Topic: crime (funnily enough)
Skills: integrated (reading, writing (note-taking), listening (i.e. to each other- a vital skill in this activity), speaking)
Vocab: varied, but again generally crime words will help.
Advantages: minimal planning needed, easy to think up follow-up activities (see the GENERAL METHODOLOGY section), keeps classes occupied (and generally interested) for anything up to 3 hours.
The set contains general introduction. There's a summary and ideas for discussion accompanying every story.
The vague level division of the stories is as follows:
Elementary- Pre-Intermediate
1. Big Ben
2. The Brothers Van der Leet
3. The Count of Monte Cristo
4. The Arsenic Sonata
Intermediate
1. Amanita- The Destroying Angel
2. The Bank Manager of Finchley
Upper-Intermediate
1. Beau Geste
2. The 18:45 from Edinburgh