How can Nancy be helping Oliver and still be the person delivering him into danger?
Oliver Twist
30 minutes total
ByCharles Dickens
Grade9-10
Time30 minutes
Essential question
How can Nancy be helping Oliver and still be the person delivering him into danger?
Marked passage
Passage location
Chapter XXII
Start anchor
Oliver could see that he had some power over the girl’s better feelings
End anchor
the girl pulled him in with her, and drew the curtains close.
Passage focus
Nancy warns Oliver while taking him to Sikes
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 one helpful action toward Oliver and one clear sign of threat, dependence, or lack of freedom that explains why she continues toward Sikes.
Mark
Underline every warning or kindness Nancy gives Oliver. Circle the lines showing what will happen to her if she resists. Write CHOICE or CONSTRAINT beside each action she takes.
Instructional move
Read constrained choice without confusing it with free choice
Notice
• Which parts of Nancy’s behavior are genuinely helpful to Oliver? • What limits her ability to refuse Sikes outright? • Why is it important not to confuse constrained action with wholehearted consent?
Strong answer
Nancy can help Oliver within the limits of coercion while still carrying out an action that harms him. Her warnings and kindness are real, but fear of Sikes and lack of power constrain the choices available to her.
Think
Answer provisionally: How can Nancy be helping Oliver and still be the person delivering him into danger? Choose the strongest interpretation you can defend from this passage alone.
Watch for
Do not treat constrained participation as either full innocence or full consent. The passage asks students to hold both facts together.
Why this passage
Nancy warns Oliver and tries to reduce his fear while simultaneously delivering him to Sikes. The contradiction is only apparent if we assume she is free to choose; the scene shows help operating inside coercion.
Write
Write a short evidence-based response to: How can Nancy be helping Oliver and still be the person delivering him into danger? Use at least two details from the assigned passage and explain how they support your interpretation.
Student tasks
Mark
Underline every warning or kindness Nancy gives Oliver. Circle the lines showing what will happen to her if she resists. Write CHOICE or CONSTRAINT beside each action she takes.
Notice
Which parts of Nancy’s behavior are genuinely helpful to Oliver? What limits her ability to refuse Sikes outright? Why is it important not to confuse constrained action with wholehearted consent?
Think
Answer provisionally: How can Nancy be helping Oliver and still be the person delivering him into danger?
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 03 · 9-10 · LESSON 61
Oliver Twist
Charles Dickens
How can Nancy be helping Oliver and still be the person delivering him
into danger?
TOTAL TIME
PASSAGE
30 minutes
Nancy warns Oliver while taking him to Sikes
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
Chapter XXII
START
Oliver could see that he had some power over the girl’s better feelings
END
the girl pulled him in with her, and drew the curtains close.
PASSAGE ID
sec-ot-03
THE MOVE
Read constrained choice without confusing it with free choice
WHY THIS PASSAGE
Nancy warns Oliver and tries to reduce his fear while simultaneously delivering him to Sikes. The contradiction is only apparent if we assume she is free to choose; the scene shows help operating inside coercion.
MARK
Underline every warning or kindness Nancy gives Oliver. Circle the lines showing what will happen to her if she resists. Write CHOICE or CONSTRAINT beside each action she takes.
NOTICE
Which parts of Nancy’s behavior are genuinely helpful to Oliver?
page 1
What limits her ability to refuse Sikes outright?
Why is it important not to confuse constrained action with wholehearted consent?
THINK
Answer provisionally: How can Nancy be helping Oliver and still be the person delivering him into danger? Choose the strongest interpretation you can defend from this passage alone.
WRITE
Write a short evidence-based response to: How can Nancy be helping Oliver and still be the person delivering him into danger? 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
Nancy can help Oliver within the limits of coercion while still carrying out an action that harms him. Her warnings and kindness are real, but fear of Sikes and lack of power constrain the choices available to her.
EVIDENCE
Use one helpful action toward Oliver and one clear sign of threat, dependence, or lack of freedom that explains why she continues toward Sikes.
WATCH FOR
Do not treat constrained participation as either full innocence or full consent. The passage asks students to hold both facts together.
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
Oliver Twist
Charles Dickens
How can Nancy be helping Oliver and still be the person delivering him
into danger?
START ANCHOR
Oliver could see that he had some power over the girl’s better feelings
END ANCHOR
the girl pulled him in with her, and drew the curtains close.
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 every warning or kindness Nancy gives Oliver. Circle the lines showing what
will happen to her if she resists.
Write CHOICE or CONSTRAINT beside each action she takes.
2.NOTICE - Which parts of Nancy’s behavior are genuinely helpful to Oliver? What limits her
ability to refuse Sikes outright? Why is it important not to confuse constrained action with wholehearted consent?
3.THINK - Answer provisionally: How can Nancy be helping Oliver and still be the person
delivering him into danger?
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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