"Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers." Charles W. Eliot

Have you ever wanted to fully immerse yourself in a book, taking it apart bit by bit so that you are able to enjoy every single page of it?  In this class, we will do just that!  Our book journals will be the place where we draw and describe each of the characters found among the pages.  It will allow us to discuss the story arc and sketch it in detail: analyzing the introduction, rising action, climax, denouement, and conclusion.  Pages will be filled with quotes that stir our hearts and prick our minds so that we can hold them in our memory for ages.  We will put ourselves into the shoes of the characters, writing paragraphs to describe how we feel in their skin and why we feel that way.  Acting out the story will be a beautiful way to celebrate the season and bring Dickens' fantastic literature to life!

"A Christmas Carol" is a literary masterpiece that has withstood the test of time!  Though there are religious themes throughout the book that could be discussed, we are going to forego those topics in this class.  Instead, I will entrust those discussions to parents so that each family can assess religious themes from their own personal worldview.  In this class, we will focus on literary themes, character development, and the beautiful use of the English language woven throughout the story.

After reading the book, journaling, and discussing throughout weeks 1-3, student will be sent an instructional video to walk them through making a fun snack, themed around the book.  Between classes #3 and 4, they will make the snack and watch the movie, "A Christmas Carol", which is based off of the book.  During the fourth week of class, we will discuss the differences between the book and the movie, documenting these differences in our journals using a Venn diagram.  

By the end of this 4 week session, students will have had the opportunity to experience the book through all 5 of their senses: smelling the book as they read, feeling the pen in their hand as they journal, using their bodies to act out the play, seeing the book come to life through the movie, hearing the discussion, and tasting the snack they create!  They will find themselves fully immersed in this wonderful story of a heart being changed thanks to the three Christmas spirits!