Oliver Twist – re-told by Gill Tavner
year 6 - 7
OLIVER TWIST
Re-told by Gill Tavner
Activity Ideas in connection with reading Oliver Twist
year 6 – 7
Content:
Activity - Word Storm
Copy Sheet – Word Storm
Activity - Word collection
Copy Sheet – Word Collection
Activity - Character Introduction
Activity – Read ‘Oliver Twist’
Activity – Character Description
Copy Sheet – Fagin & Characters
Activity – Watch the film ‘Oliver Twist’ by Roman Polanski
Activity – Discussion
Teacher’s Notes
Extract from the original text by Charles Dickens
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Lene Dyson 2011
Oliver Twist – re-told by Gill Tavner
year 6 - 7
ACTIVITY IDEAS
ACTIVITY: WORD STORM
LEARNING
ORGANISTION
OBJECTIVE
Generate
In pairs
words/vocabulary
already known.
WHAT TO DO!
Each pair has a ‘Copy Sheet – Word Storm’ in front of them.
1) Let the students look carefully at the drawing. Then let
them discuss and write down, on the copy sheet, words
that come to mind when they see the drawing.
Think about: WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN?
2) Then tell them it’s OLIVER TWIST and let them write down
more words.
Hang up the filled-in copy sheets in the class room for all to see.
MATERIAL: COPY SHEET – WORD STORM
COPY SHEET - WORD STORM
Write down words that come to mind when you see this drawing.
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Lene Dyson 2011
Oliver Twist – re-told by Gill Tavner
year 6 - 7
ACTIVITY: WORD COLLECTION
LEARNING
OBJECTIVE
Generate
vocabulary and
remember ‘new
words’*.
ORGANISTION
WHAT TO DO!
Individual
The students walk up to the filled-in copy sheets and write down
words which are new to then on their ‘copy sheet – Word
Collection’. The ‘Word Collection’ can also be used throughout
the work of the book in order for the student to collect ‘new
words’
MATERIAL: COPY SHEET – WORD COLLECTION
*’new words’ – words that are new to the student and which the student wants to learn.
COPY SHEET – WORD COLLECTION
in ENGLISH
orphan
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Lene Dyson 2011
Oliver Twist – re-told by Gill Tavner
year 6 - 7
ACTIVITY: CHARACTER INTRODUCTION
LEARNING
ORGANISTION
OBJECTIVE
To know the main In pairs
characters before
reading.
WHAT TO DO!
Look and read about the characters in the book (p. 4 – 5).
In pairs: Take turns in telling each other what you think a
character will be like (predict). EX: I think Oliver is a unhappy
child.
ACTIVITY: READ ‘OLIVER TWIST’
LEARNING
OBJECTIVE
Read and
understand
English fiction
ORGANISTION
WHAT TO DO!
Individual /
in groups of 4
Individually – read – (use Glossary for help).
Read in groups – 4 students together in a group – (use Glossary
for help):
Student 1: Reads a paragraph.
Student 2: Re-tells what has just been read.
Student 3: Predicts what he/she thinks will happen next.
Student 4: Reads the next paragraph.
This activity continues in order for the 4 students in the group to
take turn to read, re-tell and predict.
MATERIAL: GLOSSARY (must be down loaded separately from this link:
http://www.ucc.dk/public/dokumenter/CFU/Fagene/Engelsk/id%E9er/Vocabulary%20list%20%20Oliver%20Twist.pdf
CFU UCC
Center for Undervisningsmidler UCC
www.cfu.ucc.dk
Lene Dyson 2011
Oliver Twist – re-told by Gill Tavner
year 6 - 7
ACTIVITY: CHARACTER DESCRIPTION
LEARNING
OBJECTIVE
Expand
vocabulary –
focus on
adjectives in
order to describe
characters
ORGANISTION
Individual /
in pairs
WHAT TO DO!
1) Read the text describing Fagin – ‘Copy Sheet - Fagin’.
2) Find and underline adjectives which describe Fagin.
3) Find adjectives in the book which describe the characters
and write them on ‘Copy Sheet - Characters’.
4) The students choose a character (or several characters).
Write a description using adjectives from ‘Copy Sheet –
The Characters’. Describe the character’s LOOK and
PERSONALITY. Hang up the descriptions in class.
5) The students write a list of keywords and give a
presentation describing their chosen character.
Student Reminder:
Get ideas from the book – but do not copy!
