Comparing the victims in ‘The Speckled Band’ and ‘The Boscombe Valley Mystery’
I can compare the victims of ‘The Speckled Band’ and ‘The Boscombe Valley Mystery’.
Comparing the victims in ‘The Speckled Band’ and ‘The Boscombe Valley Mystery’
I can compare the victims of ‘The Speckled Band’ and ‘The Boscombe Valley Mystery’.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Julia Stoner and Charles McCarthy are presented as very different victims.
- Stoner is presented more sympathetically than McCarthy.
- Contrasting connectives are important for comparative responses.
- Comparisons should always be justified by quotes and analysis.
- You should include a summary at the end of a comparative response.
Keywords
Compare - To compare is to estimate the similarities or differences between two things
Victim - A victim is a person harmed, injured or killed as a result of a crime.
Sympathetic - A sympathetic character is one that you feel pity or sorrow for.
Comparative connective - A comparative connective (e.g. however, but, similarly) expresses similarity or difference between two ideas.
Common misconception
All victim profiles are similar.
Conan Doyle manipulates his presentation of victims depending on how he wants the reader to view them.
To help you plan your year 7 english lesson on: Comparing the victims in ‘The Speckled Band’ and ‘The Boscombe Valley Mystery’, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 7 english lesson on: Comparing the victims in ‘The Speckled Band’ and ‘The Boscombe Valley 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.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended