Substitute Teacher Lesson Plan: Frankenstein — Letters 1 & 2

Objective

Students will be able to identify key character traits of Robert Walton as revealed through his letters, and explain how the epistolary (letter) format shapes the reader's understanding of his personality and motivations.

Materials

• Copies of Frankenstein Letters 1 and 2 (provided text)
• Notebook paper or lined paper for each student
• Whiteboard/chalkboard or chart paper (for warm-up brainstorm)

Warm-up (~5 min)

Write this prompt on the board:
"If you had six years to prepare for one big adventure or goal, what would you sacrifice, and what would you hope to gain?"

Give students 2–3 minutes to jot down a quick answer. Then call on 2–3 volunteers to share aloud. Explain that today's reading is about a character, Robert Walton, who has spent years preparing for a dangerous voyage to the North Pole.

Main Activity (~25 min)

Step 1: Set the context (2 min)
Explain to students: Frankenstein begins not with the famous scientist, but with letters from an explorer named Robert Walton, written to his sister Margaret Saville in England. Walton is on a ship, preparing to sail to the North Pole.

Step 2: Read aloud together (12 min)
Read Letter 1 aloud as a class (call on volunteers to read paragraphs, or read it yourself). Pause briefly after these key moments to check understanding:

• After the paragraph about the "region of beauty and delight" — ask: What does Walton imagine he'll find at the North Pole?
• After the paragraph about his education and love of poetry — ask: What does Walton say he wanted to become before he became an explorer?
• After the paragraph about training his body (whale-fishers, cold, hunger) — ask: What has Walton done to prepare for this journey?

Step 3: Read Letter 2 aloud together (8 min)
Continue reading Letter 2 as a class. Pause after the paragraph beginning "But I have one want which I have never yet been able to satisfy..." and ask:

• What is Walton missing, even though his expedition is going well?

Continue through the description of the ship's master and his story about giving up his farm and his prize-money for the young Russian woman's happiness. Ask:

• What does this story suggest about the kind of man Walton has chosen as his ship's master?

Step 4: Independent written response (3 min)
Have students write 3–4 sentences answering: Based on Letters 1 and 2, what three words would you use to describe Robert Walton's personality? Give one piece of evidence from the text for each word.

Wrap-up / Exit Ticket (~10 min)

On a half-sheet of paper, students answer the following in complete sentences:

1. What is Robert Walton's goal, and why does he want to achieve it? (Use evidence from Letter 1.)
2. Why does Walton say he feels lonely, even though his expedition is going well? (Use evidence from Letter 2.)
3. In your own words, why do you think Mary Shelley chose to begin her novel with letters instead of starting the story directly?

Collect exit tickets as students leave, or have them turn them in to a designated basket.

If Time Remains

Have students imagine they are Margaret Saville, Walton's sister, receiving these two letters. Ask them to write a short reply (4–6 sentences) responding to her brother's excitement, his loneliness, and his description of the ship's master. Volunteers can share their replies aloud.