MATERIALS:
COPY SHEET – FAGIN
COPY SHEET – THE CHARACTERS
Center for Undervisningsmidler UCC
www.cfu.ucc.dk
Lene Dyson 2011
Oliver Twist – re-told by Gill Tavner
Center for Undervisningsmidler UCC
year 6 - 7
www.cfu.ucc.dk
Lene Dyson 2011
Oliver Twist – re-told by Gill Tavner
year 6 - 7
ACTIVITY: WATCH the film: ‘OLIVER TWIST’ by Roman Polanski*
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
Watch, listen and
experience the film +
focus on impressions
from the film.
ORGANISTION
In class
WHAT TO DO!
Let the students find examples while watching the film:
-
What is your impression of Oliver?
-
What is your impression of the time Oliver lived
in (19th century)?
-
When do we feel sorry for Oliver?
-
When do we feel happy for Oliver?
* ‘OLIVER TWIST’ a film by Roman Polanski
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ACTIVITY: Discussion
LEARNING
OBJECTIVE
Express points of
view
ORGANISTION
WHAT TO DO!
In class/
groups
Discussion points:
1) Oliver is extremely "good" even if he has had a terrible
childhood. Do you think this is realistic? Why or why not?
2) Fagin is sentenced to death for his crimes. Do you think
that’s fair? Why or why not?
3) What would you do if you were Oliver Twist?
Link:
www.realreads.co.uk
Center for Undervisningsmidler UCC
www.cfu.ucc.dk
Lene Dyson 2011
Oliver Twist – re-told by Gill Tavner
year 6 - 7
OLIVER TWIST
Teacher’s Notes
Analysis
With a hungry, timid request of ‘Please, sir. I want some more’, orphan Oliver Twist takes his first step on a
terrifying journey.
Oliver Twist is the story of a young orphan boy who reflects the life of poverty in England in the 1830's. The
story illustrates the evils of the Poor House's of the time and the corruption of the people who work there.
It also shows the depths of London's crime with an emphasis on petty robbery and pick-pocketing.
The main evil character of the novel, Fagin, is characterised as a money pincher with no true affections. His
main goals are to exploit the people around him so he can better his station and strengthen his power.
Fagin himself represents the evils of greed.
Oliver, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. Innocent, and loving, Oliver represents all that is good
in society. He abhors the thought of stealing, violence, or mistreatment of any sort, and though he is eager
to please will not go against the morals instilled in him. He genuinely cares for others around him, and will
do anything to make someone want to keep him.
Oliver Twist is a story about the battles of good versus evil, with the evil continually trying to corrupt and
exploit the good. It portrays the power of Love, Hate, Greed, and Revenge and how each can affect the
people involved. Most importantly the good outweighs the evil, and the main characters, that are part of
this good, live happily ever after.
Theme
GOOD versus EVIL
Main characters
Oliver Twist: The main character of the story and the protagonist. A poor orphan boy; the symbol of
innocence and goodness. He is abused and only wants to be loved. His adventures make him the best of
friends and the worst of enemies. His goodness triumphs in the end.
Mr. Brownlow: Represents purity, integrity and goodness. He takes Oliver in, and discovers his true nature.
Nancy: partially righteous, partially villain. A woman who works for Fagin and tries to help Oliver which
eventually leads to her death. She is passionate, caring, and loves Sikes, who eventually kills her.
Fagin: The main antagonist in the story. Fagin represents evil, greed, corruption and manipulation. Fagin
takes Oliver under his wing and tries to make a pick-pocket out of him.
Bill Sikes: Another evil character who is a harden criminal. He has a little white dog, Bulls- Eye that follows
him everywhere. He kills Nancy in a rage, and accidentally kills himself.
Metaphors
Bulls-Eye, Bill Sikes' little white dog, is really a metaphor for his own evil personality. The dog, with its
willingness to harm anyone on Sikes' whim, shows the true evil of the master. Sikes himself knows that the
dog is the symbol of himself and that is why he tries to drown the dog. He is really trying to run away from
who he is. This is also illustrated when Sikes dies and the dog does immediately also.
Fagin himself is a recurring symbol for the devil. Several times Dickens refers to him with known devil
names or symbols. He talks of Fagin with flaming red hair and a beard, along with a three-pronged roasting
fork, which all are symbols of Lucifer. Before he is to die, he refuses to pray for himself. He is greedy and
mean, trying to pull Oliver and others into his web of evil.
Center for Undervisningsmidler UCC
www.cfu.ucc.dk
Lene Dyson 2011
Oliver Twist – re-told by Gill Tavner
year 6 - 7
Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens was born in the southern English town of Portsmouth on 7 February 1812, the second of
eight children. He started school at the age of nine, but didn’t stay long as his father, who by now was a
clerk for the Royal Navy’s wages department in Chatham, wasn’t actually very good at sums, and was put in
prison for being in debt. At the age of twelve Charles was sent to work in Warren’s shoe-blacking factory in
London, where wages were meagre and conditions appalling. He was very lonely. After three years he went
back to school, but he never forgot his awful experience at Warren’s.
