The Demon Headmaster - Lesson 1 - Worksheets

As part of an English teaching resource, students are provided with worksheets to explore "The Demon Headmaster" through guided questions and activities. In Lesson 1, they delve into the second chapter titled "Not a Good Beginning." The worksheet prompts students to read and discuss the chapter, encouraging them to engage with the text and characters in depth. Questions range from analyzing the reactions of characters Lloyd and Harvey towards Dinah, the protagonist, to understanding the emotional undercurrents that affect the characters' behaviors. Students are asked to consider Dinah's feelings about her past, what upsets Lloyd, and the significance of Eddy Hair's introduction in the narrative.

The worksheet further probes the students to think critically about the story's setting and plot developments. It questions why Mrs Hunter doesn't accompany Dinah to school, the peculiarities observed in the pupils on their way to school, and the concerns Harvey has upon arriving at school. These queries are designed to lead students to make inferences about the characters and the school environment. Additionally, the worksheet tasks students with identifying the odd behaviors of Lloyd and Ian at the end of the chapter and analyzing how the author, Gillian Cross, creates a sinister mood in the final paragraph. An extension task is also provided, where students are invited to step into Dinah's shoes and write a diary entry describing her initial impressions of her foster family and the new school, allowing for creative expression and deeper empathy with the character's experiences.