The Plot Thickens: Literacy Through Computational Thinking
Bataul H. Alkhateeb, Eiman F. Abushihab · Journal of Technology-Integrated Lessons and Teaching · 2025
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.