Research and Science Fiction

Overview: Students will do research on the topics that  they have identified from the novel Frankenstein to assist themselves in gaining in-depth and thorough understanding of the novel. Research may be about the author Mary Shelley, allusions to myths, Romanticism, Gothic literature, Romantic poets such as Shelley, Lord Byron, S.T. Coleridge, Keats etc,  industrial Revolution, Arctic exploration, scientific trends and discovery at the turn of the 19th century, women and nature in 18th century, geography of Russia, Switzerland, Lake Cuomo, Italy, etc.

Goals: Through this unit, students will be able to –

1. Do data base research and distinguish scholarly sources from non-scholarly ones
2. Expand their knowledge of  19th century Europe, Gothic literature and Romanticism movement , scientific discoveries of 18th and 19th centuries, Romantic poets and the author Mary Shelley
3. Ask insightful questions that can expand our discussions of the novel
4. Annotate articles
5. Make claims and find evidence to support the claims
6. Analyze Frankenstein from a specific perspective such as science, gender or nature
7. Write a science fiction short story
8. Complete a project described in the website : http://www.litstudies.org/SUPAEnglish/english-capstone-project/

Methods:

Based on their reading of assigned chapters or pages from the novel, students will annotate the text and generate at least three questions that will require research to answer. Based on the questions, students will be assigned to a ‘research group” where similar questions will be combined or deepened. As a group, they will research to get the answer. They then present their discoveries to the class.

Resources:

1. Norman-French Period to the Renaissance: 
2. Timeline of English Renaissance
3. Proto-industrialization
4. Hodges` Equipment for Breathing Life into Inanimate Chemicals `55
5. About Glitch
6. Animal Electricity–Galvani and Volta
7. Galvani’s Frog experiment
8. Animal Electricity circa 1781
9. Luigi Galvani
10. History of anatomy

11. Anatomical Theatres

12. Body Snatching
13. The electrified human body
14. George Forster
15. Giovanni Aldini  (website 2  about Aldini)
16. Human Experimentation in the Eighteenth Century
17. Aldini’s experiement
18. Corpse Reanimator Video
19. 1803 Aldini reanimator
20. Galvinic Reanimation
21. Anatomy in 17th century Dutch
22. Morbid Anatomy

Common Core Standards

This unit  will focus on-

• EBC
• Research
• Citing textual evidence
• Close Reading
• Synthesizing
• Collaborative work, oral presentation and active listening

Materials:

• Textbooks: a class set of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• Laptops with internet access for online research and Power Point presentation
• Notebooks for annotations
• Chart paper& markers  for class presentation
• Flash drives to save researched information

Resources: Syracuse  Birds Library Databases

Day 1 : Introduction to the author Mary Shelley

Objectives: Students will gain knowledge about Mary Shelly’s personal life and how it might have impacted her writing the novel Frankenstein.

Aim: Who was Mary Shelley? Why did she write Frankenstein?

Do Now: What do you know about Frankenstein? What ideas come to your mind when you hear the name?

Mini Lesson:

1. What is “Quick & Dirty ” research? For what purposes do we do such type of research?

2.Distinguishing scholarly articles from nonscholarly ones? Why?

Independent PRACTICE:

1. Find interesting and important  information about Mary Shelley that will help you understand why she has gained such a high literary status and what might have inspired her to write the novel
2. Make a list of three-four questions based on her bio. Form a research group of three or 4. From there, continue with your research.
3. Find in-depth information about Shelley, her style, the merits of her writing etc. Most  importantly answer your own questions in a group.
4. Present your finding s to the class.
5. Save your work on a flash drive.

Exit Slip: What is the most important skill you have learned from the 1st research lesson?

Homework:  Respond to the “Aim” question.

Day 2 In-depth Research on Mary Shelley, Romanticism( Romantic poets) , Gothic Literature and  Industrial Revolution, Arctic exploration

Objectives: Students will gather insightful information on ones of the research topics and present their discovery to the class.

Aim: How do we distinguish scholarly and non-scholarly articles? How do we do in-depth research?  What do we know about Mary Shelley, Romanticism( Romantic poets) , Gothic Literature and  Industrial Revolution, Arctic exploration?

Do Now: Check homework; read the project descriptions;  assigned each research group a topic

Resources:

• Biography of Mary Shelley and the origin of her novel Frankenstein
• Detailed biography of Mary Shelley (http://www.egs.edu/library/mary-shelley/biography/)
• Mary Shelley’s Bio by Poetry Foundation
• Bio by Brandeis University
• Video clips of Mary Shelley as prophet of  science

Mini LESSON:

Click open all the resource links above and skim through each website. Describe the characteristics of each website and its unique perspective or approach to the subject.

Biography-

University websites-

Poetry Foundation non-profit organization-

Our conclusion is: to gather insightful information on a topic, we need to _______________.

