A brief Summary of Freak the Mighty Freak the Mighty is a novel about the unlikely friendship of two social outcasts, Kevin and Max. Both boys suffer from “disabilities” and have been bullied for various reasons. Together they unite to make “Freak the Mighty”, a daring team who goes on quests and adventures of all types. Throughout the story the boys become more confident as their friendship becomes a stronger force in their lives. Ultimately both boys are changed for having known one another and this is one reason that Max (who is learning disabled) decides to write this book. The novel deals with important social issues including domestic violence, bullying, incarceration, friendship, death, non-traditional families, education, love, forgiveness and justice. I have no qualms about teaching this novel and it has been taught in 5 th through 9 th grade classrooms. The material is written from Max's point of view and deals with some of the mature thematic elements in a completely appropriate yet realistic way. I really believe that all students can make meaningful connections with this text on some level and that they will also enjoy reading it. And now, onto the connections! I sincerely hope that you will enjoy exploring (and hopefully teaching) this phenomenal book as much as I have! READING ACTIVITIES |During Reading|After Reading| Before Connections 1) Privilege Walk This activity works best outside but adjustments can be made for classroom use. All students should line up shoulder to shoulder on one side of the field. If the student feels that the read statement applies to them, then they step forward. At the end of the activity students will usually be scattered across the field, representing the diverse experiences within your class. Upon returning to the classroom, help students process the event by asking what privileges were revealed, and how they felt during the activity. Adapted by Watanabe, Taylor. Freak the Mighty Privilege Walk . BYU. 2007.   2) Vocabulary Illustrations As a precursor to the novel, students might begin compiling “visual dictionaries” based on prefixes, suffixes or root words. I think creating visuals rather than writing sentences would help with retention and would also prepare students to understand much of the vocabulary used in the book. By working with prefixes or suffixes, students will be able to understand the meanings of words they come across in the novel, even if they haven't studied that word specifically. A particularly helpful website for this activity can be found below. Jones, Susan. “'Word Parts' the roots of vocabulary.” ResourceRoom.net 2004. Accessed on 25 September 2007. [ http://www.resourceroom.net/comprehension/literature/ftm_1.asp]   3) Research Paragraphs In this mini research assignment students will briefly research an assigned character, setting or literary device used in Arthurian Legend. Students will then create a lengthy but well written paragraph elaborating on what they learned. These pages could be made into a book that would serve as background information for students as they begin the novel. The following website will prove especially helpful in research. “King Arthur.” Britannia History.com 2001. Accessed on 25 September 2007. [http://www.britannia.com /history/]   4) Research Visuals After reading someone else's research paragraph, students will come up with a creative way to illustrate the concept, character etc. Students can use traditional artistic mediums or dramatic activities to accomplish this. Watanabe, Taylor. Freak the Mighty Research Visuals . BYU. 2007.   5) Hyperbolic News Articles Using sources like the Weekly World News as inspiration students will create their own exaggerated news articles after a lesson on hyperbole. Hyperbole is used frequently during the novel, so their understanding of this device will continue to grow throughout their reading of the text. However, this will serve as an appropriate introduction activity. Watanabe, Taylor. Hyperbolic News Articles . BYU. 2007.   6) Prediction Time Capsules Students will make predictions about the book based on the title, first page and a free write they do in class. These predictions will be put inside a “time capsule” to be displayed throughout the reading of the text. After the story is finished, the class will use the time capsule in other reflection activities. Watanabe, Taylor. Prediction Time Capsules . BYU. 2007.   7) Metaphors in the Media After a brief lesson/review of metaphor students will scan newspapers, magazines and news shows for examples of metaphor in real life. The class will then compile a collage of the different real life metaphors that were discovered. The following website gives examples of numerous metaphors used in the media in 2005, and may be a good place to start getting ideas from. Casnig, J.D. “Top Ten Metaphors of 2005.” The Metaphor Observatory . 2005. Accessed on 22 September 2007. [http://metaphorobservatory.blogspot.com/2005/12/top-ten-metaphors-of-2005.html]   8) Nicknames- good or bad? This assignment can be adapted to use as a journal entry, short paper assignment or class discussion depending on the needs of your specific class. The idea is to discuss how nicknames can be inclusive or exclusive in nature. In other words, what is the difference between a silly name your friends call you, and one that is offensive? Are some names/words always inappropriate? Does it matter who calls you by the name? When Freak the Mighty was made into a movie, the title was changed to The Mighty. Rodman Philbrick has said the following about the title change, “The folks at Miramax decided to change the title because they thought my title might be offensive. Obviously they were wrong.” What do you think about this response? Watanabe, Taylor. Nicknames Journal Entry. BYU. 2007. The following site is where I found this quote and may also be worthwhile: Reed, Arthea J.S. “A Teaching Guide to Freak the Mighty.” Rodman Philbrick.com 2005. Accessed on 21 October 2007. [http://www.rodmanphilbrick.com/teaching. html#freak]   9) P is for Peanut Alphabet Book Review Read this alphabet book with your class, to help prepare them to make their own alphabet books. Even though students have probably read ABC books before, this is a good reminder activity and helps turn their brains into “ABC mode” so they will be fully prepared to create their own books. Make sure to discuss key things about alphabet books including; their use of a theme to unify the elements, what they do for hard letters like x or z, whether they include extra information on the topic or simply state an item for each letter. Gelber, Lisa. P is for Peanut: a photographic ABC . Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2007.   10) Watch the video “Troop 1500” This film depicts the relationship between a troop of girl scouts and their incarcerated mothers. The film sheds light on what it might be like to have a parent in prison and the challenges that presents. This will prepare students to read about Max's situation with his own incarcerated father by providing some background on the subject. Allman, Kevin. “The Film.” Independent Lens 2007. Accessed on 25 September 2007.[http://www.pbs.org/ independentlens/troop1500/film.html]   During Connections 1) Static/Dynamic Characters activity Use the following worksheet and class discussion to help students gain a clear understanding of dynamic versus static characters. Teachers may find it most helpful to do the worksheet as a class, instead of individually especially if being taught in the lower grades. The follow up activity to this is making an Arthurian shield for one dynamic character in Freak the Mighty . Watanabe, Taylor. Dynamic and Static Characters in Freak the Mighty . BYU. 2007.   2) King Arthur Shield/Coat of Arms This website is just one example of many available web pages that describe medieval shields. After a brief presentation by the instructor students could use this information to complement what they have already learned about King Arthur from the novel. Students could create their own shield or Coat of Arms based on a character in the book. “Heraldry For Kids: Design Your Own Shield .” heraldry.ca.com 2007. Accessed on 23 September 2007. [http://www.heraldry.ca/kids_en/heraldry_make_shield.htm]   3) Journal response The author of this book has said, “ I wrote Freak the Mighty because Max, the mighty half of Freak the Mighty, insisted and he's bigger than I am." How do you think the author got his idea for Freak the Mighty ? Do some stories need to be told? Why are these stories important in our society? Has a book ever changed the world? A person? A community? This quote and other interesting responses from the author can be found at the following website. Rodman Philbrick.com . 2005. Accessed on 22 September 2007. [ http://www.rodmanphilbrick.com/ index.html ]   4) Blended Notations Students work on this project throughout the reading of the novel. They should have one “blended notation” for each chapter read. This form of note taking uses both left and right brain skills. Students should divide their paper into two columns. On the left side of the paper students will take bulleted notes on important thematic developments, recurring motifs, important quotes or key events that happened in the chapter. On the right side of the page students will draw/illustrate something to represent either a specific note on the right side (or several) or the entire chapter as a whole. This helps students visualize the important events of the book and also provides a great reference for post-reading work and discussion. Mulkey, Hedwig. Blended Notations . 2002.   5) Vocabulary Illustrations Revisited Students will continue the visual dictionaries they started in the pre-reading activities. As students progress in the book the teacher may choose more challenging vocabulary. Again it would be wise to choose words that have the same root, prefix or suffix. The teacher may find it helpful to choose from the word groups found on the following website. Jones, Susan. “'Word Parts' the roots of vocabulary.” ResourceRoom.net 2004. Accessed on 25 September 2007. [ http://www.resourceroom.net/Comprehension/literature/ UNsummaryforpdf.pdf ]   6) Arthurian Myth jigsaw activity Students each read one legend concerning King Arthur and his adventures. After writing a brief summary, students get into groups and exchange information. By teaching each other the legends students will gain a better understanding of important information and will be able to make stronger connections between the legends of King Arthur and the quests of Freak and Max. Heaton, Melissa. Freak the Mighty and Arthurian Legends . 2006.   7) ABC book prep Students collect words, characters, settings and key events for their future ABC books. Students annotate several words for each letter of the alphabet (x and z have special instructions) and make note of important page numbers etc. Early sketches for their illustrations may be included in their work-book as well. Below is a specific version of the original assignment created by Deborah Dean. Heaton, Melissa. Freak The Mighty ABC Book. 2006.   8) Class Jigsaw Puzzle Each student receives one giant puzzle piece made out of butcher paper. Students are assigned individual social issues topics that come up in the book. Examples include; foster care, families of prisoners, various disabilities, bullying, illness and terminal disease, equality, justice and divorce. Each student chooses how to address their topic. They may choose to write a poem, an informative paragraph, make a collage, bullet statistics etc. On the back they must include a visual. As each student finishes his/her puzzle piece, it is added to the puzzle which can be put together on a bulletin board or large wall. This encourages all students to complete their work so that the whole class can finish the puzzle. Nielson, Rachel. Giant Jigsaw. 2007.   9) Morquios Syndrome The following website has some great information about Morquio Syndrome, the disease that Kevin suffers from in the book. The wealth of information provided could help teachers and students as they try to understand what is happening to Kevin. Outreach opportunities could be created or a service learning component could easily be added to the unit based on the information given. “MPS and Related Diseases.” National MPS Society . 