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Year 7

Comparing ‘The Speckled Band’ and ‘The Boscombe Valley Mystery’

I can plan a comparison between two texts.

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New
New
Year 7

Comparing ‘The Speckled Band’ and ‘The Boscombe Valley Mystery’

I can plan a comparison between two texts.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Both 'The Speckled Band' and 'The Boscombe Valley Mystery' share detective conventions
  2. 'The Speckled Band' and 'The Boscombe Valley Mystery' mostly differ on their presentation of key characters
  3. A thesis statement appears in the introduction and is a summary of your viewpoint on a topic

Common misconception

Sherlock Holmes mystery stories are almost identical.

Whilst all Sherlock Holmes mystery stories are part of the detective fiction genre, the stories can differ a lot.

Keywords

  • Convention - A convention is a rule within a genre.

  • Red herring - A red herring is a piece of misleading information.

  • Archetypal - Something which is archetypal is very typical of a certain type of thing.

  • Thesis - A thesis is a statement put forward to be proved.

  • Subvert - To subvert means to go against what is expected. A villain that subverts the archetype may be gentle.

Challenge students to think about why Conan Doyle makes certain villains more villainous and others more sympathetic.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need a copy of Arthur Conan Doyle's 'The Speckled Band' and 'The Boscombe Valley Mystery' for this lesson.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

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.
Both 'The Adventure of The Speckled Band' and 'The Boscombe Valley Mystery' are ...
horror texts.
romance texts.
Correct answer: mystery texts.
Q2.
Both 'The Adventure of the Speckled Band' and 'The Boscombe Valley Mystery' have ...
an innocent victim.
a bereaved sister.
Correct answer: misleading pieces of evidence.
Q3.
Match the elements from 'The Speckled Band' and 'The Boscombe Valley Mystery' to the correct story.
Correct Answer:Murder using an animal,'The Adventure of The Speckled Band'

'The Adventure of The Speckled Band'

Correct Answer:Wrongly accused perpetrator,'The Boscombe Valley Mystery'

'The Boscombe Valley Mystery'

Correct Answer:Murder occurs outside,'The Boscombe Valley Mystery'

'The Boscombe Valley Mystery'

Correct Answer:A second murder is attempted,'The Adventure of The Speckled Band'

'The Adventure of The Speckled Band'

Correct Answer:An ambiguous villain,'The Boscombe Valley Mystery'

'The Boscombe Valley Mystery'

Correct Answer:Innocent victim,'The Adventure of the Speckled Band'

'The Adventure of the Speckled Band'

Q4.
Which character from either 'The Speckled Band' or 'The Boscombe Valley Mystery' is constructed by Conan Doyle to evoke the most sympathy from the reader?
Correct answer: John Turner
Dr. Roylott
Charles McCarthy
Q5.
When you compare two texts what are you looking for?
looking for similarities
looking for differences
Correct answer: looking for similarities and differences
Q6.
Which of these words is a comparative conjunction?
Correct answer: However
And
So

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is similar about 'The Adventure of the Speckled Band' and 'The Boscombe Valley Mystery'?
Correct answer: the detective conventions
the victim's presentation
the villain's presentation
Q2.
What is different when comparing 'The Adventure of The Speckled Band' and 'The Boscombe Valley Mystery' stories?
the crime
Correct answer: the villain's presentation
the detective
Q3.
What can be considered a red herring in 'The Boscombe Valley Mystery'?
Correct answer: James McCarthy following his father with a gun
Patience Moran secretly wanting to marry Charles McCarthy
John Turner being from Australia too
Q4.
What is true of Dr. Roylott in 'The Adventure of the Speckled Band'?
He is excused from the consequences of his actions.
Correct answer: He is presented as brutal and aggressive.
He escapes at the end of the story.
Q5.
How does John Turner subvert the archetypal villain role in 'The Boscombe Valley Mystery'?
John Turner is presented as pure evil.
John Turner is called the 'devil incarnate'.
Correct answer: John Turner is shown to be frail.
Q6.
What does not summarise a thesis statement correctly?
Correct answer: It has to include quotes.
It has to summarise a viewpoint.
It has to be clear and concise.