Teachers’ Notes
By Carol Magee, MA, PGCE
1
Contents
Introduction to the Resource
Introduction to The Blackhope Enigma
Activity 1 – Labyrinths and Other Riddles
Activity 2 – Classical Gods and Goddesses
Activity 3a – Painting With Words
Activity 3b - Openings With Atmosphere
Activity 4 – Literary Focus: A Critical Essay on Marin
Worksheet – Marin: Writing a Character Study
Activity 5 – Blackhope Enigma – The Game and
Example
Further Reading
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Introduction to the Resource
Scottish Book Trust Online Teacher in Residence is an online community and
resource hub aimed at teachers in Scotland with a particular interest in creative
learning for literacy within Curriculum for Excellence.
These class notes are offered free of charge, and are designed to support teachers
looking for a new book to use with their pupils.
You can download more teaching resources at www.scottishbooktrust.com/otir
where you can also participate in live and recorded online events, get free online
CPD, and browse our section of case studies and articles via the Online Teacher in
Residence blog.
Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) intends to raise standards of achievement by
improving teaching and learning with literacy as one of the key areas of focus. These
materials suggest a range of activities that engage with literacy across the
curriculum, using the narrative as a stimulus for a range of creative learning
opportunities.
CfE gives pupil-led learning high priority, and working with novels may provide an
excellent opportunity for pupils to design and drive their own learning, with facilitation
from the teacher, using the narrative as a shared ‘jumping off point’ and framework.
Teachers are experienced at using stories with their pupils and since you know your
pupils best, it may be that the work you do with your class takes you in a completely
different direction from the ideas detailed below. It will follow that you will use the
book in ways that meet the needs of your pupils and your local community.
These materials have been compiled using suggestions from the Scottish Book Trust
Online Teacher in Residence Book Group.
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Introduction to The Blackhope Enigma
The Blackhope Enigma is a truly engaging adventure story set in the
present, but which quickly delves into the world of Renaissance art, as
its chief protagonists, Sunni and Blaise, set out to rescue Sunni’s stepbrother, Dean. Dean has become unwittingly trapped in a famous Italian
painting by the mysterious artist known as Il Corvo and art lovers Sunni
and Blaise set out to bring him home with exciting consequences..
As a teaching text it is rich in possibilities and I have aimed this resource
at older Primary School pupils, Second Stage. Within this there are a
few activities that are suited to P4/5 and some more suited to P6/7/S1,
depending on the sophistication of the task. But most can be used by
any year group and differentiated by outcome. There are several literary
reading outcomes as well as writing possibilities. I have deliberately
avoided a chapter-by-chapter close study as this can kill the enjoyment
of reading a book. Instead, I have tried to give teachers a variety of
possible directions for study – all of which draw on ideas offered by the
novel as a whole. The cross-curricular links with Art are irresistible, so I
have added a couple of tried and tested activities based on paintings,
which are fun and stimulating; the idea of labyrinths and riddles also
suggested a few activities based on word play. Within the novel, there is
the Renaissance fascination with Arcadia and the classical gods. I have
suggested possible reading outcomes on this thread, and it might be a
particularly useful means of progression if your class were already
studying Roman history as a social subject.
As with all teaching resources, these ideas are simply a starting point
and will no doubt give rise to further developments as you begin to teach
the text. Whenever pupils are involved, the direction of study often takes
on a life of its own!
Whatever your educational adventure turns out to be, I hope you and
your class enjoy The
CM
December, 2010
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Blackhope Enigma.
Activity 1: Labyrinths and Other Riddles
The whole idea of a labyrinth is very appealing to children, particularly if attached to some of
the classical stories such as Theseus and the Minotaur. But The Blackhope Enigma is also
a puzzle, a riddle and it is worth taking time to discuss with
the children what mysteries are solved during the story. Ask
the children to think of some of the puzzles that are
Curriculum for Excellence:
answered. They may think of these and other ideas.
Creating Texts 2 - poetry
Some of the questions raised and answered are:
ENG 230AH/330AH
Who were the skeletons in Blackhope Tower?
Lady Ishbel and another ‘escapee’. Their mortal bodies could
not travel beyond their time and into the 21st century
How did Dean get into the painting?
Understanding, analysing
and evaluating
LIT 217 T
By whispering ‘chiaroscuro?
How did Innes Blackhope get out of the painting?
Through the second labyrinth.
Who is il Corvo and how did he make the painting come alive?
