Sherlock Holmes

“The Red-Headed League”

Literature support material to work with Sherlock Holmes’s story “The Red-Headed League” at the ESO lessons.

Vanesa.juarez.paris@gmail.comhttp://thecatalanclassofenglish.blogspot.com.es/

Activities to work with…

Oxford Bookworms Playscripts: Stage 1: 400 Headwords Sherlock Holmes: Two Plays

Doyle, Sir Arthur ConanPublished by Oxford University

Press, USA (2000-08-17) ISBN 10: 0194228533 / ISBN

13: 9780194228534

First contact with the book:

1. What kind of book do you think you have in your hands?

2. What characteristics does it have?

3. What do you think it is about?

4. What else can you say about it?

Sherlock Holmes

K W L HWhat do you KNOW about Sherlock Holmes?

What do you WANT to know about Sherlock Holmes?

What did you LEARN about Sherlock Holmes

HOW can you learn more about Sherlock Holmes

(To be filled in at the end of the course)

(To be filled in at the end of the course)

Is Sherlock Holmes the writer or a character?

Arthur Conan Doyle

VIDEO (0:00-3:00): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJrEvOlbXuE

Before watching:

1. Do you know what a detective story is?

2. Have you ever read one?3. Do you know what deduct, conclude and

reach a conclusion mean?

Arthur Conan DoyleWhile watching take notes about:

1. When was Arthur Conan Doyle born?2. Where was he born?3. What did he study?4. What was he good

at?

Arthur Conan DoyleAfter watching:

1. Do you know the difference between British and English?

2. Why is Sherlock Holmes famous?

3. What abilities do Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes have in common?

The Red-Headed LeagueBefore starting:

1. What does “The Read-Headed League” mean? How is it pronounced?

2. What do you think the story is going to be about?

3. What kind of mystery do you think there is going to be? A murder, a robbery, a disappearance, a kidnapping, etc.?

Let’s read Scene 1

BEFORE READING:

1. Have a look at the character’s list.

2. Look at the picture.

3. Who do you think they are?

Let’s read Scene 1AFTER READING:

PLACE:• Where does it happen? Can you describe the

place?

CHARACTERS:• Who is Spaulding? What is he doing?• Who is Wilson? What is he doing?

Let’s read Scene 1AFTER READING:

THEME:• What does Spaulding consider interesting?• Does Wilson find it interesting too? Why?

Let’s read Scene 21. BEFORE READING:

• Do you think Wilson is going to the interview? Why?

• If so, do you think he could get the job?• If you were Wilson would you be interested in this

job? Why?

2. WHILE READING:

• Notice a new character!

Let’s read Scene 2AFTER READING:

PLACE:1. Describe Duncan Ross’s office.2. How many people are there in the office? Who

are they?THE JOB:3. What hours must Wilson work?4. How much is the wage?5. What is the work he must do in this job?6. What is the only important rule in this job? 7. Who is going to take care of Mr. Wilson’s shop?

Let’s read Scene 3

BEFORE READING:• Wilson gets the job. So, what do you

think it’s going to happen now?

Let’s read Scene 3

WHILE READING:What is strange about Wilson’s story?

Let’s read Scene 3AFTER READING:

• How did Watson know that Wilson writes a lot?• What happened to the Red-Headed League?• Describe Vincent Spaulding. Why did Wilson hire

him?• Where are Holmes and Watson going after the

interview with Wilson? Why?

After reading scene 3:Who says these sentences? To whom? Why?• “Wait for a letter. You’re going to hear something.”• “Today is Saturday. I am going to have an answer

for you before Monday.”

Let’s be Sherlock HolmesGo to the beginning of scene 3 again: • Who is asking all the questions? • How many questions does he ask in total in scene 3?• Why is he asking all these questions?

Let’s be Sherlock HolmesOf course, because a detective needs to ask

questions before starting an investigation.

Let’s have fun being a detective!

Let’s be Sherlock HolmesNow everyone is going to think about a strange anecdote or

mystery that has happened recently to you. You can also invent it. Brainstorm about it:

• What…• When…• Who…• Why…• How…

Write a summery about this strange mystery on a piece of paper.

