Freak the Mighty Vocabulary List Chapters 1-8
Word Meaning 1. Unvanquished not able to be defeated
2. Scuttle A short, hurried run; to scurry
3. Perspective An accurate point of view; objectively
4. Strutting Walking with “attitude”
5. Sobriquet A nickname
6. Hulking Clumsy and heavy
7. Trajectory The curve described by a rocket in flight
8. Glimpse A brief sight or view
9. Hunkering To lumber along; walk or move slowly or aimlessly 10. Postulate To claim or assume the existence or truth of
11. Deficiency Incompleteness; insufficiency
12. Converging Incline toward each other
13. Evasive Avoiding or seeking to avoid trouble or difficulties
14. Propelled To cause to move forward
15. Demeanor Conduct or behavior
16. Depleted Supply is used up
17. Cretin A stupid or mentally defective person
18. Quest An adventurous expedition
19. Invincible Incapable of being conquered or defeated
20. Expel Discharge or eject
21. Archetype A collectively inherited pattern of thought present in people Freak the Mighty Vocabulary List Chapters 9 -18
Word Meaning 1.steed A high-spirited horse
2. pledge A solemn promise
3. oath A formally issued statement or promise
4. gruel A thin porridge
5. tenement Run-down, overcrowded apartment houses 6. yonder That place over there
7. optimum The best result under specific conditions 8. Holy Grail A sacred object
9. Injustice Violation of the rights of others; unfair action 10. Urgency Requiring speedy action or attention
11. Miraculous Marvelous; of the nature of a miracle
12. Deprived Lacking the necessities of life
13. Trussed To tie or secure closely
14. Divulged To make known or reveal
15. Fealty Showing loyalty
16. Abide To tolerate; to put up with
17. Sought To go in search of something
18. Dysfunctional Not capable of serving the purpose for which it is designed 19. Smirk To smile in a smug way
20. Obligation A binding promise, sense of duty
21. Redeemed To buy or pay off to clear by payment
Freak the Mighty Vocabulary List Chapters 19 -25
Word Meaning 1. Slant To slope
2. Abduction The act of taking someone by force: kidnapping 3. Unique Being the only one of a particular type
4. Slag Waste left over after the re-sorting of coal 5. Marvel Something that causes admiration; to wonder 6. Stabilized To maintain at a certain level
7. Manifestation Outward or perceptible indication
8. Accommodations Food or lodging
9. Wring To forcibly twist or squeeze
10. Aberration Deviation from what is normal, expected or usual 11. Puny Less than normal size; small
12. Obnoxious Annoying due to being a show-off
13. Facilitate To make life easier or less difficult
Freak the Mighty Student Resource Sheet 1
Guidelines for a Quest
The ordinary world The ordinary world is shown in order to provide a contrast with the ‘new’ world the hero is about to enter.
The call to adventure The hero is presented with a problem, challenge or adventure. As soon as they know about this call they can no longer be comfortable in the ordinary world. The hero’s goal is made clear: to win the treasure; get revenge; right a wrong; confront a challenge or achieve a dream.
Refusal of the call The hero becomes reluctant to take on the challenge and may start to think of turning back. Advice from a mentor or some other circumstance is needed to enable the hero to overcome this fear.
Mentor The mentor helps the hero prepare for the adventure. He or she gives guidance and sometimes magical equipment. They can only travel part of the journey with the hero and at this point can give stern advice to the hero to get the adventure going.
Crossing the first The hero commits to the adventure, agrees to face the threshold consequences of the challenge and enters the special world of the story. This is where the adventure starts.
Tests, allies and The hero begins to face the challenges of the new world. He or she enemies meets new friends and enemies. Often the settings can be dark and dangerous and the hero’s determination to complete the adventure is tested.
Approach to the The hero comes to the edge of a dangerous place where the object of inmost cave the quest is hidden. When the place is entered, the hero crosses the second threshold. Often heroes pause at the gate to prepare and plan.