The artist who harnessed ‘astral magic’ to combine art and nature.
Where are the hidden paintings that are meant to exist?
Within another painting of the master’s workshop, never to be seen by the outside world
These questions could be displayed as they come to light in the story and then the answer
written below as they are resolved by the plot. This will reinforce the idea of the mystery
genre and show the author’s craft in posing and answering questions for us to follow.
Other riddles:
Use the idea of riddles as a springboard to writing riddles as poems.
Some examples by Pie Corbett use just one line and are a good starting point:
Golden coin in blue
Many teeth but no bite
One that holds a thousand
Ballet dancer accomplishes the splits
The sun
A comb
A seed
Scissors
Pupils could work alone or in pairs to turn an everyday object into a one line riddle and make
a book of the results for other classes to try and guess.
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Longer riddle poems (4-6 lines is a good target) can be developed from a one liner.
The example below is beautifully written with rhyme, but if you ask pupils to keep to a rhythm
rather than a rhyme (by counting syllables) this tends to produce better poems with less
forced rhymes.
In marble walls as white as milk,
Lined with a skin as soft as silk;
Within a fountain crystal clear,
A golden apple doth appear.
No doors there are to this stronghold
There are 8 syllables
per line and it is a
good discipline to
encourage pupils to
stick to a rhythm
rather than a rhyme
Yet thieves break in and steal the gold.
Traditional
(Answer – an egg)
Christina Rossetti’s poem ‘A Pin Has A Head’ is another fun model to work from.
A Pin Has A Head
A Pin has a head, but has no hair;
A clock has a face, but no mouth there;
Needles have eyes, but they cannot see;
A fly has a trunk without lock or key;
A timepiece may lose, but cannot win;
A corn-field dimples without a chin;
A hill has no leg, but has a foot;
This plays with our tendency to use
personification in the English language
and is a good opportunity to look at the
way we assume human characteristics to
inanimate objects!
Brainstorm the many body parts and
human characteristics we attribute to
objects. E.g a table leg, tights with a
‘run’, acorn cup, roaring sea, babbling
brook. Now see if pupils can come up
with one line. E.g.
A wine-glass a stem, but not a root;
A brook may babble, but cannot talk
Rivers run, though they have no feet;
A saw has teeth, but it does not eat;
Ash trees have keys, yet never a lock;
And a baby crows, without being a cock.
Encourage pupils to follow the rhythm
and if possible (with help!) join to a
rhyming second line.
A stocking may run, but never walk
Extension: A group or even whole class poem can be created by joining these couplets together.
Children love being part of a bigger whole and all can contribute to a longer finished poem. Illustrate
with pictures of the different objects in the riddles.
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Activity 2: Classical Gods and Goddesses
http://greece.mrdonn.org/greekgods/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcadia_(utopia)
Research and Report:
In the novel the concept of Arcadia is brought in and it would be helpful to
discuss what this idea meant to the people of the Renaissance. The
exploration of the Roman gods and goddesses is always quite fun and will
be a great basis for understanding art and literary references in future years.
Assign each pupil (p6/7) or pair of pupils (P4/5) a Roman god or goddess or
other mythical creature (or ask them to choose their own, avoiding repetition
in the class). If you can use some library time or gain internet access for
your class, this could add weight to the task. Use A3 sheets to display the
pupils’ reports and ask them to draw pictures of their god/creature.
Technical skills and elements of good layout could be discussed and
assessed, as well as the selection and structure of their ideas. Sharing
criteria for success before you begin the task is most helpful.
Curriculum for
Excellence:
Organising
and Using
Information :
LIT 224/324AB
Some classical references which appear in the novel include:
Venus
Neptune
Mercury
Apollo
Mars
and many others.
Zeus/Jupiter
Minotaur
Janus
Arcadia
Oral Presentation:
Once complete, ask pupils to share their classical character through an
individual talk/presentation with the whole class/small groups. Pupils can be
paired so that one can evaluate the other’s performance by means of a formal
assessment sheet. All pupils will enjoy hearing and learning about the other
characters and through evaluation, will learn to improve their own talking skills.
Listening
and Talking:
LIT 207G, LIT
209/309J,
LIT 210/310K
Extension: Create a class display of the finished A3 sheets and a table of books in which
pupils have found classical references to gods or creatures which could be marked or written
out above e.g. Harry Potter Series, Beast Quest series, Superheros, Shakespeare plays etc.
