I’m sure you have heard the story about the poor, young girl, walking along the streets on New Years Eve, trying to sell her matches, but without any luck. We are going to read the text together and have group discussions about it, but first:

Let’s create our Christmas wordlist.

 

Read the text about The Little Match Girl by H C Andersen. The text has a wordlist for easy understanding.

 

Discuss what you have read in pairs, but first think about these questions on your own:

  • The story is set on New Year’s Eve, do you think this was important? Why or why not?
  • What are some themes in the story?
  • Does The Little Match Girl end the way you expected? How? Why?
  • How did the ending make you feel? Would you consider it a happy ending? Why or why not?
  • What do you think the little girl’s visions represent? What would your dream visions be?
  • How essential is the setting to the story? Could the story have taken place anywhere else?
  • What are the conflicts in the text? What types of conflict (physical, moral, or emotional) did you notice in this story?
  • What point do you think Andersen was trying to make? Did he succeed?
  • How does Hans Christian Andersen reveal the character of the girl? Of the father? Of the grandmother?
  • Would you recommend this story to a friend?
  • Do you think this is a good story for children? Why or why not?

 

We end by watching the text played out as a short video: