The Short StoryName: Date:
Worksheet One This worksheet accompanies slide 4 of The Short Story.ppt
How do you think short stories are different from novels? Brainstorm!
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The Short StoryName: Date:
Worksheet Two This worksheet accompanies slide 9 of The Short Story.ppt
GenreA ‘blurb’ is the promotional text on the back cover of a novel. It tries to make the book sound as interesting as possible and usually tells the reader something about the story.
Read the blurb extracts below, and decide which genre the novels they promote belong to.Choose from: horror; romance; thriller; historical; comedy; fantasy; adventure; and crime.
Blurb Genre
Join ace explorer Ohio James in an exhilarating journey to uncover hidden
Egyptian treasure. Will he overcome the heat, scorpions and evil henchmen to
survive?A sleepy English village. A vicious killing. Can you solve the mystery of the Merton
Murders?A fast-moving tale set in the glamorous
world of international espionage.It’s 1066, and war threatens. This dramatic story of fighting and betrayal will keep you
gripped.The moment their eyes met, their lives changed forever. Find out why in this
enchanting account of love’s true power.When Harry’s parents leave him alone for
the first time, hilarious consequences ensue. Read this side-splitting tale now – you’ll
laugh out loud.When a young family moves to Midnight
Falls, everything seems tranquil. But when they disturb a zombie burial ground, terror
follows…Grubb is an orphan, living on his wits in the stews and alleyways of London. But when
he finds an amulet of dragon teeth he is caught up in an ancient world of magic and
adventure…
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The Short StoryName: Date:
Worksheet Three This worksheet accompanies slide 10 of The Short Story.ppt
Use this table to keep brief records of all the short stories you read.
Author TitleDate of Publi-cation
Genre Comments
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The Short StoryName: Date:
Worksheet Four This worksheet accompanies slide 14 of The Short Story.ppt
Author biographyWhich significant events in Arthur Conan Doyle’s life happened at these times?
1859: ___________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
1876–81: ________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
1882: ___________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
1887: ___________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
1890–93: ________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
1894–1904: ______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
1902: ___________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
1906: ___________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
1906–27: ________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
1930: ___________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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The Short StoryName: Date:
Worksheet Five This worksheet accompanies slide 16 of The Short Story.ppt
Plot summaryComplete the summary by filling in the blanks with the words at the bottom of the page.
An agitated lady, Miss Helen __________ by name, arrives at Sherlock Holmes'
__________. She tells Holmes and Watson that her __________ died two years ago in
__________ circumstances shortly after telling their stepfather that she was engaged to be
married. Now Miss Stoner is herself engaged. Certain strange events which __________
her sister's death are occurring again, and Miss Stoner __________ for her life.
Holmes __________ Miss Stoner and promises to do everything he can to help her.
Shortly after she leaves, her __________, Dr __________ Roylott, arrives at Holmes'
rooms and __________ him. Holmes laughs __________ his threats.
Later that day Holmes and Watson travel to __________ __________ home at Stoke
Moran. Miss Stoner shows them the __________ of her sister's __________, and Holmes
gathers several __________. That night the two men __________ and lie in __________.
In the middle of the night Dr Roylott __________ a poisonous snake into Miss Stoner's
room. He plans to murder her for her __________, just as he murdered her sister. Holmes
attacks the viper with his __________. __________, it turns upon Dr Roylott, who dies in
__________, killed by his own deadly __________.
fears introduces suspicious Stoner stepfather scene
off preceded wait Grimesby Roylott’s Enraged
pet agony money clues return
reassures cane threatens ancestral
sister death rooms
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The Short StoryName: Date:
Worksheet Six This worksheet accompanies slide 18 of The Short Story.ppt
Opening ‘The Speckled Band’Here is the opening of ‘The Speckled Band’. Underline and comment on each technique the author uses to grab the reader’s attention.
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On glancing over my notes of the seventy odd
cases in which I have during the last eight years
studied the methods of my friend Sherlock
Holmes, I find many tragic, some comic, a large
number merely strange, but none
commonplace; for, working as he did rather for
the love of his art than for the acquirement of
wealth, he refused to associate himself with any
investigation which did not tend towards the
unusual, and even the fantastic. Of all these
varied cases, however, I cannot recall any
which presented more singular features than
that which was associated with the well-known
Surrey family of the Roylotts of Stoke Moran.
The Short StoryName: Date:
Worksheet Seven This worksheet accompanies slide 22 of The Short Story.ppt
First person narrativeUnderline and comment on the effects created by Conan Doyle’s use of a first person narrative voice.
