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The Hand in the Dark: read and explore
"The Hand in the Dark" by Arthur J.
About this reading
- Author
- Arthur J. Rees
- Form
- novel
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 The Hand in the DarkPreview the language: Chapter 1
Seen in the sad glamour of an English twilight, the old moat-house, emerging from the thin mists which veiled the green flats in which it stood, conveyed the impression of a habitation falling into senility, tired with centuries of existence. Houses grow old like the race of men; the process is not less inevitable, though slower; in both, decay is hastened by events as well as by the passage of Time. The moat-house was not so old as English country-houses …
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 The Hand in the Dark
- Before opening the text, read the title and this catalog description: “"The Hand in the Dark" by Arthur J.” Write one question you hope the reading will answer.
- Read a short passage. Choose one sentence that helps you understand what is happening and explain which words support your interpretation.
- Choose one unfamiliar word. Guess its meaning from the surrounding words, then check a dictionary or discuss it with a reading partner.
- 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 The Hand in the Dark. This link identifies the catalog source; it does not imply endorsement.
Use this activity with a learner
Educators and independent learners
Learning goal: Read The Hand in the Dark by Arthur J. Rees, 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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