Kyle Mechlin
-Future High School English Teacher-
Who am I? I am a 22 year old student trying to break into the world. I want to change the lives of
everyone and anyone who I come into contact with. This will one day mean changing the lives of
students who enter my classroom in a positive manner. However, there is more to it than that. I want to
make the people I surround myself with better. I want to make strangers who I talk to in passing
conversation have a brighter day. In a sentence, I want to better people. Why? Its a selfish thought
really but helping others makes me feel good, useful, and purposeful. So for now I am a student. I have
had little real classroom teaching experience outside of hours and hours of observations and some
highly set up teaching scenarios within the classroom but this is a situation I am rectifying. In a few
short years I will be done with my teaching certificate and out their hopefully helping young people
find inspiration, motivation, and a reason to learn that falls somewhere outside the boundaries of a
grade book.
“Through legitimate effort and determination, things just work out”
-That one is mine
“The best portion of a mans' life, his little, nameless unremembered acts of kindness and love”
-A slightly more significant figure, William Wordsworth
Kyle Mechlin
Writing for Teachers
April 29th, 2010
Holmes Short Story Assignment
Rationale:
This assignment will be done in cooperation with the history teachers of the school. The English
classroom aspect will involve each student reading one of the fifty plus Sherlock Holmes short stories
authored by Arthur Conan Doyle. The students will gain a better understanding of how to analyze
literature via critical thinking and analysis. Furthermore students will increase their skills in drawing
information from a piece of reading and composing a paper over that information. While some students
may not particularly enjoy research writing they will still find comfort in this assignment. The creative
aspects of the assignment will draw on a students imagination and creativity while still having their
writing focused through historical constraints. This will teach students what life was like during the
time period being discussed while increasing other academic skills.
Summary:
Students will begin this assignment by breaking into small groups, ideally groups of three or four.
Afterward the groups will choose one of the fifty plus Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes short
stories. While reading these short stories the groups will be looking for elements within them that are
unique to that time period. Since these are mystery pieces there is a particularly large amount of interest
in the details of the setting. Students will share their finding with their groups then break into different
groups in a round robin type fashion until they have shared their information with everyone in the class.
With everyone having a relative understanding of things that are unique to that time period they will
begin composition of a five page paper. This paper will be composed using knowledge gained from the
Holmes stories as well as that information gained from the history classes of the students. Research
through the library or internet will also increase the accuracy of the paper. The paper will have the
students choose a person and a profession for that person. The student will then write about what
happens in their life over the course of a few day with particular importance placed on setting and
emotional feeling. The key will be that the person they choose must life in the time period of the
Holmes stories.
Objective:
Students will formulate a sense of community not only within their small groups but also as an entire
class. Students will inspect literature more critically which will help them to analyze all forms of
writing in the future. Students will learn to make inferences about a period or people based on the
literary works of the time which will benefit them when they read anything in the future.
Material:
Pens/Pencils
Paper
Library
Computer Lab
Holmes Short Stories
Class Time
English 202
Handout: 18th-19th Century Assignment
29 April, 2010
Your Autograph:
Holmes and You!
Introduction:
Class this is an exciting time for us. Over the next three weeks we will be discussing one of the most
famed writers of all time, Arthur Conan Doyle. Our goal is to learn a good deal about the time period
spanning from the middle of the 18th to the middle of the 19th century. At the same time we will be
becoming better writers and literature analyzers through fun and creative use of the English language.
During these three weeks we will work both in groups and individually as we read a short story and
compose a five (5) page paper. Don't worry, five pages sound daunting, but it will be a fun assignment
that you will enjoy being a part of!
Getting Started:
To start we are going to break into groups of four. Each student will be given a letter. All students in a
group will have the same letter (A B C D etc.) assigned to them. Each group will choose one of the
fifty plus Holmes short stories that I have brought into the classroom. The catch is that no groups will
be able to pick the same piece. We will spend three days in class going over how you should read these
short stores and what it is you will be looking for so do not worry about that.
Step Two:
The next step is relatively simple. As a homework assignment you will take home your Holmes short
story and read it. Pay particular attention to details about people and setting as well as the feeling of the
era (more on this in the class discussion so don't worry)
Step Three:
Now that you have read your short story we will discuss it in class. We will break into the group that
we had assigned at the beginning and go over what we found in the stories. (Remember we will be
going over what we are looking for in class so do not worry if you don't know what I am talking about
here!) Next we will break into different groups where ever group will have one of every single letter in
it. (There will be an A in ever group, a B, a C, and so on). This way ever student will hear every single
groups findings for all the stories that we read.
