1. Lesson 27: Compare and contrast the structures of “Flowers for Algernon” and Frankenstein
About this lesson
Students reread an excerpt from Chapter 13 of Frankenstein and work in pairs to explain how the differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning or theme.

2. We compared Charlie to the monster in Frankenstein by selecting quotations which revealed similar aspects of each character.
Let’s Review!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~1 minute
Directions:
Briefly review the previous learning.

3. Reread an excerpt from Chapter 13 of Frankenstein.
Today we will:
Reread an excerpt from Chapter 13 of Frankenstein.
Determine a shared theme between Frankenstein and “Flowers for Algernon.”
Explain how the differing structure of each text contributes to the development of a shared theme.
Let’s Prepare!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~1 minute
Directions:
Read the slide.
Briefly explain how this lesson prepares students for another lesson and/or the end-of-unit assessments.
Throughout the lesson, compare students’ responses and work to the student look-fors. Determine the students who need additional support with reading, understanding, or expressing their understanding of complex, grade-level texts. During this lesson or before the next lesson, support those students individually or in a small group using the Additional Supports for Diverse Learners.

4. “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes
You will need:
“Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes
The excerpt from Chapter 13 of Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley
Your theme handout
Your reading log
Let’s Prepare!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~ 3 minutes
Directions:
Distribute the texts.
Ask students to locate their theme handout and their reading log.

5. Listen as I reread aloud an excerpt from Chapter 13 of Frankenstein and follow along with your copy.
Let’s Read!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~ 10 minutes
Directions:
Say: “I’m going to reread aloud an excerpt from Chapter 13 of Frankenstein. Before we read, let’s quickly remind ourselves of the similarities between Charlie and the monster.”
Ask students to quickly review the similarities between Charlie and the monster.
Then say: “As I reread aloud the excerpt from Chapter 13, follow along with your copy of the text. As I read, next to the moments you highlighted in the previous lesson, identify whether the reference to learning and knowledge is positive or negative.”
Read aloud the excerpt from Chapter 13 of Frankenstein as students follow along.
Possible Supports During the Lesson:
During the read aloud, provide a synonym or student-friendly definition for difficult words. For example, when reading, “I admired virtue and good feelings and loved the gentle manners and amiable qualities of my cottagers, but I was shut out from interactions with them, except through means which I obtained by stealth, and which rather increased the desire I had of becoming one among my fellows,” say, “I admired virtue and good feelings and loved the gentle manners and amiable or likeable qualities of my cottagers, but I was shut out from interactions with them, except through means which I obtained by stealth or secret, and which rather increased the desire I had of becoming one among my fellows.” Possible words for this text/section:
hasten: move quickly
relate: tell
endeavoring: trying
minute: small or detailed
slothful: lazy
hapless: unfortunate or unlucky
obtained: gained
cursory: quick or beginner’s
vacancy: emptiness
distinguished: recognized
“a mere scion”: a small offshoot
“lowest degradation”: biggest loss of self-respect
conceive: understand
forth: forward
vice: sin
loathing: hatred
induced: caused
esteemed: respected
unsullied: not spoiled
instances: cases or situations
loathsome: repulsive
agile: able to move quickly
subsist: exist
bore: was able to withstand
exceeded: go beyond
“dispel them”: make them disappear
amiable: likeable
stealth: secret
“doted on”: showed how much he loved
recurred: repeated
Student Look-Fors:
Possible student responses for highlighted statements:
“Presently I found that [the stranger] was endeavoring to learn their language.” This is a positive reference because endeavoring means trying, which is a positive action.
“I improved rapidly in the knowledge of language.” This is a positive reference because improvement is a good thing.
“in two months I began to comprehend most of the words uttered by my protectors.” This is a positive reference because the monster is making progress.
“I also learned the science of letters as it was taught to the stranger.” This is a positive reference because the monster is gaining new knowledge.
“I should not have understood the purpose of this book had not Felix, in reading it, given very minute explanations. Through this work I obtained a cursory knowledge of history and a view of the several empires at present existing in the world; it gave me an insight into the manners, governments, and religions of the different nations of the earth.” This is a positive reference because the monster is gaining new knowledge.
“Every conversation of the cottagers now opened new wonders to me. The strange system of human society was explained to me.” This is a positive reference. “Opening new wonders” is very positive sounding.
“The words induced me to turn towards myself. I learned that the possessions most esteemed by your fellow creatures were high and unsullied background united with riches.” This is a positive reference.
“I cannot describe to you the agony that these reflections inflicted upon me; I tried to dispel them, but sorrow only increased with knowledge. Oh, that I had forever remained in my native wood, nor known nor felt beyond the sensations of hunger, thirst, and heat!” This is a negative reference. “Agony” and “sorrow” are negative words.
“Of what a strange nature is knowledge! It clings to the mind when it has once seized on it like a lichen on the rock. I wished sometimes to shake off all thought and feeling, but I learned that there was but one means to overcome the sensation of pain, and that was death—a state which I feared yet did not understand.” This is a negative reference because the monster is saying he wants to get rid of the knowledge he has gained and only death can do that.
“If they had, all my past life was now a blot, a blind vacancy in which I distinguished nothing.” Possible student response: This is a negative reference because he can’t remember anything about his past.