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Activity 3a: Painting With Words
The following activities require colour photocopies/printing or better still, a smart
board to display the painting so that everyone in the class has a good view.
Peter Breughel – The Hunters in the Snow, 1585
Display the painting, or colour print the worksheet as large as you can. Explain that
the author, Teresa Flavin, enjoyed the paintings of this artist and others
like him when she was young. The small figures in the painting helped to
inspire the painting in The Blackhope Enigma.
Allow time to discuss the figures in the painting –



What is happening in the picture?
Who are the hunters of the title? Where are they heading?
What else can you see? Skaters? Workers? Animals? Curlers?
Creating
Texts 2:
ENG
230AH
(You could ask individuals to come up to the smart board and describe a detail or cut
out small squares from a piece of A5 card and lay this over the painting. What can
they zoom in on now?)
Ask the pupils to think about which character they would like to be and explain that
you will be writing the story of one person from the picture.
Use the worksheet ‘Painting with Words’ to allow pupils to imagine themselves into
the picture just like Sunni and Blaise. The story which emerges might be more
successful if coupled with the Openings worksheet with a discussion on setting.
However, the Openings activity could easily work as a stand alone lesson. It
requires some sophistication to imagine the view and perspective of someone in the
picture but could provide a good assessment opportunity for use of language to
create atmosphere. Provision of a thesaurus for each child is essential for this
activity.
Extension: Personal writing based on using sensual description can really move creative
writing forward. After working on Openings, give pupils a task based on describing their own
sensual experience. E.g. The Day of the Snow or Soaking in Scotland. Once children are
familiar with the thesaurus and the impact new vocabulary can give their writing, they enjoy
and benefit from using it to tell their own stories.
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Painting with Words Worksheet
Now you have discussed what the painting is about, choose one figure from the
painting and look at them carefully. Think about the following questions and jot down your
answers on your planning page.






What is the name of your figure?
Where are they going?
What have they been doing for the last hour?
What are they most worried about?
What are they looking forward to?
How do they feel physically at this moment, frozen in time?
Next, start to think about the story that surrounds this character you have created. If they
had one problem to sort out in the course of the story what could it be? If a skater, it could
be that you had lost your new scarf and your mother would be very cross; if a hunter, it could
be to tell your family some grim news.
Write out your story trying to resolve the problem by the end.
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3b: Openings with atmosphere:
This is a painting of winter, yet there is warmth in it. Think about the senses you feel as
you leave the warmth for the cold outside and as you leave the cold for the warmth of your
home.
Write down as many adjectives as you can to replace the word cold – e.g. chill, frozen etc
in the snowflake.
Now write down from the painting as many action words (verbs) as you can see e.g.
trudging, skating.
trudging
Describe the scene in three paragraphs from your character’s point of
view. You will need to think about what he or she can see from where they are in
the picture. Include as many interesting adjectives and verbs from your word
banks above.
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Don’t forget to
change paragraph
new
subject
for each
Activity 4: Literary Focus: A Critical Essay on Marin
Of all the characters in The Blackhope Enigma, Marin develops the most: from fearsome
captor to heroic rescuer. He also seems to go on an emotional journey during his time with
Sunni, Dean and Blaise. At first he is hostile and fears their motives, but we come to learn
that he is a complex character with fears of his own. He has also let his master down and
needs to find forgiveness. Sunni’s compassionate nature and 21st century ‘can do’ attitude
impresses Marin and she is similarly impressed by his attractive appearance and prowess as
an artist. She leads Marin to believe that not all intruders have evil intentions and the
introduction of Angus Bellini and the children’s attitude to him seems to confirm that the
children’s motives are honourable. Finally, Sunni and Blaise help Marin by leading him to
his old Master where healing and reconciliation can take place. The closure of Marin’s story
– that he is trapped within the painting but under his il Corvo’s forgiveness and care is a
fitting ending to his part. He is captured in charcoal, but he is released from his torment.
Role on the Wall:
It may help to explain at the first mention of the character that he will be someone you are
going to write about. It will then be possible to track his progress as you read together. A
poster size figure of Marin on the wall could be used. When you have finished reading
Chapter 12, ask for words to describe his character. Pupils should come up with ideas such
as suspicious, hostile, aggressive etc. Write these on the top third of your poster. Ask the
pupils again after Chapter 18 and see how the words have changed. Write these into the
middle section of the poster. At the end of Chapter 23, their views of Marin should be very
different and the words in the bottom third should show how far he has changed.
