Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature

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Beschrijving

On a dark and stormy night in 1816, Mary Shelley began writing a story that posed profound questions about individual and societal responsibility for other people. Since that time, ‘Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus’ has become one of the Western world’s most enduring myths. The story provides a framework for discussions of medical advances, which challenge our traditional understanding of what it means to be human.

The ‘Following Frankenstein: Mary Shelley, the Monster, and Medical Science’ module is divided into three two-hour classes that explore thematic and temporal features of Mary Shelley’s creation and its endurance. Each of the classes includes a brief introduction, a list of readings, visual resources, and discussion questions. This module examines the scientific and medical milieu which informed Mary Shelley’s creation of a young student of nature and his monster, and the ways in which this creation continues to speak to contemporary responses to biomedical innovations. 

The readings have been chosen with the primary goal of helping students gain a sense of how developments in medicine raised questions about the nature of life and death, resuscitation, and renewal of the body. This engagement with the past is intended to provide background to students and give them a basis for thinking about the ways in which contemporary citizens respond to developments in the biomedical sciences, particularly around the beginning and end of life.

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Hoe gebruik je deze bron

This module provides a structured approach for teachers to explore the ethical, scientific, and literary significance of Frankenstein in a classroom setting. Designed as three two-hour sessions, it includes readings, visual resources, and discussion prompts to facilitate student engagement. Teachers can use this resource to connect historical scientific debates with modern biomedical advancements, encouraging students to critically examine ethical dilemmas surrounding life, death, and human responsibility. By integrating literature with science, this module fosters interdisciplinary learning, helping students develop analytical and reflective thinking skills while considering how past scientific discoveries continue to shape contemporary discussions on medical ethics.

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De middelen

Link to the resource::

• Following Frankenstein: Mary Shelley, the Monster, and Medical Science

And introductory online exhibition can be found here:

• Exhibition Introduction

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Leerresultaten

• Eliciteren van voorkennis en verder ontwikkelen van kennis en begrip van de belangrijkste concepten van Duurzaam Burgerschap, waarbij gevestigde wereldbeelden en waarden in twijfel worden getrokken.
• een reeks geschikte hulpmiddelen en kaders toepassen om duurzaam burgerschap bij studenten te bevorderen
• Reflecteren op de praktijk en nationale curricula onderzoeken om mogelijkheden te identificeren om Duurzaamheidsburgerschap op interdisciplinaire manieren te bevorderen en samen te werken met externe belanghebbenden.
• Samen de kennis, hulpmiddelen en kaders synthetiseren om onderwijsmateriaal en lesplannen te maken die zijn aangepast aan hun eigen lokale context.
• Beoordelingscriteria ontwikkelen en toepassen om Duurzaamheidsburgerschap bij studenten te evalueren.
• Door middel van workshopactiviteiten en praktijkgemeenschappen capaciteit en agency opbouwen als docenten en leiders op het gebied van duurzaam burgerschap.

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Groene competenties

• Complexiteit omarmen in duurzaamheid: Kritisch denken; probleemopstelling
• Duurzame toekomstvisies: Futures Literacy; Adaptability; Exploratory Thinking

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Creative Commons

https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/frankenstein/education/index.html
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/copyright/index.html

Credit Line

If using any material from Historical collections for publication or production, please include the phrase: “Courtesy of the National Library of Medicine.”.

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