Unitversity of Zurich
LLBM: Fachdidaktik II
Hansjürg Perino
Project Work
Astrid, Ana & Julia
Frankenstein
Class: 4th grade
Layout: each week double sessions
Provided to class: book & handouts
Pre-reading activity: Students are to read the preface and letters 1-4
W1
W2
Learning objectives
Classroom activity

Introduction of Book

Warm-up: Reading of NZZ article on robots,
which is followed by an open discussion

Word Clouds (vocab)

Discussion of preface

Students are put in groups to discuss the letters at
the beginning of the book with the help of a work
sheet

Chapter 1 is read in plenum. Students take turns.

In plenum
o form: starts out as epistolary novel (→
triple embedded narratives); letters as
frame device, serving several purposes
o specific language features, vocabulary
o tone, setting
o authoritative voice = ? (Walton? …?)

Word cloud: Each student compiles a list of
words that are related to nature,
feelings/sensations, science and knowledge,
(later: the creature) – as students go along with
reading they are to add more and more words
related to those topics. The purpose: visual
representation of how important those topics are
in the book
Reading of selected scenes and discussion of
significant elements in the novel

The students know the
contents of the first six
chapters

Teaching
methods
and social forms
 Plenum
 Group Work
1
Teaching Materials
Homework
Book + handout (1) + article from
NZZ: “Der reproduzierbare Star”
Read Chapter 2-6
Handout with questions on:
1. Why is the novel
introduced in that way?
2. Which form is the novel
written in?
3. What do the letters say
and suggest?


Plenum
In groups


Book+ handout (2)
Worksheet ‘Characters’
(incl. name – role –
Read Chapter 7-9
Unitversity of Zurich
LLBM: Fachdidaktik II
Hansjürg Perino
Project Work
Astrid, Ana & Julia
Frankenstein


The students can
distinguish the different
narratives (form) and
describe the characters

The students have an
overview of the first six
chapters

In Plenum
o Discussion of the different narratives
o Discussion of characters involved
o Discussion of form
o Discussion of Frankenstein’s
background
o Discussion on foreshadowing: omen,
fate, disaster
In groups: Each group discusses a set of
questions related to one of the six chapters:
Chapters 1 & 2: How does Victor Frankenstein
describe his family life and upbringing and his
interests? Who are his closest companions?
Chapter 2 & 3: What studies does Frankenstein
undertake on his own? What are his reactions to
his professors when he goes to University? How
did one of his first days at the University "decide
his future destiny"? What do you think of
Frankenstein's course of scientific study?
Chapter 4: How is the planning stage of
Frankenstein's experiments with life and death
and his plans to create a living person described?
What changes take place in Frankenstein during
this time and what are his reflections about the
changes?
Chapter 5: How does Frankenstein react to what
he has done? What does this tell us about him?
Chapter 6: What does Elizabeth convey in her
letter to Victor? What studies do Henry and
Victor pursue together? How has Victor's mood
changed?
2

appearance – characteristics
– development)
Worksheet with questions to
chapters 1-6
Unitversity of Zurich
LLBM: Fachdidaktik II
Hansjürg Perino
Project Work
Astrid, Ana & Julia
Frankenstein

W3
W4

The students know the
contents of chapter 7-12

Writing task: Time
Capsule

Students know how to
look at symbolism in a
book

Writing of an inner
monologue

Expert exchange. One person of each group is
put together with member of the other groups and
they exchange their findings
In plenum
o The Gothic element (tone, genre), the
uncanny;

Microteaching: The scenes where the monster is
described are looked at closely. Students are to
discuss in groups which depiction describes the
monster the best or the worst.
descriptions vs visualisations of the creature
(films, comics, books)

In plenum
o Who’s the monster (I)? (esp. after
Justine’s trial) (pro-contra debate in
class (half-half), prepare in pairs)
o maniac behaviour, excess = madness,
(cf. excessive mind is useless to society)

Individual work: Time Capsule - Students have
to think and write about how the story is going to
evolve and hand it in by the end of the second
lesson
In pairs: discuss a set of questions related to one
of the six chapters:

Chapter 7: Who does Frankenstein think committed
the murder he hears about from his father and why?
Why doesn't he tell anyone?
Chapter 8: What was the damaging evidence against
Justine? Why didn't Frankenstein tell the judges about
the actual murderer to save Justine? Was he right?
Chapter 9: How do the deaths impact Frankenstein,
his father and Elizabeth? Where does Frankenstein go
to find some relief? How is "nature" described in this
3







