Monstrosity vs. The Human Condition Frankenstein, The CheMusical!

I tell you, we havent begun to discover what science can do to the body and mind of man! Henry Jekyll MD OVERVIEW: What does it mean to be human? This is the moral question that has perplexed scientists and humanists (mad and of sound mind alike) for years. In this project, we will attempt to answer this daunting question. We will analyze humanity from a scientific, social and historical perspective and share our findings, much like Dr. Victor Frankenstein shared his creation with the world. You seek for knowledge and wisdom as I once did... prepare to partake in occurrences which are usually deemed marvelous. Many things will appear possible in these wild and mysterious sciences which would provoke the laughter of those unacquainted with the ever-varied powers of nature... FIRST SOME LOGISTICS... We are making a Musical! A CheMusical! Based on Frankenstein! YAY!!!! It will be written by all of you, composed by all of you, staged by all of you, and acted and sung by all of you! YAY again!!! Humanities: In Humanities you will read Mary Shelleys legendary Gothic novel Frankenstein. You will consider major themes and ideas presented by this imaginary and cautionary tale. Throughout the course of the project you will parallel ideas and perceptions of humanity and creativity from the literature with your personal interpretations and experiences. In this process you will ultimately reflect on these themes and your individual life through the creation of Dr. Frankensteins creature. You will choose one specific theme from the list of Humanities Essential Questions below and use that as your lens for the project. You will also research a monster, myth, or legend of your choosing. You will then adapt this tale in conjunction with a theme from Chemistry or Humanities and present it to a live audience through pod-cast or live performance. Chemistry: In Chemistry, you will explore ethical dilemmas in science and attempt to respond to two important themes in Frankenstein: How much learning can man obtain without jeopardizing himself or others? and "How can we harness the knowledge that we have so that it is not self destructive and for the benefit of all mankind?" With a partner, you will select a topic and subtopic under the The Ethics of Science section below. You will research that topic and create a monologue or coversation worthy of either Dr. Frankenstein or the Monster depending on your perspective. Additionally, with the same partner, you will study the Chemistry of a system of the body of your choosing under The Essence of Being Human section below. Your research will focus on the Essential Question (or another of your creation and approved by Charlene) and will be presented in the form of song lyrics to be sung by a scientist in the CheMusical. You will also create a visual depiction of that system to be projected as a portion of the set during the CheMusical. As a class, you will study concepts of electrochemistry and use your individual systems of the body expertise to work together and create a class song attempting to explain how electrochemistry can regenerate previously deceased human components. As a Team, you will outline, storyboard, script and compose a CheMusical based on the dominant themes in Frankenstein. As a student, you will participate in the CheMusical production as either a Performer, a Writer, a Musician, a member of the Production Team, a Lighting or Sound Technician, a member of the Technology Team, a member of the Promotional Team, a member of the Set and Props Design Team, or a member of the Costume Team.

Humanities Specific Objectives

Essential Questions: ! What does it mean to be human? Are ethics important to mankind? ! What is creativity? Is there a limit to human creativity? ! How did the Industrial Revolution and the rise in technology influence science and social class? ! How were women portrayed in the novel? How has the role of women changed in literature since this novel was published? ! What elements characterize this novel as Gothic? As Romantic? How do these elements influence the novel? ! What is the literary perspective in Frankenstein? How does the perspective(s) from which the story is told impact the readers understanding? Benchmarks ! In-Class Reading Students will be held accountable for bringing their books to class everyday ! Lit Circles Students will reflect and respond to the assigned reading each week through in-class literature circles ! Weekly Quizzes You will have weekly quizzes on the readings every Monday and Wed/Thurs ! Monster/Myth Legend Outline, Drafts 1 and 2 You will create an original adaptation of a story of a monster/myth/legend of your choosing. ! Monster/Myth/Legend Presentation

Final Products ! Monster/Myth/Legend Adaptation Students will develop literary and artistic legendary or new monsters centralized around 6 different themes. You will create an adaption of the original monster/myth/legend and base it around your selected theme. Your story will incorporate elements of Humanities, Chemistry and Biology. You will write your story individually but only one story for each theme will be selected to be made into a podcast.

Podcast Each group will select one adaptation to transform into a podcast which will be played/performed the night of our exhibition.

