Current / Past Susan Z. Diamond Beacon Award Winners
Announced each January, the Susan Z. Diamond Beacon Award annually recognizes a person or entity that has successfully introduced young people to the Sherlock Holmes stories. The award consists of a certificate and a check for $221. Anyone can submit a nomination form to the Beacon Society. Susan Z. Diamond Beacon Award nominations are open for submission all year with the closing date November 15 of each calendar year set for evaluations and voting.
The 2023 Beacon Society Winner -- Rusty Mason, Denton, TX
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Rusty Mason was honored with the Susan Z. Diamond Beacon Award for his efforts over the past 10 years in assisting younger adults and students to better know Sherlock Holmes. Rusty is a contractor to the federal government, providing data / information management services for almost 10 years.
In 2013, Rusty was asked to develop characters for a new comic strip, Baker Street Elementary (BSE), the 1st Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. His lovable characters have endured for 10 years, and almost 500 weekly strips. Hundreds of Sherlockians have written in to say how much their children (and themselves) have enjoyed the strips. The characters have encouraged their own children to read the stories. |
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The BSE characters have also been used to illustrate over 140 "The Life and Times of Sherlock Holmes", in conjunction with Liese Sherwood-Fabre. Those articles, with the illustrations, are part of the Junior Sherlockian Society curriculum. Hundreds of students have read the articles to complete the JSS requirements. In addition, numerous educators have let indicated they use articles to teach their students about Victorian London.
In 2016, Rusty volunteered to completely re-develop the Beacon Society website, making it much more usable for younger Sherlockians to learn about the master detective. One of the most popular parts of the website is the map of Sherlockian societies, allowing newer Sherlockians to determine if there is a society in their vicinity. That site alone has connected many new members to the greater Sherlockian world.
For the Crew of the Barque Lone Star, Rusty help develop and set up displays for the City of Allen, Cleburne, Denton, and Dallas public libraries. These displays, focused toward younger students, helped bring students to the read Sherlockian books from the libraries. In addition, Rusty helped conduct a murder mystery for younger Sherlockians and their parents at the North Dallas and Denton libraries.
In February 2015, Rusty helped develop and conduct very imaginative murder mystery at the Perot Museum in Dallas as part of the International Sherlock Holmes Exhibition. Over 300 students and their parents participated in the contest. As part of the evening, the Society also ran on a continuous loop a presentation developed by Rusty on all the animated adaptations of Sherlock Holmes. Children were mesmerized watching the short clips of various Sherlockian characters.
In 2022, it was decided to move all the elements of the Junior Sherlockian Society webpage under the Beacon Society website umbrella. Rusty was instrumental in ensuring that transition went smoothly, creating new, upbeat pages for the Society.
In summary, though Rusty is never one to boast about his own accomplishments, it is clear his efforts over the past 10 years or more have brought Sherlock Holmes to thousands of younger adults and students. His work ensures the world of Sherlock Holmes will continue on into future generations.
In 2016, Rusty volunteered to completely re-develop the Beacon Society website, making it much more usable for younger Sherlockians to learn about the master detective. One of the most popular parts of the website is the map of Sherlockian societies, allowing newer Sherlockians to determine if there is a society in their vicinity. That site alone has connected many new members to the greater Sherlockian world.
For the Crew of the Barque Lone Star, Rusty help develop and set up displays for the City of Allen, Cleburne, Denton, and Dallas public libraries. These displays, focused toward younger students, helped bring students to the read Sherlockian books from the libraries. In addition, Rusty helped conduct a murder mystery for younger Sherlockians and their parents at the North Dallas and Denton libraries.
In February 2015, Rusty helped develop and conduct very imaginative murder mystery at the Perot Museum in Dallas as part of the International Sherlock Holmes Exhibition. Over 300 students and their parents participated in the contest. As part of the evening, the Society also ran on a continuous loop a presentation developed by Rusty on all the animated adaptations of Sherlock Holmes. Children were mesmerized watching the short clips of various Sherlockian characters.
In 2022, it was decided to move all the elements of the Junior Sherlockian Society webpage under the Beacon Society website umbrella. Rusty was instrumental in ensuring that transition went smoothly, creating new, upbeat pages for the Society.
In summary, though Rusty is never one to boast about his own accomplishments, it is clear his efforts over the past 10 years or more have brought Sherlock Holmes to thousands of younger adults and students. His work ensures the world of Sherlock Holmes will continue on into future generations.
The 2022 Beacon Society Winner -- Anna Behrens, Keene, New Hampshire
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Anna is passionate about getting students at the elementary, middle, and high school levels connected to the Sherlock Holmes stories. To do that, she created a Sherlock Holmes club in the middle-high school where she works, attracting both middle school and high school members. The students have fun learning about the traditional Sherlock Holmes stories as well as recent pop culture versions such as BBC’s Sherlock. In one cool event, they dressed up and acted out The Red Headed League.
But her crowning achievement for 2022 was creating and running the Keene, NH Sherlock Holmes Week of activities aimed at kids and adults. |
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Students created the plot for a Sherlock Holmes mystery, conducted experiments in a forensics lab, celebrated Dr. Watson’s birthday, watched the film Sherlock Gnomes, participated in an interactive Sherlock Holmes readers’ theatre, decoded secret messages, saw a mystery puppet show, and dressed up as Sherlockian characters.
One of our judges wrote: “What stood out to me from the nominator’s form was the variety of learning modes and media that Anna utilizes to introduce new audiences to Sherlock Holmes. The impact of her ongoing advocacy of Sherlock Holmes in the middle school where she works, and the breadth of individuals and institutions of all backgrounds represented in Sherlock Holmes Week truly embodies the ethos that the Susan Z. Diamond Beacon Award seeks to recognize.”
This year, Anna also joined the Beacon Society program committee, where she provided feedback on the Society’s library display project and made suggestions for a potential fiction writing contest.
One of our judges wrote: “What stood out to me from the nominator’s form was the variety of learning modes and media that Anna utilizes to introduce new audiences to Sherlock Holmes. The impact of her ongoing advocacy of Sherlock Holmes in the middle school where she works, and the breadth of individuals and institutions of all backgrounds represented in Sherlock Holmes Week truly embodies the ethos that the Susan Z. Diamond Beacon Award seeks to recognize.”
This year, Anna also joined the Beacon Society program committee, where she provided feedback on the Society’s library display project and made suggestions for a potential fiction writing contest.
The 2021 Beacon Society Winner -- Steve Mason, Denton, TX
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Steve recently retired after serving over 30 years of service with the US Environmental Protection Agency.
During my term as Headlight of the Beacon Society, I witnessed firsthand the dedication Steve displayed to enable the Beacon Society achieve its goal of bringing Sherlock Holmes to our youth.
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- To publicize the work of the Society, Steve compiled an extensive mailing list including Sherlockian Scion Societies, national education & teachers associations, national youth group associations, national library associations, and children's theatre groups & museums.
- As Communications Chair, Steve supervised the establishment of the Society's Facebook page which is maintained by his committee.
- On the Society' Website, Steve created a database of resources created by and for the use of educators to promote Sherlock Holmes in their programs.
- Also on the Website, Steve created the quarterly Sherlock's Spotlight Gazette in which youth are introduced to individual Holmes stories, unravel mazes, complete puzzles and word searches, learn about the junior Sherlockian Society, and learn of various forms of available Sherlockian entertainment.
- Steve conceived the Library Display Program. Sherlockian items are distributed to Sherlockians to enable them set up displays at their local libraries.
- Not directly involving the Beacon Society, Steve contributes to keeping the memory of the Master green to our youth:
- Steve is the co-creator, and producer of Baker Street Elementary, a cartoon strip depicting Holmes and his cronies when they attended elementary school. The weekly comic strip appears in Sherlock's Spotlight Gazette and on the I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere web-blog.
