BIG IDEAS SIMPLY EXPLAINED

Aligned with the Common Core standards by Kathleen Odean

THE VISUAL GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING SHERLOCK HOLMES

TEACHER’S GUIDE

SHERLOCK HOLMESTHE

BOOK

A WORLD OF IDEAS:SEE ALL THERE IS TO KNOW www.dk.com

THE SHERLOCK HOLMES BOOK TEACHER’S GUIDE

MY NAME IS SHERLOCK HOLMES. IT IS MY

BUSINESS TO KNOW WHAT

OTHER PEOPLE DON’T KNOW.

The Sherlock Holmes Book is an extraordinarily rich resource on the greatest fictional detective of all time. It explores the creation of the stories by their author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and offers a wealth of detail on each novel and short story in the Sherlock Holmes canon. On every page, crisp, informative text combines with excellent graphics: photographs, illustrations, diagrams, timelines, and more. Sidebars and pull-out quotes highlight special topics and key ideas. This outstanding compendium provides a variety of ways to use the Common Core State Standards for reading, writing, and speaking and listening in conjunction with Conan Doyle’s classic stories. The Sherlock Holmes canon, which continues to be highly influential, takes on a greater depth when read side-by-side with The Sherlock Holmes Book.

The book opens with introductions to Conan Doyle and the main recurring characters in the stories: Holmes, Watson, Moriarty, and Lestrade. Four substantial sections organize the canon chronologically, opening with an overview and a timeline, and providing detailed treatment of each novel and story. Readers will find the date and place of publication of each story with a list of characters and a review of the plot, setting, and characters. The coverage also puts each work into historical context and expands on its most intriguing or unusual aspects.

The final section delves into “The World of Sherlock Holmes.” It looks first at the Victorian era and the place of England in the larger world. After a segment on deduction and forensic science, the focus turns to the literary context of the Holmes canon in terms of influences on Conan Doyle and his influence on subsequent crime fiction. The last chapters discuss the Sherlock Holmes fans and the lasting legacy of the stories in movies, television, and fiction related to Sherlock Holmes. For classroom study or independent reading, Conan Doyle’s stories continue to captivate a wide audience, whose reading experience will be enriched by this extensive resource.SHERLOCK HOLMES

THE ADVENTURE OF THE BLUE CARBUNCLE (1892)

“

“

Bring the Character to LifeReading Anchor Standard 3; Writing Anchor Standard 3; Speaking & Listening Anchor Standard 6

The Sherlock Holmes stories are notable for their memorable characters as well as exciting plots.The study of character is especially important in the Common Core standards for reading literature, but it also can encompass Common Core standards for Writing, and Speaking and Listening.

Activity Idea: Ask students to choose a favorite character from the Sherlock Holmes stories and review the literature and the sections in The Sherlock Holmes Book about that character. They should jot down intriguing details and apt quotations as they read. In organizing their thoughts, have students use a cluster graphic organizer like the one on p. 66 of The Sherlock Holmes Book. They will then write a monologue that conveys the character’s personality. They can workshop the monologue in small groups before presenting it to the class.

Through Watson’s EyesReading Anchor Standard 6; Speaking & Listening Anchor Standard 1

In understanding fiction, a key factor is to analyze the narrative point of view through close reading. Watson serves as the narrator in the Sherlock Holmes stories, yet he is not the main character. The Sherlock Holmes Book refers to Watson as a “surrogate for the reader” (p. 13).

Activity Idea: Divide students into small groups and have the group choose one of the Sherlock Holmes works to read closely with the narrative point of view in mind. They also should consult the sections in The Sherlock Holmes Book about Watson as narrator. They should then meet in small groups to discuss Watson’s narrative voice and the effect of a narrator who isn’t the main character. Students can bring into the discussion other literature with similar or different narrative structures for comparison.

Extending the ResearchWriting Anchor Standard 7; Speaking & Listening Anchor Standard 5

The Sherlock Holmes Book packs in a great amount of information, some of which appears in sidebars as a quick introduction to a related topic. Sidebar topics include fingerprinting, ciphers, the early bicycle craze, whaling, bloodhounds, the Victorian era, and much more. Since short research projects are a basic element of the Common Core, the sidebars provide excellent jumping-off points for such research.

