The Plot Thickens: Literacy Through Computational Thinking

Abstract

In this lesson, students analyzed word frequency, character interactions, and recurring themes in Frankenstein to predict how the novel unfolds before reading the next chapter. Students mapped a decision tree for Victor Frankenstein’s choices and predict alternative endings. This lesson utilized Plotting Plots (n.d.-a), created Dr. Tom Liam Lynch as a classroom resource that blends literature with data analysis. This tool leverages computational and quantitative approaches to understanding books by creating visual representations of literary data. The Much Ado About K-12 Computer Science: A Crash Course for ELA and English Teachers YouTube video playlist videos (Plotting Points, n.d.-c) are designed for secondary English Language Arts teachers to strategically map keywords and to support students’ exploration and inferences of what they could mean for the plot of the text.