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Year 7

Analysing atmosphere and character in ‘The Speckled Band’

I can analyse how Conan Doyle presents character and atmosphere on the night of Julia’s death in ‘The Speckled Band’.

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New
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Year 7

Analysing atmosphere and character in ‘The Speckled Band’

I can analyse how Conan Doyle presents character and atmosphere on the night of Julia’s death in ‘The Speckled Band’.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The night Julia Stoner dies, there is an awful storm.
  2. Conan Doyle uses pathetic fallacy to create a sinister atmosphere, foreshadowing the threatening force behind her death.
  3. Conan Doyle also emphasises the fear of both the Stoner sisters.
  4. Quote explosions can help you to gather ideas for analytical writing.
  5. Analytical writing should include single word analysis and conjunctions to justify analysis.

Common misconception

Planning can often be seen as a waste of time.

You must take time to make notes and gather ideas so the analysis you write is strong.

Keywords

  • Pathetic fallacy - Pathetic fallacy is giving human emotions to inanimate things, usually the environment.

  • Annotate - Annotate means to label and add notes.

  • Foreshadowing - Foreshadowing means a warning of a future event.

  • Hubbub - Hubbub means chaotic noise.

Complete a quote explosion as a class where you ask them questions to get them deeper in the analysis
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
In 'The Speckled Band', why had Helen Stoner gone to visit Sherlock Holmes?
Correct answer: to help her solve the mystery of how her sister died
to report on theft in the neighbourhood
to catch up with him as they were good friends
Q2.
In 'The Speckled Band', why is Helen shivering when she comes to Holmes?
It is very cold
She was involved in a traffic accident on the way there
Correct answer: She is scared about being in danger
Q3.
What is meany by the word 'analysis'?
Correct answer: Exploring something in great detail
Defining key words
Using ambitious vocabulary in a paragraph
Q4.
In 'The Speckled Band', what is Helen Stoner likened to when she meets Holmes?
Correct answer: prey
predator
hero
villain
Q5.
Why is Julia Stoner's death a mystery in 'The Speckled Band'?
no one knows when she died
Correct answer: no one knows how she died
no one witnessed her death
Q6.
In 'The Speckled Band', what did Julia cry out as she died?
Correct answer: 'It was the band! The speckled band!'
'It was Roylott!'
'I have been poisoned!'

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is pathetic fallacy?
Correct answer: giving human emotions to inanimate things, usually the environment.
comparing two things using the words like or as
giving humans animal characteristics
Q2.
Which quote uses pathetic fallacy?
’I sprang from my bed and rushed into the corridor.’
Correct answer: 'The wind was howling outside...'
'...there burst forth the wild scream of a terrified woman.'
Q3.
Which word best describes the night Julia died in 'The Speckled Band'?
calm
pleasant
quiet
Correct answer: chaotic
Q4.
In 'The Speckled Band', how is Helen presented when she hears her sister’s screams?
Correct answer: panicked
hesitant
angry
Q5.
Why use quote explosions before analytical writing?
it helps us come up with ambitious vocabulary to use
Correct answer: it helps us conduct deep single word analysis
it helps us define words
Q6.
Why use conjunctions in analytical writing?
to increase word count
create ambitious sentence structures
Correct answer: to justify analysis