Summer Reading: Agatha Christie's A Mysterious Affair at Styles
Reading a book together is always better than reading it alone, including Agatha Christie’s first major novel. It’s in this novel that she introduces her famous detective, Hercules Poirot. We'll read the whole book over 3 ½ weeks.
New on Outschool
What's included
8 live meetings
4 in-class hoursHomework
1 hour per week. If we don't finish reading the chapter (s) we're supposed to read in class, students should read them at home on their own. However, if they are unable to read the reading assignments on their own, they can still hear what happened in the review part in the beginning of the class.Class Experience
US Grade 10 - 12
First we’ll talk about the author and the time period this book was written in. I’ll have a powerpoint presentation we’ll go through. Then we’ll dive into the book, reading one to two chapters each class. In the beginning of each class we’ll discuss what happened in the story so far and then read. Students are invited to join a discussion of what we read at the end of each class. Reading out loud can be challenging and sometimes it’s nice to just sit back and listen. Students should have a copy of the book so they can follow along. They can buy a copy, borrow one from the library, or download a copy for free from Project Gutenberg. We’ll try to get through each chapter or chapters in each class but if we get into discussion, whatever we don’t finish will be assigned as homework. However, if the students don’t have time to finish the reading on their won, we’ll always review the reading in class before we start reading the next chapter (s).
Learning Goals
Students will be able to discuss the book week by week and learn about the historical context the book was written in.
Syllabus
Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created Curriculum8 Lessons
over 4 WeeksLesson 1:
Chapter 1
We’ll talk about the author, Agatha Christie, and the time period it was written and read aloud as much as the first chapter (I Go to Styles) that we can. If we don’t finish the chapter, students should finish reading it on their own. 30 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Chapter 2
First, we’ll review chapter 1 and then we’ll start reading chapters 2 (The 16th and 17th of July). 30 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Chapter 3
We’ll review and then read chapter 3 (The Night of The Tragedy) 30 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Chapters 4 and 5
Since the tragedy happened in the last chapter, we’ll talk about it a little to review before we read chapters 4 (Poirot Investigates) and 5 (“It Isn’t Strychnine, is it?”). We’ll also talk about what Strychnine is. 30 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Learning Needs
This course is great for students who have dyslexia since we'll be reading the book out loud and discussing it together.
Parental Guidance
Some topics in the book are for a mature audience, like murder.
Supply List
Students should have their own copy of the book The Mysterious Affair at Styles. It's in the public domain and available at Project Gutenberg but might also be at your local library.
Joined April, 2024
New on Outschool
Teacher expertise and credentials
Bachelor's Degree in English from The Master's College
My name is Miss Rachel. I'm married to a wonderful man, Charlie, and we have three lovely children (whom we are homeschooling). Being an avid reader, I love teaching literature and writing. I have also written a number of children's books and a children's newspaper too. Learning should be fun and classes shouldn't be too long so students can enjoy the class better. My hobbies include exploring, nature, traveling, arts and crafts, going to the beach, and I have lived overseas a number of years before this.Reviews
Live Group Course
$50
for 8 classes2x per week, 4 weeks
30 min
Live video meetings
Ages: 15-18
3-8 learners per class
