Name ____________________

Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick

1) Examine the cover of the book. What can you predict about it? _________________________

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2) Read the back cover of the book. What do you think it is going to be about? ____________

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3) Read the first sentence of the story. What stands out to you most about this statement? What does it tell you about the main character? ___________________________________

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READING COMPREHENSION

Chapters 1-2

1.) Who is the narrator of the story? Describe him.

2.) Describe Max’s first impression of Freak at daycare.

3.) What is the “down under”? Why does Max like it so much? Describe it.

4.) Describe the Fair Gwen.

Chapters 3-5

1.) Describe Freak.

2.) When Max is upset, where does he go? Why do you think he does this?

3.) What causes Fair Gwen to invite Max for dinner?

Chapters 6-8

1.) What event do Max and Freak go to together in Chapter 6?

2.) What is Freak’s favorite book? How does this book help him?

3.) In your own words, describe Tony D.

4.) Why does Max put Kevin on his shoulders? How does Freak feel about this?

5.) What do Max and Kevin rename themselves in Chapter 7? Why do they choose

this name?

6.) Do you think Gram’s advice about running away from Tony D. is good advice?

Explain your answer.

Chapters 9-11

1.) Describe the first quest that Max and Freak go on.

2.) Describe the second quest that Max and Freak go on in the middle of the night.

What do they find? Who does it belong to?

3.) Who is “Killer Kane”?

Chapters 12-13

1.) Why are Freak and Max in the same class at school? Why is this strange?

2.) In your own words, describe how Max and Freak ended up in the principal’s

office.

3.) Describe how Kevin helps Max in school.

4.) Describe what happens with Kevin and the Chop Suey.

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Chapters 14-15

1.) In Chapter 14, what are Gram and Grim fighting about?

2.) Based on Gran and Grim’s argument, why do you think Killer Kane went to jail?

3.) What does Max promise at the end of Chapter 14?

4.) What does Max give Freak for Christmas? Why?

5.) What does Freak get Max for Christmas?

6.) Who do you think is standing in Max’s bedroom at the end of Chapter 15?

Chapters 16-17

1.) Is Max surprised that his father has come to take him?

2.) Why did Killer Kane come back?

3.) Where does Kane take Max?

4.) Why does Kane tie up Max?

Chapters 18-19

1.) What is Killer Kane’s plan?

2.) What do you think Iggy is trying to tell Max with his eyes?

3.) Why does Loretta try and help Max? What happens to her?

Chapters 20-21

1.) What does Max say to Kane that stops him from killing Loretta?

2.) Why does Kane try to choke Max?

3.) What does Freak tell Kane is in the squirt gun? What is really in there?

4.) Who do Freak and Max meet outside after running through the boarded up

plywood?

Chapters 22-23

1.) What does Freak get for his birthday?

2.) In your own words, describe what happens to Kevin at the end of Chapter 22.

3.) Why does Kevin’s voice sound different at the hospital?

4.) What gift does Kevin give Max? What does he want him to do with it?

Chapters 24-25

1.) Why did Max get upset at the hospital?

2.) Why did Max miss the funeral?

3.) How does Max start to feel better after the death?

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READING STRATEGIESAll readers should use these strategies to help them make sense of what they are reading. These important strategies include:

Predict: Use evidence and prior knowledge to help you think about what will happen in a text.

Infer: Use evidence and prior knowledge to help find out important details that the author doesn’t specifically tell you.

Visualize: Use the words and details in the text to make pictures in your head.

Question: Ask questions while reading to help monitor your understanding

Connect: Make connections between what you read, your own experiences, other books, and the world

Evaluate: Use your own opinions to talk about a text Summarize: Brainstorm and write about the most

important details about a text Determine Importance: Come up with what is the

most important things about a text Synthesize: Organize, recall, and recreate

information, and fit it in with what you already know.

READ

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N STRA

TEGIES

COMPREHENSION STRATEGIESWhen stuck on a challenging piece of text, all readers must do the following in order to help understand what they are reading. Some examples include:

Making pictures in your head Re-reading challenging sections Reading more slowly Asking questions Making notes of important details

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THIN

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LEVEL ONE: THINK AND SEARCHThe answer for these types of questions are found in different parts of the text. Some examples of ways to start these types of questions include:

How do you… What are three or four…What happened to… What happened before/after…How many times… What examples…Where did…

LEVEL TWO: AUTHOR AND YOUThe answer is not in the text. Use what you know to decide what the author wants you to believe. Some examples of ways to start these types of questions include:

Why did…If you were a/an…Why do you think…What would you do if you were …Which character would you like to be…why?What part of the text made you angry/smile/sad? Why?What was the most important event/idea in the text? Why?What do you feel the author is trying to tell us?

LEVEL THREE: ON MY OWNThe answer is not in the text. Tell what you think.

Have you ever…If you could…If you were going to…In your opinion…Do you agree with… Why?Do you know anyone who…How do you feel about…

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PREDICT-Based on what you’ve read and what you know, what do you think will happen next?-What clues helped you to think about what will happen next?-Is your prediction logical?