And the Final Step Is!
Lastly we are going to write a 3-5 page creative piece based in the world of facts. What do I mean you
ask? Well, each student is going to create a person (Their look, fashion, occupation, emotions/feelings)
and have them live for a few days in the time period in which Sherlock Holmes takes place. It could be
a piece where you talk about them waking up then going through their daily routine and going to sleep
at night. It could also be a day where they go to some extravagant party or celebration. The possibilities
are endless. You must however stay true to the time period. Use things that are seen in the Holmes
stories and things we know existed during the time period. This well mean you will probably have to
do a little research on the time period which works out perfectly since I am asking that you have 3
sources cited in your paper. You will get more information on the paper in the form of a handout given
at a later date.
Arthur C.
Doyle and
History tell
us?
English 2
Day 1
The mid 18th to mid 19th Century
Mr. Mechlin
Objectives
Work in compilation with history classes to inform students on
time period spanning the middle of the 18th to the 19th century.
Instructional
Initiating
Constructing
Framework
Utilizing
Grouping
Individual
Pairs
Small Groups
Whole Class
Materials/
Writing Instrument, Paper, Arthur C. Doyle Holmes short
Resources
story, Teacher, Classroom
Opening 15 Begin with brainstorming what students already know. Prior
Minutes
knowledge gained about Britain during the era from history
class. Lists student ideas on the board for the class.
35 Minutes Short lesson on A. C. Doyle bio. His writing style/tendencies
will be examined as well as how they compare to those of
other writers of the time.
10 Minutes Students will break into per-arranged groups of 3. Each group
will choose one Holmes short story to read.
Take Home Students are to read their short story their group has selected
Assignment as homework for day one. This needs to be done by the start
for day 1
of class on day two of the lesson.
Homework Ensure students are noting any elements in the story they are
Assignment reading that are uniquely of the time period (fashion, dialogue,
behavior, government, law enforcement, etc.)
Possible
Start of class Prompts: Cloths/foods/talking in Britain. Holmes
Prompts
and Watson; what were they like?
Lesson Page 1
Day 1
The mid 18th to mid 19th Century
Mr. Mechlin
Arthur C.
English 2
Doyle and
Day 2
History tell us?
Objectives
Work in compilation with history classes to inform students on time
period spanning the middle of the 18th to the 19th century.
Instructional
Framework
Grouping
Initiating
Constructing
Utilizing
Individual
Pairs
Small Groups
Whole Class
Materials/
Resources
Writing Instrument, Paper, Arthur C. Doyle Holmes short story,
Teacher, Classroom
Opening 10
Minutes
Writing Prompt: If Holmes were to walk through our school today what
are some things he would find odd during his super and instinctual
deductions of setting and behavior?
20 Minutes
Students will break back into their groups of three, all of whom have
read the same story. The groups will discuss what it was in their story
that was unique to the time frame. (Architecture or whatever it may be)
Holmes' stories are extremely detail oriented as are much of the
mystery genre readings so this should be relatively simple to do. Each
group should have a solid list of at least ten items
20 Minutes
Students will then break into different groups of three. Each group will
have one member from each of the original groups. The students
should now be in groups of three where each student has read a
different Holmes short story. The students will then go over what each
of their stories had in it in terms of uniqueness to that time period.
Homework
Assignment
Start thinking about the various aspects of life in Britain during the mid
18th and 19th century.
Notes
Be sure to provide proper guidance during cooperative group centered
work so as to keep students on track and task oriented.
10 Minutes
Go over instances where the literature portrays real life aspects of life
in both modern day literature and in a Holmes short story that has not
been assigned.
Lesson Page 2
Day 2
The mid 18th to mid 19th Century
Mr. Mechlin
Arthur C.
English 2
Doyle and
Day 1
History tell us?
Objectives
Work in compilation with history classes to inform students on time
period spanning the middle of the 18th to the 19th century.
Instructional
Framework
Grouping
Initiating
Constructing
Utilizing
Individual
Pairs
Small Groups
Whole Class
Materials/
Resources
Writing Instrument, Paper, Arthur C. Doyle Holmes short story,
Teacher, Classroom
Opening 10
Minutes
Writing Prompt for free write: If I woke up in 1902 Britain what are
some of the things I might just:
Next 15
Minutes
Assignment Explanation: 5 Page paper done in compilation with
history classes on the time period that has been discussed. This will be
a creative piece based on fact. The students will assume the role of
some person from the period and write about a day or two in their life.
