What does Nancy risk when she steps between Fagin and Oliver?
Oliver Twist
30 minutes total
ByCharles Dickens
Grade9-10
Time30 minutes
Essential question
What does Nancy risk when she steps between Fagin and Oliver?
Marked passage
Passage location
Chapter XVI
Start anchor
The Jew inflicted a smart blow on Oliver's shoulders with the club
End anchor
There is something about a roused woman: especially if she add to all her other strong passions, the fierce impulses of recklessness and despair
Passage focus
Nancy stops Fagin from beating Oliver
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 intervention itself and the threats or physical danger directed at Nancy as a result.
Mark
Underline the moment Nancy physically or verbally comes between Fagin and Oliver. Circle the threats or consequences aimed at her. Star the line showing she continues despite understanding the danger.
Instructional move
Infer moral conflict from a character's costly action
Notice
• What could Nancy gain by staying silent? • What does she risk by defending Oliver in front of Fagin? • How does the cost of the action reveal a moral conflict that her earlier behavior may have hidden?
Strong answer
Nancy risks violence, status, and safety within the criminal group when she protects Oliver. The action reveals a moral conflict because she chooses to defend him even though silence would be safer for her.
Think
Answer provisionally: What does Nancy risk when she steps between Fagin and Oliver? Choose the strongest interpretation you can defend from this passage alone.
Watch for
Do not say the action proves Nancy is simply 'good.' The important evidence is that moral concern competes with the world she is still part of.
Why this passage
Nancy’s intervention matters because protecting Oliver puts her in direct conflict with Fagin and the violent world she depends on. Her moral impulse is therefore measurable by cost: she acts even though acting makes her less safe.
Write
Write a short evidence-based response to: What does Nancy risk when she steps between Fagin and Oliver? Use at least two details from the assigned passage and explain how they support your interpretation.
Student tasks
Mark
Underline the moment Nancy physically or verbally comes between Fagin and Oliver. Circle the threats or consequences aimed at her. Star the line showing she continues despite understanding the danger.
Notice
What could Nancy gain by staying silent? What does she risk by defending Oliver in front of Fagin? How does the cost of the action reveal a moral conflict that her earlier behavior may have hidden?
Think
Answer provisionally: What does Nancy risk when she steps between Fagin and Oliver?
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 60
Oliver Twist
Charles Dickens
What does Nancy risk when she steps between Fagin and Oliver?
TOTAL TIME
PASSAGE
30 minutes
Nancy stops Fagin from beating Oliver
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 XVI
START
The Jew inflicted a smart blow on Oliver's shoulders with the club
END
There is something about a roused woman: especially if she add to all her other strong passions, the fierce impulses of recklessness and despair
PASSAGE ID
sec-ot-02
THE MOVE
Infer moral conflict from a character's costly action
WHY THIS PASSAGE
Nancy’s intervention matters because protecting Oliver puts her in direct conflict with Fagin and the violent world she depends on. Her moral impulse is therefore measurable by cost: she acts even though acting makes her less safe.
MARK
Underline the moment Nancy physically or verbally comes between Fagin and Oliver. Circle the threats or consequences aimed at her. Star the line showing she continues despite understanding the danger.
page 1
NOTICE
What could Nancy gain by staying silent?
What does she risk by defending Oliver in front of Fagin?
How does the cost of the action reveal a moral conflict that her earlier behavior may have
hidden?
THINK
Answer provisionally: What does Nancy risk when she steps between Fagin and Oliver? Choose the strongest interpretation you can defend from this passage alone.
WRITE
Write a short evidence-based response to: What does Nancy risk when she steps between Fagin and Oliver? 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 risks violence, status, and safety within the criminal group when she protects Oliver. The action reveals a moral conflict because she chooses to defend him even though silence would be safer for her.
EVIDENCE
Use the intervention itself and the threats or physical danger directed at Nancy as a result.
WATCH FOR
Do not say the action proves Nancy is simply 'good.' The important evidence is that moral concern competes with the world she is still part of.
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
What does Nancy risk when she steps between Fagin and Oliver?
START ANCHOR
The Jew inflicted a smart blow on Oliver's shoulders with the club
END ANCHOR
There is something about a roused woman: especially if she add to all her other strong passions, the fierce impulses of recklessness and despair
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 moment Nancy physically or verbally comes between Fagin and Oliver.
Circle the threats or consequences aimed at her. Star the line showing she continues despite understanding the danger.
2.NOTICE - What could Nancy gain by staying silent? What does she risk by defending Oliver in
front of Fagin? How does the cost of the action reveal a moral conflict that her earlier behavior may have hidden?
3.THINK - Answer provisionally: What does Nancy risk when she steps between Fagin and
Oliver?
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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