The plot of Frankenstein

 

1. How the Story Starts

The book begins in the freezing Arctic. A captain named Robert Walton is sailing his ship through the ice when his crew rescues a freezing, sick man named Victor Frankenstein. Victor starts telling his life story as a warning about the dangers of being too ambitious.

2. Creating the Monster

• The Goal: When he is young, Victor becomes obsessed with science and the secret of life. While studying at university, he figures out how to bring dead tissue back to life.

• The Birth: Working alone in his room, Victor builds a giant creature using body parts from graves and animal slaughterhouses. When the creature opens its eyes and comes to life, Victor is immediately horrified.

• Running Away: Victor gets scared and runs away. When he comes back later, the monster has escaped into the real world.

3. The Monster's Lonely Life

• Learning: The monster has to learn how to survive all by himself. He learns to speak and read by secretly watching a poor family living in a cottage.

• Rejection: The monster desperately wants friends. But when he finally shows himself to humans, they scream, beat him, and drive him away because he looks scary.

• Anger: Because everyone hates him and treats him cruely, the monster becomes angry and decides to take revenge on his creator, Victor.

4. The Revenge and Tragic Deaths

• Killing Loved Ones: The monster murders Victor’s little brother and frames an innocent family servant.

• The Deal: Later, the monster finds Victor and makes a demand: "Make me a female companion who looks like me, and I will leave humans alone forever."

• Breaking the Promise: Victor starts building a second creature, but halfway through, he gets terrified that they will start a race of monsters. He destroys the female body right in front of the creature.

• Payback: In deep anger, the monster kills Victor’s best friend and later murders Victor's new wife on their wedding night. Victor's father dies of a broken heart soon after.

5. The Final Chase

• The End: Victor spends the rest of his life chasing the monster across the world to kill him, which brings us back to the Arctic ship where Walton found him. Victor dies of exhaustion. Soon after, the monster comes to mourn over Victor's dead body, feeling deep regret. The monster then leaves to find a place to burn himself to death, ending his miserable life.

Reading Comprehension Quiz: Frankenstein

1. The Frame Narrative: How does the novel actually begin, and who is telling the main story to Captain Robert Walton?

2. The Scientific Goal: What is Victor Frankenstein obsessed with studying when he is young, and what is his ultimate goal at the university?

3. The Creation: What materials does Victor use to build his creature, and where does he get them?

4. The Immediate Reaction: How does Victor react the exact moment the creature opens its eyes and comes to life? What does he do next?

5. The Creature's Education: How does the creature learn to speak, read, and understand human emotions while living on his own?

6. The Root of Anger: Why does the creature eventually decide to take revenge on humanity, and especially on Victor?

7. The Ultimatum: When the creature confronts Victor later in the story, what specific demand does he make?

8. Broken Promise: Why does Victor decide to destroy the half-finished female companion he is building?

9. The Trail of Tragedy: Name at least two people close to Victor who are killed by the creature as acts of revenge.

10. The Resolution: How does the story end for both Victor and his creation in the Arctic? What emotion does the creature express at the very end?

FRANKENSTEIN vs Generative AI

 FRANKENSTEIN vs Generative AI

Analytical Category	Victor Frankenstein's Experiment	Modern Generative AI / AGI Development
Why they did it (Motivation)	To conquer death, become famous, and play God.	To make money, win the tech race, and solve big problems.
Understanding the creation	Built piece by piece from dead body parts without caring how the creature would feel or think.	Trained on huge amounts of data where nobody fully understands how the AI actually thinks (a "black box").
Ignored risks (Blind Spots)	Running away from the monster the second it comes alive because he is scared of its independence.	Releasing powerful AI to the public without enough safety rules or testing.
What went wrong (Consequences)	Loneliness, mental breakdown, and the tragic deaths of his family and friends.	Fake media (deepfakes), unfair computer bias, relying too much on tech, and a divided society.

Discussion Question: "At what point does ambition become dangerous in both stories and real life?"

Frankenstein-introduction

 

Comparatives and superlatives

 

Healthy lifestyles

 

