Building knowledge of the historical context of 'Sherlock Holmes'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the historical context of 'Sherlock Holmes' and explore the story 'The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle'.
Key learning points
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote the ’Sherlock Holmes’ stories starting in 1886.
- 'Sherlock Holmes' was written in the Victorian Era.
- The Victorian city of London was a city of startling contrast between rich and poor.
- The Holmes stories are written in the first person from Watson's perspective.
Keywords
Victorian era - the period of Queen Victoria’s reign (1837-1901)
Private detective - someone who does not work for the police but whose job is to discover information about crimes
First person perspective - the point of view where the speaker or narrator of the story is the 'I' character, providing a personal account of events or experiences
Slum - an overcrowded city area where very poor people lived
Common misconception
Pupils may struggle to understand the sequence of events in the story or certain vocabulary in the text.
As you read aloud, you can provide brief interjections to show the meaning of challenging vocabulary. You can also talk as a reader, saying what you are **realising** about the plot as an aside as you read, e.g., 'Ah, he must have ...'.
Teacher tip
You may wish to provide additional videos or images to explore Victorian London. Children will explore the story in detail in the following lesson so they do not need to engage deeply with comprehending in this lesson - here, a first exposure is sufficient.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of serious crime
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of the following is the best definition of a detective?
Q2.Which is the best definition of a 'contrast'?
Q3.After which monarch (king or queen) is the Victorian era named?
Q4.Which of these sentences is written in the first person?
Q5.Which of these sentences is not written in the first person?
Q6.Which word would complete the following sentence in the first person? 'Holmes handed the file to __________.'
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.When was the Victorian era?
Q2.How is a private detective special?
Q3.Which of the following could be found in Victorian London?
Q4.Which of the following best describes a slum?
Q5.Which of the following were common crimes in Victorian London?
Q6.Where did Peterson discover the jewel in 'The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle'?
To help you plan your 6 English lesson on: Building knowledge of the historical context of 'Sherlock Holmes', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 6 English lesson on: Building knowledge of the historical context of 'Sherlock Holmes', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 English lessons from the 'Sherlock Holmes': descriptive and letter writing unit, dive into the full primary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.