The Life of Charles Dickens - Lesson 3 - Gathering Information PowerPoint

In the third lesson of 'The Life of Charles Dickens' series, students are tasked with gathering information to create a booklet entitled 'The Diabolical World of Charles Dickens', inspired by the popular Horrible Histories style. The objective is to collect details about Dickens's life, his literary works, and the context of Victorian Britain. To aid in this research, a variety of sources are suggested, including books, the internet, TV, museums, and even speaking to experts. Students are encouraged to consider which sources are the most relevant for their topic. Additionally, the lesson provides strategies for finding information efficiently, such as using contents and index pages, search engines, and the Dewey Decimal System.

The lesson goes on to teach effective research techniques like skimming, scanning, and highlighting to quickly identify key information. It warns against plagiarism and stresses the importance of making notes in one's own words. Students learn about different note-taking methods, including linear notes, which are organised chronologically and categorically, and diagrammatic notes, which create visual mind maps. After gathering and organising their research, students are encouraged to use either linear or diagrammatic notes to compile information about Dickens's personal and professional life for their booklet. The lesson concludes with a plenary where students share their findings and discuss the relevance of the chosen facts for their booklet, ensuring they have selected information appropriate for the engaging and educational style they aim to emulate.