- Steve is in the habit of keeping a paperback copy of the HOUN with him when he goes out to eat. If he sees a youngster with their parents in the restaurant, he presents the book to the youngster, with the parents' permission, and encourages the youth to read it.
There is no doubt that Steve Mason is the 'Life Blood' of the Beacon Society and the youth movement.
The 2020 Beacon Society Winner -- David Fakes, Bernville, PA
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Dave has been a teacher at the Tulpehocken Junior High school for 34 years. He has taught all grade levels, but primarily 9th grade, in the Language Arts Curriculum.
In each of his teaching years, Dave has included a least one Canonical story as required reading in his classes. For the first 25 years, Dave’s classes read and discussed “The Adventure of the Redheaded League” along with Agatha Christie and Sue Grafton stories. For the last 9 years, Dave has added additional Canonical stories to be read and discussed. |
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Denny Dobry met Dave 5-years ago when Dave saw an article in the local newspaper about Denny's 221b Baker Street sitting room re-creation. Dave asked if he could arrange a visit for his class, and Denny, of course, consented.
His classes have now visited 4 times. On their last visit, Dave had the class read 6 Canonical stories, and Dave informed Denny what stories had been read. Because the class was 18 students strong, the class was divided into 2-groups, ‘The Hounds’ and ‘The Baker Street Irregulars’, to limit how many students would visit the sitting room at a time.
In addition, each group was broken up into teams of 2 students. Upon arrival at the room, Denny handed out a quiz and the teams competed with each other by identifying artifacts in the sitting room. The winning teams was presented with a set of Baring-Gould’s Annotated Sherlock Holmes. Every class has had several students who were very enthusiastic about the visit and discussing the Canon (see included photos).
Dave estimates that in his 34 years at Tulpehocken Junior High, he has taught 151 sections including A Sherlock Holmes story, with an average of 18 students per section. That computes to 2,718 students being introduced to Holmes in Dave’s classes - AND COUNTING!
Although Denny has never been in one a Dave’s classrooms, it is very evident by the attitude and demeanor of the students during their visit, that Dave is respected and liked by them.
Denny looks forward to Dave’s class visit every year. Denny is encouraged that Dave’s efforts will result in developing new young Sherlockians. Dave told Denny that he often meets ex-students and they often comment on their Sherlockian memories in Dave’s class.
Dave Fake is certainly successful in “Keeping Green the Memory of the Master”
His classes have now visited 4 times. On their last visit, Dave had the class read 6 Canonical stories, and Dave informed Denny what stories had been read. Because the class was 18 students strong, the class was divided into 2-groups, ‘The Hounds’ and ‘The Baker Street Irregulars’, to limit how many students would visit the sitting room at a time.
In addition, each group was broken up into teams of 2 students. Upon arrival at the room, Denny handed out a quiz and the teams competed with each other by identifying artifacts in the sitting room. The winning teams was presented with a set of Baring-Gould’s Annotated Sherlock Holmes. Every class has had several students who were very enthusiastic about the visit and discussing the Canon (see included photos).
Dave estimates that in his 34 years at Tulpehocken Junior High, he has taught 151 sections including A Sherlock Holmes story, with an average of 18 students per section. That computes to 2,718 students being introduced to Holmes in Dave’s classes - AND COUNTING!
Although Denny has never been in one a Dave’s classrooms, it is very evident by the attitude and demeanor of the students during their visit, that Dave is respected and liked by them.
Denny looks forward to Dave’s class visit every year. Denny is encouraged that Dave’s efforts will result in developing new young Sherlockians. Dave told Denny that he often meets ex-students and they often comment on their Sherlockian memories in Dave’s class.
Dave Fake is certainly successful in “Keeping Green the Memory of the Master”
The 2019 Beacon Society Winner -- Derrick Belanger, Broomfield, CO
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Derrick is a High School Special Education teacher at Horizon High School in Thornton, Colorado.
He is also an author of Sherlock Holmes books for children and young adults (The MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes series) and adults (Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance). He gives author talks at schools throughout the year, and has developed a Sherlock Holmes mystery unit where students, in a 5th Grade classroom, complete a mystery writing project. Mr. Belanger has made it one of his missions in life to introduce young people to Sherlock Holmes. |
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He specifically created the MacDougall Twins series to introduce young readers to Sherlock Holmes through the eyes of the ten-year-old twin detectives who are the series’ main characters.
He also created the short story anthology The Irregular Adventures of Sherlock Holmes to introduce students to Sherlock Holmes and give them a chance to write their own pastiches with the character. He lectures to students about the importance of thinking like Sherlock Holmes in analyzing assignments and how that can help them be more successful in school.
Derrick is an outstanding proponent of all things Sherlockian and is universally respected and loved by hundreds of students and their parents.
Derrick, on behalf of the Beacon Society we are proud to present you with a certificate recognizing your accomplishments over the years as a purveyor of ideas in keeping the memory of the Master green for young people.
He also created the short story anthology The Irregular Adventures of Sherlock Holmes to introduce students to Sherlock Holmes and give them a chance to write their own pastiches with the character. He lectures to students about the importance of thinking like Sherlock Holmes in analyzing assignments and how that can help them be more successful in school.
Derrick is an outstanding proponent of all things Sherlockian and is universally respected and loved by hundreds of students and their parents.
Derrick, on behalf of the Beacon Society we are proud to present you with a certificate recognizing your accomplishments over the years as a purveyor of ideas in keeping the memory of the Master green for young people.
The 2018 Beacon Society Winner -- Mike McClure, Chester, IL
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Michael W. McClure, has been a funeral director for over 40 years and owner of three funeral homes in Chester, IL and the surrounding county. His compassion for all in need is widely respected, but his love for children is known by everyone.
Mike has always had a heart for encouraging, entertaining and educating children. When he started the Chester Baskerville Society in 1988, he immediately started the scion, Cartwright’s Companions, as a vehicle to simultaneously expose the member’s children to the Sherlockian movement. The very next year (1989) he created “Holmes For The Holidays”, a five-issues-per-year journal chock full of games, puzzles, art and original stories, all devoted to enticing the youth (of all ages) into engaging in the Grand Sherlockian Game. |
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His journals boasted an international mailing list (over 1500 subscribers), and was seen on the A&E Biography episode “Sherlock Holmes” in 1995. It was partly due to his pioneering a “youth movement” that Tom Stix invested Mike into the Baker Street Irregulars in 1992.
Mike has continued to seek ways to keep Sherlock Holmes in front of the younger public. In 1992 he invited Eve Titus, the author of the “Basil of Baker Street” series, to stay in Chester for a week and help him lead programs in all of the schools in the region. He has been continually invited to speak to classes, libraries, and local civic groups. Mike has recently annotated “The Speckled Band” and added 18 new illustrations to the adventure (with a mind-set toward the first time reader), and in Spring of 2018, he donated 82 copies of HIS annotated volume to the 7th grade students of the Chester Public School.
The school administration included his research in their curriculum by teaching a class in April on this favored classic of Conan Doyle’s. Mike has been asked to repeat his pre-read and post-read discussions with each class in ensuing years. Thanks to Mike’s generosity and insight into how to fill a void, a new “annual” focus has now assured that the youth of Chester will continue to be exposed, and learn to love, the magic of the master detective.
Mike continues to expand his amazing project of annually erecting new granite statues to different characters from the Popeye cartoon series. Popeye’s creator, Elzie C. Segar, was born and raised in our hometown, and Mike began the ambitious Popeye & Friends Character Trail in 1996. He has selected, designed, and placed a new statue every year since its inception, and now the cast of characters represented stands at 22! Of course Mike has made the most of his opportunity to spread Sherlock through this campaign as well.