•          Media and Society
How does social media affect the way people feel about their bodies?
Why do you think magazines and advertisements often show unrealistic body standards?
How can we support friends who constantly criticize their own appearance?
     Health and Wellbeing
What does a "balanced lifestyle" mean to you beyond just food and exercise?
How can stress or school pressure change a person’s eating or sleeping habits?
Where can a student go if  he/she has problems help with body image?
Psychological & Emotional Aspects
• Nouns: Anxiety, stress, self-esteem, dissatisfaction, control, perfectionism, isolation, obsession, distress, acceptance, awareness.
• Verbs: To judge, to compare, to hide, to control, to suffer, to isolate (oneself), to accept, to understand, to cope, to obsess.
Media & Society
• Nouns: Filters, photo editing, stereotypes, expectations, beauty standards, influencers, comments, peer pressure, advertising.
• Verbs: To edit, to idealize, to emulate, to criticize, to influence, to scroll, to compare, to promote.
 Relationship with Food & Body
• Nouns: Body image, weight, shape, fasting, nutrition, mirror, perception, habits, body cues, restriction.
• Verbs: To nourish, to listen (to one's body), to perceive, to change, to avoid, to reject, to deprive, to restrict.
Support & Recovery
• Nouns: Help, support, therapy, listening, empathy, dialogue, professional, recovery, resources, support network.
• Verbs: To help, to listen, to confide, to support, to heal, to ask (for help), to guide, to recover.

Nouns and Verbs related to parties

 

Nouns

• Atmosphere: The mood or feeling of a place or event ("The party had a great atmosphere.").

• Celebration: An event organized to mark a special occasion.

• Decorations: Items used to make a space look festive, such as balloons or banners.

• Entertainment: Performances or activities designed to amuse guests, like music or games.

• Guest list: The official list of people invited to an event.

• Host / Hostess: The person who invites guests and organizes the event.

• Invitation: A formal or informal request asking someone to attend.

• Occasion: A particular event or special time ("We met to celebrate a special occasion.").

• Refreshments: Light snacks and drinks provided for guests.

• Venue: The location where an event takes place.

Verbs

• Catch up (with): To talk to someone you haven't seen in a while to exchange news.

• Celebrate: To do something enjoyable for a special day or event.

• Gather: To come together as a group in one place.

• Dress up: To wear formal, elegant, or special clothes (or a costume).

• Host: To provide the space, food, and organization for a party.

• Interact (with): To communicate or engage with other people at the event.

• Mingle: To move around a party and talk to many different people.

• Organize: To plan and arrange the details of an event.

• Provide: To supply or give things that are needed, such as food or drinks.

• RSVP: To reply to an invitation to confirm whether you will attend.

• Socialize: To spend time enjoying yourself with other people.

• Throw (a party): To organize and hold a party.

• Toast: To raise a glass and drink in honor of someone or something.

PAST SIMPLE vs PAST CONTINUOUS

 

CURRICULUM terza classe

 

CURRICULUM terza classe

LITERATURE

1) HEROES

Beowulf (epic poem)

Contemporary heroes

Martin Luther King Jr- I have a dream (speech)

Ted talks

 Matthew Winkler- What makes a hero

2) RELATIONSHIPS

Lord Randal (ballad)

The Beatles- Something (song)

Oasis- Let there be love(song)

3) TRAVEL

Daniel Defoe-Robinson Crusoe (novel)

Jonathan Swift- Gulliver’s travels (novel)

Rascal Flatts – Life is a highway (song)

4) GIRL POWER

Chaucer – The Wife of Bath (poem)

Beyoncè - Run the world (song)

History

The Celts

The Romans

The Anglo-Saxons

The Vikings

The Normans

CURRUCULUM 4 classe

 

CURRUCULUM 4 classe

Literature

1)Survival and Dominion Over Nature

• Contemporary Issue: Climate change, resource exploitation, and survivalism.
• Key Authors & Texts: Daniel Defoe (Robinson Crusoe — the island as a space to reshape and conquer)

2)Capitalism, Individualism, and Homo Economicus

• Contemporary Issue: Hyper-individualism, profit-driven mindsets, and the obsession with efficiency.
• Key Authors & Texts: Daniel Defoe (Robinson Crusoe — the self-made man) 

3)Colonialism, Systemic Racism, and Encountering the "Other"

• Contemporary Issue: Systemic racism, Eurocentrism, geopolitical power dynamics, and cultural integration.
• Key Authors & Texts: Daniel Defoe (Robinson Crusoe — the paternalistic master/servant dynamic with Friday)
• Jonathan Swift (Gulliver’s Travels — Book IV: the Houyhnhnms and the Yahoos, shifting the perspective on what is "civilized" vs. "savage", exposing European superiority as an illusion).

4)The Leader, Rebellion, and the Fascination with Evil

• Contemporary Issue: The rise of authoritarianism, the psychological allure of antiheroes in modern media, and the boundaries of justifiable rebellion.
• Key Authors & Texts: William Shakespeare (Macbeth — toxic ambition and the psychological decay of a dictator).