2007. Accessed on 22 September 2007. [http://www.mpssociety.org/content/4002/MPS__Related_Diseases/]   10) Free Version of the Freak the Mighty Play Unlimited options here! Students could compare and contrast, participate in reader's theater or a variety of other ideas. Teachers could take this in a lot of different directions depending on the needs of their classroom. Philbrick, Rodman. “Freak the Mighty Play.” Rodman Philbrick.com . 2005. Accessed on 22 September 2007. [ http://www.rodmanphilbrick.com/index.html ]     After Connections 1) Publish ABC books Students will complete their ABC books using the notes they have taken during the novel. Time should be given in class to allow students to “publish” their ABC books. Students may submit one letter of their choosing to a class ABC book which could be bound and put in the school library. This process provides a great opportunity to review the most important parts of the text and clarify any questions the students may still have. Heaton, Melissa. Freak The Mighty ABC Book. 2006.   2) Letters to Killer Kane, Grim/Gram or Gwen Students will solidify the text-to-self connections they have made during the novel by writing a one or two page letter to one of the minor characters in the novel. Killer Kane, Iggy, Loretta, Grim, Gram and Gwen are suggested characters. Students should include questions for the character, opinions of their actions (based on specific events in the novel) and advice for future interactions with Max or Kevin. It should also let the character know whether the students' opinion of him/her changed over the course of the novel and why or why not. Watanabe, Taylor. Freak the Mighty Character Letters. BYU. 2007.   3) Farewell poems to Freak Use the handout on Memory Poems to write farewell poems to Freak. Here's the catch: the students must write the poem from the perspective of one of the other characters in the story. For example it might be Max's farewell poem to Freak or Gwen's or even Tony's farewell poem. This helps students think about a character from multiple perspectives and will give students a deeper understanding of the relationships between various characters in the story. Evans, A. Memory Poem . 1997.   4) Lyrics to The Mighty If possible, have students listen to this song and leave the lyrics up on an overhead transparency while students complete their final journal entry for Freak the Mighty. Meisters, Marisa. “The Mighty.” Stingetc.com 2007. Accessed on 22 October 2007. [http://stingetc.com /lyrics/mighty.shtml]   5) Final Journal Entry The prompt might go something like this: The lyrics in this song (The Mighty by Sting) talk about a world of seeming impossibilities. (When the broken are strong, and the shackled can run, when the voiceless can sing, etc.) Did Max and Kevin accomplish anything that seemed impossible at first? Kevin wanted a lot of things changed about the world, and he believed it was possible. What things would you change about the world today? How could you start to effect that change? Watanabe, Taylor. Lyric Response Journal Entry . BYU. 2007   6) Final Compilation of Dictionary Have students read Freak's dictionary at the end of the novel. Teachers might want to combine Freak's dictionary with the vocabulary illustrations students have been working on throughout the novel. Students may select five of their best illustrations and five of their favorite words from Freak's dictionary to create their own dictionaries. The following website has some good ideas for student work using Freak's Dictionary. Jones, Susan. “Freak's Dictionary.” ResourceRoom.net 2004. . Accessed on 25 September 2007. [http://www.resourceroom.net/Comprehension/literature/ftm_freaksdictionary.asp]   7) Follow up to Troop 1500 and class discussion Prepare an overhead of the paragraphs detailing where the girls and their mothers are now. Read them aloud as a class and allow students to share their thoughts on the video and Troop 1500. If there is time have students discuss or write in their journals about how Max might have been affected by his father's incarceration. “News Releases: Emmy Award Winning PBS Series.” GirlScouts.org 2006. Accessed on 22 October 2007. [http://www.girlscouts.org/news/news_releases/2006/troop_ 1500. asp]   8) Further information on Incarcerated Families The following site provides an extensive number of links dealing not only with Troop 1500 but also with social statistics, support groups, and informational sites about families who are separated by the incarceration of a parent. Because this subject is such a major issue in Freak the Mighty, it is important that teachers make use of these resources. In addition to teaching about the literary elements of the story, it is up to instructors to teach students about the real-world, social issues that Philbrick writes about. Allman, Kevin. “Learn More.” Independent Lens 2007. Accessed on 22 October 2007. [http://www.pbs.org /independentlens/troop1500/more.html]   9) Interactive Timeline Read Write Think's Interactive Timeline tool provides an easy way for students to create a timeline of the most important events in the book. Students may complete the timeline individually or in groups, but should include at least ten important events from the book. Students should include page numbers for each specific event. This mini-project can serve as a review of the novel and may be especially helpful if you are planning an end of the novel test. “Interactive Timeline.” Readwritethink.org 2007. Accessed on 22 September 2007. [http://readwritethink. org/student_mat/index.asp]   10) The Mighty movie clips This movie is an excellent resource and may be used for several different activities, depending on the teacher's preferences. I would use this movie in conjunction with the Prediction Time Capsules that we had made as a class. Before viewing selected clips from the movie, students would open their time capsules and review their predictions. After watching the movie clips students could then make a journal entry reflecting on the accuracy of their predictions in the book and the film adaptation. The Mighty . Dir. Peter Chelsom. 1998. DVD. Wa