Overview
Students in AP Literature and Composition will share informal, symposium-style poster presentations about their research projects on an ethical issue in science inspired by their analysis of Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein. Students in AP English Language and Composition will provide informal walk-throughs of their e-portfolios for a series of essays on an inquiry topic of their choosing.
Why e-portfolios?
Research suggests that students need to have an influence over the topics they choose to write about. Research also suggests that students need more opportunities to write for the real world, which requires them to experiment with all stages of the writing process from ideation to publishing.
About e-portfolios
E-portfolios require students to demonstrate their proficiency in key course skills. For AP English Language and Composition, core skills include rethinking the aims of methods of prior drafts and developing an idea over a series of drafts. Additionally, students are encouraged to take intellectual and creative risks and to take ownership of their writing.
Two types of portfolios
- Showcase portfolio
- Learning or a work-in-progress portfolio (Students in AP English Language and Composition completed a learning portfolio)
Why interdisciplinary research?
Interdisciplinary research in English classes breaks down academic categorizing, fosters critical thinking, and engagement by connecting literature and writing to real-world topics. Interdisciplinary projects often feel more authentic to students, allowing them to take ownership of their learning by connecting academic content to their own interest in research topics. By exploring topics through multiple lenses, students learn to analyze complex issues from various perspectives. Specifically here, AP Literature and Composition students read an early 1800s novel that was a prophetic cautionary tale for modern science, highlighting the dire consequences of pursuing knowledge without ethical responsibility or foresight. Students selected a current scientific ethical focus to explore and then made connections through general comprehension and literary analysis.
Writers-within-Community Model
Community is one of the core values of Bancroft School. Developed by Steve Graham, the Writers-within-Community model suggests that writing is shaped by the community in which it is produced (Graham & Aitken, 2025). This way of thinking about writing and the teaching of writing considers both the social and cognitive aspects of writing. The writing produced within a community reflects the work of writers, readers, mentors, teachers, and collaborators who make up the community.
Graham, S., & Aitken, A. (2025). The Writers-within-Community model. In Handbook of Research Writing (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
AP Literature and Composition (03 section)
Vanessa A. - “The Seize of AI”
Lea A. - “The Effect of PAS on Physicians”
Arianna B. - “Artificial Intelligence and the Modern Monster”
Rebecca B. - “Ethics of Generative Creation”
Ayla B. - “Medical Aid in Dying and Frankenstein”
Frances D. - “Physician Assisted Suicide: An Examation of Ethics Within the Process”
Michelle G. - “Death with Dignity”
Caleigh H. - “Shared Narration of Suffering”
Vivian M. - “The Power of Cloning”
Amalia P. - “The Consequences of Playing God”
Casey R. - “Untitled”
Zayden R. - “Ethics of Artificial Applications in the Medical Field”
Helen T. - “The Right to Death: Controversies Regarding MAiD Policies”
Jackson Z. - “The Ethics and Analysis of Regeneration, Cancer Plasticity, and Frankenstein”
AP Literature and Composition (06 section)
Wyatt A. - “Evolution of Cloning”
Mairead B. - “Ethical Considerations in Science: Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID)”
Nolan B. - “The Intersections of Frankenstein and Geoengineering”
Isaac B. - “Artificial Intelligence in Two Worlds”
Avinash C. - “The Tension Between Innovation and Ethics”
Jinhong F. - “Fusion Energy Safety in Connection with Frankenstein”
Marcos F. - “Does Cloning Still Have a Future?”
Yuxuan G. - “Redesigning Life: Genetic Engineering, Scientific Responsibility, and the Legacy of Frankenstein”
Elijah J. - “AI and Frankenstein's Right to Moral Considerations”
Emma J. - “The Ethics Behind Scientific Advancement”
Fisher L. - “Creation Beyond Earth: The Ethical Limits of Human Ambition”
Christopher M. - “AI & Creations: Ethical and Unethical Reason”
Sarah M. - “Medical Aid in Dying’s Ethical Implications on Frankenstein”
Lilah M. - “Ethical Questions About Human Cloning”
Ethan M. - “Bioethics and its Value in Healthcare”
Lillian W. - “The Price of Life and Death”