5)Scientific Revolution, Exploration, and Mapping the World

• Contemporary Issue: The loss of philosophical certainty, the thrill of new scientific frontiers (e.g., space exploration, AI), and the human need to categorize reality.
• Key Authors & Texts: Daniel Defoe (Robinson Crusoe — the triumph of the empirical method and practical science).
• Jonathan Swift (Gulliver’s Travels — Book III: The Academy of Lagado, a brilliant and fierce satire against useless, abstract scientific experiments detached from real human needs).

6)Love, Obsession, and Relationships: Beyond the Clichés

• Contemporary Issue: Toxic relationships, gender fluidity, unrealistic beauty standards (social media filters), and long-distance connections.
• Key Authors & Texts:  William Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet — love as a rebellious force fighting social conventions, toxic family feuds, and generational gaps).
• William Shakespeare (Sonnets 130, 18)

7) Girl Power

·       Key authors & Texts Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice- love and marriage, social class and status, gender roles)

History

The Tudors

Henry 8th

Elizabeth I

The Stuarts

CURRICULUM QUINTO ANNO

 CURRICULUM QUINTO ANNO

1. Il Confine tra Umano e Artificiale: Scienza, Etica e Progresso

• Problema contemporaneo: L'avvento dell'Intelligenza Artificiale, la bioetica, l'ingegneria genetica e la responsabilità dello scienziato. AI ethics, bioengineering, and genetic editing.
• Testi e Autori chiave:
• Frankenstein di Mary Shelley (Il superamento dei limiti naturali e l'abbandono della "creatura").
• Brave New World (Il mondo nuovo) di Aldous Huxley (La manipolazione genetica e la felicità artificiale come controllo sociale).
• Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde di R.L. Stevenson (La scissione della psiche e l'uso incontrollato della chimica).

• Spunto di discussione: Fino a che punto il progresso scientifico può spingersi prima di distruggere l'umanità stessa?

2. Sorveglianza, Controllo e la Manipolazione della Verità

• Problema contemporaneo: Fake news, algoritmi di tracciamento dati (capitalismo della sorveglianza), cyber-guerre e regimi totalitari moderni. Digital surveillance, algorithmic bias, and data privacy.
• Testi e Autori chiave:
•  1984 di George Orwell (La riscrittura della storia, la neolingua e il Grande Fratello).

 

• The Handmaid's Tale (Il racconto dell'ancella) di Margaret Atwood (Teocrazia, controllo del corpo femminile e limitazione dei diritti).

 

·       Spunto di discussione: Come si difende la libertà di pensiero in un mondo dominato da algoritmi e sorveglianza costante?

 

3. Crisi Ambientale e Antropocene: La Natura Ferita

·       Problema contemporaneo: Cambiamento climatico, eco-ansia, transizione energetica e attivismo ambientale.

Climate crisis, ecological collapse, and species extinction.

• Testi e Autori chiave:
• The Rime of the Ancient Mariner di S.T. Coleridge (La rottura del patto sacro tra uomo e natura e la conseguente punizione).
• La poesia romantica di William Wordsworth (La natura come forza spirituale in contrasto con l'industrializzazione).
• Hard Times di Charles Dickens (Coketown come simbolo della distruzione

• Spunto di discussione: La letteratura può aiutarci a riscoprire l'empatia verso il pianeta prima che sia troppo tardi?

 

4. Identità, parità di genere

• Problema contemporaneo: identità sui social media,  parità di genere, diritti individuali                                                                                                                     Human rights, Social media identity, the influencer economy
• Testi e Autori chiave:
• Mrs. Dalloway  di Virginia Woolf (Il flusso di coscienza come esplorazione dell'identità)
• The Picture of Dorian Gray di Oscar Wilde (L'estetismo, la maschera sociale e la doppia vita nell'era vittoriana).
• Ulysses di James Joyce (Il flusso di coscienza come esplorazione dell'identità)

·       Spunto di discussione: Come si è evoluta la lotta per i diritti individuali?

 

5. Post-colonialismo, Migrazioni e l'Incontro con l' "Altro"

• Problema contemporaneo: Crisi dei rifugiati, razzismo sistemico, eurocentrismo e la ricerca di una cittadinanza globale.                                              Xenophobia, neo-colonialism, and modern migration barriers.
• Testi e Autori chiave:
• Heart of Darkness (Cuore di tenebra) di Joseph Conrad (La critica e le contraddizioni del colonialismo e dell'imperialismo).
• Refugee Blues di Auden

·        Spunto di discussione: Chi ha il diritto di raccontare la storia? Come possiamo decolonizzare la nostra mente?

Autori oggetto di studio

1.    Wordsworth

2.    Coleridge

3.    Stevenson

4.    Dickens

5.    Wilde

6.    Huxley

7.    Orwell

8.    Atwood

9.    Auden

10. Conrad

11. Virginia Woolf o Joyce?