muppet Christmas Carol DVD.
This pack also features ideas for Christmas games and activities and an Into Film Christmas Quiz to hold with
your group.
Contents
The Muppet Christmas Carol
3
Activities:
Subtitle singalong!
6
Act the grump! 7
Warm up games 9
Flick book
10
Practical animation
12
Storyboarding13
Christmas pitch
15
Christmas quiz - answers
16
Christmas quiz
17
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Our downloadable resources are designed to be used in conjunction with selected film titles, which are available free for clubs at www.filmclub.org
Activity pack
The Muppet Christmas Carol
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Building the mood
The film opens with a broad cross-section of Muppet life in Victorian England, but what kind of Victorian England is this?
Watch the clip ‘Opening setting’ {time code 00:02:26 - 00:03:40}
Ask students to think, pair and share five adjectives they would use to describe the setting. Ask the group to give an
example of something that they saw or heard in the clip to justify their choice of adjective.
The Three Ghosts
One of the most well known elements of the Dickens story is the appearance of the three ghosts. In The Muppet
Christmas Carol they are all introduced in very different ways to build different moods:
Watch the following
‘The Ghost of Christmas Past’ {00:29:50 - 00:31:20}
‘The Ghost of Christmas Present’ {00:44:03 - 00:45:56}
‘The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come’ {00:59:45 - 01:01:24}
Divide the class into three groups assigning each one the ghost of Christmas Past, Present, or Yet to Come.
Ask each group to draw an outline of their ghost and divide the drawing into three sections:
•
•
•
Section one: ask the group to write down what the ghost thinks of themselves
Section two: ask the group to write down what Scrooge thinks of the ghost
Section three: ask the group to write down what they thought of the ghost.
Ask each group to feedback and discuss how the use of colour, camera, setting and sound affects the way that a viewer
sees each character.
Empathy with Ebenezer
Throughout the story, Ebenezer Scrooge is presented as the archetypal grumpy old man and we see Scrooge as a child
at school to understand where his negative feelings and bitterness came from.
Watch the clip ‘Ebenezer sees himself at school’ {00:33:00 - 00:36:02}
Ask the group to work in pairs or threes to prepare a 60 second persuasive speech starting with the sentence ‘Ebenezer
Scrooge was an unhappy old man because of his childhood experiences...’ Groups can choose to persuade the
audience that Scrooge’s behavior in later life is right or wrong.
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Our downloadable resources are designed to be used in conjunction with selected film titles, which are available free for clubs at www.filmclub.org
Activity pack
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Listen to the groups’ speeches and discuss whether the group has sympathy for Scrooge, and whether his experiences
as a child justify his actions and attitude in later life.
Empathy with Ebenezer as an old man
Watch the clip ‘You there, boy!’ {01:09:55 - 01:12:15}
Ebenezer receives his first ever Christmas present at the end of this scene.
You could include this in the above activity and ask the group to think, pair and share why they think
Ebenezer is so grateful to receive the gift. How might this influence the rest of his life?
The Yes and No game
This game has many names, and everyone loves it.
Watch the clip ‘the yes and no game’ {00:48:49 - 00:50:31}
Ask each member of the group to think of something connected to Christmas and write it down on a slip of paper to
see if the rest of the class can guess what it is by asking one question at a time. Remember, you can only answer with
‘yes’ or ‘no’. Each person in the group is allowed to ask one question, and they have to try to guess the answer in 20
questions or less.
Narration game!
The Muppet Christmas Carol features two narrators.
Ask the group to think, pair and share why films have a narrator, and why this film has two narrators.
Ask members of the group to play the roles of Gonzo as Charles Dickens and Rizzo the rat. Give the volunteers a hat or
prop to indicate who is in which role and speaking. For each clip a new pair can take on the roles.
Play each of the following clips with the sound turned off, and ask the people in the roles to narrate the scene.
If you have not watched the whole film recently, you may like to start by playing the film with sound and then carry out
the narration task, to see what people have remembered.
Give each pair about 30 seconds, from these suggested starting places for each pair:
‘Scrooge arrives at work’ 00:08:21
‘Bob Cratchit has questions for Ebenezer’ 00:09:42
‘Scrooge is asked to donate to charity’ 00:11:45
‘Bob Cratchit has more questions for Ebenezer’ 00:14:46
‘Scrooge receives a visit from Jacob and Robert Marley’ 00:23:27
‘Christmas at the Cratchit home’ 00:51:59
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Our downloadable resources are designed to be used in conjunction with selected film titles, which are available free for clubs at www.filmclub.org
Activity pack
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Subtitle singalong!