For years he has been able to place an inscription, design or outright representation of Sherlock before the public … which of course is populated by young fans. Mike has included a larger than life granite volume of “The Hound of the Baskervilles” on the statue of Cole Oyl (Olive’s father), and the best proof of his true passion is evidenced in the 2009 unveiling of Castor Oyl, completely decked out in Inverness, Deerstalker and Magnifying Glass!!! Visit www.baskervilleproductions.com/popeye-trail to see the series to date and view, what we believe to be, the only full size granite Sherlockian statue erected in the United States.
In 2018 Mike officially launched his website version of “Holmes For The Holidays”. Please visit www.baskervilleproductions.com/sherlock to see the fun he has started. There is a slideshow near the bottom of the page that gives you a tour through his years of accomplishments in bringing Holmes to all ages. His purpose again is to reach out to the children and introduce them to our special friend.
It is obviously impossible to calculate, the number of children that have been reached by Mike McClure. He is the embodiment of The Beacon Society mission. He continues to find new, exciting and permanently advocating ways to expose Sherlock Holmes to the next generations.
Mike has continued to seek ways to keep Sherlock Holmes in front of the younger public. In 1992 he invited Eve Titus, the author of the “Basil of Baker Street” series, to stay in Chester for a week and help him lead programs in all of the schools in the region. He has been continually invited to speak to classes, libraries, and local civic groups. Mike has recently annotated “The Speckled Band” and added 18 new illustrations to the adventure (with a mind-set toward the first time reader), and in Spring of 2018, he donated 82 copies of HIS annotated volume to the 7th grade students of the Chester Public School.
The school administration included his research in their curriculum by teaching a class in April on this favored classic of Conan Doyle’s. Mike has been asked to repeat his pre-read and post-read discussions with each class in ensuing years. Thanks to Mike’s generosity and insight into how to fill a void, a new “annual” focus has now assured that the youth of Chester will continue to be exposed, and learn to love, the magic of the master detective.
Mike continues to expand his amazing project of annually erecting new granite statues to different characters from the Popeye cartoon series. Popeye’s creator, Elzie C. Segar, was born and raised in our hometown, and Mike began the ambitious Popeye & Friends Character Trail in 1996. He has selected, designed, and placed a new statue every year since its inception, and now the cast of characters represented stands at 22! Of course Mike has made the most of his opportunity to spread Sherlock through this campaign as well.
For years he has been able to place an inscription, design or outright representation of Sherlock before the public … which of course is populated by young fans. Mike has included a larger than life granite volume of “The Hound of the Baskervilles” on the statue of Cole Oyl (Olive’s father), and the best proof of his true passion is evidenced in the 2009 unveiling of Castor Oyl, completely decked out in Inverness, Deerstalker and Magnifying Glass!!! Visit www.baskervilleproductions.com/popeye-trail to see the series to date and view, what we believe to be, the only full size granite Sherlockian statue erected in the United States.
In 2018 Mike officially launched his website version of “Holmes For The Holidays”. Please visit www.baskervilleproductions.com/sherlock to see the fun he has started. There is a slideshow near the bottom of the page that gives you a tour through his years of accomplishments in bringing Holmes to all ages. His purpose again is to reach out to the children and introduce them to our special friend.
It is obviously impossible to calculate, the number of children that have been reached by Mike McClure. He is the embodiment of The Beacon Society mission. He continues to find new, exciting and permanently advocating ways to expose Sherlock Holmes to the next generations.
The 2017 Beacon Society Winner -- Rob Nunn, Edwardsville, IL
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Thanks to the Jan Stauber grant from the Beacon Society, Robert Nunn was able to create a two-week unit that introduced his fifth graders to the stories of Sherlock Holmes.
The unit includes his lesson plans, with objectives and pictures on pages 3-10 of the report. An assignment on identifying nouns is on page 11. Other resources used for this unit include information from Scholastic, the International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes, and ReadingAtoZ.com. The texts used for whole class instruction are Classic Starts: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and On The Case With Holmes and Watson: Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure at the Copper Beeches. The scripts for the Reader’s Theater plays were The Red-Headed League and Sherlock Holmes and the Blue Carbuncle. |
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The 2016 Beacon Society Winner -- Helen Cauley, Atlanta, GA
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The 2016 Beacon Award recipient is Helen Cauley an English Ph.D. candidate and a writing instructor at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia.
Her dissertation centers on the influences of the Scottish Enlightenment in the Sherlock Holmes stories. She is a journalist and, since 1990, has been an active member and former president of the Confederates of Wisteria Lodge, Atlanta’s Sherlock Holmes society. Her latest project with the Confederates was to establish an online “meet up” page to encourage young and adult would-be Sherlockians to learn more about the society. |
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Her teaching has introduced the original Sherlock Holmes stories to young people.
As part of her dissertation, she designed a research-based persuasive composition course around the Canon entitled “Curious Scholars.” That course also introduces her students to the vocabulary of the canon. Her assignments engage students in the powers of observation, deduction, and reasoning. Ms. Cauley also makes continual references to the original stories.
In addition, for the last two years, Ms. Cauley has conducted monthly Sherlock discussion group sessions that meet at the community library and draw readers across all ages.
As part of her dissertation, she designed a research-based persuasive composition course around the Canon entitled “Curious Scholars.” That course also introduces her students to the vocabulary of the canon. Her assignments engage students in the powers of observation, deduction, and reasoning. Ms. Cauley also makes continual references to the original stories.
In addition, for the last two years, Ms. Cauley has conducted monthly Sherlock discussion group sessions that meet at the community library and draw readers across all ages.
The 2015 Beacon Society Winner -- Dr. Michael Brady, Spring Hill, TN
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Dr. Michael Brady is a mathematics and social studies teacher at Heritage Middle School in Thompson Station/Spring Hill Tennessee. He has recently moved to Franklin, Tennessee and is a member of the Nashville Scholars of the Three Pipe Problem.
He was selected for his work developing a Sherlockian curriculum relating it to the California High School Standards and then teaching adolescent youths in the California Prison System, Torch Middle School, Fullerton Community College, and Santa Ana Community College. |
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Dr. Brady also used the Grenada Sherlock Holmes videos as a visual and performing arts component of the curriculum. When seeking copyright permission to use the videos Michael was honored by an encouraging letter by Jeremy Brett the actor who portrayed Sherlock Holmes in the Granada Television series. His students wrote to other Sherlockian groups and one point of debate was the Mathematical puzzle of the growth of the Oak Tree in The Musgrave Ritual. A sign that the students were involved in learning. During this time period Dr. Brady wrote several articles for a Sherlockian publication in Japan. His teaching technique, specifically the use of Sherlock Holmes and Math, was commented upon by a teacher in Europe who found success with the same technique. During this time period Michael belonged to the Trained Cormorants of Long Beach.
These students were not the "Typical" incarcerated teens. They were assigned to an Intensive Treatment Program (Psychological Disorders). From 2000 to 2007, Michael taught Math at Torch Middle School. This school is in an un-incorporated part of Los Angeles County and is predominately populated by Hispanics, immigrants, low-income houses and heavy in gang violence. But the students really tool to Sherlock. One year the students wrote their own Sherlock Holmes play! The play was called "Sherlock Holmes' Wife" and was performed for the school and district administration. This was a major accomplishment as many of the students were socially and academically challenged. This group also formed the WAX Vestas of the Dartmoor Professor (The Torches of Dr. Brady). Michael also used Sherlock Holmes to teach heights and similar angles. An End-Of-The-Year Math Project contained a Sherlock Holmes story, The Case of The Missing Bridge, written by Michael. The story emphasized Deduction and Problem Solving.
These students were not the "Typical" incarcerated teens. They were assigned to an Intensive Treatment Program (Psychological Disorders). From 2000 to 2007, Michael taught Math at Torch Middle School. This school is in an un-incorporated part of Los Angeles County and is predominately populated by Hispanics, immigrants, low-income houses and heavy in gang violence. But the students really tool to Sherlock. One year the students wrote their own Sherlock Holmes play! The play was called "Sherlock Holmes' Wife" and was performed for the school and district administration. This was a major accomplishment as many of the students were socially and academically challenged. This group also formed the WAX Vestas of the Dartmoor Professor (The Torches of Dr. Brady). Michael also used Sherlock Holmes to teach heights and similar angles. An End-Of-The-Year Math Project contained a Sherlock Holmes story, The Case of The Missing Bridge, written by Michael. The story emphasized Deduction and Problem Solving.
The 2014 Beacon Society Winner -- Shannon Carlisle, Franklin, TN
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Mrs. Carlisle is the accelerated learning teacher at Moore Elementary, a school in Franklin, Tennessee, serving kindergarten-4th grade students. Her role is to ensure that the unique intellect of every individual be challenged by developing critical thinking, creative thinking, and research skills through the study of the Common Core State Standards.
The hallway to Mrs Carlisle's classroom is decorated with Baker Street signs, and her classroom door is "221B," the front door of the great detective. She even signs her memos and newsletters to our staff and the parent community "Chief Sherlockian." During the first week of the school year, she invites the Moore Elementary 4th graders to 221b Baker Street (her classroom) to have them solve the “Mystery of the Borrowed Bear.” |
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The students are told they are Sherlockians-in-Training and by the end of the week they can earn the title of Sherlockians. As a part of the investigation, the students learn about Sherlock Holmes.
Her introductory Power Point teaches the Sherlockians-in-Training about the literary detective including his image and his residence. She teaches the students that he was a “consulting detective” who used the science of deduction and forensic science to solve cases. She also introduces the students to Dr. Watson, the Baker Street Irregulars, and Sherlockian Societies.
Then she uses the first few pages from “A Scandal in Bohemia” to illustrate to the students Sherlock’s deductive thinking skills. Holmes observes and deduces much about Dr. Watson before the doctor even speaks. The line, “You see, but you do not observe,” is posted throughout the week as a reminder to the students to observe well as they are attempting to solve the mystery. Finally, the students are taken to a "crime scene" to visually gather data.
During day 2, the students review their crime scene notes, hear notes recorded from interviewed suspects, and begin to infer who committed the crime. During days 3 and 4, the students complete experiments in the forensics lab. And finally, during day 5, the students solve the case. Every student is then awarded a certificate of completion and is identified as a Sherlockian of Moore Elementary.
Because of her Sherlockian Training and her Baker Street hallway decorations, our students have begun to learn who Sherlock Holmes is and have taken further steps themselves to learn more about the great detective. The newly-published The 100-Year-Old Secret, book one of The Sherlock Files, by Tracy Barrett, has been checked out over 40 times since it was catalogued in our library. The Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes: based on the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was entered into our library’s circulation February 2007, but wasn’t until Mrs. Carlisle became our Chief Sherlockian that it was finally checked out in October 2011.
Recently, the walls of our library were painted with a fantastic mural highlighting characters from some our best-loved books. In a hot air balloon, flying high over Clifford the Big Red Dog, is Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson with the line “It’s Moore… Elementary my dear Watson”. Students are creating their own deerstalkers for crazy hat day. They are attending the play “Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure” at the Nashville Children’s Theater on their own. One student gets a lot of attention when he wears his Priest Holmes jersey. And ultimately, our students are learning about the science of deduction and applying it daily as they complete tasks in all subject areas.
Her introductory Power Point teaches the Sherlockians-in-Training about the literary detective including his image and his residence. She teaches the students that he was a “consulting detective” who used the science of deduction and forensic science to solve cases. She also introduces the students to Dr. Watson, the Baker Street Irregulars, and Sherlockian Societies.
Then she uses the first few pages from “A Scandal in Bohemia” to illustrate to the students Sherlock’s deductive thinking skills. Holmes observes and deduces much about Dr. Watson before the doctor even speaks. The line, “You see, but you do not observe,” is posted throughout the week as a reminder to the students to observe well as they are attempting to solve the mystery. Finally, the students are taken to a "crime scene" to visually gather data.
During day 2, the students review their crime scene notes, hear notes recorded from interviewed suspects, and begin to infer who committed the crime. During days 3 and 4, the students complete experiments in the forensics lab. And finally, during day 5, the students solve the case. Every student is then awarded a certificate of completion and is identified as a Sherlockian of Moore Elementary.
Because of her Sherlockian Training and her Baker Street hallway decorations, our students have begun to learn who Sherlock Holmes is and have taken further steps themselves to learn more about the great detective. The newly-published The 100-Year-Old Secret, book one of The Sherlock Files, by Tracy Barrett, has been checked out over 40 times since it was catalogued in our library. The Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes: based on the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was entered into our library’s circulation February 2007, but wasn’t until Mrs. Carlisle became our Chief Sherlockian that it was finally checked out in October 2011.
Recently, the walls of our library were painted with a fantastic mural highlighting characters from some our best-loved books. In a hot air balloon, flying high over Clifford the Big Red Dog, is Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson with the line “It’s Moore… Elementary my dear Watson”. Students are creating their own deerstalkers for crazy hat day. They are attending the play “Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure” at the Nashville Children’s Theater on their own. One student gets a lot of attention when he wears his Priest Holmes jersey. And ultimately, our students are learning about the science of deduction and applying it daily as they complete tasks in all subject areas.
The 2013 Beacon Society Winner -- Tim Greer, Memphis, TN
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Timothy S. Greer of the Memphis University School uses Sherlock Holmes and other detectives to strengthen students' cognitive abilities and foster critical thinking and writing skills. Lab exercises include the analysis of handwriting and forgery, bite marks, gunshot residue, and the use of dogs for tracking.
Tim Greer is an instructor in English and fine arts and director of theater at Memphis University School in Memphis, TN. Founded in 1893, MUS is a non-denominational and non-discriminatory college-preparatory day school for boys in grades 7-12.Mr. Greer teaches a senior course in Detective Fiction. His students read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (in the original illustrated Strand edition) as well as Edgar Allan Poe, John Dickson Carr, Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, and other well-known writers of the genre. |
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Among his many objectives for the course are analyzing literary devices and concepts, fostering critical thinking and formal reasoning skills, examining recurring themes in detective fiction, examining the role of popular literature as a means of mass communication, and recognizing the cultural phenomenon of art imitating life and vice versa as the detective fiction genre mirrors the development of early modern criminology.
Laboratory exercises include the analysis of handwriting and forgery, bite marks, gunshot residue, and the use of dogs for tracking.
DETECTIVE FICTION
(Elizabeth Crosby, Chair of the MUS English Department contributed to this summary)
If you see a group of students scribbling on field notebooks and trailing a bloodhound across our school’s campus, then their teacher, Tim Greer, is not far behind. Greer does, in fact, offer his students an exemplary educational experience of Sherlock Holmes in the field as well as in the classroom.
Mr. Greer begins his Detective Fiction course for high-school seniors with a discussion of Aristotle’s Metaphysics and the “insatiable human desire to know.” During the course he asks the students to consider the idea that society needs Sherlock Holmes – the “dragon slayer” – to pursue the criminal who strikes in secret, that criminal who has violated Hobbes’ social contract. And for whom does the detective seek justice? According to Greer, a detective like Sherlock Holmes seeks justice for the victim but also, and more important, for society, for the sake of the “Queen’s peace.”
