A Christmas Carol - The Kansas City Repertory Theatre
A Christmas Carol - The Kansas City Repertory Theatre
A Christmas Carol - The Kansas City Repertory Theatre
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REFLECT & CONNECT<br />
HELP THE CRATCHITS MAKE ENDS MEET<br />
Share the following information with your students:<br />
Before the introduction of decimal currency, British money was written in the following order:<br />
pounds/shilling/pence (or £/s/d). Prices less than one pound generally appeared as shilling/pence. A<br />
pound was made up of 20 shillings. <strong>The</strong> British system of money was not converted to the decimal<br />
system until 1971.<br />
We know from the text of A <strong>Christmas</strong> <strong>Carol</strong> that<br />
Bob Cratchit earned 15 shillings (or a “bob”) a<br />
week. This would have been a typical wage for<br />
many in Victorian England. For example, a<br />
Metropolitan Police Officer earned 16 shillings a<br />
week or just slightly more than Bob Cratchit.<br />
Mrs. Cratchit was a “stay‐at‐home mom” but the<br />
Cratchit family also earned income through two<br />
of their six children. It was noted that Peter<br />
would soon have a job where he would bring<br />
home “5 shillings, 6 pence a week.” Martha, who<br />
worked ten hours a day, six days a week, in a<br />
millinery shop, would have earned approximately<br />
3 shillings, 9 pence a week.<br />
Large Group<br />
With the whole class, discuss the difference between wants and needs.<br />
Have students list on the board items in their daily life that are needs and those that are wants.<br />
Is saving for the future a want or a need? Why?<br />
Needs<br />
Things you must have to survive.<br />
Wants<br />
Things you want, but don’t need, to survive.<br />
Is donating to charity a want or a need? Why?<br />
How can those with small incomes still afford<br />
to be charitable? To save?<br />
A <strong>Christmas</strong> <strong>Carol</strong>: Learning Guide Page 32