Reading and summarising the conclusion of ‘The Speckled Band’ mystery
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can summarise Holmes’ conclusion to the case of ‘The Speckled Band’.
Key learning points
- Holmes and Watson undertake a dreadful vigil whilst they wait for more evidence to be revealed
- Julia Stoner died after being bitten by a venomous snake
- Dr. Roylott attempts to kill Helen in the same way
- Instead, Holmes sends the snake back to Dr. Roylott’s room and Roylott himself is bitten and dies
- We can write a summary of how Julia Stoner died by including the key details: who, what, where, when and why
Keywords
Vigil - A vigil is a period of staying awake at night to keep watch.
Ventilator - A ventilator is a grate, usually on the ceiling, that provides air into a room.
Fatal - If something is fatal, it can cause death.
Sombre - If there is a sombre atmosphere, there is a gloomy, sad atmosphere.
Common misconception
Students may not immediately piece together all of the pieces of evidence throughout the case.
Break the conclusion down for students with a visual depiction or flow diagram if necessary, explain that some clues were red herrings.
Teacher tip
Bring the story to life by showing students the black and white story illustrations to help with their understanding of events.
Equipment
You will need a copy of 'The Speckled Band' by Arthur Conan Doyle for this lesson.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of upsetting content
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.In 'The Speckled Band', why does Holmes insist Helen stay at the village inn whilst him and Watson stay in her room at Stoke Moran?
Q2.Of the following, what does Holmes find in Roylott's room in 'The Speckled Band'?
Q3.In 'The Speckled Band', what is unusual about the bell rope and ventilator in Julia's room?
Q4.In 'The Speckled Band', what atmosphere does the description of Stoke Moran create?
Q5.How are the wings of Stoke Moran described in 'The Speckled Band'?
Q6.In 'The Speckled Band', which character has a clear motive for killing Julia?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.In 'The Speckled Band', what animal killed Julia Stoner?
Q2.How did the animal that killed Julia Stoner get into her room in 'The Speckled Band'?
Q3.In 'The Speckled Band', what is the significance of the saucer of milk and whistle?
Q4.What happens to Roylott at the end of 'The Speckled Band'?
Q5.In 'The Speckled Band' Dr. Roylott is attacked. What is he attacked by?
Q6.In 'The Speckled Band', why did Roylott kill Julia and attempt to kill Helen?
To help you plan your 7 English lesson on: Reading and summarising the conclusion of ‘The Speckled Band’ mystery, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 English lesson on: Reading and summarising the conclusion of ‘The Speckled Band’ mystery, 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 3 English lessons from the Sherlock Holmes: short stories unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.