Among the many creative ways in which Mr. Greer engages his students in the genre of detective fiction is an E-FIT written report in which the students reflect on how drawing composite images of their own faces “sharpens their skills of observation and strengthen the ongoing practice of mindfulness.” In another exercise, Greer’s students analyze gunshot residue and compare their findings to Holmes’ in “The Reigate Squire.” And, of course, Greer partners his students with canines and sets up a tracking session which the students will compare and contrast with the abilities of the dogs used by Holmes and Watson.
How could Mr. Greer’s students not get caught up in the excitement of mystery and crime solving with such a creative and energetic teacher leading the hounds? In feedback at the end of the course, Greer’s students consistently report that Detective Fiction is one of the best courses they have taken in high school. As one student put it, “Sherlock Holmes 4ever!” Another student plans now to pursue a career as a criminologist. He told Greer that criminology combines his love for English and Science and that a criminologist “gets to do both – go into the field and collect evidence, retire to the lab and work on it, write reports on their findings, and testify in court.”
DETECTIVE FIELDWORK
Students trying their hand at a bit of forgery – and forgery detection, using an indispensable piece of Sherlockian equipment: the microscope.
Students make bite impressions for later comparison with tooth marks in an apple taken in evidence (center). Working in groups, they carefully inspect the apple and the bite impressions to match a potential suspect's dental pattern.
Mr. Greer demonstrates how blast patterns will be obtained from a blank-firing .45LC caliber Colt New Service, a ballistic cousin to the .455 caliber Webleys used by Sherlock Holmes in “The Reigate Squires” and Sam Spade in “The Maltese Falcon.”
Students calculate the conical pattern at various distances from the muzzle to see if the authors did their research for their stories.
In tracing the movements of a fugitive over territory familiar to him, geographical profilers review a lot of information.
They carefully scrutinize urban geography, flow patterns and perceived barriers, but they also take into account how people tend to move when under stress.
Police dog handlers are familiar with these patterns and Holmes surely knew them as well, when he used canine helpers like Pompey in “The Missing Three-Quarter” and Toby in “The Sign of Four.”
Students follow and document the activity a bloodhound and his handler from Search Dogs South as it tracks a "person of interest" from one building to another on the MUS campus.
Laboratory exercises include the analysis of handwriting and forgery, bite marks, gunshot residue, and the use of dogs for tracking.
DETECTIVE FICTION
(Elizabeth Crosby, Chair of the MUS English Department contributed to this summary)
If you see a group of students scribbling on field notebooks and trailing a bloodhound across our school’s campus, then their teacher, Tim Greer, is not far behind. Greer does, in fact, offer his students an exemplary educational experience of Sherlock Holmes in the field as well as in the classroom.
Mr. Greer begins his Detective Fiction course for high-school seniors with a discussion of Aristotle’s Metaphysics and the “insatiable human desire to know.” During the course he asks the students to consider the idea that society needs Sherlock Holmes – the “dragon slayer” – to pursue the criminal who strikes in secret, that criminal who has violated Hobbes’ social contract. And for whom does the detective seek justice? According to Greer, a detective like Sherlock Holmes seeks justice for the victim but also, and more important, for society, for the sake of the “Queen’s peace.”
Among the many creative ways in which Mr. Greer engages his students in the genre of detective fiction is an E-FIT written report in which the students reflect on how drawing composite images of their own faces “sharpens their skills of observation and strengthen the ongoing practice of mindfulness.” In another exercise, Greer’s students analyze gunshot residue and compare their findings to Holmes’ in “The Reigate Squire.” And, of course, Greer partners his students with canines and sets up a tracking session which the students will compare and contrast with the abilities of the dogs used by Holmes and Watson.
How could Mr. Greer’s students not get caught up in the excitement of mystery and crime solving with such a creative and energetic teacher leading the hounds? In feedback at the end of the course, Greer’s students consistently report that Detective Fiction is one of the best courses they have taken in high school. As one student put it, “Sherlock Holmes 4ever!” Another student plans now to pursue a career as a criminologist. He told Greer that criminology combines his love for English and Science and that a criminologist “gets to do both – go into the field and collect evidence, retire to the lab and work on it, write reports on their findings, and testify in court.”
DETECTIVE FIELDWORK
Students trying their hand at a bit of forgery – and forgery detection, using an indispensable piece of Sherlockian equipment: the microscope.
Students make bite impressions for later comparison with tooth marks in an apple taken in evidence (center). Working in groups, they carefully inspect the apple and the bite impressions to match a potential suspect's dental pattern.
Mr. Greer demonstrates how blast patterns will be obtained from a blank-firing .45LC caliber Colt New Service, a ballistic cousin to the .455 caliber Webleys used by Sherlock Holmes in “The Reigate Squires” and Sam Spade in “The Maltese Falcon.”
Students calculate the conical pattern at various distances from the muzzle to see if the authors did their research for their stories.
In tracing the movements of a fugitive over territory familiar to him, geographical profilers review a lot of information.
They carefully scrutinize urban geography, flow patterns and perceived barriers, but they also take into account how people tend to move when under stress.
Police dog handlers are familiar with these patterns and Holmes surely knew them as well, when he used canine helpers like Pompey in “The Missing Three-Quarter” and Toby in “The Sign of Four.”
Students follow and document the activity a bloodhound and his handler from Search Dogs South as it tracks a "person of interest" from one building to another on the MUS campus.
The 2012 Beacon Society Winner -- William S. Dorn, Denver, CO
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Bill Dorn taught his undergraduate students about the logical reasoning and adventures of Sherlock Holmes for 30 years. Dorn's Study Guides supply exercises in determining the date of an adventure, a vocabulary list of Victorian terms, puzzles or open questions for each story, and quizzes of varying degrees of difficulty.
Bill Dorn, a member of The Baker Street Irregulars since 1999, has written five books about Sherlock Holmes. A Professor of Mathematics at The University of Denver, he taught his undergraduate students about the logical reasoning and adventures of Sherlock Holmes for 30 years. In 2011, Bill generously gave the Beacon Society permission to share his 2-volume set of Study Guides to Sherlock Holmes, which were published in 2001 and are now out of print. |
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The Foreword to the Study Guides explains the unique character of this project that covers every story in the Canon.
FOREWORD
“Why a class in Sherlock Holmes?” someone once asked me when I mentioned the course I was teaching at Vassar College, “Aren’t the stories self-explanatory?”
True enough, a casual reader may readily grasp each of the sixty tales without further explanation. But why stop there? These stories provide a unique and accessible view of a romantic age. They open up a window on the late Victorian and Edwardian eras, and they invite us to learn more. Indeed, the stories suggest so many avenues of exploration that a full college semester is not long enough to follow all the leads. As Sherlock Holmes himself once said: “Education never ends, Watson.”
We can approach the stories from several angles: we can examine the tales themselves, dissecting the method of storytelling and checking for internal consistency – or inconsistency. The former is methodical, the latter, felicitous. For decades, students of the Sherlock Holmes Canon have debated and ruminated about the stories’ contradictions. The questions have enhanced rather than detracted from scholars’ appreciation of the Master Detective. It is all quite a testament to the stories’ engaging and convincing nature.
We can, next, look at Sherlock Holmes in the context of other examples of Victorian literature and the history of detective fiction. In the realm of detective writing, the character of Holmes is in the vanguard, with his faithful friend, John H. Watson, at his side to observe and record.
