All about Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens was a famous writer who lived a long time ago in England. He was born on February 7, 1812, in a place called Portsmouth. When he was young, his family didn't have much money, and they even had to send him to work in a factory when he was just 12 years old. This made him very sad, but it also helped him understand how hard life could be for poor people.

As he grew older, Charles worked really hard and became a writer. He wrote many stories that people still love today. Some of his most famous books are "A Christmas Carol," "Oliver Twist," and "Great Expectations." In his stories, he often talked about children and poor people and how they were treated unfairly. His books made people think and try to make the world a better place.

Charles Dickens had a big family with lots of children. He also liked to perform his stories in front of audiences, making people laugh and cry with his words. He passed away on June 9, 1870, but his stories are still read by many people around the world today. Charles Dickens showed that even if life is tough, you can still do great things if you work hard and care about others.

1. When and where was Charles Dickens born?
2. What happened to Charles Dickens when he was 12 years old?
3. Name three of Charles Dickens' most famous books.
4. Why do you think Charles Dickens' books made people think and try to make the world a better place?
5. How did Charles Dickens' early life experiences help him in his writing?

Symbols and Traditions

Hi! My name is Liam, and I am 8 years old. I want to tell you about my trip to London. It was super fun! One of the coolest things we did was visit the Charles Dickens Museum. Charles Dickens was a famous writer, and he wrote books like "Oliver Twist" and "A Christmas Carol." It's amazing because he lived a long time ago, but people still read his books today.

The museum is actually the house where Charles Dickens lived. I got to see his writing desk and lots of old books. There was even a room with puppets that told stories from his books. My favorite part was seeing the kitchen because it looked just like I imagined it would from reading about olden times. I also learned that Dickens loved to walk around London and get ideas for his stories.

After visiting the museum, we went on a special walking tour that showed us places in London that were important in Dickens' life and books. I saw the place where he worked when he was a kid, and even a spot that inspired a scene in "Oliver Twist." It was like stepping into one of his stories for real!

London is such a big city with so many things to see, but visiting the Charles Dickens Museum was definitely my favorite part. I can't wait to tell my friends all about it!

1. What is the name of the museum Liam visited?
2. Why was the kitchen in the museum interesting to Liam?
3. Can you list two books written by Charles Dickens mentioned by Liam?
4. How did the walking tour help Liam understand more about Charles Dickens' life?
5. What do you think Liam enjoyed the most about his visit to London and why?

Profile of Charles Dickens

A Timeline of Charles Dickens to another Festival

After learning all about Charles Dickens, your job is to create a timeline of their life. You should add all the important events in their life but you can be inventive and add some interesting things that people might like to read about. You can make it as simply as you like with pen and paper or you can be very inventive and create a 3D diorama or hanging banner. The sky's the limit - go for it!

Slideshow - Charles Dickens
A full set of teaching plans for Charles Dickensteaching.