Something which is archetypal is very typical of a certain type of thing.

To subvert means to go against what is expected. A villain that subverts the archetype may be gentle.

To adhere means to stick to or follow what is expected.

If two things occur simultaneously, they occur at the same time.

‘The Speckled Band’ and ‘The Boscombe Valley Mystery’: a written comparison

English

Making predictions about Sherlock Holmes

Analysing Helen Stoner’s presentation in ‘The Speckled Band’

Making predictions about ‘The Speckled Band’ mystery

Analysing atmosphere and character in ‘The Speckled Band’

Investigating Julia’s death in ‘The Speckled Band’

Analysing Dr. Roylott in ‘The Speckled Band’

Writing an argument about Dr. Roylott from ‘The Speckled Band’

Creating newspaper headlines and subheadings

Writing the opening of an article on ‘The Speckled Band’ case

‘The Speckled Band’ case: writing a newspaper article body

'The Speckled Band' case: concluding newspaper articles

Using rhetorical devices in newspaper articles

Reading about Stoke Moran and analysing atmosphere in ‘The Speckled Band’

Reading and summarising the conclusion of ‘The Speckled Band’ mystery

Planning a newspaper article about the solved  case of ‘The Speckled Band’

Writing your own newspaper article about Sherlock Holmes

Reading 'The Boscombe Valley Mystery'

Solving 'The Boscombe Valley Mystery'

Comparing the victims in ‘The Speckled Band’ and ‘The Boscombe Valley Mystery’

Analysing John Turner from ‘The Boscombe Valley Mystery’

Comparing ‘The Speckled Band’ and ‘The Boscombe Valley Mystery’

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

How many sections are there in an introduction?

Starting with the first, put the parts of an introduction for a comparative answer in chronological order.

'The Boscombe Valley Mystery' and 'The Speckled Band' are both typical detective stories.'' is an example of ...

you need quotes to be at least a sentence long

What is true of quotes in a comparative essay?

Thinking about 'The Speckled Band' and 'The Boscombe Valley Mystery', who could be considered both victim and villain simultaneously?

''terribly injured''; ''had his grip upon me''

''Enormous limbs’’; ‘’Limping step, bowed shoulders’’

“face blanched with terror”; “shrieked, writhed”

Which quotes from 'The Boscombe Valley Mystery' suggest that Charles McCarthy could be victim and villain simultaneously?

Where does an introduction appear in an essay?

a concluding sentence for the end of your essay

Which elements are similar in 'The Boscombe Valley Mystery' and 'The Speckled Band' and which are different?

Who is an archetypal villain from the Sherlock Holmes stories?

The victim is presented unsympathetically.

The villain is presented sympathetically.

In which *two* ways does 'The Boscombe Valley Mystery' subvert archetypal victim and villain roles? 

‘The Speckled Band’ and ‘The Boscombe Valley Mystery’: a written comparison

Lesson outcome

Content guidance