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A Study in Scarlet: read and explore

This groundbreaking work introduces Sherlock Holmes and Dr.

About this reading

Author
Arthur Conan Doyle
Form
novel
Catalog year
1887

Choose this reading by interest and comfort with the language. This catalog does not assign a school grade. Preview the text before reading with a child; classic works can contain unfamiliar language and historical attitudes.

Read A Study in Scarlet

Preview the language: MR. SHERLOCK HOLMES

MR. SHERLOCK HOLMES. In the year 1878 I took my degree of Doctor of Medicine of the University of London, and proceeded to Netley to go through the course prescribed for surgeons in the army. Having completed my studies there, I was duly attached to the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers as Assistant Surgeon. The regiment was stationed in India at the time, and before I could join it, the second Afghan war had broken out. On landing at Bombay, I learned …

Choose a phrase from this opening. What does it suggest, and which words support your interpretation? Read on to test your first impression.

A reading activity for A Study in Scarlet

  1. Before opening the text, read the title and this catalog description: “This groundbreaking work introduces Sherlock Holmes and Dr.” Write one question you hope the reading will answer.
  2. Read a short passage. Choose one sentence that helps you understand what is happening and explain which words support your interpretation.
  3. Choose one unfamiliar word. Guess its meaning from the surrounding words, then check a dictionary or discuss it with a reading partner.
  4. Return to your original question. Explain what the passage answered and what you still need to read to find out.

These are suggested discussion tasks, not a scored assessment or a claim that finishing the text establishes mastery.

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Source edition: Project Gutenberg record for A Study in Scarlet. This link identifies the catalog source; it does not imply endorsement.

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Educators and independent learners

Learning goal: Read A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle, then support an interpretation with words from the text.

Before you begin: Preview the language and historical context. Select a passage appropriate for your learners.

Check understanding: Ask for one observation, the evidence that supports it, and a question to investigate next.

Catalog inclusion does not assign a school grade. Preview historical language and themes before using a work with children.

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A Study in Scarlet — Read and Explore | Lesson Worlds