Plenum
Group work
Individual
work/writing
exercise

[microteaching]: descriptions
versus visualisations of the
creature

Book+ handout (3)
Plenum
Pair work
Group work
Individual
work/writing
exercise


Book+ handout (4)
Worksheet with questions to
chapters 7-12
Read Chapter 10-12
Read Chapter 13-15
Unitversity of Zurich
LLBM: Fachdidaktik II
Hansjürg Perino
Project Work
Astrid, Ana & Julia
Frankenstein
chapter?
Chapter 10: What are your main impressions of
Frankenstein's meeting with his creation?
Chapter 11: How does Frankenstein's creation
describe his early development? What gives him
pleasure?
Chapter 12: How does Frankenstein's creation
describe his impressions of the family in the cottage?
What are their actions and way of life? How does he
respond to what he sees? What does Frankenstein's
creature seem to be like? Does this surprise you? Is
the process by which the creature becomes aware and
learns about people and language realistic?
=> speed dating: sts share their findings

In groups: Discussion of symbolism in the book
o What is the archetypal symbol for
knowledge? (light, that is why we say
somebody is enlightened) Where can it
be found in the novel?
o What is a symbol of human progress and
where can it be found in the novel? (the
fire, in ch.9 when the monster invites
Victor to sit by the fire and have a talk)
o What is used as the symbol of danger in
the novel? ( the fire)
o Which Bible character is the monster
compared to? (Adam) Who is Victor
compared to? (the creator)
o What does captain Walton`s quest
symbolise? (exploration)

Individual work – group work
o Students write an inner monologue and
4
Unitversity of Zurich
LLBM: Fachdidaktik II
Hansjürg Perino
W5

Summaries – Cloze Text

Intensive vocabulary work
Project Work
Astrid, Ana & Julia
Frankenstein


W6

Word Cloud

Time Line


W7

Consolidation of the book


Time Capsule

present it to their group. Group consists
of four people.
o Creative feedback on form, voice,
content
o The best of each group is presented in
plenum
Each group receives a summary of one chapter
where words are missing. In pairs, students are
encouraged to find the missing clues.
Vocabulary: In groups of 4 - students deal
intensively with the vocabulary in chapters 13 16. They are asked to select 10 words and to find
synonyms, antonyms or word families of words
selected. In the end each group presents their
findings
Word Cloud: The individual word clouds are
compared to establish which of the topics play
the biggest and which the least role
In pairs: Create a timeline with major events of
Victor’s and the creature’s life up to Chapter 19,
and their character’s development
Discussion of the last four chapters in plenum
Overall discussion in plenum, f.e. as fish-bowl
discussion; possible topics:
o Who’s the monster (II)?
o The role of women (Frankenstein’s
mother, Elizabeth, Safie, Agatha)
o Significance of companionship
(Walton, Victor, (Henry), creature);
Walton – Victor – creature (similarities,
differences)
o Walton’s letters as framing device:
purposes
o Referring back to NZZ article --> The
fully grown new-born
5



In plenum
Pair work
Group work


Plenum
Pair work


Plenum
Pair work

Book+ handout (5)

Handouts with summaries of
chapters 13-19
Read Chapter 16-19
Read Chapter 20-24
Unitversity of Zurich
LLBM: Fachdidaktik II
Hansjürg Perino
Project Work
Astrid, Ana & Julia
Frankenstein

W8

Mini-Presentations (oral
presentation, PPT +
handout are graded)

W9
W9


Mini-Presentations
Students know how to
present a topic in a
meaningful way



Time Capsule: Students get their writings back
and are to exchange with their neighbour whether
they were on the right track or not
Time for the preparation of group presentations
on selected topics
o Symbolism in the book
o The Romantic Period
o Gothic Stories
o The Author (Life, Background, Creation
of Book etc.)
o The Modern Prometheus (refer to title of
the book)
o Darwin
o Science vs. Industrial Revolution
o Natural Philosophy
Preparation of mini-presentations
Students hold their mini-presentations

Who is the monster (III)? [‘who wins the last
cookie?’ – in class, students argue for their
 As a round off
favourite ‘monster’, Victor or the creature, why
one of them should win the last cookie for being
the real monster, for the most monstrous deeds,
or why not]
Write an essay (graded) on the one of the following topics:
o Love and revenge /Fate and free will /Religious elements in the novel
6

Group work



Group Work
Group Work
Plenum

Preparation of
minipresentations