Starter quiz
- Which of the following is the best definition of a detective?
- someone who commits crimes
- someone who carries out scientific tests to solve crimes
- someone who follows clues to investigate crimes ✓
- someone who sentences people for their crimes
-
- Which is the best definition of a 'contrast'?
- a small change
- a noticeable difference ✓
- a problem
- a colour change
-
- After which monarch (king or queen) is the Victorian era named?
- King Victor
- Queen Elizabeth I
- Queen Victoria ✓
- Queen Victoria II
-
- Which of these sentences is written in the first person?
- I couldn't believe it. ✓
- They couldn't believe it.
- Alex couldn't believe it.
- You couldn't believe it.
-
- Which of these sentences is not written in the first person?
- You wondered what was happening. ✓
- We found ourselves in a difficult position.
- I shuddered at the sight of it.
- It appalled us both.
-
- Which word would complete the following sentence in the first person? 'Holmes handed the file to __________.'
- them
- him
- me ✓
- her
-
Exit quiz
- When was the Victorian era?
- 1737-1801
- 1837-1901 ✓
- 1937-2001
-
- How is a private detective special?
- They work for the police.
- They work for the government.
- They do not work for the police. ✓
- They do not tell anyone what they are doing.
-
- Which of the following could be found in Victorian London?
- electric street lighting ✓
- museums and theatres ✓
- underground trains ✓
- an airport
-
- Which of the following best describes a slum?
- one poor-quality house
- an area of a city crowded with many wealthy people
- an area of crowded houses with many poor people ✓
- a system of sewers in a city
-
- Which of the following were common crimes in Victorian London?
- garrotting ✓
- mugging ✓
- pickpocketing ✓
- hacking
-
- Where did Peterson discover the jewel in 'The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle'?
- in Holmes' study
- inside the goose ✓
- in the hotel room
- at the market
-
Worksheet
Loading worksheet ...
Presentation
Loading presentation ...
Lesson Details
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.
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 ...'.
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
+