The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Teaching guide Dreamcatchers 1

DreamcatchersThe Los ALAmos NATioNAL BANk PoPejoy hALL schooLTime series Teaching guiDe

Schooltime SerieSAlways new worlds to explore.

The aDvenTures of

PreSented by AquilA theAtre comPAny

mondAy, november 2, 2015 • GrAdeS: 6 - 12

dreamcatchers teaching Guides align with the common core State Standards and new mexico State learning Standards.

sherlockholmes

the los Alamos national bank

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Teaching guide Dreamcatchers 2

The acclaimed Aquila Theatre brings The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes to the stage in this witty, fast-paced rendition of the classic series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Holmes unravels London’s most intriguing cases with the help of beloved characters from the original series, such as Dr. Watson and Irene Adler.

This rendition recreates the exciting cases in a live format, allowing audience members to work through the complex cases with Sherlock and Watson as they maneuver the twisted streets of London in a race against time to solve crimes that would throw off a lesser investigator.

A neurotic mastermind, Holmes works as a consulting detective for the Scotland Yard police force. Always aided by the easygoing Dr. Watson, the pair solves cases by using psychology, body language, and the most subtle of clues. His unwavering confidence, dismissive nature, and complete disregard for social norms make him an oddly lovable character. Even 128 years after his debut in 1887, his sharp wit, keen attention to detail, and ability to draw large conclusions from small observations permit Sherlock Holmes to remain one of the most famous detectives in world literature today.

introduction

there is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact.” - SHErLoCk HoLmES ‘‘standards

addressed By attending the Performance

nmccssSpeaking and listening (ccSS.elA-literacy.Sl):- Comprehension and Collaboration

new mexico content standards: Fine Arts/theatre: Content Standards 3 & 5

Sherlock holmes and doctor Watson. Published in

The Adventure of Silver Blaze, which appeared in The Strand

Magazine in december 1892

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Teaching guide Dreamcatchers 3

vocabularyAbhorrent: offensive to the mind

Akin: related by blood; of similar character

Axiom: a proposition that is accepted without need of proof

compunction: a feeling of deep regret, usually for some misdeed

conspicuous: obvious to the eye or mind

dint: force or effort

dubious: fraught with uncertainty or doubt

effusive: uttered with unrestrained enthusiasm

Freemasonry: a natural or instinctive fellowship between people of similar interests

incognito: without revealing one’s identity; in disguise

incorrigible: impervious to correction by punishment

inextricable: incapable of being disentangled or untied

introspective: given to preferring one’s own sensory or perceptual experiences

languor: inactivity; showing an unusual lack of energy

opulence: wealth as evidenced by sumptuous living

Spinster: an unmarried woman

vacuous: devoid of matter; mindless

Waylay: interrupt or detain

Statue of holmes in an inverness cape and a deerstalker cap on Picardy Place in edinburgh

synopsisAt the time of this writing, the show is still in development. Aquila Theatre is weaving three of Holmes’ cases together... but

which ones (and how) are still are a mystery!

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Teaching guide Dreamcatchers 4

interesting facts for studentsSherlock holmes didn’t know - and what’s more - didn’t care to know that the earth revolves around the sun!

holmes’ iq is 190 according to John radford, who has written a book called “The Intelligence of Sherlock Holmes and other Three-pipe Problems.” In that book, he applied three different methods to guess Sherlock Holmes’ IQ. That’s superb… considering that the average person’s IQ is between 100-110. Einstein’s was around 160!

Some people say that Sherlock holmes’ name may have come from Alfred Sherlock, a famous violinist. others say it may have come from combining the names of two British cricketers: Sherwin and Shacklock.

Sherlock means a bright-haired, fair-haired or short-haired person. The name doesn’t really have anything to do with how brainy a person’s head is, but rather how hairy a person’s head is!

there’s only one Sherlock holmes’ story in which what holmes thinks is the solution is not. This story is “The Yellow Face” from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes.

holmes pioneered many forensic processes before they were used by police or the Scotland Yard: fingerprints, typewritten document analysis, identifying blood spots, and gunshot firing distance… just to name a few!

the Speckled band is the most popular of Sherlock holmes’ stories.

