Verse Voyage: Acrostic Poetry & Charles Dickens (Ages 9-11)
Bring Dickens’s characters to life through vocabulary, creativity, and acrostic poems. (Ages 9–11)
Course Summary
𝐀 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝟗–𝟏𝟏
Step into the world of Charles Dickens through the art of acrostic poetry! In this flexible, self-paced class, learners explore engaging extracts from Dickens’s most beloved novels while discovering the historical time periods in which they were written, including life in Victorian London. As they read, learners build a rich word bank to help them understand setting, author influences, and author intentions—supporting deeper comprehension and more expressive writing.
Learners will be taught to brainstorm, helping them generate ideas, make connections, and organize their thoughts—building creativity, confidence, and stronger reading and writing skills.
The teacher is available throughout the course via the classroom page for support, feedback, and questions.
📚 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞 :
🔖 Lesson 1 – Oliver Twist : Kindness, friendship, and resilience inspire the first acrostic poem.
🔖 Lesson 2 – Great Expectations : Imaginative themes and colourful characters fuel creative writing.
🔖 Lesson 3 – A Tale of Two Cities : Acts of bravery guide learners in crafting meaningful poetry.
🔖 Lesson 4 – David Copperfield : Poetic play, revision and editing skills.
✏️ 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬 :
📖 Strengthen reading comprehension using short Dickens extracts
💡 Develop appreciation for classic literature
✍️ Learn the structure and technique of acrostic poetry
🧠 Build vocabulary through Dickensian language
🔍 Improve interpretation and critical thinking skills
🎨 Express ideas creatively through original poetry
✏️ Practice editing and revision
🎤 Share completed poems in a supportive environment
💻 Build digital literacy through online activities
🪞 Reflect on writing growth and personal voice
A flexible, engaging self-paced class blending classic literature, creative writing, and imaginative expression—with teacher support every step of the way.
**Worksheets include an answer sheet and guidance on marking for parents.
Course Curriculum
Tracey-Leigh Machher
Hello and welcome!
Thank you for taking the time to read my bio, I have been an educator for more than a decade and have written bible based curriculum for Preschool and Sunday School ages. Fun fact about me is - I was born in Zimbabwe, a country in Southern Africa, I emigrated to the United Kingdom in my early twenties so you may hear somewhat of an accent!
English Literature and Arts is my passion and I come from a family of readers and writers, my daughter published her first book at 10 years old! We love to read, but the book we love the most is the Bible and it is my joy to create classes for you on Teach Me Truth that incorporate Bible teachings. The aim of my household is to put God first in all things so I pray these classes will be a blessing to you!
With a rich tapestry of over a decade in education, including 6 years in online teaching, I bring a wealth of expertise in English Language Arts and Literature. A qualified English Language teacher with TEFL, armed with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, Diploma in Teaching Literacy and a Post Graduate Diploma in Humanities , I'm not just an educator; I'm also a perpetual learner and a Home Educating parent. From Kindergarten to Secondary school, in both traditional classrooms and club settings, I've shared my passion for learning with over 1600 students worldwide. Beyond the classroom, I host engaging escape rooms, baking and art classes because, after all, we all deserve a brain break! Join me on an exciting journey of faith, fun and education that keeps God at the centre.