6. Copy this sentence in your reading log.
Then complete this stem:
This sentence means….
“I cannot describe to you the
agony that these reflections
inflicted upon me; I tried to
dispel them, but sorrow only
increased with knowledge.”
Let’s Work With Words!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~ 8 minutes
Directions:
Read aloud the quotation from Chapter 13 of Frankenstein: “I cannot describe to you the agony that these reflections inflicted upon me; I tried to dispel them, but sorrow only increased with knowledge.”
Prompt students to copy the sentence in their reading log and complete the sentence stem on the slide: “This sentence means....”
After 2 minutes, ask 1-2 students to share how they paraphrased or interpreted the quotation.
Prompt students to use the following stems to guide the conversation.
“Another way to say this sentence is…”
“I made meaning of this sentence by...”
“I looked at….”
Use teacher talk moves so students clearly express their ideas (Goal One), listen carefully to understand others’ ideas (Goal Two), provide evidence to support their claims (Goal Three), and establish new ways of thinking (Goal Four).
Ask: “What do you notice about this sentence? How does what you notice help you understand the sentence?”
Give students 60 seconds to write their answers in their reading log.
Student Look-Fors:
Students should understand that as the monster reflected on what he learned and gained more knowledge, he felt worse about himself.
Another way to say this sentence is “Reflecting on what I learned caused me agony in a way I can’t describe; I tried to get rid of my feelings of agony, but the more I learned, the more agony I felt.”

7. What are the events of the text?
In your reading log, answer the following questions about Frankenstein.
Who are the characters?
How is the story told?
What is the setting?
What are the events of the text?
What is a theme shared by both “Flowers for Algernon” and Frankenstein?
Let’s Practice!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~ 10 minutes
Directions:
Divide the class into pairs using an established classroom routine.
Purposefully pair together students with similar levels of language proficiency.
Establish norms for the group work and explain that students will be held accountable for their learning by recording notes in their reading log.
Say: “The structure of a literary text is based on the characters and point of view from which the story is told, the setting, and the order of events. We’ve read two chapters from Frankenstein. With your partner, answer the first four questions on the slide and record your answers in your reading log: Who are the characters? How is the story told? What is the setting? What are the events of the text?”
As students work together, prompt them to use the conversation stems learning tool.
Conclude the group work by saying to students: “Remember, a theme is the underlying meaning of a text. It is what the text says about the main topics of the text. For example, some of the themes we identified in ‘Flowers for Algernon’: It is better to be happy with what you have than to try to be something you’re not, ‘Being normal’ is a myth, and ‘Everybody has something to offer the world.’ What does Frankenstein say about knowledge, relationships, or using science to alter our natural state?”
Direct pairs to write a shared theme in their reading log.
Possible Supports During the Lesson:
If students are learning English as a new language, allow pairs to collaborate in their home language as they respond to the questions on the slide.
If students are not writing answers similar to the Student Look-Fors, prompt students to refer to their notes from previous lessons and their theme handout for “Flowers for Algernon.”
Student Look-Fors:
Who are the characters? The main characters are Dr. Victor Frankenstein and the monster. Minor characters are the stranger, Felix, and Safie.
How is the story told? The story is told from both Dr. Frankenstein’s and the monster’s first person points of view. In Chapter 4, Dr. Frankenstein speaks to the audience. The monster is sharing his story to Dr. Frankenstein like they are having a conversation. Both chapters are flashbacks.
What is the setting? The setting is a laboratory over a year-and-a-half and then the woods. It is not clear how long the monster is in the woods. It is also not clear when the story takes place, but it seems like a long time ago because the doctor and monster don’t mention modern technologies, like a computer.
What are the events of the text? Dr. Frankenstein studies dead bodies and discovers the secret of life. He then creates a monster and is disgusted by what he has done. The monster escapes and observes a family in the woods. He learns the language and about human history, which makes him feel bad about himself. He shares his experience with Dr. Frankenstein.
Possible similar themes:
Knowledge: Gaining knowledge can have positive and negative consequences.
Relationships: Relationships are important for all people.
Using science to change our natural state: Trying to gain access to what is forbidden can lead to negative consequences.