This prompts us to look into the life and work of Arthur Conan Doyle himself. This physician-author did not consider the Holmesian tales to be among his better works. It is no affront to say that the public knew better than he. Readers, not writers, create icons. Conan Doyle brought Sherlock Holmes into the world with A Study in Scarlet in 1887. He followed this book closely with The Sign of Four. Between 1891 and 1893, he turned out more than two dozen short stories for the Strand magazine, later collected into The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. After this magnificent output, Conan Doyle tired of his sleuth-creation and disposed of him with a dramatic death in the swirling water of Switzerland’s Reichenbach Falls. Forever, he intended.
A reading public, enamored with the Great Detective, pressed for more. In 1901, Conan Doyle relented with The Hound of the Baskervilles. Then he brought Holmes back to life in further short stories, published sporadically between 1903 and 1927.
Sherlock Holmes, thus, spans the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries. Starting within the familiar terrain of these well-loved stories, we can venture into further study of the vocabulary, history, or politics of this age.
William Dorn has taught courses on Sherlock Holmes at the University of Denver for more than 25 years, superbly weaving each of these distinctive strands into the course. The study guide is suitable for use in the classroom, but it also provides excellent fodder for the many groups that meet in the recreational study of Sherlock Holmes, or it may serve as a guide for the solitary pursuit of the Great Detective, alone or in front of a cheery fire.
Julia Carlson Rosenblatt, Pleasant Valley, NY, May 15, 2000
FOREWORD
“Why a class in Sherlock Holmes?” someone once asked me when I mentioned the course I was teaching at Vassar College, “Aren’t the stories self-explanatory?”
True enough, a casual reader may readily grasp each of the sixty tales without further explanation. But why stop there? These stories provide a unique and accessible view of a romantic age. They open up a window on the late Victorian and Edwardian eras, and they invite us to learn more. Indeed, the stories suggest so many avenues of exploration that a full college semester is not long enough to follow all the leads. As Sherlock Holmes himself once said: “Education never ends, Watson.”
We can approach the stories from several angles: we can examine the tales themselves, dissecting the method of storytelling and checking for internal consistency – or inconsistency. The former is methodical, the latter, felicitous. For decades, students of the Sherlock Holmes Canon have debated and ruminated about the stories’ contradictions. The questions have enhanced rather than detracted from scholars’ appreciation of the Master Detective. It is all quite a testament to the stories’ engaging and convincing nature.
We can, next, look at Sherlock Holmes in the context of other examples of Victorian literature and the history of detective fiction. In the realm of detective writing, the character of Holmes is in the vanguard, with his faithful friend, John H. Watson, at his side to observe and record.
This prompts us to look into the life and work of Arthur Conan Doyle himself. This physician-author did not consider the Holmesian tales to be among his better works. It is no affront to say that the public knew better than he. Readers, not writers, create icons. Conan Doyle brought Sherlock Holmes into the world with A Study in Scarlet in 1887. He followed this book closely with The Sign of Four. Between 1891 and 1893, he turned out more than two dozen short stories for the Strand magazine, later collected into The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. After this magnificent output, Conan Doyle tired of his sleuth-creation and disposed of him with a dramatic death in the swirling water of Switzerland’s Reichenbach Falls. Forever, he intended.
A reading public, enamored with the Great Detective, pressed for more. In 1901, Conan Doyle relented with The Hound of the Baskervilles. Then he brought Holmes back to life in further short stories, published sporadically between 1903 and 1927.
Sherlock Holmes, thus, spans the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries. Starting within the familiar terrain of these well-loved stories, we can venture into further study of the vocabulary, history, or politics of this age.
William Dorn has taught courses on Sherlock Holmes at the University of Denver for more than 25 years, superbly weaving each of these distinctive strands into the course. The study guide is suitable for use in the classroom, but it also provides excellent fodder for the many groups that meet in the recreational study of Sherlock Holmes, or it may serve as a guide for the solitary pursuit of the Great Detective, alone or in front of a cheery fire.
Julia Carlson Rosenblatt, Pleasant Valley, NY, May 15, 2000
The 2011 Beacon Society Winner -- Peggy Perdue, Toronto, ON
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Peggy is the curator of the Arthur Conan Doyle Collection at the Toronto Reference Library and an active Sherlockian. Her Canadian library career has included work in rare book and Asian studies libraries as well as a very enjoyable stint as a children's librarian. Peggy feels fortunate to be working with a collection that not only combines all these things and more, but also keeps her in constant contact with Mr. Sherlock Holmes.
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The summer reading program at the Arthur Conan Doyle Collection of the Toronto Public Library
by Peggy Perdue
At the Toronto Public Library’s Arthur Conan Doyle Collection, we often host class visits and other presentations for children right in the Arthur Conan Doyle Room. The opportunity to explore this combination of a library and a 221B reproduction is a great way to give the kids a memorable experience with Sherlock Holmes. However, if groups can’t come to the ACD Room, we try to take the ACD Room to them. The 2009 Summer Reading Club program run by the library system featured a detective theme, offering a good opportunity to do this kind of outreach to promote the Collection and introduce Holmes to young readers. The resulting program, “Sherlock Holmes’ Detective Class” was designed for kids ages 7-12. As with any program directed at children, each session was a little different, but the basic structure went something like this:
What do the kids already know about Sherlock Holmes? Ask them what a detective is, and if they’ve ever heard of Holmes. Prepare a bag full of Holmesian objects such as a deerstalker hat, a doll wearing an Inverness cape (Snoopy was a popular choice), a magnifying glass and a calabash pipe. Kids enjoy guessing what’s in the bag based on what they already know about what a “real detective” looks like. Most groups I’ve worked with can guess the contents of the bag, although they usually don’t know the terms “deerstalker” or “Inverness.” (If you’re concerned about encouraging smoking, you can point out that one doesn’t have to smoke a pipe to be a detective.)
by Peggy Perdue
At the Toronto Public Library’s Arthur Conan Doyle Collection, we often host class visits and other presentations for children right in the Arthur Conan Doyle Room. The opportunity to explore this combination of a library and a 221B reproduction is a great way to give the kids a memorable experience with Sherlock Holmes. However, if groups can’t come to the ACD Room, we try to take the ACD Room to them. The 2009 Summer Reading Club program run by the library system featured a detective theme, offering a good opportunity to do this kind of outreach to promote the Collection and introduce Holmes to young readers. The resulting program, “Sherlock Holmes’ Detective Class” was designed for kids ages 7-12. As with any program directed at children, each session was a little different, but the basic structure went something like this:
What do the kids already know about Sherlock Holmes? Ask them what a detective is, and if they’ve ever heard of Holmes. Prepare a bag full of Holmesian objects such as a deerstalker hat, a doll wearing an Inverness cape (Snoopy was a popular choice), a magnifying glass and a calabash pipe. Kids enjoy guessing what’s in the bag based on what they already know about what a “real detective” looks like. Most groups I’ve worked with can guess the contents of the bag, although they usually don’t know the terms “deerstalker” or “Inverness.” (If you’re concerned about encouraging smoking, you can point out that one doesn’t have to smoke a pipe to be a detective.)
The 2010 Beacon Society Winner -- Myrtle T. Robinson, Columbia, SC
Myrtle Robinson served as the Chair of the Program Committee for the Beacon Society for 3 years.
The 2009 Beacon Society Winner -- Dr. Tracy J. Revels, Spartanburg, SC
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Dr Tracy J. Revels of Wofford College has taught Victorian History for many years by using Sherlock Holmes to help her students become better writers and critical thinkers.