Your Task: ( Due May 12)Before you read Shelly’s Frankenstein either for the first time or again, research and write about one of the 6 topics of your choice or assigned below ( in a pair, all topics must be covered). The essay should be no less than five paragraphs. MLA citation must be applied and a MLA style bibliography must be attached. To copy a line without citation is plagiarism. Keep that in mind when paraphrasing. Make sure you give credit every time credit is due in MLA Style. You will also use Power Point to present your ideas of the topic with images to illustrate your ideas (claims). This project ( essay and Power Point presentation is a pair project). Group 1: Mary Shelley Group 2:  Romanticism Group  3: Gothic Literature Group 4: The French Revolution and the rise of Industrialization during the Industrial Revolution era. Group 5: ARCTIC EXPLORATION Group 6: Science and technology of the Industrial Revolution era.

Independent Practice:

For each research topic, you need to browse at least three websites ( with citations)-read one website each day and add more information along the way of your research; make a list of important details about the topic; go deeper into the topic; write your main points on a poster paper legibly ; present to the class; take notes while listening to other groups’ presentations

Group 1: Mary Shelley

Group 2:  Romanticism

Group  3: Gothic Literature

Group 4: The French Revolution and the rise of Industrialization during the Industrial Revolution era.

Group 5: ARCTIC EXPLORATION

Group 6: Science and technology of the Industrial Revolution Era ( Erasmus Darwin, Galvalni, etc)

Exit Slip: Describe two ideas that you have surprised you somehow.

Homework: 1. Do individual research on one other topic you are really interested in finding out more information. Use Power Point to present your in depth research results ( ideas and images). Present to the class on Thursday.

2. Continue doing research on the examples of allusions: Romantic poets or scientists etc). Select two to post on your power point slides to share with the class.

Day 3 Preliminary Research Results Presentation

Objectives: Students will share the information they have gathered on their research topic in class and generate research questions for further study.

Aim: How do we ask questions to advance our research?

Do Now: Set up the presentation.

Activity 1:

Pair presentation.

Activity 2:  Peers ask questions for clarification.

Activity 3: How do we ask questions to further our research ?

Independent Practice:

Select the most important notes to be included on a poster to share with the class.

Homework:

Generate three ” how” and ” why” questions based on the information you have gathered. Continue with the research, this time, in-depth based on the questions you have asked.

Day 4: Making a final selection of focus of study

Objectives: Students will finalize their focus of study for the novel and present their research questions and results.

Aim: What’s your next–step  research based on? What will be your final focus of study?

Do Now: Set up for presentation. Be sure to include the three questions.

Activity 1: Presentation

Activity 2: Q & A

Activity 3: Individual group conference on on finalizing the topic for literary analysis.

Homework:

1. Generate a claim based on the information you have collected on the topic.

2. Select evidence from the text of Frankenstein ( Introduction, Preface, letters 1-4 and chapters 1 & 2)

3. Use dialectical journal format when selecting evidence from the novel for your literary analysis.

Day 5  Generating a claim

Objectives: Students will generate a claim based on the information and notes they have taken based on their research.

Aim: What claim can you  make based on the information you have collected and annotated?

Do now: Finish the presentation .

Mini Lesson: Pick a passage from articles about each topic and draw a claim. Claim is an author’s point or what the reader’s draws from the reading.

Visit the site for Arctic Exploration ( timeline)- Background

What claim can we make about the topic based on the information?

Independent Practice

Find a passage or two and draw a claim.

Use specific evidence to support your claim.

Use both primary and secondary documents for your research.

Homework: Complete the EBC paragraph on your topic.You will have three claims for your research paper.

Day 6

Objectives: Students will present their first claim on their research , supported by evidence.

Aim: What point can you make at this point of your research about  your topic?

Do now: Set up for the presentation.

Mini Lesson

• What do we need to know about citations?

In-text citation and works cited 

• Presentations

Independent Practice

Add appropriate citations to your presentation.

Homework: Work on the 2nd claim. Use appropriate citations.

Day 7 : Claim and Evidence

Objectives: Students will cite three quotations relating to each claim and provide analysis of each quotation.

Aim: Why do the quoted passages support your claim?

Do now: Ask one team to volunteer to share a claim and supporting evidence. Other teams listen and take notes for further comments.

