Over the course of ten weeks, students will receive a thorough grounding in all of the major themes and key characters of the novel. They will have many opportunities to discuss their ideas and to express them in writing. Written activities will be carefully guided so that students consistently achieve success and gain confidence and fluency.

All materials are provided as part of the enrollment fee, including a study guide with quiz questions and a textbook with writing exercises.

Classes will be a mixture of review, aimed at embedding key facts about the novel's plot, themes, characters and context, and close study of particular passages, leading to class discussion and written exercises. 

The lesson schedule is as follows:

1. Overview of Stave One. Detailed Study of Stave One: Dickens Describes His Hero.
2. Overview of Characters. Detailed Study of Stave One: The Charitable Gentlemen.
3. Overview of Stave Two. Detailed Study of Stave Two: Two Very Different Employers (Fezziwig and Scrooge).
4. Overview of Themes. Detailed Study of Stave Two: Family Relations and All That Scrooge Has Lost.
5. Overview of Stave Three. Detailed Study of Stave Three: Scrooge's Penitence.
6. Overview of Setting. Detailed Study of Stave Three: Bob and Fred's Magnanimity.
7. Overview of Stave Four. Detailed Study of Stave Four: Two Scenes of Death.
8. Overview of Context. Detailed Study of Stave Four: Scrooge Begs for Time to Change.
9: Overview of Stave Five. Detailed Study of Stave Five: Scrooge Is Welcomed Back into Society.
10: Review of the Course. Detailed Study of Stave Five: Scrooge the Reformed Character.