Hello everyone and welcome to a lesson on reading The Adventure of The Speckled Band.

I'm Miss Sutherland and I'll be teaching you today.

Our learning outcome for today is to be able to understand the events of The Speckled Band and analyse the atmosphere in the story.

We have five keywords today and they are, sinister, jutted, cunning, juxtapose, and idyllic.

I'm going to give you a moment to read the definitions and note any down that you want to.

Pause the video and do that now.

Great, let's move on.

We're going to read some of the story, The Adventure of The Speckled Band.

We're going to read the section of The Speckled Band where Holmes and Watson visit Stoke Moran.

Then we're going to analyse the atmosphere in this section of the story.

So off we go.

Let's read about visiting Stoke Moran.

We will now read the section where Holmes and Watson set off to investigate the Stoke Moran property.

I want you to consider how the atmosphere changes throughout the extract.

Let's begin reading.

At Waterloo we were fortunate in catching a train for Leatherhead, where we hired a trap at the station inn and drove for four or five miles through the lovely Surrey lanes.

It was a perfect day with a bright sun and a few fleecy clouds in the heavens.

The trees and wayside hedges were just coming out of their first green shoots and the air was full of the pleasant smell of the moist earth.

To me at least, there was a strange contrast between the sweet promise of the spring and this sinister quest upon which we were engaged.

My companion sat in the front of the trap, his arms folded, his hat pulled down over his eyes, and his chin sunk upon his breast, buried in the deepest thought.

Suddenly, however, he started, tapped me on the shoulder, and pointed over the meadows.

I want you to answer this question to show your understanding of the part we've just read.

True or false? It was a gloomy day when Holmes and Watson set off for Stoke Moran.

Pause the video and have a think.

Well done if you said false.

It was not a gloomy day when Holmes and Watson set off for Stoke Moran.

I now want you to justify your answer.

Pause the video and justify why that is false.

Well done if you said that it wasn't a gloomy day when Holmes and Watson set off for Stoke Moran and we know that because it was a perfect day, with bright sun.

Let's carry on reading.

Look there said he.

A heavily timbered park stretched up in a gentle slope, thickening into a grove at the highest point.

From amid the branches there jutted out the grey gables and high roof-tree of a very old mansion.

Stoke Moran? Said he.

Yes, sir, that be the house of Dr Grimesby Roylott remarked the driver.

There is some building going on there, said Holmes, that is where we are going.

There's the village, said the driver, pointing to a cluster of roofs some distance to the left, but if you want to get to the house, you'll find it shorter to get over this stile, and so by the footpath over the fields.

There it is, where the lady is walking.

Where are Holmes and Watson going and why? Pause the video and have a think.

Well done if you said Holmes and Watson are going to Stoke Moran to look at the rooms. They are not going to confront Roylott because he threatened Helen, in fact, they are hoping that Roylott is not there when they visit, and they are not going to Julia's doctor to look at her reports.

Well done if you got that right.

And the lady, I fancy, is Miss Stoner, observed Holmes, shading his eyes.

Yes, I think we had better do as you suggest.

We got off, paid our fare, and the trap rattled back on its way to Leatherhead.

I thought it as well, said Holmes as we climbed the stile, this fellow should think we have come here as architects, or on some definite business.

It may stop his gossip.

Good afternoon, Miss Stoner.

You see that we have been as good as our word.

Our client of the morning had hurried forward to meet us with a face which spoke of joy.

I have been waiting so eagerly for you, she cried, shaking hands with us warmly.

All has turned out splendidly.

Dr Roylott has gone to town and it is unlikely he will be back before evening.

We have had the pleasure of making the doctor's acquaintance said Holmes, and in a few words he sketched out what had occurred.

Miss Stoner turned white to the lips as she listened.

Good heavens, she cried, he has followed me then.

So it appears.

He is so cunning that I never know when I am safe from him.

What will you say when he returns? He must guard himself, for he may find that there is someone more cunning than himself upon his track.

You must lock yourself up from him tonight.

If he is violent, we shall take you away to your aunt's at Harrow.

Now, we must make the best use of our time, so kindly take us at once to the rooms which we are to examine.

The building was of grey, lichen-blotched stone, which a high central portion and two curving wings, like the claws of a crab, thrown out on each side.

In one of these wings, the windows were broken and blocked with wooden boards, while the roof was caved in, a picture of ruin.

The central portion was in little better repair, but the right-hand block was comparatively modern, and the blinds in the windows, with the blue smoke curling up from the chimneys, showed that this was where the family resided.

Some scaffolding had been erected against the end wall and the stonework had been broken into, but there were no signs of any workmen at the moment of our visit.

Holmes walked slowly up and down the ill-trimmed lawn and examined with deep attention the outsides of the windows.

Which simile is used to describe the wings of Stoke Moran? Now remember the wings are essentially just the sections of the building.

How are they described? Pause the video and have a think.

Well done if you said the wings of Stoke Moran are described as being like the claws of a crab.

And we'll take a look at that simile in more detail later in the lesson.

I now want you to read from this, I take it, belongs to the room in which you used to sleep to, as the lamp was lit in one of the sitting rooms. Read that section of text and, as you read, consider the following questions.

What is interesting about the room in which Helen currently sleeps in, does she think there was a legitimate reason for her moving bedroom? What does Holmes conclude about the shutters and windows of Helen's room? What object was installed in Helen's room in the last five years, that she and her sister did not use? What else was installed at the same time as that object? What is on top of the safe in Dr Roylott's room? And what is hung over the side of the bed? And where will Holmes and Watson spend the night and where will Helen spend the night? Why does he suggest this arrangement? Pause the video, read the section, and answer the questions.