8. With a partner, compare and contrast the structures of Frankenstein and “Flowers for Algernon.”
Then explain how the structure of each text contributes to the development of a shared theme.
Let’s Express Our Understanding!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~ 15 minutes
Directions:
Say: “We’ve discussed the structure of ‘Flowers for Algernon’ in previous lessons. With your partner, compare and contrast the structures of Frankenstein and ‘Flowers for Algernon.’ As needed, refer to your notes from previous lessons during your discussion.”
Prompt students to record notes from their discussion in their reading log.
As students work together, prompt them to use the conversation stems learning tool.
Conclude the group work by conducting a brief whole-class discussion to explain how the structure of each text contributes to the development of a shared theme.
Establish norms for the discussion and identify what you will be looking for during the discussion.
Start the discussion by saying: “A shared theme between Frankenstein and ‘Flowers for Algernon’ is ‘Gaining knowledge can have positive and negative consequences.’ How does the structure of Frankenstein contribute to the development of this theme?”
Use teacher talk moves so students clearly express their ideas (Goal One), listen carefully to understand others’ ideas (Goal Two), provide evidence to support their claims (Goal Three), and establish new ways of thinking (Goal Four).
Prompt students to use the conversation stems learning tool during the discussion.
Conclude the discussion by asking: “How does the structure of ‘Flowers for Algernon’ contribute to the development of this theme?”
Possible Supports During the Lesson:
Prompt students to use their transitions learning tool to support them in using academic language in their discussions. As needed, before engaging in the partner discussions, model how to use one or more of the transitions.
Project the transitions learning tool.
Say: “The discussions we are about to engage in have two purposes. The first purpose is to compare and contrast the structures of two texts.”
Then ask: “Which category or categories on the transitions learning tool will be most useful for this purpose? Why?”
Call on a student to answer your first question.
If the student’s response is accurate, ask another student to explain why. Use teacher talk moves to ensure students provide evidence to support their claims (Goal Three).
If the first student’s response is inaccurate, use teacher talk moves to ensure students listen carefully to understand others’ ideas (Goal Two).
Mark the Addition and Contrast columns on the transitions learning tool for the first purpose.
Say: “The second purpose is to explain how the different structures of each text contributes to development of a shared theme.”
Ask: “Which category or categories on the transitions learning tool will be most useful for this purpose? Why?”
Mark the Cause and Effect and Addition columns on the transitions learning tool for the second purpose.
Then provide an example for how to use one or more of the transitions from the columns. Say: “If I want to contrast the format of the two texts, I might say, ‘Charlie tells his story in the present tense through a journal format, whereas the monster tells his story that already happened through conversations.’”
Then ask students to mark 2-3 transitions they will use during their discussions.
As needed, prompt students to write out sentences using the transitions that they can use during their discussions.
Monitor students as they are discussing to check that they are using the transitions they identified.
Student Look-Fors:
Comparison and contrast examples:
Both Frankenstein and “Flowers for Algernon” have a doctor or two who are seeking to create an intelligent being and the “creation” (e.g., the monster and Charlie). We learn about Dr. Frankenstein’s perspective and motivations when he narrates his story of creating the monster. Charlie shares that Dr. Nemur says it is his experiment and his research and he thinks Dr. Strauss is riding his coattails. Dr. Strauss says he contributed just as much because he performed the surgery. Unlike Dr. Frankenstein, neither doctor in “Flowers for Algernon” becomes obsessed with the work, although the work does have negative consequences because they are fighting. As the monster observes the cottagers in Frankenstein he learns the language. At first he is excited. He says wonders are opened to him. As he continues to gain knowledge and he learns about being human, the monster asks, “What was I?” since he has no family and he isn’t human like those he is observing. This knowledge leads him to feel agony. Similarly, as Charlie’s intelligence increases, he begins to understand how his “friends” treat him and he becomes lonely and isolated, which makes him sad. At the end of “Flowers for Algernon,” Charlie loses his intelligence. We don’t know what happens to the monster.
