Free Sherlock Holmes — The Speckled Band Script & Lesson Plan for High School
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Looking for a free Sherlock Holmes teaching resource? Here’s a ready-to-use Readers Theater adaptation of The Adventure of the Speckled Band tailored for grades 9–12. It includes a full script, vocabulary & comprehension worksheets, and tips for classroom performance—all at no cost.
Why Teach Sherlock Holmes via Readers Theater?
- Engages students with suspense, mystery, and inquiry.
- Develops reading fluency, expressive reading, and inference skills.
- Translates nicely to performance, discussion, and differentiation.
What the Free Speckled Band Package Includes
- Full performance script (~3,800 words, 10 scenes, 7 roles) in PDF and DOCX formats
- Teacher Guide with scene summaries, discussion questions, standards alignment, answer keys
- Student worksheets: vocabulary, short-answer, analysis, and optional extension prompts
- Self-grading Google Forms quiz (20 items)
How to Use It in Your Classroom
- Assign roles based on students’ reading confidence—Holmes or central characters to stronger readers.
- Read aloud in cold reads, then allow rehearsal time in groups.
- Pause at key clue moments to solicit predictions, then revisit after performance.
- Debrief with discussion questions around motive, evidence, justice, and narrative structure.
- Use the Google Forms quiz for quick comprehension checks or exit tickets.
Standards & Skills Targeted
This script supports CCSS / college- and career-ready standards such as CCRA.R.1–R.5 (close reading, text analysis), SL.1 (collaborative talk), and L.4 (vocabulary in context).
Extension Ideas
- Compare this adaptation with the original Doyle text or another short Sherlock story to analyze adaptation choices.
- Have students write and perform a “missing scene” from Holmes’s perspective.
- Turn pairs into “detective duos” and write a modern-day mini mystery using the same dramatic structure.
Ready to get started? Download the free Speckled Band script and materials now and engage your students in a suspenseful, standards-aligned classroom experience.