Off you go.

I hoped you enjoyed reading that part of the text.

Let's share our ideas in response to the questions.

Number one, Helen is currently sleeping in her sister Julia's bedroom, where Julia died.

And Helen thinks there was no legitimate reason for her to move bedrooms. In other words, Helen thinks that there being repairs needed to her original room was actually just an excuse to move her to Julia's bedroom.

Number two, Holmes concludes that nothing could pass through the windows as the shutters are sturdy and impassible.

Number three, a bell rope was installed in Julia's room, but the sisters never used it.

In fact, they realise with Holmes' help that it is a dummy, meaning it does not work.

So the bell rope, well at least a working bell rope, is designed for someone to ring it and call upon someone to help them.

The girls did not ever try to call for anyone to help them.

Holmes realises that this bell rope does not ring at all.

It begs the question, of why was it installed there in the first place? Number four, a ventilator was installed around the same time as the bell rope.

Number five, on the top of Dr Roylott's safe is a saucer of milk.

Hanging on the side of his bed is a dog leash and it's curled to make a loop.

Holmes finds these pieces of evidence very interesting.

Number six, Holmes and Watson will stay in Helen's bedroom whilst Helen stays at the village inn.

And Holmes decides this because he believes, after seeing the evidence, that Helen is in danger.

Well done on your reading and answering those questions everybody.

Let's move on to the second part of our lesson where we're going to analyse the atmosphere in the text that we've just read.

Let's read again this short extract from the text.

It was a perfect day, with a bright sun and a few fleecy clouds in the heavens.

The trees and wayside hedges were just throwing out their first green shoots and the air was full of the pleasant smell of the moist earth.

I want you to think about, what atmosphere is created in that extract? Pause the video and have a think.

Considering those words that are highlighted, we might say an idyllic atmosphere is created through the peaceful and natural imagery, especially the references to spring.

We now have this extract.

Let's read it.

The building was of grey, lichen-blotched stone, with a high central portion and two curving wings, like the claws of a crab.

In one of these wings the windows were broken and blocked with wooden boards, while the roof was partly caved in, a picture of ruin.

Now this extract on the right appears just after the one on the left and the one on the right describes the building of Stoke Moran.

And I want you to think about, how the atmosphere is different in the second extract.

Pause the video and have a think.

You may have said that based on those highlighted words and phrases that there is a sinister atmosphere in the second extract where Stoke Moran is described as well as a feeling of decay.

Now, take the two extracts together and think about this, what technique has Conan Doyle used by contrasting these descriptions and why has he used it? Pause the video and have a think.

Let's check your understanding.

What technique does Conan Doyle use when describing the weather and then the building of Stoke Moran? Pause the video and have a think.

Well done if you said juxtaposition.

Conan Doyle uses juxtaposition when he starts off by describing the idyllic day as Holmes and Watson set off for Stoke Moran and then creates a sinister atmosphere shortly after as he describes Stoke Moran.

Those two extracts are very different to each other, you could say they contrast each other.

Therefore, Conan Doyle has used juxtaposition.

We're going to now analyse the atmosphere in those extracts we've read and we're going to comment on the use of juxtaposition.

So I want you to complete the paragraph using the checklist to help you.

Let's start off by reading the paragraph and seeing what you need to add.

So, Conan Doyle initially creates an idyllic atmosphere when describing the weather the day they depart for Stoke Moran.

You'll then need to include a quote that proves that.

The word/phrase suggests, that's where you'll need to put your analysis in of that quote.

However, the building of Stoke Moran is described as, that's where you'll need your second quote about the Stoke Moran extract.

Suggesting, again you need to analyse the description of Stoke Moran, picking out the key words.

And then lastly you're going to say, Conan Doyle has used and you're gonna talk about the use of juxtaposition and why he might have opted to use juxtaposition in this scene.

Let's just go through the checklist to make sure you're confident with this task.

You need to complete the paragraph and include analysis of interesting words or phrases from both quotes, a conjunction to justify your analysis, use the phrase in particular to zoom in on a single word, and a suggestion about why Conan Doyle may have used juxtaposition.

Pause the video and complete the paragraph.

Let's go through what you could've written.

Conan Doyle initially creates an idyllic atmosphere when describing the weather the day they depart for Stoke Moran.

A perfect day with bright sun, green shoots, moist earth.

The natural imagery here reminds us of spring, which could symbolise the hope remaining for justice to be restored.

However, the building of Stoke Moran is described as having wings like the claws of a crab.

This creates a sinister atmosphere because claws has a predatory undertone.

Conan Doyle has used juxtaposition to perhaps suggest that whilst the characters remain hopeful, the quest will not be an easy one to solve and may endanger their lives.

Let's check where this answer includes things from the success criteria.

We have here analysis of interesting words or phrases from both quotes.

We also have a conjunction to justify the analysis and we zoom in on single words.

And we have a suggestion about why Conan Doyle may have used juxtaposition.

Now you've seen how the success criteria is applied to the model answer, can you reread your work and decide if you've got everything you need in your paragraph? Pause the video and self assess your work.

Great work on your writing self assessment everyone, I'm really impressed.

So here's what we've learnt today.

Holmes and Watson go to Stoke Moran to investigate the rooms. Conan Doyle juxtaposes the atmosphere before and after they arrive at Stoke Moran to convey a sense of danger.

They find curious items in Helen's room such as a dummy bell rope and ventilator.

They find curious items in Dr Roylott's room such as a saucer of milk and a dog leash.

After inspecting the rooms, Holmes believes Helen is in great danger.

Great job on all your learning today, I really enjoyed our lesson and I hope to see you next time.