Irene Adler appears in only one story, but she never sees Sherlock Holmes dressed as Sherlock Holmes--he is always disguised.

about the authorSir Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1859. His mother, mary Doyle, instilled a love for reading and storytelling in him from a very young age. The future creator of the world’s best detective trained as a doctor, which enabled him to infuse his stories with forensic science and logical reasoning. In school, he enjoyed writing about his professors’ eccen-tricities more than listening to lectures.

In fact, Sherlock Holmes was based on Doctor Joseph Bell, a surgeon and professor at Edinburgh University, who was also able to make deduc-tions based on only a few symptoms. In 1890, Conan Doyle’s novel, A Study in Scarlet, introduced the character of Detective Sherlock Holmes. By 1927, the full collection of Sherlock Holmes books and short stories totaled 60 cases—4 novels and 56 short stories. In

addition to The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, he also wrote a number of other novels including The Lost World, The Poison Belt, and numerous non-fictional works, while also striving to spread his Spiritualism faith through a series of books that were written from 1918 to 1926. Doyle died of a heart at-tack in Crowborough, England on July 7, 1930.

Portrait of doyle by herbert rose barraud, 1893.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Teaching guide Dreamcatchers 5

objectives

In this game, students will share a story with the class about an experience they’ve had. Some stories will be true while others will be lies. The rest of the class will have to channel their “inner Sherlocks” to determine who is lying and who is telling the truth.

Procedure 1. Divide students into groups of 3-4.

2. In the groups, each student should take turns telling a true story about themselves. It is best if the stories are a little unusual and don’t require complex explana-tions. For example: “I once ate an entire pizza all by myself.”

3. The group must then choose one of the stories to retell to the entire class. It is important that each group is far away enough from the other groups so that they cannot be overheard.

4. The person whose story was chosen will only need to repeat their story to the whole class. The

rest of the members of the group will have to tell the selected story in their own words. The idea is to make the stories sound as con-vincing as possible to try to fool the rest of the class. Students may change the circumstances of the story to make it more believable for themselves, but the main ac-tion of the story must remain the same (i.e. eating a whole pizza by yourself).

5. Each group will present their story to the class. The rest of the students must try to determine who is telling the truth and who is lying. In order to do this, they should look for “tells” as each person shares their story. “Tells”

can include:

a. Excessive eye contact

b. Insincere smiling

c. Nervous laughter

d. Stiff upper body

6. To make the game more chal-lenging, students can question the storyteller about their story. This will require the liars to think quickly and create more elaborate lies.

7. At the end of the game, discuss the observations students made about those who were telling the truth vs. those who were lying. Who are the best liars in the class? Who are the best detectives?

extensions/modifications

assessment/modifications

Students will:

• Work collaboratively to determine a story to share with the class.

• retell a story with new information that makes it personal to them.

• observe classmates’ behaviors to determine whether or not they are being truthful.

• Be able to explain their thinking to the rest of the class.

Divide students into pairs. one student will tell a story, the other will determine whether the story is true or a lie. If a storyteller successfully fools the “detective” they win. If the “detective” correctly determines whether the story is true or false, they win. Winners find a new partner and play again. Have students play until there is one final winner.

• Quality of participation

• Group stories are similar though each individual adds new details to make it their own.

• Students can explain what “tells” they identified to help them determine whether the person was telling the truth or lying.

spot a liarLesson 1 sherlockholmesexhibition.com

nmccss:english language arts: speaking & listening (ccss.eLA-Literacy.sL):

• Comprehension and Collaboration

• Presentation ofknowledge and Ideas

new mexico content standards:fine arts/Theatre: Content Standards 1, 2, 4 & 5

grades: 6-12

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Teaching guide Dreamcatchers 6

objectives

materials • Classroom materials (whatever you decide to include in your mystery)

• Pencil and paper

Procedure

1. After seeing The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes or reading a mystery as a class, ask students to think about what story elements are necessary to create a successful mystery. Chart student responses on the board.

2. Define the elements of a mystery as:

a. Characters

b. Setting

c. Plot

d. Clues

e. Sequence

f. Distractions/red Herrings

g. Solution

review what these elements are and how they can be applied to the mystery genre. Tell students they will be using these elements to create their own mystery.

