Engaging Middle Schoolers with A Christmas Carol: Ideas to Make Dickens Relatable and Relevant

When you introduce your middle schoolers to A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, you’re not just teaching them a classic text—you’re inviting them to explore timeless themes like kindness, redemption, and social responsibility. 

But let’s face it: the language and setting can feel distant to today’s students. So how do we bridge that gap while aligning with the 7th-grade ELA Common Core Standards? Here’s how!

Why Teach A Christmas Carol in Middle School?

This novella is full of lessons that resonate with middle schoolers: self-reflection, personal growth, and the impact of one’s actions on others. By pairing these themes with engaging, relatable activities, you can help students see themselves in Scrooge’s journey while meeting key learning standards.

Relatable Activities to Bring A Christmas Carol to Life

Scrooge’s Social Media Glow-Up

Imagine Scrooge as a modern influencer sharing his life lessons after meeting the ghosts. Students can create Instagram or TikTok posts reflecting Scrooge’s transformation. What hashtags would he use? Who would comment on his posts?

• Standards Tie-In: W.7.3 (Write narratives using effective technique and clear sequences).

• Why It Works: Students use a familiar platform to analyze Scrooge’s growth and message.

Empathy Journals: Walk in Their Shoes

Have students write journal entries from the perspective of characters like Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit, or even Scrooge himself. How do these characters feel during key scenes, and what might they say to a modern audience?

• Standards Tie-In: RL.7.6 (Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters).

• Why It Works: This activity deepens emotional connections and promotes perspective-taking.

Debate: Does Scrooge Deserve a Second Chance?

Organize a debate where students argue for or against Scrooge’s redemption. They can reference his actions in the text and connect them to modern-day issues like restorative justice.

• Standards Tie-In: SL.7.1 (Engage effectively in collaborative discussions).

• Why It Works: It encourages critical thinking and fosters discussion on fairness and forgiveness.

Scrooge Meets Modern Day

Challenge students to reimagine A Christmas Carol in today’s world. Who would the ghosts be? How might Scrooge’s greed manifest in a modern context? (Why does Elon Musk keeping popping up in my head for this? lol) Students can write a scene or present their ideas as a skit.

• Standards Tie-In: RL.7.3 (Analyze interactions between elements of a story).

• Why It Works: Modernizing the story helps students see its relevance to contemporary issues.

The Cratchit Family Budget Challenge

*MATH & SOCIAL STUDIES CROSS-CURRICULAR!* 

Using historical data, students calculate how the Cratchits might manage their household finances. Then, they compare this to what a family with a similar income might experience today.

• Standards Tie-In: RI.7.3 (Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text).

• Why It Works: It connects historical context to real-world problem-solving.

Themes that Transcend Time

Lead a station rotation activity where students explore themes like generosity, family, time, and change. At each station, they’ll analyze quotes from the text and discuss how these themes show up in their own lives.

• Standards Tie-In: RL.7.2 (Analyze the development of themes over the course of a text).

• Why It Works: Students see that Dickens’ themes are just as relevant today as they were in the Victorian era.

A Reflection on Regret and Change

Ask students to reflect on their own lives: What’s one habit or behavior they’d like to change? Have them write a personal narrative inspired by Scrooge’s journey.

• Standards Tie-In: W.7.3 (Write narratives using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured sequences).

• Why It Works: This activity helps students connect personally with the text’s message of self-improvement.

Bringing It All Together

With these activities, you’ll not only make Dickens’ classic relatable and engaging but also meet Common Core standards in ways that are creative and meaningful. By connecting Scrooge’s story to modern-day issues and your students’ own lives, you’ll ensure they walk away with a deeper understanding of the text—and perhaps a little extra holiday spirit.🎄

What are your favorite ways to teach A Christmas Carol? Share your ideas in the comments below or tag me on social media—I’d love to hear how you bring this story to life in your classroom!

Photo by Zoe on Unsplash