If something is sinister, it is evil or harmful.

A plausible explanation for something is a likely or fair reason for something.

A suspect is a person thought to be guilty of a crime.

A motive is a reason for doing something.

A guilty person is a person that is responsible for a wrongdoing.

Investigating Julia’s death in ‘The Speckled Band’

English

in 'Sherlock Holmes: Short Stories', pupils practise using analytical writing sentence structures, to formulate their arguments. In 'Myths and Legends Re-Told', pupils develop these skills further, applying them to a range of pre- 20th Century texts. 

in 'When the Sky Falls' pupils read fiction texts for fluency and comprehension. In 'Sherlock Holmes: Short Stories' pupils start to analyse the language choices of an author.

In this unit, pupils read and explore two famous Sherlock Holmes stories. They start by reading and analysing 'The Speckled Band' before using it as inspiration to write a newspaper article. They then read and analyse 'The Boscombe Valley Murder' before writing a comparison of the two stories.

Sherlock Holmes: short stories

Subjects which particular individuals may be sensitive to, eg, adoption, migration, bereavement or death, divorce, poverty, deprivation.

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

In 'The Speckled Band', what sound was heard by both Julia and Helen Stoner?

Get breakfast with Helen to ask her more questions.

Consult the police report of Julia's death.

What will Sherlock do after meeting Helen Stoner and learning about the death of her sister in 'The Speckled Band'?

To question the band of people that live on the estate.

In 'The Speckled Band', why does Sherlock Holmes want to go to Stoke Moran?

She also heard the whistle noise that Julia reported hearing before she died.

She was not liked by Dr. Roylott all of her life.

Her sister told her that she would be the next target of  the speckled band.

Thinking about the story 'The Speckled Band', what concrete evidence do we have to suggest Helen is in danger? 

He may be in vulnerable financial situation if the girls marry.

The girls have chosen to marry men who are friends with his enemy.

What is Dr. Roylott's possible motive for wanting to kill both the Stoner daughters in the story 'The Speckled Band'?

In the story 'The Speckled Band', what did Helen hear on the night Julia died?

What did Roylott do on the night Julia died in the story 'The Speckled Band'?

After hearing about Dr. Roylott's past behaviour from Helen Stoner, which word best describes Roylott?

It will have to be saved for the girls' children.

Roylott can use it for himself since their husbands will provide income.

Roylott would no longer have access to a sum of the money.

In the story 'The Speckled Band', what will happen to the money that Julia and Helen's mother bequeathed to Roylott if the two girls marry?

In the story 'The Speckled Band', what pets did Roylott keep?

In 'The Speckled Band' , which character has a motive for killing Julia Stoner?

Content guidance

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Adult supervision recommended

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Investigating Julia’s death in ‘The Speckled Band’

Lesson outcome

Content guidance

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.