3. Take a break where students

leave the room, or wait until the following class period for this next step. With students out of the room create a mystery. This can be something small like removing an item from the room or big like making a huge mess in the classroom – complete with overturned chairs, books and other classroom supplies scattered throughout the room, scribbles on the board, strange foot prints on the floor, etc.

4. When students return to the room, act surprised to discover the mystery you’ve created. Discuss with them what they think has happened. Who do they think did this? Why did they do this? What do they think happened? Write student suggestions on the board. Encourage them to try using sequence words when possible such as: first, next, then, finally, etc.

5. Give students time in class to

write their ideas down on paper. Tell students they will use this information to help them write a mystery story.

6. Instruct students to write a story about the mystery of the ___________ (missing object, disturbed classroom, etc.). Encourage students to be creative and construct whatever characters and situations they’d like. Their story must connect to the mystery provided, but they should have the freedom to put their own individual spin on it.

7. When the stories are completed, allow each student to share their story with a buddy, a small group, or the entire class, depending on the amount of time you have.

8. Compile the mystery stories into a class “mystery Anthology.” make copies for all the students or keep a classroom copy where students can read it.

extensions/modifications

Assessment/modifications

Students will:

• Identify the story elements of a mystery story.

• Generate ideas to solve a real-life classroom mystery.

• Write an original mystery story based on the mystery in the classroom.

Divide students into small groups. Each group should come up with a mystery that the rest of the class will have to solve. Allow groups time in the classroom to set up their mystery and plant clues. Encourage them to incorporate the elements of a mystery.

• Student stories incorporate the identified elements of a mystery.

• Student stories include reference to the original mystery established by the teacher.

• Quality of participation

it’s a mystery… Lesson 2 capstone Publishing

nmccss:english language arts:

reading standards for literature (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.rL):

- key Ideas and Details

- Integration of knowledge and Ideas

Writing (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W):

- Text Types and Purposes

- Production & Distribution of Writing

speaking and listening (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL):

- Comprehension and Collaboration

- Presentation of knowledge and Ideas

grades: 6-12

Students will use a real classroom mystery as a starting point for creating their own unique mystery stories. Discussion about the elements of a mystery story is included.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Teaching guide Dreamcatchers 7

extension activitieseveryone loves a mystery (Grades 6 – 8): Students track the elements of mystery stories through Directed Learning–Thinking Activities, story maps, and puzzles. Then, they offer clues for other readers as they plan and write original mystery stories.

detective’s handbook (Grades 6 – 8): Students create a Detective’s Handbook based on a mystery they have read. The handbooks include expository and descriptive writing, as well as a letter.

recording readers theatre (Grades 9 – 12): Students investigate audio texts of mystery stories, evaluate them in terms of both literary and audio qualities, and create readers Theatre Scripts, which they use to record their own podcasts.

millenium mystery madness Find facts from the early years of mystery to present day. See how a mystery is formed, what should go into a mystery, and who wrote the first mystery. Then play some games to test your knowledge.

other Suggested lessons

resources bookS

Doyle, A. C. (1990). The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Champaign, Ill: Project Gutenberg.

the Albuquerque library System has a web page with mystery writers from New mexico and enigmas set in the Land of Enchantment.

WebSiteS

extensive biography of Sir Arthur conan doyle

ronald knox: 10 commandments of detective Fiction

the hound of the baskervilles resources related to the mystery genre, Sherlock Holmes, and the reading and viewing of The Hound of the Baskervilles, which originally aired on PBS’s Masterpiece Theatre in 2003.

literature Wikia With a biography, filmography, and section dedicated to the character of Sherlock Holmes, this site offers a wealth of resources related

to Doyle and his works.

Fbi kids Page This site is designed for children k-12 to learn about the FBI through age appropriate games, tips, stories, and interactives. It includes an introduction to working dogs and shows how FBI agents and analysts investigate cases.