Frankenstein and “Flowers for Algernon” are both told from the first person point of view. In Frankenstein, the point of view changes from Dr. Frankenstein to the monster. In “Flowers for Algernon,” though, the point of view is always told from Charlie’s point of view. Charlie also tells his story through a journal format, so you can see his growing knowledge, whereas the monster tells his story through flashback, so he has already gained his knowledge.
The settings of both texts include laboratories.
In Frankenstein, the doctor creates a human being after he discovers the secret of life. He becomes obsessed about his work, which negatively impacts his health. In “Flowers for Algernon,” the doctors before surgery on Charlie to increase his intelligence. They end up fighting over who is going to get credit for the work, but unlike Dr. Frankenstein, their health is not impacted. The monster escapes the laboratory and runs into the woods, where he observes a family. This is different than “Flowers for Algernon.” Unlike the monster, Charlie interacts with others. He has friendships prior to his surgery, even though they aren’t really his friends. He attends night school and Miss Kinnian thinks Charlie is a hard worker. As Charlie gains intelligence, he realizes that others are making fun of him, which makes him embarrassed and sad. As he gets smarter, Charlie becomes less able to communicate with others, like the monster isn’t able to communicate or interact with others. At the end of “Flowers for Algernon,” Charlie loses his intelligence. At the very end, he says he’s going to leave so he can start a new life somewhere else. This is similar to the monster running away.
Theme development examples:
The theme, “Gaining knowledge can have positive and negative consequences” is developed by the characters and events of Frankenstein. Chapter 13 is written from the monster’s first person point of view, so we can better understand his perspective and feelings. As the monster observes the cottagers in Frankenstein he learns the language. At first he is excited. He says wonders are opened to him. This is a positive consequence. However, as he continues to gain knowledge and he learns about being human, the monster asks, “What was I?” since he has no family and he isn’t human like those he is observing. This knowledge leads him to feel agony, which is a negative consequence. The monster notes: “I cannot describe to you the agony that these reflections inflicted upon me; I tried to dispel them, but sorrow only increased with knowledge” (Shelley 2). Dr. Frankenstein also experiences positive and negative consequences as he gains knowledge. When he first discovers the secret of life, he is overjoyed. He calls it gratifying and says that it is worth all the hard work. However, as he continues his work to create a human being and apply the knowledge he gained, the work starts to negatively impact his health. Dr. Frankenstein says he becomes really skinny and has a fever every night. He even says that he wishes he didn’t try to seek knowledge in the way he did and that we should learn from his example.
The theme, “Gaining knowledge can have positive and negative consequences” is developed by the format, characters, and events of “Flowers for Algernon.” Charlie tells his first person story through a journal format, so you can see his growing knowledge. As Charlie’s intelligence increases, he begins to discover new things. He reads new books and learns new ideas. It is as if a whole new world is open to Charlie, which is a positive consequence. However, as Charlie gains knowledge, he also understands how his “friends” treat him and he becomes lonely and isolated, which makes him sad. For example, after Charlie leaves his job, he has a conversation with Fanny Girden from which he realizes, “This intelligence has driven a wedge between me and all the people I once knew and loved. Before, they laughed at me and despised me for my ignorance and dullness; now, they hate me for my knowledge and understanding” (Keyes 13). As he gets smarter, Charlie becomes less able to communicate with others, like the monster isn’t able to communicate or interact with others, which is a negative consequence. Charlie, like the monster, is not normal or natural. The experiment to increase his intelligence makes him a monster of sorts and isolates him from his friends and loved ones. He is driven out of his job, he can no longer communicate with Miss Kinnian, and he experiences intense loneliness. Toward the end of “Flowers for Algernon,” Charlie loses his intelligence. At the very end, he says he’s going to leave so he can start a new life somewhere else. This is similar to the monster running away. This is another negative consequence because gaining and losing knowledge leads Charlie to have to start over in a new town.

9. In this lesson, you reread the excerpt from Frankenstein.
You also compared and contrasted the structures of two texts and explained how each structure contributed to the development of a shared theme.
Let’s Close!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~1 minute
Directions:
Read this slide