Pupils can use the Worksheet (Marin – A Character Study) to work through the
developments and write up their first critical essay. This is a challenging task, but will stretch
able pupils and encourage them to think in a more analytical way
about character.
Progression:
Curriculum for
Excellence:
Understanding,
Analysing and
Evaluating
Finding and Using
Info
ENG 219V,
ENG 319V, LIT
217T,LIT 215R
Writing a character study is an excellent progression towards
Secondary School English where pupils will be expected to skim and
scan a whole story for ideas and quotations. I have tried to give
plenty of guidance in the worksheet to lead pupils through the
stages of Marin’s story. Selecting evidence for the first time is often
quite tricky for some children and it may help to model this with them
or allow the first stage to be done in pairs. I have given a rough
guide to ‘writing up’ following the style of POINT – EVIDENCE –
COMMENT commonly taught in Secondary School. This usually
provides a good basis for critical analysis.
.
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Marin – Writing A Character Study
Writing a character study is a bit like being a detective. You have to scan the
text for clues in the story that tell us more about the person you are writing
about. Once you have some evidence, just like a detective, you need to write
that down to prove that your assessment of the character is true. We are
going to analyse the character of MARIN. We can look at his physical
appearance, the way he acts and treats people, as well as the way others
speak or react to him.
...................................................................................................................................................
Step 1 – Identify the stages of Marin’s development:
Stage 1 – Marin the Captor (Chapters 6- 14)
The character of Marin emerges from a dark and rather sinister section of the book. The
very first clue we find about him is that he rises out from a pool, p.77). The author says he
was ‘kicking at something below him, forcing it back down’ and that the naiads ‘shrank back
to let him pass’.
What do these clues tell us? They suggest Marin is a man who is in a battle or fight with
someone. We know this from the words, ‘kicking and forcing’. The way the naiads ‘shrink’
from him also tell us he is someone who is feared.
p.105 -107 gives us our first view of Marin. Jot down a few quotes to show what he looks
like. Write down his first words (p.107) and think about what impression they give?
Ch 12-14 shows Marin’s personality. How would you describe him here? Use your role on
the wall to come up with adjectives. Try to find evidence (quotation) to prove your point.
Step 2 - Writing Up:
Now you can write up your first section of the essay. Take a new paragraph
for each point that you wish to make. Try copying the style of the following
extract filling in the blanks from your notebook:
Our first impression of Marin is that he is ................................................ . We know that
he is someone who is used to fighting because in Ch. 7 it says that ....................................
Although Marin captures Sunni and Dean, Sunni finds him attractive.
His appearance
is described in Ch. 10, where the writer says he ............................................................and
he.............................. ..................
Continue in this way, making further points about Marin’s personality with examples.
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Step 3 : Exploring the Further Stages of Marin’s Development:
Stage 2: Marin the Protector (Ch 14-20)
You will see that Marin’s behaviour changes as he gets to know the children. Notice how in
Ch. 14-20, Marin protects and saves the children’s lives on several occasions. The early
suspicions are still there, but he seems to know they are not real trouble-makers. We can
see that Sunni trusts Marin in the maze:
‘it’s a good thing he was here with his knife’ (p.148)
While he is not yet a friend (he still has that drawing of Dean), he becomes an ally against
Angus Bellini.
Can you find other examples of Sunni beginning to trust Marin and Marin protecting the
children (p.148, p.167, 185)? Jot them down to use as evidence when you write up the rest
of the essay.
Stage 3: Marin the Friend (Ch 20-23)
When Marin’s life is in danger (Ch.20,p.217) Sunni does not hesitate to save him. A new
trust between Marin and Sunni blossoms from this key moment in the novel. Blaise still has
suspicions and makes these clear:
‘I don’t really trust you. Too many people think you’re a traitor’.
Marin makes a decision to tell the children the truth about his past. Re-read Ch. 22 and jot
down the details of the story which help to explain his hostile behaviour. Do you feel
differently towards Marin now that you have this evidence? How does it change the
children’s view of him? How does it change our view of him?
Stage 4: Resolution (Conclusion)
At the end of the novel, Marin helps to capture Angus and save Sunni. He also meets his
Master and begs forgiveness for letting him down in the past:
‘hanging his head, ‘I present myself for your judgement’..
Do you think it is a satisfying end to Marin’s story? Is the ‘fatherly hug’ at the end of Ch.23
deserved? Write down a summary of how you feel Marin changed over the course of the
book. What are your final feelings towards him as a person?
