The Life of Charles Dickens - Lesson 1 - The Diabolical World of Charles Dickens PowerPoint

The "Life of Charles Dickens" lesson plan introduces students to the concept of adapting writing for different audiences and purposes, using the intriguing context of Charles Dickens's world. The lesson's objective is to teach students how to tailor their writing style, vocabulary, layout, and imagery to suit the intended readers. This skill is essential in English, where writing is often crafted for a diverse range of audiences, from peers to public figures. The lesson encourages students to consider the audience carefully before starting any piece of writing, as the intended reader could be anyone from a group of parents to the Prime Minister, and this will inform how they should adjust their writing.

For practical application, the lesson engages students in an activity where they must write two postcards home from a hypothetical holiday in Egypt—one to a best friend and another to a grandmother who gifted the holiday. This exercise prompts them to reflect on how the audience influences the content, layout, and language used in their writing. Further activities include analyzing books to determine their target age group, gender, and whether they appeal to a specialist readership. Students work in pairs to read texts, analyze language, layout, and images, and then discuss how these elements are tailored to the intended audience. The lesson culminates in a plenary where students share their findings and explore the impact of the audience on writing.