Nothing is as festive as a singalong, and this is one of the most heart-warming songs in the film.
Play the clip Thankful Heart {01:12:13 – 01:15:03} with the DVD subtitles, or print out the lyrics on page 6.
Act the grump! Watch the clip ‘Merry Christmas’ {01:15:06 – 01:16:13}
Ask for 3 volunteers to re-enact the scene.
Divide your group into groups of 3. Ask each group to write three ‘acting notes’ for each volunteer. These should be
three points that the ‘actor’ has in mind when they are re-enacting the scene, for example Scrooge never smiles,
Bob Cratchit is always slouching, etc.
Ask the volunteers to re-enact the scene by using the script, and demonstrating their understanding of the characters
and the story.
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SUBTITLE SINGALONG!
Thankful Heart: Music and lyrics
by Paul Williams
With a thankful heart, with an endless joy,
With a growing family, every girl and boy,
Will be nephew and niece to me.
(Nephew and niece to me)
Will bring love, hope and peace to me.
(Love, hope and peace to me)
Yes, and every night will end,
And every day will start,
With a grateful prayer, and a thankful heart.
With an open smile, and with open doors,
I will bid you welcome, what is mine is yours.
With a glass raised to toast your health.
(With a glass raised to toast your health)
And a promise to share the wealth.
(A promise to share the wealth)
I will sail a friendly course,
File a friendly chart,
On a sea of love and a thankful heart.
Life is like a journey,
Who knows when it ends?
Yes, and if you need to know
The measure of a man
You simply count his friends.
Stop and look around you.
The glory that you see
Is born again each day,
Don’t let it slip away
How precious life can be.
With a thankful heart that is wide awake,
I do make this promise every breath I take,
Will be used now to sing your praise.
(Used now to sing your praise)
And to beg you to share my days.
(Beg you to share my days)
With a loving guarantee,
That even if we part,
I will hold you close in a thankful heart.
6
ACT THE GRUMP!
Script
Ext. Victorian Street - Day
Ebenezer Scrooge knocks on Bob Cratchit’s door.
SCROOGE
Bob Cratchit!
Bob opens the door slowly.
SCROOGE (CONT’D)
So here you are!
BOB CRATCHIT
Mr Scrooge...
SCROOGE
You sir, were not at work this morning as we had discussed.
BOB CRATCHIT
But, Mr Scrooge sir, we did discuss it. It’s Christmas Day sir. You gave me the day off.
SCROOGE
I? I, Ebenezer Scrooge? Would I do a thing like that?
BOB CRATCHIT
No. I mean yes, but you did.
SCROOGE
Bob Cratchit, I’ve had my fill of this.
Emily Cratchit comes bursting out.
EMILY CRATCHIT
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And I have had my fill of you, Mr Scrooge!
7
ACT THE GRUMP!
Script
BOB CRATCHIT
Emily, Emily...
BOB CRATCHIT
No. I mean yes, but you did.
SCROOGE
And therefore, Bob Cratchit...
EMILY CRATCHIT
And therefore, you can leave this house at once!
SCROOGE
And therefore, I am about to raise your salary.
EMILY CRATCHIT
And I am about to raise you right off the pavement... pardon?
BOB CRATCHIT
Pardon?
SCROOGE
Yes Bob. Raise your salary. And pay off your
mortgage on this house.
Emily Cratchit laughs nervously.
BOB CRATCHIT
Please, sir. Come inside. Yes, yes.
SCROOGE
Bob Cratchit, would you and your family care to join us for a little turkey dinner on this fine Christmas Day?
Emily and Bob Cratchit both gasp.
SCROOGE (CONT’D)
Merry Christmas.
8
Our downloadable resources are designed to be used in conjunction with selected film titles, which are available free for clubs at www.filmclub.org
Activity pack
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Warm-up Games
Snowball fight (Suitable for 7+)
This is a quick and fun game to play with your group. Ask your students to write the title of their favourite Christmas film
and a movie that they wish they had starred in (explaining their reasons why) on a piece of paper. Students then have 5
seconds to throw their ‘snowballs’ (not at each other!). Ask students to stop and pick up a random snowball, unravel it,
read it aloud, and try to guess who it belongs to.
Equipment: Pens, scrap paper
Miming (Suitable for 9+)
Write as many film titles as students in the group onto sticky notes or stickers. Stick a film title from our Comedy
Christmas topic to each student’s back. They must walk around the room and show their title to other students, who will
mime their film title back to them. If a student guesses their title correctly they must sit down. This can also work with
characters for a more simple guessing game.
