Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Lesson plans for the stories of Sherlock Holmes

|Biography and Background| |Online Texts| |The Hound of the Baskervilles| |Other Stories|

Biography and Background

Arthur Conan Doyle
Biography and criticism from the Internet Public Library.

The Chronicles of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
A website for enthusiasts, with a wide variety of information.

Sherlock Holmes on the Web: the Sherlockian.Net Holmepage
Links to the stories and novels, background information and biography, even a link to "How to write a term paper."

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
A brief biography. Click the "watch video" link to hear Conan Doyle explain his inspiration for Holmes.

Sleuthing with Sherlock
This 27-page guide contains activities appropriate for almost any of the Sherlock Holmes stories, especially "The Red-Headed League." It includes practice with syllogisms. Adobe Acrobat Reader or compatible application required for access.

Online Texts of Stories and Novels

Arthur Conan Doyle
Biography and links to e-texts of the 4 novels. Click on "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" for links to e-texts of twelve short stories.

The Original Stories
Links to texts of the short stories and the novels.

The Hound of the Baskervilles

The Hound of the Baskervilles
This site is a companion to the video of The Hound of the Baskervilles starring Richard Roxburgh and Ian Hart. It has extensive background resources. Don't miss the Teacher's Guide.

The Hound of the Baskervilles
Background: Conan Doyle's inspiration for the novel.

Not as it Seems
A unit for grades 6-8 on learning with mysteries. Scroll down to find a unit on "The Hound of the Baskervilles."

Penquin Readers Factsheets: The Hound of the Baskervilles
Biography, discussion questions, activities. Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader for access.

Whodunnit? A unit on mysteries and forensic science for elementary gifted students
Students watch a video of either The Hound of the Baskervilles or The Great Mouse Detective. They practice looking for clues and write a synopsis. Other activities lead to either a Mystery Festival or a Book Signing Party.

Other Stories

The Game is Afoot--A Study of Sherlock Holmes
This very thorough interdisciplinary unit is a study of the mystery genre, with special emphasis on "The Red-Headed League" and "The Speckled Band." It includes activities related to fingerprinting, coordinate planes, chromatography, and a guest speaker who is a detective. It is designed for 5th graders.

It's A Mystery To Me
Students look at Poe's "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," Doyle's "The Red-Headed League," and Christie's And Then There were None. They work collaboratively and cooperatively to learn vocabulary and the elements of the detective genre, to analyze character, and to write. This extensive page includes background information, vocabulary, and other resources.

Sherlock Holmes: The Great Detective
Summary, vocabulary words, discussion questions, and extended activities to accompany the A&E video. The video can be purchased or taped; scroll down to find air dates.

Sherlock Holmes: Teaching English Through Detective Fiction
This unit plan uses "The Adventure of the Speckled Band," "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle," "The Adventure of the Final Problem," "The Return of Sherlock Holmes," and "The Adventure of the Man with the Twisted Lip." Students also read a dramatic adaptation of "The Adventure of the Second Stain" and view Young Sherlock Holmes. This page includes a biography of Doyle and reading questions for "The Adventure of the Speckled Band." This unit is designed for 9th grade remedial students.

Some Vocabulary from "The Red Headed League"
10 words, with definitions and sentences. Students who complete this activity with 100% accuracy are directed to an online copy of the story.

Unsolved Mysteries
This WebQuest was designed to be used after reading a Holmes story. It serves as an introduction to the research paper. Students research and write about an unsolved mystery such as the Loch Ness monster or the identity of Jack the Ripper.