Spar Mystery 3: Understanding Christie's And Then There Were None Through Debate
In this 6-week multi-day class we will expand critical thinking skills in one of Agatha Christie's most intellectually challenging masterpieces, And Then There Were None, through discussion and Spar debate. ESL friendly, CEFR level C1, C2 #academic
Cindy Frank
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5.0
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What's included
6 live meetings
5 hrs 30 mins in-class hoursHomework
1 hour per week. Students will be required to read the portions of the text (three chapters per session) we will be considering for the upcoming class There are optional writing assignments given after each session that can be returned for nuanced comment and assessment.Assessment
Families and learners will receive written assessments throughout the class. There are optional homework assignments given throughout the course. If learners choose to complete any of these assignments they will receive immediate written feedback on their work.Class Experience
US Grade 7 - 10
Advanced Level
Kindly note: This is an ESL friendly class, CEFR level — C1, C2 (Advanced) Please feel free to write me via Outschool email with questions. *** Long-considered by both fans and experts to be one of the best-plotted and most devious mysteries ever, Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, is also the perfect book to employ both the technique of Spar debating and to maximize critical thinking to learn to use "those little grey cells" in the same manner as Hercule Poirot himself. Spar Mystery 3!: Understanding Christie's And Then There Were None Through Debate is the third in my own series of Spar Mystery classes which began with my own Spar Mystery!: Understanding The Hound of the Baskervilles Through Debate and continued with Spar Mystery 2!: Understanding Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd Through Debate. And Then There Were None is the world's best-selling mystery, and with over 100 million copies sold is one of the best-selling books of all time. It is not necessary to have taken Spar Mystery!: Understanding The Hound of the Baskervilles or Spar Mystery 2!: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, first before taking Spar Mystery 3, And Then There Were None. No previous experience in debate is necessary for this class. In And Then There Were None, ten strangers are lured to an isolated Island mansion where at dinner a recorded message accuses each of them in turn of having a guilty secret. Then one by one each of the guests is eliminated. Who among them is the true killer? And which of them will survive? Each class in Spar Mystery will feature an introduction with games and lateral thinking mind puzzles to give students the opportunity to further sharpen their critical thinking skills. Optional writing assignments will be provided as well to give learners the opportunity both to enhance oral speaking abilities and explore creative writing. Spar Mystery follows the same format as my own Spar Lit Sr: Understanding Essays Through Speech and Debate and Spar Lit Sr: Understanding Short Stories Through Speech and Debate. Our 6-session class will focus on blending the acknowledged technique of Spar debating with understanding And Then There Were None through debate and discussion. Spar means “SPontaneous ARgumentation” a quicktime technique that is used to prepare students for formal debate. Our class will use Spar debating to explore dive deep into one of the finest mysteries in history, No previous experience in speech or debate is necessary for full participation in this class. The result? Students will learn to take a position on key issues involving intriguing literary questions, while gaining a nuanced and thorough understanding both sides of every issue. All students will gain an enhanced exploration of literature while expanding debate techniques. Spar Debate questions will focus on the literary aspect of each weekly reading from the book and the Spar debates are evidence-based from the chapters themselves. The 30 minute discussion at the beginning of each session, guided by me, will allow all students to engage in productive discussion. Guidance will be given as to the parameters of Spar debating which are evidence-based not guided by emotional responses. This class has been purposely limited to six students to maximize the participation of every learner. Spar is quick debate! With debaters given the Pro or Con position, a short Spar debate can illuminate ideas and provide for more nuanced critical thinking. Each ongoing class will run as follows: 5 minutes of general introduction 30 minutes of interactive discussion on the chapter or pages set for the class 20 minutes of ongoing Spar pro/con debate involving key literary questions from the weekly reading **** How does Spar debating work? 10 MINUTE MINI DEBATES! Students face off to debate a Pro/Con question involving the specific reading from literature for the day. COIN FLIP TO DETERMINE PRO/CON Students have 1 minute to brainstorm ideas for their position (evidence/arguments) 1 minute Pro students give a 1 minute opening statements to make their case (Con students listen quietly and takes notes) 1 minute Con students give a 1 minute opening statement to make their case (Pro students listen quietly and take notes) 30 seconds Everyone thinks! 2 to 3 minutes Grand Crossfire discussion where all students can ask each other questions about opposing statements. 30 seconds All students think again to prepare their closing statements 30 seconds Con students give a 30 second closing statement (Pro students listen quietly) 30 seconds Pro students give a 30 second closing statement (Con students listens quietly Class Plan Week 1: Chapters 1 2 3 Week 2: Chapters 4 5 6 Week 3: Chapters 7 8 9 Week 4: Chapters 10 11 12 Week 5: Chapters 13 14 15 Week 6: Chapters 16, Epilogue, A Manuscript Document
Learning Goals
*To gain confidence in speaking and organization
*Understand all the basic ideas of debate and rhetoric
*Gain deeper understanding of mystery literature through debate
* To communicate effectively through speaking, thinking adroitly and responding fluently
* Improve memory retention and organizational skills
* Gain confidence and poise in oral presentation
* Expand vocabulary and word usage
*To gain deeper understanding of the nuances of literature and the mystery novel
Syllabus
6 Lessons
over 6 WeeksLesson 1:
Introduction and discussion of chapters 1 2 3
Discussion of chapters 1 2 3 and Spar Debate sparked by: "This group doesn’t seem to fit together at all. They are uncomfortable with each other."
Spar Statement:
Similar types of people tend to gravitate towards each other. In other words, people with similar likes and dislikes and backgrounds are most comfortable together.
