Video summary
Actors Scott Haran and Percelle Ascott read extracts from 'The Falcon's Malteser' by Anthony Horowitz (illustrated byTony Ross).
They explain why they love the book and share how it captured their imaginations.
We watch as Scott and Percelle become detectives, exploring the world of the book quite literally as they are plunged into a realm of criminals, gangsters, and even crocodiles!
They introduce the story of a pair of detective brothers entrusted with a box of chocolate worth three and half a million pounds.
As the brothers are chased by some of the scariest villains in the world the owner of the box of chocolates turns up dead.
It looks like the brothers now have a mystery to solve.
This clip is from the series Bringing Books to Life 2.
The Falcon's Malteser Teacher Notes
KS1 and KS2 English Discussion Questions
Before watching the video:
- Have you read any books about detectives or mysteries before? What did you like about them?
- What do you think makes a mystery story exciting? Do you like solving puzzles and figuring out clues?
- If you could be a detective for a day, what kind of mystery would you want to solve?
While watching the video:
- Pause at 01:06 - Who are the Diamond Brothers and what are their characteristics?
- Pause at 01:27 - How much money is the box of chocolates worth in the story?
- Pause at 04:40 - What tips do they share about pretending to be detectives when reading?
After watching the video:
- Which part of the video did you find the most exciting or interesting? Why did it catch your attention?
- Would you want to read The Falcon's Malteser after watching this video? Why or why not?
- Imagine you're a detective. What would be your first move to solve the mystery of the missing chocolates?
KS1 and KS2 English Activity Suggestions
- Mystery Detective Board: They could design a detective board, like real detectives do, to organise and work out characters, events, clues, predictions and theories for an engaging and interactive experience when reading mystery books.
- Mystery Makers: Encourage the children to write a short mystery story or a continuation of the story they watched in the video. They can create their own detective characters and plot twists.
- Invent a Detective: Ask children to create their own detective character with a unique name, appearance, personality and special skills. They can write a short description or or bring this detective to life through a drawing.
Take a look at our 500 Words resources for further inspiration around story writing.
These videos contribute to the current national curriculum requirements in:
- England - KS1/KS2 English: Develop positive attitudes to reading and understanding of what they read.
- Northern, Ireland - KS1/KS2 Language and Literacy: Extend the range of their reading and develop their own preferences.
- Scotland - 1st and 2nd Level Literacy and English: Reading - Enjoyment and choice.
- Wales - Progression Step 2/3 Languages, Literacy and Communication: Literature fires imagination and inspires creativity.
These discussion questions and activity suggestions provide opportunities to develop english knowledge and skills in meaningful contexts across all UK curricula, as well as critical thinking and problem solving.
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