Timelines Activity/Concepts Start reading! Literary Themes Monster/Myth/Legend Research Monster/Myth/Legend Adaptation Outline Adaptation rough draft Adaptation second draft Adaptation Final Draft Podcast Reading/Quiz Letters I-IV Chapters I-II Chapters III-V Chapter VI-VIII Vol. II Chapters I-II -ORChapters IX-X Vol. II Chapters III-IV -ORChapters XI-XII Vol. II Chapters V-IX -ORChapters XIII-XVII Vol. III Chapter I -ORChapters XVIII Vol. III Chapter II-III -ORChapters XIX and XX Vol. III Chapter IV-V -ORChapters XXI-XXII Vol. III Chapters VI-VII -ORChapters XXIII-XXIV

Assigned Date Monday, 4/28 Monday, 4/28 Tuesday, 4/29 Friday, 5/2 Tuesday, 5/6 Wednesday, 5/7 Monday, 5/12 5/18 Rehearsals Assigned Date Monday, 4/28 Wed, 4/30 Monday, 5/5 Wed 5/7 Monday, 5/11 Tues/Wed, 5.12/13 Wed/Thurs 5.13/14 Monday, 5/18 Tues/Wed 5.19/20 Monday, 5/25 Tues/Wed, 5.26/27 Tuesday 4/29

Due Date Tuesday, 4/29 Friday, 5/2 Tuesday, 5/6 Wednesday, 5/7 Monday, 5/12 Friday, 5/16 5/19 Due Date Tuesday, 4/29 (E/F) Wed, 4/30 (D) Friday, 5/2 Tuesday, ! (E/F) Wed, 5/7 (D) Friday 5/9 (Reading Quiz!) Tuesday 5/12 (E/F) Wed 5/13 (D) Wed/Thurs 5.13/14 Friday 5/15 (Reading Quiz!) Tues/Wed 5.19/20 Friday, 5/22 (Reading Quiz!) Tues/Wed, 5.26/27 Friday 5/29 (Reading Quiz!)

Chemistry Specific Objectives

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS: Chemistry The Essence of Being Human ! The Human Body: The Chemistry of Life " What elements are the human body made out of and what are the functions of those elements in sustaining life? ! The Nervous System: The Chemistry of Perception " What are the purposes of the three kinds of chemical messengers in the nervous system: Neurotransmitters, endorphins and hormones? ! The Immune System: The Chemistry of Defense " What are the chemicals whose protective effects are incidental to their primary function in the body, the chemicals whose principal function is to harm or destroy invaders, and the chemicals produced by naturally occurring bacteria? ! The Skin/Skeletal & Muscular System: The Chemistry of Pigmentation " What are melanins and how do they determine skin and hair color? ! The Circulatory/Cardiovascular System: The Chemistry of Stress & Addiction " What is the chemical composition of blood and how do external chemicals and pollutants impact blood chemistry? ! The Endocrine System: The Chemistry of Love & Fear " How do we control emotion? What chemicals produce sensations of love and fear? ! The Digestive System: The Chemistry of Hunger & Dehydration " How does chemistry allow the process of digestion to transform food to energy? ! The Respiratory System: The Chemistry of Smell " How does industrialization impact the respiratory system? The Ethics of Science ! Class F: Human Nature and the Power of Isolation " How do we deal today with the underserved, the ugly or the deformed in our own society? # Health care for the uninsured # HIV/AIDS or deformative diseases # The poor or homeless # Our aging population ! Class D: Issues in Scientific Experimentation with Life " How can we harness knowledge so that it is for the benefit of all mankind? # Cloning # Stem cell research # Genetic engineering of animals and plants ! Class E: Controversial Scientific Figures " How can we harness knowledge so that it is for the benefit of all mankind? # Andreas Vesalius (father of modern anatomical studies, controversial for investigations of human cadavers) # Charles Darwin (vilified for his theories on evolution and natural selection)

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Rosalind Franklin (early DNA researcher) J. Robert Oppenheimer (one of the developers of the atomic bomb) Harry Griffin (Director of the Roslin Institute, which cloned Dolly the sheep) Patrick Steptoe (responsible for the first successful test tube baby) Dr. Bryon Peterson (a leading fetal stem cell researcher)

LEARNING GOALS: This project will allow us to understand the Biology of the human body, learn how Chemistry controls the systems of the body, and explore the relationship between humanity and monstrosity. BENCHMARK & FINAL PRODUCT DEADLINES Chemistry Timeline: Activity/Concepts Start Date Ethics of Science Research Ethics of Science Monologue/ Conversation The Essence of Being Human Research The Essence of Being Human Song Lyrics The Essence of Being Human Visual Electrochemistry Class Song Monstrosity Vs. The Human Condition or Frankenstein the CheMusical Storyboard Monstrosity Vs. The Human Condition or Frankenstein the CheMusical Script Rehearsal Days (practice) Monday 4/14 Friday 4/18 Monday 4/28 Friday 5/2 Friday 5/9 Monday 5/12 Monday 5/19 Monday 5/19

Dress Rehearsal (for the school) Performance!

CHALLENGE OPTIONS: Chemistry: As a challenge option: ! Students may storyboard and film their research in the style of a classic Hollywood Horror Movie and create an accompanying promotional poster. ! Students may read Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and respond to a series of scientific analyses reading questions available from Charlene.

Other challenge option ideas may be discussed with Charlene.

Humanities: ! Students may read Dracula by Bram Stoker and complete a compare/contrast essay ! Tell your adapted story live and act it out! ! Create a mate for the creature (both written and visual descriptions) ! Other challenge options may be proposed to Ms. Molly