Suggested film titles: The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992, U), The Snowman (1986, U), Home Alone (1990, PG),
Miracle on 34th Street (1947, U)
Suggested film characters: Father Christmas, Ebenezer Scrooge, Kevin (Home Alone), Doris Walker
Equipment: Stickers or sticky notes
Christmas Primary favourites: http://bit.ly/1y8DTaW
Christmas Articulate This (Suitable for 7+)
Split the group into two teams; one person from the first team will come to the front whilst a slide with a Christmas
themed word is shown behind them. They can’t see the slide. Their team needs to shout out clues (without saying any
of the words on the slide) in order for the person at the front to guess what’s on the screen. Give each team a minute
and count the points scored before swapping to the next team. This game can be a nice vocabulary exercise and a fun
way to link to the day’s theme.
Downloads: Search ‘Christmas Activity Days’ on the www.filmclub.org website to find the download link to the
Christmas Articulate slides.
Christmas Board Race (Suitable for 7+)
Ask the students to get into teams and give them two minutes to write as many words or phrases on the board/flipchart
paper on a given topic, e.g. Christmas films, best ever presents, etc. They must write up their words relay-style and the
team with the most words on the board at the end of the time wins. Different themes can form different rounds for a
longer game.
Equipment: Whiteboard pens, white board / flip chart
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Our downloadable resources are designed to be used in conjunction with selected film titles, which are available free for clubs at www.filmclub.org
Activity pack
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Activities: Flick Book
Suitable for: 7+
Estimated time: 60 minutes
This activity will work with: A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965, U) 5+
Activity Description:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Plan out the simple storyline for your flick book on scrap paper (15 mins)
Give out the prepared blank flick books (instructions below)
Ask students to choose a character they would like to animate
Ask them to draw it in the bottom right hand corner of the flick book. Then they can add a background and
develop pictures.
Refer back to the previous page while drawing the next one to check that the flick book does not jump
dramatically from one picture to the next
Keep drawing and colouring in while sticking to your plan (Steps 2-6 will take about 30 mins)
Check that your book works by flicking through it
Have a gallery of flick books and allow students to view each other’s flick books (15 mins)
What you will need:
• Flick books (pieces of paper stapled together)
• Pencils
• Colouring pencils/pens
Downloads: None
Top Tips:
• A simple storyline
• Smooth transitions from one frame to the next
• Not too many or too few frames
How to make a flick book:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
You can have a stack of sticky notes, or even pieces of paper or card stapled together
Draw the first and last frames first so that you know where the story characters will start and finish
Try to keep your pictures in the corner of the paper
Make sure that one picture flows to the next one
Try to keep the sizes of your characters and objects the same from one frame to the next
When you have finished your flick book, you can flick through it with your thumb to bring the animation to life.
Try flicking through backwards to tell your story in reverse!
Recommended 24 sheets or frames for 7-11 year olds or 28 sheets for 11+
We have also included a handy flick book template that you can use too.
More from Into Film: You can order and review A Charlie Brown Christmas on the website from www.filmclub.org
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Flick book template
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Instructions
Plan out the storyline for your flick book, making sure to keep most of the
action in the bottom right hand corner. Keep your story simple and make
sure you tell the story entirely though your drawing. Something quick and
easy always works well, like a bouncing ball or jumping frog.
STICK
STICK
STICK
STICK
STICK
STICK
Once you have drawn your story, cut around each box and stick the boxes together
(you may want to number each box to make sure you keep them in the right order).
Top Tips: You can also make an easy flick book by using a pack
of sticky notes or drawing in the corner of a notepad
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Our downloadable resources are designed to be used in conjunction with selected film titles, which are available free for clubs at www.filmclub.org
Activity pack
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Activities: Practical Animation
Suitable for: 11+ Estimated time: 90 minutes
This activity will work with: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993, PG) 7+
Activity Description:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
In small groups students storyboard an idea for a simple stop-motion animated film with a Christmas theme
(15 mins)
Students design their sets (5 mins)
Create their characters by adding googly eyes to objects in the classroom (they can be as simple as a pencil running away from a pencil sharpener) (5 mins)
Take multiple shots using an iPad/tablet, moving the characters one bit in every photo (20 mins)
Import the pictures into the timeline in iMotion or iStop Motion (or a similar piece of animation software) on the iPad/tablet and edit the film using iMovie, or a similar piece of software (30 mins)
Add music and voices and, if there is time, titles and credits
Play all the films
What you will need:
•
•
•
•
•
Storyboard worksheets
Camera(s)
Props for characters
Googly eyes
iPads/Tablets
Downloads: Storyboard template (Search ‘Christmas Activity Days’ on the website to find the download link)
Top Tips:
•
•
•
•
•
Be aware: you will need around 12 pictures to make one second of animation
You can slow the films down in iMotion if they’re a little short
Try to have the tablet as fixed and stable as possible
Make sure there are no hands in any of the pictures
Export your presentation as a video
More from Into Film: Search ‘stop-motion’ on the website www.filmclub.org to read an in-depth article on
stop-motion animation
Into Film now offer teachers free CPD sesions on stop-motion animation.