Mini Lesson:

Power Point Presentation on _____________ ( TOPIC) by ______ & ________Part I: IntroductionIn the introduction, you will provide an overall view on the topic. ( time frame, descriptions , people involved, causes, etc).Part II : List of examples ( major works, theories, names of sites, inventions  and experiments, major life events)that illustrate the topic)Part III: Claim #1 with three quoted passages ( at least) with proper in-text citations and analysis. Visual illustrations ( with proper citation)  are strongly recommended. Provide a historical context for your evidence.Part IV: Claim #2 with three quoted passages ( at least) with proper in-text citations and analysis. Visual illustrations are strongly recommended.  Provide a historical context for your evidence.Part V: Claim #3 with three quoted passages ( at least) with proper in-text citations and analysis. Visual illustrations are strongly recommended.  Provide a historical context for your evidence.Part VI: Conclusion:  Describe the effects and connections to the fiction Frankenstein.Part VII: Bibliography

Independent Practice:

Use your research questions to look for more in-depth articles on the topic. Read  and annotate the articles before you generate a claim. The articles and their annotations will be attached to your final research paper as part of the project.

Homework: Annotation the articles and generate the 3rd claim.

Day 8

Objectives: Students will refine their claims for their research and follow the MLA for citations.

Aim: How do we refine a claim and create a thesis for our research paper?

Do Now: Continue with the presentation.

Mini Lesson: Claims and thesis

To refine a claim:

• Claim statement should be broad enough that it can be supported from various aspects and evidence.
• Claim should be specific enough that it can be directly supported by specific evidence.
• A valid claim explains the thesis.

A thesis: A thesis statement is a conclusion you have drawn from your own research on a selected topic based on key research questions.

• Developing a thesis
• Drafting a Preliminary Thesis Statement
• Developing & Refining a Thesis Statement
• More about thesis

Independent PRACTICE:

1. Refine your claims.
2. Develop a thesis statement for your research paper

Homework:

1. Write a complete thesis statement for your research paper.
2. Bring in a t least two annotated articles to show how your thesis developed.

Day 9

Objectives: Students will renine thethesis statement

Aim: How and why do we refine a thesisi satement?

Do Now: Share the thesis and claims

Mini Lesson:

A thesis: A thesis statement is a conclusion you have drawn from your own research on a selected topic based on key research questions.

• Developing a thesis
• Drafting a Preliminary Thesis Statement
• Developing & Refining a Thesis Statement
• More about thesis

Independent Practice: Complete the following and hand it in-

Research Topic

1. Research questions
2. Claims
3. Preliminary thesis statement:
4. Works Cited

Homework: Write an outline for your research paper.

Day 10 Research Paper Outline

Objectives: Students will create an outline for their research paper following a template.

Aim: Why is writing an outline for your research paper important?  What  should be included in the outline?

Resources:

• Writing an outline

Do Now: Study a sample outline and identify the components of an effective outline.

Mini Lesson

We’ll create an outline together using one of the topics.

Independent Practice

Use the template to create an outline for your research paper.

Homework:

Write a complete introduction and the paragraph about the background of your topic. ( 3 paragraphs)

Write the 1st body paragraph with 3 sub-points and examples based on the first claim.

Day 11 Writing the 1st body paragraph for the research paper

Objectives: Students will write the 1st body paragraph to illustrate ans support their first main point ( claim).

Aim: How can we best illustrate and support the claim?

Do Now: Share issues about the introduction and background paragraph.

Mini Lesson

Writing a body paragraph-( two out of three should be direct quotations, the 3rd one needs to be an example described or cited in your own words).

1. Topic sentence: state your main point.

2. Introduce context and evidence.

3. Analyze evidence to explain why it relates to your point. Make connections between evidence and your main point for the paragraph.

4. Introduce the 2nd evidence and analysis.

5. Introduce the 3rd evidence and analysis. Make connections between evidence and your main point for the paragraph.

6. Finish the paragraph with ” SO What” ( making connections with your thesis statement)

Independent Practice:

Write the 1st body paragraph.

Homework: Complete the 1st body paragraph.

Day 12

Individual conference on body paragraphs and conclusion.

Homework: Finish the 1st draft of the research paper.

Day 13 Peer Review

Objectives: Students will use the rubric to do peer review of their research paper.

Aim: How can you revise the paper?

Do Now: Share experiences of writing the research paper.

Mini Lesson-

Key elements in a research paper-

• Thesis statement
• background information
• Main points
• evidence
• analysis of the evidence
• so what?
• conclusion

Independent Practice-

Use the rubric to provide peer comments for each group’s paper.

Homework: Revise the paper based on the peer reviews and turn it in on Wednesday.

Day 13

Objectives: Students will use point of view writing method to convert a passage into a scene.

Aim: How do we turn a chapter where there is barely any dialogue into a scene?

Do Now: How can we turn a narration into a dramatic scene?

Mini Lesson-

To turn a narration into a scene, we may consider the following-

1. Select critical verbs to indicate action
2. Select possible interactions between characters to describe an encounter
3. Use monologues to express a character’s direct speech
4. Use narration to describe the situation in which the character is in.
5. Capture the moments to show a change in a character

Independent PRACTICE

Try all the above for adapting your assigned chapters.

Homework: The 1st draft based on all assigned chapters is due on Wednesday.