Frankenstein--Portfolios

Frankenstein Portfolio Project

For the next three weeks (seven class periods) we will be working to complete a portfolio reflecting the work we have done with the novel Frankenstein.    The packet is designed to be worked on IN CLASS.  You will not be allowed to take the packet home unless you have an EXCUSED absence from class.  All work for the packet must be completed by 6/02/2014.  I will NOT accept late work because this is backing up against graduation.  Each section of this portfolio is a TEST grade.  If you simply do not do a section, you will be assigned a zero (0) for a test grade. 

All work is to be completed as an individual (one-man/woman wolf pack).  There is no “group” work.  If you are seen copying work from another student, you will receive a zero (0) for the test grade and the person who allowed you to copy will receive a 50.  I’m not playing.  I’m serious as a heart attack.  You may not copy work from each other and if I catch you, you can expect a call home and zeroes. 

Portfolio

You must complete project(s) from EACH of the five categories:

Category I—Criminal Component (Choose one)

_____   Create a criminal profile of Frankenstein or the monster (see worksheets with questions).

_____   Create a crime scene diagram of any three murders in the book (see handout for crime scene work).

_____   Create a list of modern crimes the monster could be tried for along with citations from the text that prove he intended to commit these crimes.

Category II—Written Component (you must choose TWO from this list) 

_____   Write an editorial for the newspaper expressing your views on Dr. Frankenstein’s ethical dilemma. 

_____   Rewrite a scene from the novel (see list) from the objective point of view and explain how it changes the tone and mood of the work.

_____   Rewrite a scene (see list) from the novel but make it modern and use a new technology.

Category III—Artistic interpretation (Choose one)

_____   Create a graphic novel (ten panels minimum) to reenact a scene from the novel (see list).

_____   Create a soundtrack for ten of the novel’s chapters.  You must summarize the chapter and tell why you picked the song you did in a paragraph.  Bonus points for bringing in a mix CD of the project.

_____   Create a book jacket for the novel.  See assignment sheet for details.

Category IV—Essay (Choose one) and compose a four to five paragraph essay

_____   The horror story is just as popular today as it was in Shelley’s early nineteenth century England.  What is the appeal of this genre?  Discuss elements from the novel that parallel characteristics of modern horror tales such as Stephen King’s or contemporary films such as Nightmare on Elm Street.  What are the effects of these elements on the audience and how might that explain our fascination?

_____   Ice is a prevalent image and an integral plot device in the novel.  How is it appropriate that the novel ends and begins on ice?  What is the symbolism of ice for the characters in the story?

_____   Place Frankenstein’s creature in modern times.  Suppose he had a family that raises him, includes him, and even enrolls him in school.  How might today’s society treat Victor’s creature differently?  How would it mimic the time period of the novel?

_____   Dreams and nightmares play a recurrent role in the novel.  Trace the use of dreams throughout the book, with emphasis on how they relate to changes in Victor’s character.