For more details you can get in touch with us at [email protected]
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Our downloadable resources are designed to be used in conjunction with selected film titles, which are available free for clubs at www.filmclub.org
Activity pack
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Activities: Storyboarding
Suitable for: All ages Estimated time: 30 minutes
This activity will work with: The Muppet Christmas Carol (1993, U) 5+
Activity description:
1.
2.
After viewing The Muppet Christmas Carol create a storyboard of a Christmas past, present, and future for yourself. In order to do the storyboards well students should make drawings of what we would see in each scene and write down stage directions, props, costumes, etc
If there’s time, they can present their storyboards for the rest of the group to look at
What you will need:
•
•
•
•
Pens
Paper
Colouring pens or pencils
Storyboard template (provided)
Top Tips:
•
•
•
For the storyboards draw what you would see in each scene
Add notes that you think will be useful to the cast and crew
One way of peer reviewing the storyboards is to give each of the students two coloured stickers and ask them to place them on the two best pieces of work (not including their own!). The one with the most stickers is the winner
More from Into Film: You can order and review The Muppet Christmas Carol on the website www.filmclub.org
There are also Interviews with two Storyboard Artists on the Into Film website:
Batman Begins (2005, 12) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2010, 12) Jim Cornish: http://bit.ly/1EJCcDX
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007, 12) Dan Maslen: http://bit.ly/1xnAyqT
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The Muppet Christmas Carol
Our downloadable resources are designed to be used in conjunction with selected film titles, which are available free for clubs at www.filmclub.org
Activity pack
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Activities: Christmas Pitch
Suitable for age 7-14. Estimated time: 90 minutes
Activity description:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Ask students to think of ideas for a new Christmas film in small groups (15 mins)
Create their narrative on a storyboard worksheet making sure that there is dialogue and pictures while using the
Top Tips for reference (30 mins)
Prepare a pitch to give in front of the rest of the class on their film idea (15 mins)
Listen to the pitches (20 mins)
The leader should act as an investor and choose which film they would like to produce (10 mins)
What you will need:
•
•
•
•
Storyboard worksheets
Pencils
Pens
A3 paper for pitching
Downloads: Storyboard worksheet (Search ‘Christmas Activity Days’ on the website to find the download link)
Top Tips:
Leaders
• You can form a panel with other Teachers and ask questions about their pitches, like on Dragons’ Den
• Take on roles such as Mr/Mrs Nasty; Mr/Mrs Nice, etc
• Set up the room with an area for presentations and a row of chairs for the panel of ‘Producers’
Ages 7-11
• Are the pictures coloured in?
• Is there speech under each picture?
• Does your storyboard have a beginning, a middle, and an end?
Ages 11+
• Interesting and colourful pictures
• Dialogue should not be too complicated
• Their story should flow well
• There is a definite beginning, middle, and end
The pitch:
The basic story of the film
• How you came up with the idea
• Who will provide the voices for the characters
• How much it will cost
• Why people would want to see your film
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Our downloadable resources are designed to be used in conjunction with selected film titles, which are available free for clubs at www.filmclub.org
Activity pack
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Christmas Quiz - Answers
Round 1: Muppet Christmas Carol
Round 2: General Knowledge
1.b
1. He was a fully grown man
2.a
2. To a party with lots of other snowmen
3.c
3. Tim Burton
4.b
4. He has to defeat a pair of bumbling burglars
5.c
5. His heart
6.a
6. He is the real Santa Claus
7.c
7. He is going to be turned in to chocolate
8.b
8. He is his son
9.a
9. A train
10. b
10.He has to take on the role of Santa Claus himself
11. c
11.A BB gun
12. a
12.Mr Poppy
13.Blooming
14.The true meaning of Christmas
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CHRISTMAS QUIZ
Round 1: Muppet Christmas Carol
1/ What is the part that The Great Gonzo 7/ Which ghost visits Scrooge first?
a. The ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
plays in the film?
a. Charles Dance
b. The ghost of Christmas Present
b. Charles Dickens
c. The ghost of Christmas Past
c. Darles Chickens
8/ What does Fozziwig’s factory make?