© Boardworks Ltd 2006
I had no keener pleasure than in
following Holmes in his professional
investigations, and in admiring the
rapid deductions, as swift as
intuitions, and yet always founded on
a logical basis, with which he
unravelled the problems which were
submitted to him. I rapidly threw on
my clothes and was ready in a few
minutes to accompany my friend
down to the sitting-room. A lady
dressed in black and heavily veiled,
who had been sitting in the window,
rose as we entered.
7
The Short StoryName: Date:
Worksheet Eight This worksheet accompanies slide 26 of The Short Story.ppt
Brainstorm everything you know about Sherlock Holmes.
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The Short StoryName: Date:
Worksheet Nine This worksheet accompanies slide 26 of The Short Story.ppt
Brainstorm everything you know about Watson.
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The Short StoryName: Date:
Worksheet Ten This worksheet accompanies slide 27 of The Short Story.ppt
Brainstorm everything you know about Helen Stoner.
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The Short StoryName: Date:
Worksheet Eleven This worksheet accompanies slide 28 of The Short Story.ppt
Helen StonerWhat can you infer about Helen Stoner from the description of her below? Underline and comment!
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‘It is fear, Mr Holmes. It is terror.’ She
raised her veil as she spoke, and we
could see that she was indeed in a
pitiable state of agitation, her face all
drawn and gray, with restless,
frightened eyes, like those of some
hunted animal. Her features and figure
were those of a woman of thirty, but
her hair was shot with premature gray,
and her expression was weary and
haggard.
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The Short StoryName: Date:
Worksheet Twelve This worksheet accompanies slide 29 of The Short Story.ppt
Brainstorm everything you know about Grimesby Roylott.
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The Short StoryName: Date:
Worksheet Thirteen This worksheet accompanies slide 30 of The Short Story.ppt
Dr Grimesby RoylottRead Watson’s description of Dr Roylott’s appearance. Underline and comment on the details which contribute to the impression of a frightening, villainous character.
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So tall was he that his hat
actually brushed the cross bar of
the doorway, and his breadth
seemed to span it from side to
side. A large face, seared with a
thousand wrinkles, burned
yellow with the sun, and marked
with every evil passion, was
turned from one to the other of
us, while his deep-set, bile-shot
eyes, and his high, thin, fleshless
nose, gave him somewhat the
resemblance to a fierce old bird
of prey.
The Short StoryName: Date:
Worksheet Fourteen This worksheet accompanies slide 31 of The Short Story.ppt
InteractionsWe may also learn about the characters by observing how they interact with one another.
Remembering to give reasons for your answer, decide what we learn about Holmes from his interactions with…
…Watson? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
…Miss Stoner? ___________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
…Roylott? ______________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
And what do we learn about Watson from his interactions with…
…Holmes? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
…Miss Stoner? ___________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
…Roylott? _______________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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The Short StoryName: Date:
Worksheet Fifteen This worksheet accompanies slide 33 of The Short Story.ppt
Character typesIn ‘The Speckled Band’, each character corresponds to a recognised type from the detective story genre. See if you can match the characters of ‘The Speckled Band’ with their types!
Miss Helen Stoner
Dr Grimesby Roylott
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The DetectiveUsually combines logic and creativity. Often a
colourful or eccentric figure.
The SidekickNormally a contrast or ‘foil’ to the detective.
The VictimOften a young woman with a tragic past.
The VillainOften a cruel, ugly man.
Mr Sherlock Holmes
Dr John Watson
The Short StoryName: Date:
Worksheet Sixteen This worksheet accompanies slide 35 of The Short Story.ppt
SettingRead the description of Stoke Moran below. Underline and comment on those elements which help to create an atmosphere suitable for a house in which a murder has taken place.
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The building was of gray, lichen-
blotched stone, with 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 partly caved in, a picture of
ruin. The central portion was in a
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 stone-work had
been broken into, but there were no
signs of any workmen at the
moment of our visit.
The Short StoryName: Date:
Worksheet Seventeen This worksheet accompanies slide 41 of The Short Story.ppt
Narrative structureSee if you can match the typical narrative stages of the detective story with the events which take place in ‘The Speckled Band’.
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The crime
The red herring
Forming a theory
Gathering clues
Adjusting the theory
The denouement
The recap / comment
Holmes hints that he now knows how the crime was committed.
Holmes suspects the gypsies had a hand in the crime.
The presence of gypsies on the estate.
Roylott dies by his own weapon, now revealed as a viper.
Holmes fills in the details and comments on Roylott’s end.
Holmes visits Doctors’ Commons and Stoke Moran.
Helen Stoner describes her sister’s mysterious death.
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