How does Carton's resemblance to Darnay weaken evidence that had just seemed certain?
A Tale of Two Cities
30 minutes total
ByCharles Dickens
Grade9-10
Time30 minutes
Essential question
How does Carton's resemblance to Darnay weaken evidence that had just seemed certain?
Marked passage
Passage location
Book II, Chapter III · A Disappointment
Start anchor
A singular circumstance then arose in the case.
End anchor
this witness like a crockery vessel, and shiver his part of the case to useless lumber.
Passage focus
Carton's resemblance creates reasonable doubt
Ways to teach it
Listening
Listen to the exact passage; visual following is optional. Same question and evidence demand.
Solo
Read the exact passage independently.
Supported
Use narration and sentence highlighting while reading the same passage.
Teacher guide
Close
Name the single detail that most changed or sharpened your interpretation, and explain why.
Evidence
Use the witness's confident identification before Carton is compared, then the visible resemblance and the courtroom's changed reaction afterward.
Mark
Underline the testimony that appears to identify Darnay with confidence. Circle the physical similarities between Carton and Darnay. Then write LESS CERTAIN beside the exact point where the resemblance changes the value of the testimony.
Instructional move
Track how comparison changes the value of evidence
Notice
• What did the witness seem able to prove before Carton was brought into the comparison? • Why does resemblance create doubt without proving that the witness is lying? • How does the courtroom’s understanding of the same evidence change once a second plausible person is visible?
Strong answer
Carton's resemblance weakens the witness because it creates a plausible alternative: if another man looks so much like Darnay, confident identification is less reliable than it seemed. The comparison lowers certainty without proving Darnay innocent by itself.
Think
Answer provisionally: How does Carton's resemblance to Darnay weaken evidence that had just seemed certain? Choose the strongest interpretation you can defend from this passage alone.
Watch for
Do not say resemblance proves the witness lied. It changes the value of the evidence by introducing reasonable doubt.
Why this passage
The witness has just made an identification look secure when Carton’s resemblance to Darnay introduces a concrete alternative explanation. The scene lets students see how one comparison can reduce the certainty of evidence without proving the opposite conclusion.
Write
Write a short evidence-based response to: How does Carton's resemblance to Darnay weaken evidence that had just seemed certain? Use at least two details from the assigned passage and explain how they support your interpretation.
Student tasks
Mark
Underline the testimony that appears to identify Darnay with confidence. Circle the physical similarities between Carton and Darnay. Then write LESS CERTAIN beside the exact point where the resemblance changes the value of the testimony.
Notice
What did the witness seem able to prove before Carton was brought into the comparison? Why does resemblance create doubt without proving that the witness is lying? How does the courtroom’s understanding of the same evidence change once a second plausible person is visible?
Think
Answer provisionally: How does Carton's resemblance to Darnay weaken evidence that had just seemed certain?
Write
Write a short response using at least two pieces of evidence from this passage. Use evidence from the assigned passage. Show what you noticed and how the text supports your interpretation.
Ready-to-teach lesson
TumbleTA 6-12 · TEXT-BASED LESSON
BATCH 02 · 9-10 · LESSON 32
A Tale of Two Cities
Charles Dickens
How does Carton's resemblance to Darnay weaken evidence that had
just seemed certain?
TOTAL TIME
PASSAGE
30 minutes
Carton's resemblance creates reasonable doubt
FIND THE ANCHOR TEXT
Use the Anchor Text Table of Contents in the Enhanced Reader to open the START anchor. Then use the dropdown to select the END anchor.
SECTION / LOCATION
Book II, Chapter III · A Disappointment
START
A singular circumstance then arose in the case.
END
this witness like a crockery vessel, and shiver his part of the case to useless lumber.
PASSAGE ID
sec-ttc-02
THE MOVE
Track how comparison changes the value of evidence
WHY THIS PASSAGE
The witness has just made an identification look secure when Carton’s resemblance to Darnay introduces a concrete alternative explanation. The scene lets students see how one comparison can reduce the certainty of evidence without proving the opposite conclusion.
MARK
Underline the testimony that appears to identify Darnay with confidence. Circle the physical similarities between Carton and Darnay. Then write LESS CERTAIN beside the exact point where the resemblance changes the value of the testimony.
page 1
NOTICE
What did the witness seem able to prove before Carton was brought into the comparison?
Why does resemblance create doubt without proving that the witness is lying?
How does the courtroom’s understanding of the same evidence change once a second plausible
person is visible?
THINK
Answer provisionally: How does Carton's resemblance to Darnay weaken evidence that had just seemed certain? Choose the strongest interpretation you can defend from this passage alone.
WRITE
Write a short evidence-based response to: How does Carton's resemblance to Darnay weaken evidence that had just seemed certain? Use at least two details from the assigned passage and explain how they support your interpretation.
CLOSE
Name the single detail that most changed or sharpened your interpretation, and explain why.
STRONG ANSWER
Carton's resemblance weakens the witness because it creates a plausible alternative: if another man looks so much like Darnay, confident identification is less reliable than it seemed. The comparison lowers certainty without proving Darnay innocent by itself.
EVIDENCE
Use the witness's confident identification before Carton is compared, then the visible resemblance and the courtroom's changed reaction afterward.
WATCH FOR
Do not say resemblance proves the witness lied. It changes the value of the evidence by introducing reasonable doubt.
SOLO
Read the exact passage independently.
SUPPORTED
Use narration and sentence highlighting while reading the same passage.
LISTENING
Listen to the exact passage; visual following is optional. Same question and evidence demand.
page 2
STUDENT PAGE · SAME PASSAGE, SAME THINKING
A Tale of Two Cities
Charles Dickens
How does Carton's resemblance to Darnay weaken evidence that had
just seemed certain?
START ANCHOR
A singular circumstance then arose in the case.
END ANCHOR
this witness like a crockery vessel, and shiver his part of the case to useless lumber.
Use the Anchor Text Table of Contents in the Enhanced Reader to open the START anchor. Then use the dropdown to select the END anchor.
OPEN THE MARKED PASSAGE IN TUMBLELIT
SOLO: read independently. SUPPORTED: use narration + highlighting. LISTENING: listen to the exact passage. The question and evidence task stay the same.
1.MARK - Underline the testimony that appears to identify Darnay with confidence. Circle the
physical similarities between Carton and Darnay. Then write LESS CERTAIN beside the exact point where the resemblance changes the value of the testimony.
2.NOTICE - What did the witness seem able to prove before Carton was brought into the
comparison? Why does resemblance create doubt without proving that the witness is lying? How does the courtroom’s understanding of the same evidence change once a second plausible person is visible?
3.THINK - Answer provisionally: How does Carton's resemblance to Darnay weaken evidence
that had just seemed certain?
4.WRITE - Write a short response using at least two pieces of evidence from this passage.
Use evidence from the assigned passage. Show what you noticed and how the text supports your interpretation.
page 3
Original printable PDF
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