Position 1: Agree with the above statement. Explain.
Position 2: Disagree with the above statement. People of different ideas and backgrounds can compliment each other and 55 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Discussion chapters 4 5 6
Discussion of chapters 4 5 6 and Spar Debate sparked by: "Whoever it was who enticed us here, that person knows or has taken the trouble to find out a good deal about us all."
Spar Question:
How should people react if their deepest secrets are exposed to the world?
Position 1: Be restrained and logical. Maintain a sense of calm, accepting what has occurred as that reaction will likely diffuse gossip and people will forget quickly. Explain.
Position 2: React furiously! Deny everything! Stand 55 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Discussion chapters 7 8 9
Discussion of chapters 7 8 9 and Spar Debate sparked by: Spar Statement:
We all have a right to pass judgment on each other.
Position 1: Agree with the above statement. We each have our own set of values and beliefs and have every right to assess and comment on those around us who do not conform to our ideas.
Position 2: Disagree with the above statement. As we are individuals, while we each can have our own set of values and beliefs we should respect the right of others. 55 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Discussion chapters 10 11 12
Discussion of chapters 10 11 12 and Spar Debate sparked by: “That’s what’s frightening the life out of me. To have no idea…”—Rogers
Spar Statement:
Fear of the unknown is the worst fear imaginable.
Position 1: Agree with the above statement. Explain.
Position 2: Disagree with the above statement. Fear is fear no matter what and sometimes knowing what frightening—climate change, a bully—is terrifying in and of itself. 55 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Parental Guidance
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie was originally published in 1939. It is essential for families to remember that at this period in history ideas of casual racism and anti-semitism were rife in throughout society, including in Britain where this novel is set. The essay “Death on the Nile and Addressing Racism in Agatha Christie” on BBC.com quotes Vike Martina Plock, a professor of modern literature and culture at the University of Exeter in the UK:
“However, she says that censoring the books in such a way was a mistake – as she believes that, for the most part, Christie was not being racist herself in her novels, but rather reflecting the racist attitudes of her time and leaving them open to critique. "It made the [censored] novels less socially critical as documents of their time because I do think Christie's novels criticise racism rather than perpetuating [it]," she says. "The racism depicted in the books draws attention to the fact that it was very dominant in the culture in which Christie was living.”
We will discuss how the world has changed and thinking has expanded since this period. It’s important to note that subsequent filmed versions of this novel and other Christie novels, including recent the recent Death on the Nile and Murder on the Orient Express directed by Kenneth Branagh, consciously choose to significantly diversify the cast omitting hurtful stereotypes and focusing on the puzzle/mystery aspects of of the books. James Pritchard, great-grandson of Agatha Christie and head of Agatha Christie LTD quoted in an essay on RTL, that his great-grandmother ‘“would not have liked the idea that someone is hurt by his (sic) turns of phrase’ “When the book was written, the language was different. Agatha Christie was above all there to entertain.”
We will address these issues in the first class and throughout the sessions.
While And Then There Were None was written for an adult audience, publisher HarperAcademic.com, a division of publisher William Morrow, notes that Christie novels work exceptionally well for developing critical thinking in both middle and high school students.
And Then There Were None is of course a murder mystery, and while the descriptions of the murder or murders are not intensely graphic, there is mention of knives, firearms, and poisons as well as mentions of suicide that are essential to the themes of the story.
Kindly see the attached for further information and please feel free to be in touch with me via Outschool email if questions or issues.
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20220214-death-on-the-nile-and-addressing-racism-in-agatha-christie
https://newsrnd.com/life/2020-08-26-why-agatha-christie-s-%E2%80%9Cten-little-negroes%E2%80%9D-changed-its-name-in-france.B1VNRN4mD.html
PLEASE NOTE: As of March 26, 2023 The Guardian has reported that "Several Agatha Christie novels have been edited to remove potentially offensive language, including insults and references to ethnicity.
Poirot and Miss Marple mysteries written between 1920 and 1976 have had passages reworked or removed in new editions published by HarperCollins to strip them of language and descriptions that modern audiences find offensive, especially those involving the characters Christie’s protagonists encounter outside the UK." It has not yet been determined which books will be reworked and the new editions are not yet published. As soon as these new editions become available I will be recommending they be used for this class. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/mar/26/agatha-christie-novels-reworked-to-remove-potentially-offensive-language#:~:text=Poirot%20and%20Miss%20Marple%20mysteries%20written%20between%201920%20and%201976,protagonists%20encounter%20outside%20the%20UK.
Supply List
Learners will need a copy of And Then There Were None, available at your local library or via for purchase via amazon.com, local bookstores, or via second-hand bookstores such as Thriftbooks.com https://www.thriftbooks.com/ as well at reduced prices. We work with powerpoints in class and so it doesn't matter which edition of the book you choose.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Joined July, 2020
5.0
652reviews
Star Educator
Teacher expertise and credentials
Bachelor's Degree from The University of Michigan, 1982 Honors in The History of Art, Does not Expire
Longtime teacher of literature for both middle and high school students, I am also a mystery aficionado who has taught a high school class in genre literature, featuring numerous mystery novels including The Hound of the Baskervilles and other Agatha Christie novels. I am also the founder and former coach of an award-winning Speech and Debate team that competed at local, state and national levels, long-time speech judge for local, regional, national speech events for NCFL and National Speech and Debate Association, former teacher of high school debate and rhetoric, art history, literature, and AP Language and Composition.
Reviews
Live Group Course
$165
for 6 classes1x per week, 6 weeks
55 min
Completed by 31 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 12-17
3-6 learners per class