Professor Tracy Revels received her doctorate at Florida State University in 1990. She is a very active Sherlockian, a member of the Survivors of the Gloria Scott scion in Greenville, SC, which means every meeting is a commute. She is a regular contributor to their newsletter, has written plays for the scion and has recruited some of her students to become members. In September 2007, she contributed a paper to the Sherlock Holmes Festival in Tryon, NC. |
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Professor Tracy Revels received her doctorate at Florida State University in 1990. She is a very active Sherlockian, a member of the Survivors of the Gloria Scott scion in Greenville, SC, which means every meeting is a commute. She is a regular contributor to their newsletter, has written plays for the scion and has recruited some of her students to become members. In September 2007, she contributed a paper to the Sherlock Holmes Festival in Tryon, NC.
A Press Release from Wofford College describes Dr. Revel's longstanding interest in Sherlock Holmes and her thrill in receiving the Beacon Award for 2009.
An Awards Ceremony was held at the Hansom Wheels meeting on 19 February 2009.
HUM 101: Detecting Humanities
Everything I Really Needed to Know in HUM 101 I Learned From Sherlock Holmes
In the HUM 101 Course Syllabus, the objective is to help students become better writers and critical thinkers. By using the Sherlock Holmes stories as a springboard, the class learns more about the historical world of Victorian England. Students are also challenged to critique and analyze the stories, as works of literature and as mysteries, and to consider questions of morality and ethics that the stories raise. The central theme of the class is the power of observation, how it works in stories and in real life. Students are asked to apply the methods of deductive reasoning to various classroom challenges. It is hoped that students in this course will become better thinkers, more observant of the world around them and more aware of the need for precision in their academic work.
A Press Release from Wofford College describes Dr. Revel's longstanding interest in Sherlock Holmes and her thrill in receiving the Beacon Award for 2009.
An Awards Ceremony was held at the Hansom Wheels meeting on 19 February 2009.
HUM 101: Detecting Humanities
Everything I Really Needed to Know in HUM 101 I Learned From Sherlock Holmes
In the HUM 101 Course Syllabus, the objective is to help students become better writers and critical thinkers. By using the Sherlock Holmes stories as a springboard, the class learns more about the historical world of Victorian England. Students are also challenged to critique and analyze the stories, as works of literature and as mysteries, and to consider questions of morality and ethics that the stories raise. The central theme of the class is the power of observation, how it works in stories and in real life. Students are asked to apply the methods of deductive reasoning to various classroom challenges. It is hoped that students in this course will become better thinkers, more observant of the world around them and more aware of the need for precision in their academic work.
The 2008 Beacon Society Winner -- Watson's Tin Box, Ellicott City, MD
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Watson’s Tin Box scion society has been sponsoring a writing contest on The Speckled Band since 2004.
In 2008, Watson’s Tin Box was in its fourth year of sponsoring a Sherlock Holmes Essay Writing Contest for Seventh Grade Students in Howard County (MD) schools as well as home schooled children in that county. Approximately 1000 students have been reached during this time, and support from teachers, librarians and administrators has been enthusiastic. The instructions, judging rubric, budget, and other information used in the contest is thorough and professional. |
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Throughout the correspondence, a common respect between the scion and the school and library personnel can be seen. The booklet was developed in a professional fashion with input from teaching and library staff. The members of Watson’s Tin Box are justly proud of their work and the efforts of Andy Solberg, the originator of the project.
Andy has written a narrative account of how the Seventh Grade Essay Contest came to fruition and it is very instructive to anyone contemplating a similar project.
Watson’s Tin Box of Maryland each year sponsors the Annual Sherlock Holmes Essay Contest for seventh graders in Howard County, Maryland. The Tin Box partners with Howard County Library and Howard County Public Schools. Participating students read the Adventure of the Speckled Band and write essays. Each year, they reach over 200-300 children.
Andy has written a narrative account of how the Seventh Grade Essay Contest came to fruition and it is very instructive to anyone contemplating a similar project.
Watson’s Tin Box of Maryland each year sponsors the Annual Sherlock Holmes Essay Contest for seventh graders in Howard County, Maryland. The Tin Box partners with Howard County Library and Howard County Public Schools. Participating students read the Adventure of the Speckled Band and write essays. Each year, they reach over 200-300 children.
The 2007 Beacon Society Winner -- Judith Howell
2007 Beacon Award: Judith Howell started her students reading in the summertime and used The Hound to teach elements of literary analysis that carried through the rest of the year.
Students are encouraged to be analytical as they reread each chapter to recognize and appreciate the themes included. They come to realize the surprising complexity of the story and are encouraged to think in new ways by applying some of the characters’ words to themselves. They examine their own friendships as they gain understanding of the bonds between Holmes and Watson.
Regular reading-check quizzes are given in a wide variety of formats to insure a thorough reading on the part of each student. Sketches, true and false, quote identification, sequencing of events, charts, and thought-provoking questions are used.
Once the students have chosen a topic and have a rough draft composed, Mrs. Howell models a paper to enhance the students’ understanding of the expectations for college-level writing.
For the remainder of the semester, references are made back to Doyle and The Hound of the Baskervilles, applying the techniques and concepts included in the book to subsequent literature.
Students are encouraged to be analytical as they reread each chapter to recognize and appreciate the themes included. They come to realize the surprising complexity of the story and are encouraged to think in new ways by applying some of the characters’ words to themselves. They examine their own friendships as they gain understanding of the bonds between Holmes and Watson.
Regular reading-check quizzes are given in a wide variety of formats to insure a thorough reading on the part of each student. Sketches, true and false, quote identification, sequencing of events, charts, and thought-provoking questions are used.
Once the students have chosen a topic and have a rough draft composed, Mrs. Howell models a paper to enhance the students’ understanding of the expectations for college-level writing.
For the remainder of the semester, references are made back to Doyle and The Hound of the Baskervilles, applying the techniques and concepts included in the book to subsequent literature.
The 2006 Beacon Society Winner -- Lynn Beaulieu & Kim Bartolo, Fayetteville, NY
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Lynn Beaulieu and Kim Bartolo of the Fayetteville Manlius School System, NY had their advanced curriculum students read Sherlock Holmes and discussed deductive logic, forensic science, and the Victorian age. They were assisted by The Mycroft Holmes Society of Syracuse, who visited and provided research material.
Both Lynn and Kim teach advance curricular topics in two of the elementary schools in the Fayetteville/ Manlius school district in New York state. Several years ago they introduced a unit in the fifth grade advanced reading class consisting of the Sherlock Holmes Mysteries. |
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Both Lynn and Kim teach advance curricular topics in two of the elementary schools in the Fayetteville/ Manlius school district in New York state. Several years ago they introduced a unit in the fifth grade advanced reading class consisting of the Sherlock Holmes Mysteries. In addition to reading a selection of the stories the students explore deductive logic, forensic science, and the Victorian age. This unit has proven to be so popular with the students and an effective multidisciplinary educational vehicle that it has become a permanent part of the curriculum.
In the course of this unit, they are supported by members of the Mycroft Holmes Society of Syracuse who have provided research material and visited the classes every year.
This unit is now a permanent part of the fifth grade curriculum. Plans are underway to introduce The Hound of the Baskervilles as part of the ninth grade reading curriculum in the near future.
They each reach, in the fifth grade, about thirty students a year. So for five years that would make approximately 300 young readers that they have introduced to Sherlock Holmes to date and there will be more every year.
Although not yet converted to full-bore Sherlockians, some of their students have exhibited great enthusiasm for the stories and continue to read additional material after the unit ends.
The future pool of Sherlockians from Central New York may grow largely from the efforts of these two Beacon winners.
In the course of this unit, they are supported by members of the Mycroft Holmes Society of Syracuse who have provided research material and visited the classes every year.
This unit is now a permanent part of the fifth grade curriculum. Plans are underway to introduce The Hound of the Baskervilles as part of the ninth grade reading curriculum in the near future.
