A Study Guide to the book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon, suitable for level A.2.2 – B1. (year 8-9 and above in Sweden)
1
Watch the video Title Sequence by davesmith145 (2:34)
Try to predict what the book is about by answering these questions:
– What is the incident with the dog about?
– What is curious about it?
– What more do the words “in the night time” add to the story?
Look at the 5 different covers of the book.
– Which one would most likely make you choose to read the book? Why?
– Which one would most likely make you not choose to read the book? Why?
2
Read and/or listen to the first page (Chapter 2) of the book. (You can find the chapter index by clicking a cover picture)
Have a look at a garden fork and a poodle
All the questions can be either discussed in class or written about as an assignment.
– This is the opening chapter of the book. Why do you think that the author has labeled it Chapter 2?
– How old do you think the narrator is? Why do you think that?
5
Read and/or listen to Chapters 3 and 5
Answer these questions:
– What do you know about the writer now?
– What more do you want to know?
– Why do you think there is no Chapter 4, either? (You will get the answer later)
7
Read and/or listen to Chapter 7
– Who do you think Siobhan is? Check in the Character List
– What do you know about Sherlock Holmes? Watch the Hound of the Baskervilles (1959 Original Trailer) (2:04)
13
Read and/or listen to Chapters 11 and 13
– Why does Christopher hit the policeman?
– Why are there no jokes in this book?
23
Read and/or listen to Chapters 17, 19 and 23
– Tell shortly what happened at the police station
– Why do you think Christopher is talking about the Milky Way and Prime Numbers in the middle of the story about the police arrest?
29
Read and/or listen to Chapter 29
– Listen to a song about a Rose as a metaphor
– Can you think of any other metaphors, perhaps in your own language?
31
Read and/or listen to Chapter 31
Watch this Simile Song video (4:31) to learn about similes. Similes and Metaphors (2:59) explains the difference between the two.
43
Read and/or listen to Chapters 37, 41 and 43
– What does Christopher tell us about his mother?
73
Continue reading and/or listening to the story until Chapter 73
– What do you learn about Christopher’s parents in this chapter?
– What did Christopher think caused his parents’ bad relationship?
157
Continue reading and/or listening to the story until Chapter 157 (as homework)
– What do you learn about Christopher’s mum from her letters?
– How did Christopher react when he realised what the letters meant?
– How did father react when he realised what Christopher had found out?
163
Read and/or listen to Chapter 163
– Do you agree with Christopher that human brains are like computers?
167
Read and/or listen to Chapter 167
– Why had the dog killer killed the dog?
– How did Christopher react when he found out the truth?
– Why was it logical for Christopher to run away?
173
Read and/or listen to Chapter 173
See the picture of Orion, the Hunter
179
Read and/or listen to Chapter 179
See the location of Swindon in respect to London
191
Read and/or listen until Chapter 191
– What kind of strategies did Christopher use to concentrate on his task?
197
Read and/or listen until Chapter 197
– How did Christopher manage to escape the policeman
227
Read and/or listen until Chapter 227
See what London AtoZ looks like.
Christopher arrived at King’s Cross Station in London. You can find it near the middle in this interactive Tube Map. You can also search for Willesden Junction and Willesden Green, find Chapter Rd and whether Bakerloo Line was the best way there.
– When Mom says, “I forgot”, what had she forgotten?
229
Read and/or listen to Chapter 229
– In what way does Christopher dream the world to end? Which other ways has he thought of earlier in the book?
233
Read and/or listen to the end of the book
Quiz
Do the Quiz
Writing
Describe the significant ways in which Christopher’s character has and has not changed over the course of the novel.
Viewing
You can listen to The world needs all kinds of minds (19:36), a TED talk by Temple Grandin, diagnosed with autism as a child, about how her own mind works