Included will be the decisions they have to make and things they
encounter on a day to day basis.
20 Minutes
Show examples of previously done or self created work that is
exemplary of the assignment the students are being asked to create.
Next, show a possible piece that will not be ideal or even acceptable.
5 Minutes
Brainstorm with students in a class discussion style setting the various
ideas that the students could use in the creation of their piece.
10 Minutes
With the scope of the assignment this ten minute time period will be
the first of a few periods of coming classes that will be dedicated to
answering as many questions as possible about the assignment as well
as addressing any concerns.
Homework
At home begin thinking about your topics and bring them in to be
checked on.
Lesson Page 3
Day 3
Rubric for the Paper/Assignment
Holmes
1-5 Points
Assignment Rubric
6- 10 Points
11-15 Points
16-20 Points
Story is accurate to Very little to no
the time period.
evidence of the
time period/highly
inaccurate
Some evidence of
the time period,
some things are
inaccurate
Evidence of time
period throughout
with small amounts
of mistakes
pertaining to era.
Almost completely
free of era mistakes
and uses evidence
of the time period
through.
Syntax/Grammar
Story is choppy
and
spelling/grammar
make it hard to
read.
Spelling/Grammar
are very noticeable
but do not make
the story
unrecognizable
Syntax/Grammar
does not detract
from the flow of
the paper though
some errors may
be evident.
Syntax/Grammar is
very well done and
there is nothing
that detracts from
the flow of the
paper.
Creativity
Story offers little to Story grabs the
grab the attention attention a little but
offers very little
that is new or
original
Story is well
thought out and
creative, offers
something new.
Story is extremely
well thought out
and offers not only
something new but
something
unexpected.
Participation
Student is involved
in group or class
discussion on some
level
Student is very
involved in group
or class discussion
while not
dominating it, also
attended the
teacher/student
meeting.
Mr. Mechlin
Student is very
involved in group
or class discussion
while not
dominating it so
other students have
the ability to get
involved.
Your Autograph:
English 202
Holmes Assignment
Handout #2
Student Time line:
30th April:
Project begins with us breaking into groups, Short stories chosen. Notes done in class.
Homework: Start reading your short story over the weekend
3rd May:
In class discussion of what you are looking for in your works.
Homework: Take home your short story and finish reading it
4th May:
Group discussions as to what you found in your books.
Homework: Start thinking about your topics for the paper. Due by Monday the 10th
10th May:
Papers will be started. Library day to do research/Work on computer
11th May:
Another library day.
12th May:
Computer Lab day.
24th May:
FINAL PAPER DUE TODAY.
NOTE:
Throughout the time period we are working on this paper I will have time set aside each class period to
meet with students. A sign up sheet for those times will be on the back wall. You are more than
welcome to sign up for any time slot that is available over the three weeks we are looking at this
project. I am requiring that you sign up for at least one meeting as it will be part of your participation
grade.
My created part of the rubric used to grade me.
Teaching of
Content
Assignment doesn't
actually teach
anything useful
pertaining to the
master of
language,
literature, or
writing (7 point
max)
Assignment is
founded on a good
basis but the set up
does little to
promote the
understanding it
tries to achieve in
students. (15 point
max)
Assignment
promotes mastery
of the subject and
really teaches
students how
useful literature is
at learning about
not only language,
but also history.
(23 point max)
Assignment
promotes master of
the subject fully
and the way it is
set up does not
make it difficult to
achieve.
Information/skill
gained will
continue to be
useful for student
in years to come.
(30 Point Max)
How fun is the task Assignment would Assignment seems
assigned?
be dreadful (5
tolerable but
point max)
nothing more.
(10 Point max)
Students would
probably enjoy
something like this
more so than a
generic research
paper. (15 point
Max)
Students would not
only be engaged by
the assignment but
also happy to do it.
(20 point max)
Lesson
organization
Lesson is
organized in a
useful manner. (15
point max)
Lesson is
organized,
thoroughly
completed, set up
in a useful/intuitive
manner, ready for
use. (20 point max)
Lesson seems
unprepared/ all
over the place (5
point max)
Lesson is prepared
but possibly too
unorganized/
thorough (10 point
max)