2/ Who accompanies Gonzo and helps a. Mince pies
b. Rubber chickens
narrate the film?
a. Rizzo the Rat
c. Weapons grade Christmas crackers
b. Rat Stevens
c. Rat Deeley
9/ What does the Ghost of Christmas Present say will happen to Tiny Tim?
3/ What is Scrooge’s first name?
a. He won’t survive until next Christmas
a. Ezekiel
b. He will live to be 101 years old
b. Eddie
c. He is going to go on the X Factor and have c. Ebenezer
4/ Which actor plays the part of Scrooge?
10/ What is it that finally causes Scrooge to a. Michael J. Fox
b. Michael Caine
a. He realises that he secretly loves Christmas
c. Princess Michael of Kent
b. He is shown his own funeral with only some number one Christmas single
change his ways?
businessmen attending for a free lunch
5/ What is the name of the song that
c. He realises there’s more profit to be made Kermit sings?
by embracing Christmas
a. One More Month ‘til Christmas
b. Christmas is Still Ages Away
11/ What year did The Muppet Christmas Carol
c. One More Sleep ‘til Christmas
get released?
a. 1892
6/ What are the names of the
b. 1982
c. 1992
Marley brothers?
a. Jacob and Robert
b. Bob and Ziggy
c. Martin and Marvin
12/When and where is the film set?
a. Victorian London
b. 1920s New York
c. The Sahara desert
CHRISTMAS QUIZ
Round 2: General Knowledge
1/ In the film Elf what was unusual about
8/ How is Arthur Christmas related to
Buddy the Elf?
Father Christmas?
2/ Where does the Snowman take the boy 9/ What kind of vehicle is The Polar in the animated film The Snowman?
Express?
3/ Who wrote the film A Nightmare
10/What does the dad Scott have to do in Before Christmas?
the film The Santa Clause?
4/ What does Kevin have to do when he 11/What Christmas present is Ralphie finds himself left behind in the film desperate to get in A Christmas Story?
Home Alone?
5/ Which part of the Grinch is described as 12/What is the name of the silly Teacher’s being ‘two sizes too small’?
Assistant in Nativity?
6/ What does Kris Kringle prove to the court in Miracle on 34th Street?
13/In Father Christmas what word does
Father Christmas say when he’s grumpy?
7/ What do the children have to save Santa 14/What is Charlie Brown searching for in
from in the film When Santa Fell to Earth?
A Charlie Brown Christmas?
CHRISTMAS QUIZ
Round 3: Festive Film Pitches
Cut up the table below so that you have:
Ten locations
Ten props
Ten characters
Divide your film club into groups of three and give them one card from each section.
Ask the students to come up with a story and festive film pitch, which involves all elements that they have
been given. Each group can pitch their film ideas to the rest of the group:
E.G “My film is about a group of mischievous elves who decide they want the latest most popular
toy in the world. So they sneak onto Santa’s sleigh to go to town, but end up having to take part in a
Primary school nativity play.”
Locations
Props
Characters
The North Pole
The tallest Christmas tree
in the world
Father Christmas
The toy department of a busy
department store
A stocking
A sleigh and 12 flying reindeer
A big house in the countryside
with a huge log fire
100,000 mince pies
A mean Scrooge-like character
Victorian London
A Christmas present addressed to
the character that does not say
who it is from
A young girl in an orphanage
who loves Christmas more than
anything
A busy family home on
Christmas Eve
The latest, most popular toy in
the world
A bunch of mischievous elves
A primary school Nativity play
A knitted Christmas jumper that’s
been passed down through the
generations
A very successful pop star with a
Christmas number one song
The worst snow blizzard in years
A roll of magic holographic 3D
wrapping paper
A carpenter who makes
wooden toys
A dark coniferous forest with a
small log cabin in the middle of it
A giant Christmas pudding
A hard-working woman who never
gets any thanks from anyone
A star that mysteriously moves
across the desert sky at Christmas
A map of treasure buried deep
beneath the snow in Lapland
An alien who lands on Earth on
Christmas Day
The studio where they’re filming
the Christmas episode of X Factor
A sprig of mistletoe
Two competitive brothers who
always try to outdo each other
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