Let’s be Sherlock Holmes

Now in pairs you are going to investigate about your partner’s mystery by doing some research. First prepare some introductory questions. For example:

• When did it happen?• Where? With who/to whom? Why?• How did you feel? What did you think that was

strange?• How did the story end?

Let’s be Sherlock HolmesThen, you can ask some more specific questions once you

know what the mystery is about. For example: “Who was with you when you saw the strange man?”.

Write as many as you can think of and ask them to your classmate. Take notes of your classmate’s answers.

Let’s be Sherlock HolmesFinally, you have to think of a hypothesis or conclusion about

your classmate’s story:

• What do you think really happened?• Who do you think may be responsible?• Where/how would you start an investigation?

Let’s read Scene 41. BEFORE READING:• Where are Watson and Holmes going at the

end of scene 3?• Do you know why?

2. WHILE READING:

• Why do you think Holmes wants to meet Spaulding?

Let’s read Scene 51. BEFORE READING:• Do you think Spaulding is involved in the strange case of

the Red-Headed League?• Why do you think Watson needs a gun?• What does the title “To catch a thief” mean?

2. WHILE READING:• Who is the new character?

After reading Scenes 4 and 5

Let’s discuss these questions:

• Does Holmes explain the reason for visiting Spaulding?

• Why does Holmes want to visit Spaulding?• What’s Watson’s job? Do you remember what

Arthur’s Conan Doyle job is?• Why are Holmes and Watson meeting tonight?

With who?

After reading Scenes 4 and 5

2. Who says these sentences? To whom? Why?

• “You know London very well!”• “I don’t understand”• “It isn’t going to be easy”

Let’s read Scene 6

1. BEFORE READING:• Do you think they are going to

catch the thief?• Read the performance notes.

Why do you think scene 6 starts in a bank?

2. WHILE READING:• What’s the relationhip between

Duncan Ross, John Clay and Vincent Spaulding?

After reading Scene 61. Let’s discuss these

questions:• Where are Holmes, Watson,

Jones and Merryweather waiting for the thief?

• How do Vincent Spalding and Duncan Ross get into the room?

• Do they use Watson’s gun in the end?

• Does Holmes catch John Clay?

After reading Scene 6Who says these sentences? To whom? Why?

• “Things are going tohappen in the next hour, I think”

• “You’re very clever.”

Role-Play: Let’s perform Scene 6

• Get into groups of 6 students, and within each group decide who wants to be Holmes, Watson, Merryweather, Jones and Spaulding.

• Then, every group has to discuss scene 6 and summerize the lines that will be memorized by each student. All the lines have to make sense so the scene is understood by the audience (the rest of the class).

• For homework, memorize the lines that you will have to say and we will work on our performance next day!

Role-Play: Let’s perform Scene 6

Let’s read Scene 7

1. BEFORE READING:• Now we know who Vincent Spaulding really is.

Did you expect that?• Do you think now you understand why Sherlock

Holmes visits Spaulding in scene 4?

2. WHILE READING:• Read the introduction to Scene 7. What do you

think Holmes and Watson are going to talk about?

After reading Scene 71. Can you summerize Spaulding’s plan to rob the

bank?

2. Can you indicate all the signs Holmes noticed to deduce that Spaulding was involved in the mystery and to reach to the conclusion that a bank was about to be robbed?

Let’s create our own endings

1. Imagine you are Arthur Conan Doyle and you are not satisfied with the end of the story “The Red-Headed League”

2. You decide to finish it in a different way.

3. Get into groups of four. Brainstorm some ideas together and write a different ending.

Let’s share our endings4. With the same group you created the ending, prepare an

oral presentation to explain the ending to the rest of the class.

5. You can prepare a Power Point, a mindmap or evena Prezi to visually support your presentation.

6. If you want to have even more fun, you can try presenting your ending as a role-play!

Sherlock Holmes

K W L HWhat do you KNOW about Sherlock Holmes?

What do you WANT to know about Sherlock Holmes?

What did you LEARN about Sherlock Holmes?

HOW can you learn more about Sherlock Holmes?

(Already filled in) (Already filled in)

By Vanesa Juárez París

Literature support material to work with Sherlock Holmes’s story “The Red-Headed League” at the ESO lessons.

Vanesa.juarez.paris@gmail.comhttp://thecatalanclassofenglish.blogspot.com.es/