Like many writers, Charles began his literary career as a journalist. He started writing reports for The Mirror
of Parliament and The True Sun, and in 1833 he became parliamentary journalist for The Morning
Chronicle. Now that he had friends in publishing he was able to publish a series of sketches under the
pseudonym ‘Boz’. In April 1836 he married Catherine Hogarth, the daughter of his editor and publisher
George Hogarth. In that same month his highly successful Pickwick Papers was published, and there was no
looking back.
As well as writing novels, Charles produced an autobiography, edited weekly magazines including
Household Words and All Year Round, wrote travel books, and administered charitable organisations. He
was also a theatre enthusiast; he wrote plays and performed before Queen Victoria in 1851. His energy was
seemingly inexhaustible, and he spent much time abroad. He lectured against slavery in the United States,
and toured Italy with his friends Augustus Egg and Wilkie Collins. Wilkie Collins was another well-known
Victorian writer who inspired Dickens’ last and unfinished novel The Mystery of Edwin Drood.
Charles and Catherine had ten children, but when most of their children had left home they grew apart
from each other, and separated in 1858. Towards the end of his life Charles had a long relationship with the
actress Ellen Ternan. He died of a stroke in 1870.
Center for Undervisningsmidler UCC
www.cfu.ucc.dk
Lene Dyson 2011
Oliver Twist – re-told by Gill Tavner
year 6 - 7
Extract from the original text by Charles Dickens (chapter two):
At the Workhouse:
The room in which the boys were fed, was a large stone hall, with
a copper at one end: out of which the master, dressed in an
apron for the purpose, and assisted by one or two women, ladled
the gruel at mealtimes. Of this festive composition each boy had
one porringer, and no more--except on occasions of great public
rejoicing, when he had two ounces and a quarter of bread besides.
The bowls never wanted washing. The boys polished them with
their spoons till they shone again; and when they had performed
this operation (which never took very long, the spoons being
nearly as large as the bowls), they would sit staring at the
copper, with such eager eyes, as if they could have devoured the
very bricks of which it was composed; employing themselves,
meanwhile, in sucking their fingers most assiduously, with the
view of catching up any stray splashes of gruel that might have
been cast thereon. Boys have generally excellent appetites.
Oliver Twist and his companions suffered the tortures of slow
starvation for three months: at last they got so voracious and
wild with hunger, that one boy, who was tall for his age, and
hadn't been used to that sort of thing (for his father had kept a
small cook-shop), hinted darkly to his companions, that unless he
had another basin of gruel per diem, he was afraid he might some
night happen to eat the boy who slept next him, who happened to
be a weakly youth of tender age. He had a wild, hungry eye; and
they implicitly believed him. A council was held; lots were cast
who should walk up to the master after supper that evening, and
ask for more; and it fell to Oliver Twist.
The evening arrived; the boys took their places. The master, in
his cook's uniform, stationed himself at the copper; his pauper
assistants ranged themselves behind him; the gruel was served
out; and a long grace was said over the short commons. The gruel
disappeared; the boys whispered each other, and winked at Oliver;
while his next neighbours nudged him. Child as he was, he was
desperate with hunger, and reckless with misery. He rose from
the table; and advancing to the master, basin and spoon in hand,
said: somewhat alarmed at his own temerity:
'Please, sir, I want some more.'
The master was a fat, healthy man; but he turned very pale. He
gazed in stupefied astonishment on the small rebel for some
seconds, and then clung for support to the copper. The
assistants were paralysed with wonder; the boys with fear.
'What!' said the master at length, in a faint voice.
Center for Undervisningsmidler UCC
www.cfu.ucc.dk
Lene Dyson 2011
Oliver Twist – re-told by Gill Tavner
year 6 - 7
'Please, sir,' replied Oliver, 'I want some more.'
The master aimed a blow at Oliver's head with the ladle; pinioned
him in his arm; and shrieked aloud for the beadle.
The board were sitting in solemn conclave, when Mr. Bumble rushed
into the room in great excitement, and addressing the gentleman
in the high chair, said,
'Mr. Limbkins, I beg your pardon, sir! Oliver Twist has asked
for more!'
There was a general start. Horror was depicted on every
countenance.
'For _more_!' said Mr. Limbkins. 'Compose yourself, Bumble, and
answer me distinctly. Do I understand that he asked for more,
after he had eaten the supper allotted by the dietary?'
'He did, sir,' replied Bumble.
'That boy will be hung,' said the gentleman in the white
waistcoat. 'I know that boy will be hung.'
Center for Undervisningsmidler UCC
www.cfu.ucc.dk
Lene Dyson 2011