the short story worksheets - wordpress.com€¦ · web view03/08/2017 · this worksheet...

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!

© Boardworks Ltd 2006 1


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…



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



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: ___________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



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



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.


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.


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


Worksheet Eight This worksheet accompanies slide 26 of The Short Story.ppt

Brainstorm everything you know about Sherlock Holmes.



Worksheet Nine This worksheet accompanies slide 26 of The Short Story.ppt

Brainstorm everything you know about Watson.



Worksheet Ten This worksheet accompanies slide 27 of The Short Story.ppt

Brainstorm everything you know about Helen Stoner.



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!

© Boardworks Ltd 2006

‘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.

11


Worksheet Twelve This worksheet accompanies slide 29 of The Short Story.ppt

Brainstorm everything you know about Grimesby Roylott.



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.


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.


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? _______________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



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


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


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.


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.


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’.


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.

the short story worksheets - wordpress.com€¦ · web view03/08/2017 · this worksheet...

Documents