literature that evokes feelings of mystery, fear and terror

a recognised way of doing things - a standard expectation of something

something that cannot be explained by the laws of science or nature

Identifying features of the Gothic genre in the plot of ‘Frankenstein’

English

Context for Gothic literature: science and religion in the 19th century

Exploring the character of Victor Frankenstein in Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’

Reading an extract from 'Frankenstein': A fateful night

Frankenstein's reaction to his creation

'Frankenstein' and the Gothic context

Regret in Mary Shelley’s 'Frankenstein'

Frankenstein's regret and the scientific revolution

Planning a written analysis of 'Frankenstein'

A written analysis of 'Frankenstein'

An introduction to 'Jane Eyre': Analysing an unseen extract

Reading an extract from Charlotte Brontë’s ‘Jane Eyre’

Lowood Institution: Gothic settings in 'Jane Eyre'

Analysing the atmosphere at Thornfield Hall in ‘Jane Eyre’

Using ‘Jane Eyre’ to inspire our use of gothic vocabulary

Using semantic fields to create a gothic atmosphere

Using figurative language to create a gothic atmosphere

Planning a Gothic description inspired by 'A monster within'

Organising our gothic writing to build tension

Writing a gothic description

Editing descriptive writing based on ‘A monster within’

Reading 'The Tell-Tale Heart'

The creation of suspense in 'The Tell-Tale Heart'

Symbolism in 'The Tell-Tale Heart'

Planning a cohesive argument about 'The Tell-Tale Heart'

A written analysis of 'The Tell-Tale Heart'

Analysing effective opinion articles

Using description in functional writing

The structure of an opinion article

Planning an opinion article about Gothic literature

Writing an opinion article on Gothic literature

Improving your opinion article on Gothic literature

In 'A Monster Within', pupils explore extracts from Gothic fiction. In 'Gothic Poetry', pupils apply this learning to the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe.

In 'The Twisted Tree', pupils are introduced to the Gothic genre. In 'A Monster Within', pupils explore Gothic motifs in a range of more challenging texts.

In this unit, pupils explore the Gothic. They start by learning what the Gothic is, before reading extracts from 'Frankenstein' and 'Jane Eyre', practising descriptive writing and reading 'The Tell-Tale Heart'. They finally learn how to write opinion articles and then write their own.

A monster within: reading and writing Gothic fiction

Subjects which particular individuals may be sensitive to, eg, adoption, migration, bereavement or death, divorce, poverty, deprivation.

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Depiction or discussion of violence or fighting, including threats of violence or the aftermath of violence.

Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

any story regardless of genre that is horrifying

a genre of literature that evokes feelings of terror or mystery

a story that was written by a writer who was a convicted criminal

Who wrote the Gothic novel 'Frankenstein'?

Which of the following is not a Gothic convention? 

the hideous creature created by the protagonist

the scientist who pursues knowledge to its limit

the friend of the protagonist, who is murdered

the protagonist's younger brother, who is killed in the woods

the protagonist's saviour, who recounts his story in a series of letters

Who is the character of Frankenstein in the novel 'Frankenstein'?

because he hates Henry and thinks he is selfish

to warn Victor Frankenstein not to come anywhere near him

because he is angry with Henry for deserting him

to get revenge on Frankenstein for destroying his mate

Why does the creature in the novel 'Frankenstein' kill Victor's friend Henry? 

Both the creature and Frankenstein bring joy to the world, but also pain.

Both the creature and Frankenstein commit acts of atrocity that they regret.

The creature is the alter-ego of Frankenstein, so they are hard to separate.

Neither the creature and Frankenstein understand morality, so can't be blamed.

Victor Frankenstein represents good and the creature represents evil

Why is the line between good and evil blurred in 'Frankenstein'?

If decorating a Christmas tree is a 'convention' of Christmas, what might a 'convention' be? 

Which of the following would you not expect to find in a frightening text?

The {{ }} marked the shift away from using manpower to farm and manufacture goods, and the turn towards using machinery to resource and create products instead. 

What did the Enlightenment period place emphasis on? 

Which weather would create the most tense and frightening atmosphere? 

Which of the following settings would create the most tense and frightening atmosphere? 

Identifying features of the Gothic genre in the plot of ‘Frankenstein’

Lesson outcome

Content guidance