The Making of Monsters
How are monsters created across art forms and cultures?
In this 9-12 lesson, students will investigate monsters in film and across cultures. Students will analyze film scores and soundtracks that feature monsters. Students will create original conceptions of a monster to present in a multimedia presentation.
Lesson Content
Learning Objectives
Students will:
Analyze the relationship between music and monsters literature, film, and TV series.
Research and gather information about monsters from different cultures.
Read and discuss the poem, Beowulf.
Compare monsters from literature, film, and/or the performing arts.
Write a story about an original monster and how it came to be.
Present an original monster and backstory to an audience.
Standards Alignment
Apply aesthetic criteria in developing, proposing, and refining artistic ideas, plans, prototypes, and production processes for media arts productions, considering original inspirations, goals, and presentation context.
Use multiple approaches to begin creative endeavors.
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology's capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.
Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.
Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.
Recommended Student Materials
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Teachers will need to be well-versed in both Beowulf and Grendel. They should have a working knowledge of the role of monsters in various cultures and how they are represented in the arts.
Student Prerequisites
Students should be familiar with the role of monsters in society and various cultures. Students should have basic research skills.
Accessibility Notes
Modify the inquiry handout and resources as needed. Provide assistive technologies during research. Allow extra time to complete artwork.
Engage
Play excerpts from the following compositions for students:
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Ask students: What do you think is the inspiration for this type of music? What examples of music are you familiar with that seem to be inspired by a fear of monsters or are an attempt to instill a sense of monsters approaching?
Have a class discussion about monsters from movies, performances, or TV shows. Ask students: Why do you think monsters exist? Can you give examples of monsters from your childhood? Can you give examples of the way we see monsters in our society? What are the positive aspects of monsters? What need did monsters fill in society in the past? What need might they fill now?
Have a listening session with students. Play and discuss the “Hall of Fame” tunes from the article, Your Brain on Music: Chills & Thrills, or excerpts from the following films and TV series:
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Build
Distribute the article, Your Brain on Music: Chills & Thrills. Tell students that the composers of spooky tunes know just what they are doing when they create music. Have students read, listen, and discuss the article. Ask students: How does a composer’s craft contribute to the experience of a listener? What elements of music do composers use to stimulate an emotional response from a listener? How do our brains recognize “scary” music?
Have students share stories that contain “monster-like” characters. Record and discuss their responses on the board. Tell students one of the earliest written pieces in literature, Beowulf, was a monster story.
Tell students they are going to conduct research about monsters. Share the resource, , with students. Ask students to find information on specific monsters (e.g.: Frankenstein, Golem, Dracula) and the historical context of monsters within different cultures.
Have students share their research about monsters with the class. Ask students to elaborate on something new they learned about monsters. Encourage them to share images or timelines for additional context.
Apply
Introduce the poem, Beowulf, to students. Allow time for students to read. Select a part of the story aloud, pausing to ask questions. What is the role of women in Beowulf? Is Beowulf an ideal hero and king? What are his character flaws? From whose point of view is the story told? How does this affect the reader?
Introduce the story, Grendel by John Champlin Gardner. Allow time for students to read. Ask students: Why do you think Gardner chose to use Grendel as a narrator? How does the fact that Grendel is a monster affect the way the story is told? How does Grendel feel about language?
Explain to the class that, even today, there are many cultures that believe in the existence of monsters, demons, and other such creatures. Point out that, while most of us consider the notion of their existence unlikely, belief in monsters is not necessarily an unreasonable belief, and that it is, at very least, supported culturally, albeit not scientifically.
Tell students they will be creating original monsters. Distribute the resource to students to pre-plan their monster. Explain that students will create and present their monster with a multimedia presentation. The monster should have a background, name, and history or developmental tale that explains its existence. There must be a visual representation of the monster. Have students also select music that represents their monster. Offer students the creative choice to draw, paint, or digitally design a monster. Allow time for students to do research, write their monster story, create a presentation, and select music.
Have students present their work to the class. Encourage discussion among the class about the monster, its story, and music selection.
Reflect
Explain to students that they are going to write an original story featuring the monster they have created. Review the story expectations with students with the . Have students do peer editing or peer reviews once the stories are done.
​​Assess students’ work with the . Provide feedback to students in the “Comments” section.
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Creators of spooky tunes know exactly what they are doing when they send shivers down the spines of listeners.
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