Oliver Twist - Young

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Twist

Young

Social issues | Knowing the past | Feeling empathy | Developing values

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Olive r Illustrated by Gustavo Mazali

- Games and language activities - An audio recording of the story and the songs - A picture dictionary

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Stage 4 A2

This is perhaps the most well-loved story by Charles Dickens. Dickens asked his readers to ‘have a heart that never gets hard’. As readers follow the life of Oliver Twist, a poor orphaned boy struggling against the dangers of life in 19thcentury London, they can empathise with his childhood in a workhouse and his life with a gang of pickpockets. They can also share his relief that there were some good people, ready and willing to rescue a child in need.

Charles Dickens

Readers

Charles Dickens Oliver Twist

Charles Dickens Oliver Twist

Stage 4 A2

ELT A2

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Young Downloadable

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S ER -0 l. D .r. EA t 77 I s I R is 31 EL L r Tw 36E G e -5 N Oliv -88 8

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Eli Readers is a beautifully illustrated series of timeless classic and original stories for learners of English.

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Audio Files

INTRODUCTION 2 Charles Dickens wrote Oliver Twist nearly two

hundred years ago. Life was very difficult for poor children, and there were many poor children!

Very poor people lived in special houses called workhouses, where families couldn’t be together and they had very little to eat. There wasn’t much difference between a workhouse and a prison!

WHO WAS CHARLES DICKENS? When Charles Dickens was a child, his father was put in prison. He left school and worked in a factory to help his family.

When his father left prison, Charles Dickens went back to school but he never forgot that difficult time. Charles Dickens was a kind man and he wanted people to know about the terrible life of poor people.

Here is a message from Charles Dickens: ‘Have a heart that never gets hard.’

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3 MEET THE CHARACTERS IN THE STORY

Oliver Twist: The hero of the story

Mr Bumble: The unfriendly head of the workhouse

Bill Sykes: Fagin’s dangerous friend

Mr Brownlow: A kind man from London

The Artful Dodger: A boy in Fagin’s gang. He got his name because he is the best thief!

Fagin: The horrible head of the gang of child thieves

Nancy: A girl in Fagin’s gang

Rose: A kind young woman from the countryside

Mr Monks: A man who knows about Oliver Twist’s past

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CHAPTER 1: Oliver Twist’s early life

4 Oliver Twist was an orphan. He had no mother

or father but grew up in a workhouse with other poor children. They were always cold and hungry. One day, the children were eating a small bowl of watery soup in the dining room.

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Mr Bumble, the head of the workhouse, was putting away the extra soup when Oliver Twist said, ‘Please, sir. I want some more...’ Mr Bumble couldn’t believe his ears. ‘WHAT DID YOU SAY?’ he shouted and began to hit Oliver with a big soup spoon.

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5 Mr Bumble was so angry that the next day he

sent Oliver to work for an undertaker. Oliver was only 10 years old but he had to work hard. There was an older boy who worked there too, but he was unkind. Oliver was very unhappy!

One morning, Oliver decided to run away and go to London. He thought, ‘No one, not even Mr Bumble, will find me in London!’

He started walking.

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6 One day he saw a boy. He was whistling and

he looked very funny! He was wearing a man’s hat and a coat that came nearly to his feet! The boy smiled at him and said, ‘You can call me the Artful Dodger. If you want to have dinner and sleep in a nice bed, come with me.’ Oliver wanted both those things so he followed him.

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CHAPTER 2: Oliver in London

7 The Artful Dodger took Oliver to a dirty room in

London. There, he met an old man called Fagin, with red hair and a red moustache and beard.

He was dirty too, but he smiled at Oliver and said, ‘Welcome, little boy, to our happy home!’

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There was also a strong but ugly man called Bill Sykes and a pretty girl called Nancy. There were some other children too. They gave him some food and, then, showed him a bed. Oliver was so tired that he was asleep in a minute.

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Activity Pages 1 Think. Discuss with a partner.

1 Why did Charles Dickens write about poor people?

2 What does his message on page 2 mean?

3 How is your life different from Oliver Twist’s?

2 Read the character descriptions on page 3 and write the names in pencil. As you read, you can change the names from one list to the other.

