Worksheet for the Sherlock Holmes Case of SILVER BLAZE

Worksheet for the Sherlock Holmes Case of SILVER BLAZE

The tasks proposed for this Sherlock Holmes Case should be carried out and completed in two sessions/meetings, preferably in the first and second weeks of the second term. It is proposed that Tasks 1, 2 and 3 should be done in week 1 and the remaining tasks in the second week. The tasks are the following.

Task 1

Reconstruction of the plot of the case

Students in pair groups will each receive a third of the text/story for reading. After say 15 minutes every three pairs that have been given consecutive one-thirds of the story will sit together to piece together the whole story, thus reconstructing the plot, from start to finish, taking about 15 minutes. In other words, the entire task should take no more than 30 minutes. (It is recommended that the same three pairs should work together as a team for the remainder of the ‘project’.)

Task 2

Presentations of the reconstructed plot

Each team (comprising three pairs) will elect a representative to present the plot to the whole class. After all the presentations - or if time doesn’t permit a good representative number will do – the teacher will give feedback and all inaccuracies will be rectified and students will have the ‘final plot’ for continuing with the ‘project’. The whole process should take about 30 minutes.

Right after that the teacher will play part of the movie to give students a taste or feel of what the circumstances are like, etc. It is recommended that no more than 15 minutes should be spent showing the video. The start is important and should be shown for about 5 minutes and then the teacher can use fast forward to skip to a particular point at which another couple of minutes may be shown and then repeat the process for some other parts of the movie until the end is reached.

Task 3

Brainstorming session

It is proposed that another 45 minutes may be spent to let students, in their particular teams, to brainstorm a bit trying to come up with critical points in the plot, initially for discussion among themselves and then at the end of the discussion for plenary discussion and feedback. A list of prompts or pointers[1] will be provided to students for the task. It is recommended that if time is running out, the outcome and discussion of this task may be left to be done in the second session.

Task 4

Presentation of critical points of the plot for discussion and feedback by teacher

Each team will present their findings and then the teacher will comment on these points, referring back to the case all the time, to make each point relevant and fit into the story. A plenary discussion may take place to conclude this task. The time taken should be about 30 minutes.

Task 5

Discussion of the logic and inferences used in the case

Using the finalized points reached in the last task, students are now asked to analyse these points and fit them into the entire plot, to find out the kind of logic or system of inferences that Sherlock Holmes uses; to see whether Holmes is being logical all the time, most of the time, or basically working on hunches and intuitions rather than following logical reasoning. Each team will report back and to conclude the teacher will comment on the students’ contribution and then to say the ‘final word’ on it.

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[1]List at appendix