FilmS/ShoWS

The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939). Director: Sidney Lanfield. Stars: Basil rathbone, Nigel Bruce, richard Greene, Wendy Barrie

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939). Director: Alfred Werker. Stars: Basil rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Ida Lupino, Alan marshal

Murder by Decree (1979). Director: Bob Clark. Stars: Christopher Plummer, James mason, David Hemmings, Susan Clark

Young Sherlock Holmes (1985). Director: Barry Levinson. Stars: Nicholas rowe, Alan Cox, Sophie Ward, Anthony Higgins

Without a Clue (1988). Director: Thom Eberhardt. Stars: michael Caine, Ben kingsley, Jeffrey Jones, Lysette Anthony

The Hound of the Baskervilles (1988 TV movie). Director: Brian mills. Stars: Jeremy Brett, Edward Hardwicke, raymond Adamson, Alastair Duncan

Sherlock Holmes (2009). Director: Guy ritchie. Stars: robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, rachel mcAdams, mark Strong

Sherlock (2010–). Creators: mark Gatiss, Steven moffat. Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, martin Freeman, rupert Graves

Elementary (2012–). Creator: robert Doherty. Stars: Jonny Lee miller, Lucy Liu, Aidan Quinn

about the companyThe Aquila theatre company’s mission is to bring the greatest theatrical works to the greatest number of people possible. Aquila presents a regular season of bold reinterpretations of classical plays in New York, at international festivals, and tours and participates in numerous educational

and community initiatives, performances, and workshops. The Aquila actors use a technique developed by the company’s founder, Peter meineck, that combines text and physical action based in a theory of theatrical unity. The technique creates an aesthetic environment where the performer can create and recreate a role in a constantly changing theatrical atmosphere. Aquila’s high-quality classical dramas are staged to be innovative, bold and relevant to young viewers. They are meant to empower American audiences to appreciate the classics as the invigorating and entertaining plays they were written to be.

Bonus explorations Questions to engage & connectAfter seeing the show, ask your students to answer these ques-tions:

• Before seeing this show, i didn’t know that…

• This show made me think about…

• if i could give one case to sherlock holmes to solve, it would be…

• sir Arthur conan Doyle would react to a female holmes or Dr. Watson by…

• if i could ask holmes one question it would be _____, because ______.

• holmes has been popular for 128 years because…

• holmes and Watson had such a good friendship and success-ful partnership because...

• overall, the show made me feel…

• something i want to share with my family about the expe-rience is…

about the schooltime seriesThe Schooltime Series presents national and interna-

tional touring companies and performers that you will not see anywhere else in or around Albuquerque.These companies are selected with youth and family

audiences in mind, from titles and materials that reflect the cultural diversity of our global community. These professional performing artists create educational experiences designed to encourage literacy, creativity, communication and imagination.Join our community and sign up for our monthly

newsletter at: facebook.com/schooltimeseries. Click on “Join my List,” or send an e-mail with your name and e-mail address to schooltime@popejoypresents.com requesting to be added to the newsletter list. You can contact us at schooltime@popejoypresents.

com or visit us at www.schooltimeseries.com.

etiquetteThe performing arts—theater, music and dance—are all

collaborative endeavors. They require the cooperation of many skilled people: playwrights, directors, perform-ers, designers, technicians, lyricists, choreographers, musicians, and the audience. Live performances can transport you to other times and places but to do so, they require you, the audience, to listen, observe, dis-cover, and imagine. The inside of a theatre is called a “house.” There are

rules inside the house to make the experience smooth and enjoyable for everyone. A summary poster of theatre etiquette is available on our website. Please post it and discuss it with your students and chaper-ones before attending this show.

house Policies Please visit our website for detailed information about

house Policies. This includes our guidelines on safety, special needs, food and drink, backpacks, cell phones, photography, recordings, and more.

credits

Selected Dreamcatchers Teaching Guide materials provided by Aquila theatre company, vocabulary.com, Sherlockholmes-Fan.com, and other resources noted within this guide.

Popejoy hall, New mexico’s premier nonprofit venue for the performing arts and entertainment.

Popejoy hall’s mission: To provide access to the performing arts for all new mexicans.

Dreamcatchers are teaching guides produced by the Education Department of Popejoy Hall, New mexico’s premier nonprofit venue for the performing arts and entertainment located in Albuquerque, New mexico.

The Los Alamos National Bank Popejoy Schooltime Series is a program of The University

of New mexico.

The schooltime series is a proud member of

The lanB Popejoy schooltime series is supported in part by awards from:

The Eugene and marion Castiglia Popejoy Children’s

Schooltime Endowment

The Popejoy Schooltime Education Endowment

Schooltime SerieS

the los Alamos national bank