lesson 1

Dear Dr. Frankenstein

by Jericho Brown

• If your students are not familiar with the concept of “figurative language,” go through the introductory lesson.
• Open the following presentation. This document will take you through all the steps of the lesson. In this lesson, your students are going to read Jericho Brown’s “Dear Dr. Frankenstein,” analyze the figurative language, and draw parallels between the poem and novel.
• When the presentation prompts you, have your students open the following document and go over the introduction & instructions with them. Though it is recommended that this lesson accompanies the reading of the novel Frankenstein, the lesson can be completed as a standalone assignment. If you are using the poem as a standalone assignment, we suggest showing the overview of the novel (hyperlinked in the introduction) before having your students work through it.
• When your students are done, have them share their responses with one another.
• If you would like to hear Jericho Brown speak about the poem, you may visit the following link.

lesson 2

SELF-PORTRAIT OF THE BLK GIRL BECOMING THE BEAST EVERYONE THOUGHT SHE WAS

by I.S. Jones

• Start class by asking your students about the monster. Was he born evil? Or was he made evil? Try to steer your students into a conversation about the nature of evil and how it manifests itself in the real world.
• Read "Self-portrait of the blk girl becoming the beast everyone thought she was" by I.S. Jones. As you are reading, ask your students to try to make connections between the poem and the conversation held prior.
• Discuss the poem. How does the poem reflect the "nature of evil," or how it is perceived by society?
• Then ask your students to tie their insights back to the novel. How does the poem reflect the experience of the monster in the novel?
• Have your students open the following document and go over the instructions with them. In this assignment, your students are going to create a poem - utilizing the same style as "Self-portrait of the blk girl becoming the beast everyone thought she was" by I.S. Jones -from the perspective of the monster from Frankenstein. Then give your students time to work.
• When your students are done, have them share their poems with the rest of their class and the artistic choices they chose to mimic from the original rendition of the text by I.S. Jones.
  

lesson 3

The Robots are Coming

by Kyle Dargan

• Ask your students, "What ethical questions about science does the novel elicit? What dangers are associated with the advancement of science?" Take a few minutes to discuss.
• Read "The Robots are Coming" by Kyle Dargan.
• Show your students the following video, a visual rendition of the poem. When the video is done, discuss the elements of the video that contribute to or reinforce the poem.
• Have your students open the following document and go over the directions with them. In this assignment, your students are going to create their own video in response to the poem, one that reiterates the sentiment of the text, but in a way that is more metaphorical or symbolic than the video they just watched. In other words, your students' video should reflect the larger, real-world implications of the poem and not reflect the text in such a literal manner. When you've gone over the instructions, give your students time to work.
• Have a few of your students share their videos.
• When they have shared, ask them to try to make connections between the content of the videos and the content of Frankenstein. How do the videos express the theme(s) or meaning(s) of the novel as a whole?