APPLICATION
How could the story have changed if the sea salt, the nod, and the string had not been used?
Sherlock Holmes would not know that the person who send the ears were someone from a ship and he would have to use different clues to find who sent it.
How might the story have changed if the hat and the goose had not been part of the events?
That means that James Ryder did not put the blue gem in the goose's throat because that was the reason why the goose was in the story, and Henry Baker would not be involved at all, too. This would mean that the James Ryder hide the blue gem somewhere else and Sherlock Holmes wouldn't be involved in the story.
What clues from the hat did Sherlock Holmes use to find out the owner, and what did each clue reveal?
He looked at the dust/stains and the initial. The dust taught him that it had to be on the hat rack for a long time and since his wife lets him out the door in such a state, she cannot care much for him. Also, the initial was H.B on the hat and the tag says Mrs. Henry Baker he has to be married. This means he has to be a little old. The stains also taught him that he is going through hard times right now because the stains means that he does not have enough money to afford a new one.
Create an alternative way the blue gem could have been hidden. How would this change the outcome of the story?
James Ryder could hide it somewhere safe in his house so that nobody can find it. Then, James Ryder would never had lost the blue gem and Mr. Baker would never have had the blue gem and Sherlock Holmes would never have been involved.
Do you think Jim Ryder made the right choice by putting the blue gem in the duck's throat? Explain your reasoning with evidence from the story.
Jim Ryder probably did not make the right decision because other people might buy the duck, too, and he should have thought about what if there were more than black-tailed goose?
How could Sherlock Holmes have changed his plans to prevent Irene Adler from outsmarting him? Apply what you know about the characters and events in the story.
He should have actually set a fire small OUTSIDE throwing a match so it wouldn't be obvious that he did it since Irene Adler predicted that King of Bohemia would use Sherlock Holmes and he can set it off after he sees where Irene Adler takes out the picture. (With Watson!)
How might the story changed if the blue gem had not been found in the duck's throat?
Sherlock Holmes would not be able to find out that the blue gem was in the duck's throat and he would have to focus on the hat to find clues.
What might Alec’s actions and character reveal about the events surrounding the cardboard box?
It helped Sherlock Holmes know that it was an uneducated person which means it's not the medical students.
Imagine a scenario where Jim Browner did not arrived earlier than usual on the day Mary and Alec were killed. How could the story and the characters' fates differ?
Evaluate whether Irene Adler made the right decision by marrying Godfrey Norton. Support your opinion with evidence from the story.
Yes, she made the right choice because she is now living happy and she says that she love and loved by a much better man.
How would the story change if Jim Ryder had hidden the blue gem somewhere other than the duck's throat? Apply what you know about the situation to explain the possible outcome.
He would've not lost the blue gem in the story and give it safely back to Catherine Cusak.
How might the story have changed if Irene Adler had not left the photo in the envelope.
Sherlock Holmes would have got the money for his fee instead of the picture.
What does the need to keep the photograph secret reveal about the King’s priorities and the potential consequences of its exposure?
THe king of the Bohemia was already engaged and when the photograph is revealed,there would be consequences.
Create an alternative strategy for Sherlock to achieve the same goal without using a disguise. How would this affect the outcome.
He could have just thrown in the smoke rocket and watched outside where she took out the picture instead of going in. Irene Adler might've not noticed if he done that!
Evaluate Sherlock's reasoning determining that the criminal was from a ship. Was his method effective and logical? Why or why not?
Yes, it was logical because the string, nod and the salt all led to someone in the ship because the string, not and the salt were types that are usually find in a ship.
How could the story change if the ears had not been sent to Susan Cushing? Apply what you know about the events and characters.
Since the ears were supposed to be sent to Sarah Cushing, if it sented to Sarah, she might notice that it is Mary and Alec's ear and call police to arrest Jim or talk to him.
How would the outcome of the story change if Sherlock Holmes did not disguise himself and went in the house, but he just throw in the smoke rocket and watch her where she takes out the photo?
Irene Adler might've not find out that Sherlock did that and she would've not ran away.
Create an alternative solution Jim Browner could have chosen instead of killing Alec Fairbairn. How would this change the story's outcome?
He could have talked to Mary about the problem and Mary can promise if she would stop meeting him or they could divorce.
Create a alternative scenario where Mary survived. How would this change the outcome of the story?
If Mary survived, it would change the outcome of the story by Jim never sending the ears to Mrs. Cushing because Mary would stop him, and it would have no Sherlock Holmes involved because there would be no mystery to solve. Also, Mary might already call the police and Jim might be in jail.
Evaluate the importance of having a 2 black-tailed gander. How would this alter the investigation or the outcome of the story.
It is important because that was the reason Blue Gem was found in the goose by wrong person which caused Sherlock Holmes to get involved in the problem.
How could the story have changed if the clues from the hat had been ignored?
They would not know who the owner of the hat was and they would not know where the duck was from either.
How might the story have changed if the King of Bohemia had not been engaged to Clotilde Lothman?
Irene Adler and the King of Bohemia could be married and they would have no problems.
Analyze why James Ryder decided to hide the Blue Gem in the duck's throat. What circumstances and pressures influenced his decision?
The blue gem was too important and James Ryder was going to go to jail if he gets caught so he was just putting it into the goose's throat right away when he saw that there was a black-tailed one instead of checking if there are any more black-tailed ones.
Create an alternative method Sherlock could use to identify the hat's owner without relying on the dust, stains or the initial. How would this change the investigation
I think he might notice that the goose is important and ask if the they can see the goose.
Evaluate the decision to hide the blue gem in the duck's throat. Was this an effective plan? Why or why not?
No, because there could be more than one black-tailed goose and since his sister sells them, the goose that had the blue gem might have been sold.