Now write up the rest of your notes as you did for section one. Well done, Detective!
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Activity 5: Blackhope Enigma – The Game
Devising a board game is a great way to revise plot and allow pupils to discuss and explore
the order of events as well as cause and effect. It can also provide a natural curricular link
with Art (EXA 2-06a) where pupils are designing, drawing and creating based on their
literary knowledge.
Depending on the age and ability of the pupils, this could be done in groups, or alone, or for
younger groups as a whole class, but teacher-led. The image of the labyrinth on the front
cover provides an obvious board game format of spiralling squares leading to a winning
central space. However, what goes in the squares to move the contestants forward or back
and what the counters, cards and board look like is up to the pupils’ imaginative design. If
you are fortunate enough to have access to an Art specialist, this would make a super,
longer term project, but even within the classroom setting, it is quite easy to create a game,
and assessment can be based on playing the game to see if it works, followed by a selfevaluation report by the pupil.
EXAMPLE
Curriculum for Excellence:
If working in groups
opportunities for
assessment include
Listening and Talking (LIT
2-04a, LIT 3-04a) as they
discuss the plot and ideas
associated with sequencing
of the novel. The Tools for
Writing Strand (LIT 220X –
223AA) can be assessed in
terms of the final layout
and Art Strands (Creating
and Usual Visual
Elements) as appropriate.
The next worksheet is just one idea and might
offer a starting point for pupils who need a little
support. I used Microsoft Word 7 (2010) and the
text box shapes to make up the ‘squares’ and
circles. However, it is often much more rewarding
(and interesting) when the pupils draw their own
designs.
I have colour coded the different layers of the
plot/paintings to highlight the parts of the story:





Pink squares – outside the picture
Orange squares – The Mariner’s Return
Blue squares – The world of Fox-Farratt
Yellow squares – The ocean chase
White squares – The island with il Corvo
The first player to reach Il Corvo and the EXIT is
the winner.
Apprentice Cards test a player’s knowledge of
the text. If you answer a question on the card
correctly, you can throw again; if you answer
incorrectly, you miss a turn. Then throw the die
and move on.
NB – The games that work best are those where the winning objective is relatively simple;
complexity can be added by using ‘pick-up’ cards, collecting specific objects on the way or
earning points on special squares.
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BLACKHOPE ENIGMA – THE GAME
Enter the
labyrinth –
move on 3
Dean goes into
the painting. You
are stunned and
miss a turn
Pick up an
Apprentice Card
Fall through to
another layer
Blackhope
Tower is closed
for renovations.
Miss a turn.
Land in under
water cave – the
island at last.
Move on 2
Food is
fake! Go
back 1
space
Maze attack.
Throw again.
Apprentice Card
Apprentice Cards
Jump
onto boat
15
Sunni meets
Blaise – move
forward 2
spaces
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Further Reading
About the Author:
There is a super video and interview on the STB website:
http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/podcasts/video/teresa-flavin-author-interview
http://talltalesandshortstories.blogspot.com/2010/07/interview-with-debut-authorteresa.html and another angle on this book review site.
The Blackhope Enigma website also has useful information and ideas about the author’s
inspiration for the novel, as well as character summaries, games and competitions:
http://www.theblackhopeenigma.co.uk/
About Teaching Texts:
If you have enjoyed using art as an inspiration for creative writing, seek out :
Painting with Words by Peter Benton and Michael Benton
It is full of good reproductions of recognisable works of art and sculpture, each accompanied
by poetry and activities inspired by the paintings.
The National Galleries of Scotland also have a competition for Creative Writers inspired by
any one of the paintings in the galleries – a great reason for a visit and extension work!
http://www.nationalgalleries.org/education/competition/6:3740/18832
Further Reading for Children:
If your children enjoyed this, encourage them to try:
Tall Story by Candy Gourlay –moves between two worlds and involves 12 year old hero, Andi. A
charming tale about accepting differences and superstition.
Over Sea Under Stone by Susan Cooper - the three Drew children come to stay with Merriman
Lyon. In his attic, they find an ancient treasure map that leads to a hidden grail -- if they can only
figure out what the map's writing and symbols mean. But they are not the only ones who are looking
for the grail -- three sinister people are in pursuit
Laura Marlin Mysteries 1: Dead Man’s Cove – Tracey Beaker meets The Famous Five!
The Glass Swallow Series, Julia Golding – Runaway adventure with 3 misfit children.
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