Oliver Twist Lesson Plan

Twist, Now

Kind of Activity:

Creative Writing

Objective:

to connect the novel's themes to current day concerns, to write creatively in the style of Dickens, to learn what a pastiche is

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.6

Structure:

Ask students to use the internet to find a current news article that addresses any of the themes from Oliver Twist (or, provide links or print-outs for a selection of relevant articles). Articles may be about poverty, family relationships, justice/the law, or societal injustice – to name several examples.

Then, explain the word “pastiche” – a work that imitates the style of another work.

Students...