With all the twists, turns, red herrings, dead-ends and misdirection in the text, coupled with the classes enthusiasm for riddles, I created a pseudo-puzzle activity to help review and then secure students understanding of the plot and to showcase how detective plot line is created. It is not the first time I have used this approach – icomunication. Below is the class activity title.
Step 1: Using the tagged #Plot 1 The Hound of the Baskervilles retrieval prompts from RememberMore I built a plot line that mirrored the discussion points taught over the past two terms.
Step 2: Using the noun project – I sourced icons that inferred the plot line moments I wanted students re-order and revisit, adding these to a slide as I went.
Step 3: Set the a common icon size and alignment. Added the chapter titles.
Step 4: Created a WAGGOLL – or “success criteria.”
Step 5: Using the WAGGOOL, I introduced the activity. Modelling Chapter 1-2.
Students recommended three additional icons: a crying woman, handcuffs for Lestrade, two magnets to show the attraction of Sir Henry and Miss Stapleton.
What I learnt
- Icons can be reused, even created / added.
- Students created the notion of a pair two together as a single communication.
- It took longer than I had hoped. I may added a few starter icons to the chapters to speed up the lesson.
- Use a double spread and landscape orientation (horizontal can be a little tight).
- Start with simple pencil outline. Finish icons with simple dark outline, colour highlights.
Reorder the plot line of The Hound of the Baskervilles?
The class temperature was “bubbly,” with quite animated debate. From what I was able to gauge, the students enjoyed the “decoding” aspect and connecting the icons to characters and events.
Did the learning secure students understanding of the plot? Yes. Did the lesson(s) enhance their knowledge of the plot line? Yes? I believe so. It did elicit one or two mini revelations from the students. Did it showcase how the detective plot line was created, where clues were left in plan sight? Yes, I believe it did. Was it efficient? No. It took much longer than I had planned. Hence, next time, I will add one or two icons to each chapter to speed things up. Or possibly, I had under estimated the size of the task?