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Lesson 1 (from Chapter 1)

Objective

Chapter 1

Agatha Christie uses the brief character sketches in this chapter as a way of introducing the reader to the characters and also to create a suspenseful plot.

The objective of this lesson is for students to be able to define suspense and analyze how Christie builds suspense in the first chapter.

Lesson

1) DISCUSSION: Ask students to think about the last time they saw or read something scary. Ask the following questions in a large group discussion:

- What was scary about the movie or book?

- How did the film or book create the frightening mood?

- What is it about not knowing what will happen that makes things frightening?

2) SUSPENSE: Define "suspense" for students as an uncertainty about what will happen in a story. Explain that suspense is meant to create anxiety or tension in the reader. Suspense can be created through sensory detail...

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