VISUALIZEChoose a scene from the reading that you were able to visualize clearly in your head. Using your own words, describe it in the space below.

FREAK THE MIGHTY

CH

APTERS 1-5

QUESTIONChoose and answer a level one thinking stem from the list provided. Your answers should be detailed, and should reflect your understanding of the reading.

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TEXT EVIDENCE There is a big difference between making a guess and having an idea about

literature that can be supported with evidence from the text. Evidence is strongest

when others can clearly see how it connects from to the idea to the specific quote.

As you read, look for text that supports ideas about the themes in Freak the

Mighty .

FRIENDSHIP

FAMILY

OVERCOMING

CHALLENGES

BULLYING

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CONNECTMake a Text to Text, Text to Self, or Text to World connection. Explain it in the space below.

SUMMARIZEMake a list of the 5 most important things that happened during the reading

CH

APTER 6-10

QUESTIONChoose and answer a level twothinking stem from the list provided. Your answers should be detailed, and should reflect your understanding of the reading.

FREAK THE MIGHTY

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FRIENDSHIP

FAMILY

OVERCOMING

CHALLENGES

BULLYING

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CONNECTWho is the main character in the story? Compare them to someone in your own life. How are they the same? How are they different?

CH

APTERS 11-15

QUESTIONChoose and answer a level three thinking stem from the list provided. Your answers should be detailed, and should reflect your understanding of the reading.

SUMMARIZEUsing a maximum of thirty words, summarize the most important details of the reading.

FREAK THE MIGHTY

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FRIENDSHIP

FAMILY

OVERCOMING

CHALLENGES

BULLYING

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CONNECTDo the characters remind you of anyone in your own life? Explain.

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APTERS 16-20

QUESTIONChoose and answer a level one thinking stem from the list provided. Your answers should be detailed, and should reflect your understanding of the reading.

ANALYZEChoose a quote from the novel that you found to be important or meaningful. Why do you think it is important (both to you personally, and to the story as a whole)?

FREAK THE MIGHTY

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FRIENDSHIP

FAMILY

OVERCOMING

CHALLENGES

BULLYING

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SUMMARIZEUsing a maximum of 30 words, summarize the most important details of the reading.

CH

APTERS 21-25

QUESTIONChoose and answer a level two thinking stem from the list provided. Your answers should be detailed, and should reflect your understanding of the reading.

VISUALIZEChoose and list three quotes from the novel that really helped you to visualize the story.

FREAK THE MIGHTY

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FRIENDSHIP

FAMILY

OVERCOMING

CHALLENGES

BULLYING

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FR

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Unvanquished: Not beaten.

Ornithopter: an aircraft designed to derive its chief support and propulsion from flapping wings

Propulsion: the force that moves something forward

Postulated: to suggest, especially in order to start a discussion

Invincible: incapable of being conquered, overcome, or subdued

Opiate: something that causes people to ignore problems and to relax instead of doing things that need to be done

Expel: to push or force out

Regurgitate: to bring food that has been swallowed back to and out of the mouth; to repeat without understanding

Evasive: not honest or direct

Divulged: to give someone information

Smug: having or showing the annoying quality of people who feel very pleased or satisfied with their abilities, achievements, etc.

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FR

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MIG

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Quest: a journey made in search of something

Gruel: a thin food made by boiling oatmeal or some other grain in water or milk

Ruckus: a noisy argument, fight, or disturbance

Sophisticated: having or showing a lot of experience and knowledge about the world and about culture, art, literature, etc.

Deprived: not having the things that are needed for a good or healthy life

Dysfunctional: the condition of having poor and unhealthy behaviors and attitudes within a group of people

Redeemed: to make better or more acceptable; to exchange for money or a reward

Depleted: to greatly reduce the amount of something

Aberration: something (such as a problem or a type of behavior) that is unusual or unexpected

Tracheotomy: an emergency operation in which a cut is made in the trachea so that a person can breathe

Manifestation: a sign that shows something clearly

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FREAK

MAX

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IMPORTANT CHARACTER

SELFIEChoose a significant event and character from today’s reading. In the template provided, draw and color a “selfie” that the character could have snapped during the event. Next to the phone, write what happened at the time the selfie was taken, from their point of view.

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SERIES OF EVENTSDraw 4 key scenes from the reading, in order, in the space provided. Below your drawing, explain what happened and why.

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COMIC BOOK CREATORCreate a comic book page for a scene from your

reading. Use text bubbles to help explain what is going on in each scene. On the back of this page, write a paragraph explaining why you chose this scene to

portray.

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WH

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TH

EY T

HIN

KIN

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Choose an important character and event from today’s reading. Inside the head, write and illustrate things that you think they were thinking during the event. Be sure to include a lot of details! 21

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Choose two important characters from today’s reading. In the phone above, write a series of text messages, in which the figures discuss an important event from the reading.

TEXT ME

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Choose one important event from the reading. What one image best represents the event? In the middle of the camera below, illustrate your chosen image. In the box,

explain the significance of the event - how does it relate to the novel?

FREAK THE MIGHTY

A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS

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