Good characters _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________

Bad characters _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________

3 Write the names and match the people to what they are thinking.

‘Poor boy!’

‘We must get him back!’

‘It wasn’t him!’

‘Oh no! The Artful Dodger is a thief!’

‘He’s a thief!’

A

B

C

____________

____________

D

____________

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E

____________

____________

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Choose the right verbs to complete Oliver Twist’s song and write them in the past form. Then, listen to the song and check. want • choose • take • go • catch • say • decide can • need • push • tell • hear • look for

Bill Sykes 1 ___________ to steal in a house.

Oh no! Oh no!

Bill Sykes 2 ___________ to steal in a house.

Oh no! Oh no!

He 3 ___________ the smallest boy He 4 ___________ find.

Oliver 5 ___________, ‘Please, not me! Be kind!’

But Bill Sykes 6 ___________ him, 7 ___________ him to steal in the house.

Oliver Twist 8 ___________ through the window.

Shh! Shh! Shh! Shh! Oliver Twist 9 ___________ through the window.

Shh! Shh! Shh! Shh! He 10 ___________ through the window To steal in the house.

Bill Sykes 11 ___________ him, ‘Be as quiet as a mouse!’

But a man 12 ___________ Oliver, 13 ___________ Oliver in the house.

5 Think and discuss with a partner.

1 Who went to prison? Why? 2 Who had a happy life? Why? 29

6 Read the play and make a list of the characters for each act. Decide how to perform the play.

The characters: Oliver, Fagin, Bill Sykes, a man, Nancy, Rose, Mr Monks, Mr Brownlow, two police officers, boys and girls in Fagin’s gang.

Act 1: In Fagin’s house Bill Sykes: I’m going to steal in a house.

I need the smallest boy.

Child 1: Not me!

Child 2: Not me!

Oliver: Please, not me!

Fagin: Take Oliver. He’s the smallest!

All children: Oliver Twist’s song verse 1 (see activity 4)

Act 2: Outside Rose’s house Bill Sykes: In you go, Oliver!

Then open the door for me.

Oliver: Oh dear.

Bill Sykes: Be quiet as a mouse!

Man: What’s this? Who are you? (shouting) A thief! A thief!

All children: Oliver Twist’s song verse 2 (see activity 4)

Act 3 Man: Look! I’ve caught a thief!

Rose: He looks too small to be a thief.

Oliver: Please! I’m not a thief!

I have a friend called Mr Brownlow.

Rose: Tell me your story.

We’ll look for Mr Brownlow.

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Act 4: In Fagin’s house Mr Monks: Oliver Twist is my half-brother.

Fagin: Your half-brother?

Mr Monks: Yes, and my father left him half of his money.

Please, make him into a thief so he has a bad end! I want all the money!

Bill Sykes: You’re welcome. We’ll do it!

Nancy: Oh no, you won’t! Poor Oliver!

I must find Oliver and tell him!

Act 5: In Mr Brownlow’s house Mr Brownlow (opening the door): Oh, Oliver! There you are! But who are these people?

Nancy: I’m Nancy.

Rose: And my name is Rose. We have a story to tell you.

Act 6 Police officer 1: Fagin and Sykes, come with us. You’re going to prison!

Police officer 2: And you too, Mr Monks!

Children: We’re free! We’re free!

Thank you, Nancy! Thank you, Oliver!

Mr Brownlow: Let’s go home now, Oliver.

All children: last verse of Oliver Twist’s song: Oliver Twist is happy now.

Hurrah! Hurrah!

Oliver Twist is happy now.

Hurrah! Hurrah!

All of us children Are jolly and free.

Fagin and Sykes Are in prison, you see.

And now we can live our lives, Lives that are happy and free.

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7 Draw and label some of the new things you think Oliver Twist will have in his new life with Mr Brownlow.

8 Do you like the story? Draw your face and choose a sentence to write. Then explain why.

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= I love the story!

= I like the story.

= I quite like the story.

= I don’t like the story.