Activity Idea: Have students browse through the book, jotting down sidebar topics that interest them. Then ask each student to choose a different topic to research, using print and digital sources. The final product should be a multimedia presentation to the class, incorporating elements such as speech, text, images, video clips, and music.

THE SHERLOCK HOLMES BOOK TEACHER’S GUIDE

WHEN YOU HAVE ELIMINATEDTHE IMPOSSIBLE WHATEVER

REMAINS, HOWEVER IMPROBABLE, MUST BE THE TRUTH

“ “

SHERLOCK HOLMESTHE SIGN OF FOUR (1890)

THE SHERLOCK HOLMES BOOK TEACHER’S GUIDE

Line It UpReading Anchor Standards 1 & 6; Speaking & Listening Anchor Standard 1

Graphic organizers are useful for displaying and understanding chronological events. The Sherlock Holmes Book features timelines related to Conan Doyle’s life, publication dates, and dates in Sherlock Holmes’s life. The book also uses similar graphic organizers to display the chapters of Conan Doyle’s books in order, with short summaries (such as on pp. 154–155).

Activity Idea:

Have students choose one of the short stories and create a graphic organizer similar to a timeline but which lays out the story’s plot. The line should be labeled to show the major scenes and should reflect flashbacks if they occur. Once they’ve created their plot lines, have students gather in small groups to compare and contrast the plot structure in different stories as shown on their plot lines.

Sherlock on the ScreenReading Anchor Standard 7

The impact of the Sherlock Holmes canon is obvious in the long list of movies and television shows of the stories or inspired by them. The Sherlock Holmes Book refers to such productions throughout its chapters, and lists many of them on pages 328–339. Since the Common Core reading standard 7 requires analyzing a work of art in different artistic mediums, Sherlock Holmes offers a rich array of choices.

Activity Idea:

Assign students a specific Sherlock Holmes story or novel, or ask them to read one widely known in the canon. Then they should watch a Sherlock Holmes movie or television show of their choice and compare the two versions of the story or main characters in an essay, analyzing the strengths of each medium.

Poetic Tribute to MoriartyReading Anchor Standard 7; Speaking & Listening Anchor Standards 1 & 6

As one of the best-known villains in literature, Moriarty has inspired tributes and imitations through the years. One of the most delightful is T. S. Eliot’s poem “Macavity: The Mystery Cat,” in Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. The collection was published in 1939 and was used as the basis of the musical Cats.

Activity Idea:

Have students gather information about Moriarty from the stories and novels as well as throughout The Sherlock Holmes Book, and discuss what makes him such an effective villain. Then do a choral reading in class of “Macavity: The Mystery Cat.” Ask students to discuss the details about Moriarty in the Eliot poem, how these details compare to those in the stories and novels, and how Eliot transforms the details into lighthearted verse. Extend the topic by listening to or watching the musical version of “Macavity: The Mystery Cat” from Cats and comparing its tone to that of the Conan Doyle books.

About this teacher’s guide: The Sherlock Holmes Book teacher’s guide was created by Kathleen Odean. Kathleen, who chaired the 2002 Newbery Award Committee, was a school librarian for 17 years and now gives workshops for educators on new young adult books and the Common Core.

About the Big Ideas series: Big Ideas Simply Explained series uses creative design and innovative graphics, along with straightforward and engaging writing, to make complex subjects easier to understand. These award-winning books provide just the information needed for students, families, or anyone interested in concise, thought-provoking refreshers on a single subject.

Also in the series: Business 9781465415851 Economics 9780756698270 Philosophy 9780756668617 Politics 9781465402141 Psychology 9780756689704 Religions 9781465408433 Science 9781465419651 Shakespeare 9781465429872 Sociology 9781465436504

THE SHERLOCK HOLMES BOOK TEACHER’S GUIDE

IF I COULD BEAT THAT MAN, IF I COULD

FREE SOCIETY OF HIM, I SHOULD FEEL THAT MY

OWN CAREER HAD REACHED ITS SUMMIT.

“

“

SHERLOCK HOLMESTHE FINAL PROBLEM (1893)