They each reach, in the fifth grade, about thirty students a year. So for five years that would make approximately 300 young readers that they have introduced to Sherlock Holmes to date and there will be more every year.
Although not yet converted to full-bore Sherlockians, some of their students have exhibited great enthusiasm for the stories and continue to read additional material after the unit ends.
The future pool of Sherlockians from Central New York may grow largely from the efforts of these two Beacon winners.
The 2005 Beacon Society Winner -- Myrtle T. Robinson & Dr. Twyla Tuten
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Myrtle T. Robinson and Dr Twyla Tuten with the Hansom Wheels of South Carolina designed a reading program that excited and inspired middle school students.
Because January 6, 2004, marked the 150th birthday of Sherlock Holmes, the introductory session to the third annual HOUN reading project was held on that date instead of November this year. Bob and Myrtle Robinson traveled to North Augusta where two sessions were held at Paul Knox and North Augusta middle schools. The teachers had arranged with their principals to combine classes. |
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The school project included reading The Hound of the Baskervilles and submitting an original creation based on the novel. Judging was held in April in North Augusta and the exciting conclusion was on April 24, 2004, in Columbia at the South Carolina State Museum where seven winning eighth-graders from North Augusta and their families were luncheon guests of the Hansom Wheels. All items submitted by the classes involved models of Baskerville Hall, Stapleton’s butterfly collection, new conclusions to the novel, puzzles, games, and posters, among others—were on exhibit in the museum’s Orientation Room for the entire day for public viewing.
Each winning student was presented with a Collector’s Library edition of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and a framed print of Sherlock Holmes created by Jak Smyrl. In addition, they and their families received free admission to the museum for the day.
Video tapes of the 1939 movie The Hound of the Baskervilles starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, just released that weekend, were donated to the libraries of the participating schools.
The approximate total of eighth graders exposed to HOUN in the three years the project has been carried out is 300. We have already purchased books for the next project, and we expect it to follow the general outline of previous years. We will have 94 students this year.
The bottom line is that we thoroughly enjoy doing the projects and we try to plan it so that the students enjoy it, too. I think it shows in the wide-ranging and often quite remarkable originality and creativity of their projects. We judge knowing nothing about students except which school they attend, and we don’t know how the teachers have graded the submissions. We were especially pleased to have an African-American girl as one of the winners in 2004. Most times, we can identify the sex by the student’s name, and we’ve seen that the sex distribution varies from year to year. As I’ve mentioned in the past, I’m personally interested in presenting something to the male students that has some "zing" to it, since many boys look at reading as a chore. I think HOUN fits the bill.
Each winning student was presented with a Collector’s Library edition of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and a framed print of Sherlock Holmes created by Jak Smyrl. In addition, they and their families received free admission to the museum for the day.
Video tapes of the 1939 movie The Hound of the Baskervilles starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, just released that weekend, were donated to the libraries of the participating schools.
The approximate total of eighth graders exposed to HOUN in the three years the project has been carried out is 300. We have already purchased books for the next project, and we expect it to follow the general outline of previous years. We will have 94 students this year.
The bottom line is that we thoroughly enjoy doing the projects and we try to plan it so that the students enjoy it, too. I think it shows in the wide-ranging and often quite remarkable originality and creativity of their projects. We judge knowing nothing about students except which school they attend, and we don’t know how the teachers have graded the submissions. We were especially pleased to have an African-American girl as one of the winners in 2004. Most times, we can identify the sex by the student’s name, and we’ve seen that the sex distribution varies from year to year. As I’ve mentioned in the past, I’m personally interested in presenting something to the male students that has some "zing" to it, since many boys look at reading as a chore. I think HOUN fits the bill.
The 2004 Beacon Society Winner -- Jan Stauber, Verona, NJ
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Jan Stauber spent over 10 years visiting classrooms in the guise of Sherlock Holmes, inspiring students and teachers to read about The Great Detective.
Keeping the Memory Green (Published with permission from The Serpentine Muse, vol 19:3, summer 2003.) With computers, TV, sports, and video games, it is very difficult to interest middle school youngsters in reading or academics. It is indeed a delight to see them become interested in Sherlock Holmes and the 19th century. |
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For the past 10 years, I have been visiting seventh and eighth grade classrooms dressed in Inverness cape and deerstalker, carrying a calabash and a magnifying glass. As soon as I enter the classroom, you can hear a pin drop. As I go around the room making deductions about certain students à la Sherlock Holmes, I can hear some giggles, but most of the class is enthralled. I talk about Conan Doyle and how he listened to and learned from Dr. Joseph Bell. The students are amazed that there were no modern tests or instruments back then.
The students in the seventh grade have read a play based on The Dying Detective and the eighth graders have read The Speckled Band before I go in to talk to them. We talk about each story and how Holmes’s deductive reasoning played into the whole plot. We talk about Watson and the relationship between Watson and Holmes. The students love to hear about some of the plots of the other stories, particularly The Hound of the Baskervilles.
For an hour, they are fascinated with the life of Conan Doyle, the history of Sherlock Holmes and life in 19th century England. Not a peep is heard when they hear about Sherlock Holmes’s "death" and his hiatus. They can’t imagine how Holmes could figure things out without a computer. They are amazed how many stories Conan Doyle wrote and the number of languages into which the Canon has been translated.
I think one of the things they like best is to see some of my collection of Sherlockian teddy bears and other paraphernalia. They love to see Wishbone in his deerstalker. They get a kick out of seeing Angelica (of Rugrats) in a deerstalker and roller skates. They enjoy looking at some of the stories in other languages.
Our school had a campaign to encourage the students to read. Pictures of the staff were taken with their favorite books or topics. Of course, the photo of me is in full Sherlockian regalia reading Sherlock Holmes. That photo will remain on display long after I have left the school so Sherlock Holmes will live on!
For me, talking to middle schoolers is a very rewarding experience. I love to share the joy of reading the stories and experiencing life as it was over a hundred years ago. It is wonderful to hear questions about the Canon and ACD. When the students ask about websites so they can find out more information, I know that the memory will continue to be green!
Jan died in 2005, leaving many Sherlockian friends to mourn her loss. Jan's memoriam appears on the ASH website.
The students in the seventh grade have read a play based on The Dying Detective and the eighth graders have read The Speckled Band before I go in to talk to them. We talk about each story and how Holmes’s deductive reasoning played into the whole plot. We talk about Watson and the relationship between Watson and Holmes. The students love to hear about some of the plots of the other stories, particularly The Hound of the Baskervilles.
For an hour, they are fascinated with the life of Conan Doyle, the history of Sherlock Holmes and life in 19th century England. Not a peep is heard when they hear about Sherlock Holmes’s "death" and his hiatus. They can’t imagine how Holmes could figure things out without a computer. They are amazed how many stories Conan Doyle wrote and the number of languages into which the Canon has been translated.
I think one of the things they like best is to see some of my collection of Sherlockian teddy bears and other paraphernalia. They love to see Wishbone in his deerstalker. They get a kick out of seeing Angelica (of Rugrats) in a deerstalker and roller skates. They enjoy looking at some of the stories in other languages.
Our school had a campaign to encourage the students to read. Pictures of the staff were taken with their favorite books or topics. Of course, the photo of me is in full Sherlockian regalia reading Sherlock Holmes. That photo will remain on display long after I have left the school so Sherlock Holmes will live on!
For me, talking to middle schoolers is a very rewarding experience. I love to share the joy of reading the stories and experiencing life as it was over a hundred years ago. It is wonderful to hear questions about the Canon and ACD. When the students ask about websites so they can find out more information, I know that the memory will continue to be green!
Jan died in 2005, leaving many Sherlockian friends to mourn her loss. Jan's memoriam appears on the ASH website.