Frankenstein Scientific Journal
Mrs. Maguire - Brit Lit
Scientific Journal
Introduction:
Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein at the age of eighteen. She had eloped with Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley to Geneva, Switzerland. The Shelleys visited Percy Shelley’s friend George Gordon, Lord Byron and Byron’s doctor John Polidori at the Villa Diodata In Geneva. The weather was awful, and to pass the time, the group read ghost stories, and Lord Byron suggested they each write their own supernatural tale. thus, the monster was born. Frankenstein has never been out of print.
Goals:
WCO: Strategically create meaning through complex writing and speaking
WCO: Evaluate the relationship between multiple perspectives to formulate and defend possible outcomes
4 C Focus: Communication, Critical Thinking, and Collaboration
Task:
You are part of a group of scientific activists who produce a journal on current controversial topics related to science. Each of you will research and compose a part of the final journal, and TOGETHER you will evaluate the information to produce a stance on the topic of scientific advancement that synthesizes multiple perspectives and formulates a stance on the subject. You will use your research to defend your thinking.
- Individually, you will research issues related to cloning and stem cell research, analyze themes in the novel, and develop an informed opinion on these topics. You will write a research paper on this information. This will be your assessment on both critical thinking and communication.
- You will work in a group consisting of an editor-in-chief, a copy editor, and a photo/graphic editor.
- You will create a scientific journal as a group that explores some of the issues raised in the novel through a modern lens, and represents multiple perspectives on the issues. This will be your assessment on critical thinking and collaboration. It needs to include: the individual student essays, the group opinion essay/extended paragraph, a collective works cited page, and the photos/graphics.
Process:
Decide who will fulfill each role.
- Assign each group member one essential question/theme from the novel (from the list below.)
Individually locate, read, summarize, and critique one article on stem cell research or cloning, or other aspects of science to answer the essential question.
Individually research your theme, using both the novel and related sites on the internet and write an essay on the theme.
Discuss the place of cloning, stem cell research, and science in our society to form an informed group opinion. Write a group opinion essay/extended paragraph. This needs to be a minimum of 150 words and can be first person since it is an editorial/opinion. You do NOT need to use quotes.
Locate graphics and political cartoons relevant to the articles and opinions of the group members.
Create an MLA Works Cited page for information and graphics used in the journal. Your WC page will include the source information from ALL essays and any photos/graphics/etc. It DOES need to be alphabetized.
Organize all articles, essays, graphics, and the works cited page into a scientific journal using Lucid Press or Smore.
Roles:
Your group will contain the following members:
Editor-in-Chief
This group member is responsible for organizing all materials, keeping the group on task and aware of deadlines, and writing the collection group opinion essay.
Copy Editor
This group member is responsible for creating the actual journal in Lucid Press or Smore.
https://www.lucidpress.com/ (if you log in with Google, you can share with your group)
https://www.smore.com/ (create a new account for all the group to share)
Photo/Graphic editor
This group member is responsible for locating graphics and political cartoons for the journal and for compiling the Works Cited page.You need to have at least 3 graphics/photos, etc.
OWL writing lab will help you cite the pictures:https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/09/
You need to include the artist's name next to the photo (or the URL if there isn't one) and include the full citation on the Works Cited page.
All Members
Each member will find, read, summarize, and critique one or more articles on cloning or stem cells to share with the group. From these articles, the group will discuss the place of these issues in our society to come up with a group position on these issues. all group members are responsible for turning in all materials on time so the copy editor can create the journal.