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Grades level iconsGrades 11–12
Session time icon9 Sessions: 1 hour each
Genre information iconFantasy/SciFi, Narrative, Poetry
Resource type iconProjects

We Are Here, Walking Towards the Unknown

Ryan Young
Students write personal and fictional narratives inspired by Frankenstein. Prompts include: misunderstood monsters, fears and horrors, a science experiment gone wrong, and rewriting the story.
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Project Instructions
12 Handouts
What Your Students Will Learn

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein started an entirely new genre: one that explored horror, monsters, and how gruesome mistakes could truly be. By using Frankenstein as a mentor text, students will choose their own prompt, either focusing on a time they were misunderstood (like the monster) or on a fear that they harbor (like Dr. Frankenstein or the villagers).

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From This Publication

Have you ever been misunderstood or judged? What fears are you working to overcome? Can science and technology go too far? If you had the opportunity to go back, how would you fix a past mistake? While these questions were inspired by the themes in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, a book written in the nineteenth century, they are still as thought-provoking and relevant as ever. In this collection from 826 Valencia, Mr. Chow’s senior students of Burton High in San Francisco set out to answer them in the form of personal narratives, fictional short stories, and letters. From intimate reflections about their own lived experiences, to the development of creative and futuristic worlds, these young authors meditate on out past, present, and future — and the results prove illuminating for all. Inside this book, you’ll also find resources for teachers, including a curriculum guide aligned with current English Language Arts and Literacy standards, plus loads of inspiration for any writer, thinker, or educator.

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