Introduction: Frankentoy

By LIFE
About: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a modern myth; a 200 year-old science-fiction story that explores themes of human creativity, societal responsibility and scientific ethics. Two centuries later, these themes c…

Another challenge from the Frankenstein200 Workshop!

What do you get when you mix and match parts of creatures? In Mary Shelley’s original story, Victor Frankenstein built a person out of dead body parts and brought it to life. But Dr. Frankenstein thought his creature looked like a monster, and he let it run away.

What makes a creature beautiful, or horrible to look at? How does that affect the way you feel about the creature?

In this activity, you will design a creature from parts you choose!

Step 1: Collect These Materials

  1. Catalogs, flyers, any throw-away print materials with nice big, colorful pictures of dolls, stuffed or real animals, robots, or anything that might have an interesting body part
  2. Scissors
  3. A sheet of heavy paper or cardboard to attach your creature to
  4. Tape or glue for connecting the parts together

Step 2: Collect the Body Parts

Cut out interesting body parts from your source materials. Make a nice big assortment of parts to work with, and lay them out on a flat surface.

Step 3: Start Building

Mix and match the parts. Start by finding a good head, or maybe a good torso. Then start adding limbs and other body parts. How many legs will it have? How many heads?

Step 4: Strike a Pose!

When you get an assembly of parts you like, arrange them in a way to show your figure in action. Is it running…toward you? Away from you? Is it attacking? Singing a song?

Step 5: Freeze Frame!

To preserve your Frankentoy’s pose, tape or glue it down on a piece of paper. OR just take a picture of it (be sure to send it to us), then disassemble and try another one.

Step 6: SHOW US WHAT YOU MADE!

Did you make a scribble bot? Then share it with us! We love seeing what people make. All the best ones will be featured in our Showcase.

And there's way more! Frankenstein200 puts you in the middle of the action in a story where Mary Shelley’s classic tale Frankenstein collides with modern science. Perform experiments, explore hidden areas of research, and assist a pair of young scientists as they unravel a mystery in a cutting-edge digital experience.