The supreme The hero has to face his or her greatest fear. They will also face ordeal death and will battle with the enemy. Reward - The hero wins the treasure. This treasure could be knowledge and reconciliation with the enemy.
The road back The hero must face the consequences of the battle with the enemy. If there has been no reconciliation, the enemy may return to chase the hero as they make their way back to the ordinary world.
Resurrection The hero must be re-born in order to return to the normal world. The hero faces another brush with death. The lessons learned from the supreme ordeal help the hero to win through.
Freak the Mighty Student Resource Sheet 2
Following a Quest Movie Title: ______
Directions: With a partner, choose a movie that you know is an example of a quest or journey. Some examples are: Stars Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, etc. Once you have identified the movie, complete the chart below showing how your movie fits in to each category.
The ordinary world
The call to adventure
Refusal of the call .
Mentor
Crossing the first threshold
Tests, allies and enemies
Approach to the inmost cave
The supreme ordeal
The road back
Resurrection
Freak the Mighty Student Resource Sheet 3
Freak the Mighty “Families, Fathers, Friends and fights”
Directions: Before reading Freak the Mighty, place a check in the column indicating if you agree or disagree with the corresponding statement. After reading the book, check the statements and see if your answers have changed after reading and discussing Freak the Mighty. Choose one statement and write a paragraph about why you agree or disagree with it.
Agree Disagree ______It is better to fight than stand back and let people take advantage of you.
______Men are like steel: when they lose their temper, they lose their worth. –Chuck Norris
______It is a wise father that knows his own child. – Shakespeare
______A friend is someone who lets you have total freedom to be yourself. – Jim Morrison
______People with differences should be treated differently.
______You cannot escape from your past.
______Having children makes you no more a parent than having a piano makes you a pianist. –Michael Levine
______It is not a bad thing that children should occasionally, and politely, put parents in their place. – Colette
______All happy families resemble one another, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. – Leo Tolstoy
Chapter 1 and 2 Questions and Activities
1. Setting is the time place or circumstance of a story. In a short paragraph describe the “down- under where Max lives.
2. Answer the following questions in a well-developed paragraph. Why is Max convinced he does not have a brain? Is his assessment of himself as a “butthead” correct? Do our opinions of ourselves affect what others think of us? Do others’ opinions of us affect how we feel about ourselves?
3. See Student Resource Sheet 4 - Time Order Sequencing.
Chapter 3 and 4 Questions and Activities
1. Complete the chart on Character - Student Resource Sheet 4
Chapter 5 and 6 Questions and Activities
1. Point of View is the angle or view point from which a story is told. In Chapter 6 Max and Kevin meet up with Tony D. Rewrite what happens in this scene from Tony D’s point of view.
2. In a well-developed paragraph describe the character of Tony D using three quotations from the book.
3. Complete Student Resource Sheet 5 – Max’s Hero Journey
Chapter 7 and 8 Questions and Activities
1. Copy and complete the chart below to show your understanding of symbolism in chapters 7 and 8
Object/ Person/ Place Represents … 1. Blade (p.34)
2. Freak the Mighty (p.39)
3. Slaying Dragons (p.44)
4. The cup of coffee (p.42)
5. Dinosaur brain (p.47)
2. When Max is brought home by the police Grim and Gram automatically assume the worse. Based on what you have read so far in the novel explain three events that have happened that could support their concerns.
Freak the Mighty Student Resource Sheet 3
Time Order Sequencing
Directions: Upon completion of reading Chapters 1 and 2 students are to number the following events in the order that they occurred in the story.
Events Order of Occurrence
Kevin pretends to be “robot man”
Max was in the L.D classroom.
Max was nicknamed “Kicker”
Max thinks that Kevin doesn’t like him.
Kevin yells at the movers.
Kevin moved in down the street.
Max moved in with Gram and Grim.
Max gets bored reading comic books.
Max sees and remembers Gwen.
Max lives in the basement.
Freak the Mighty Character Student Resource Sheet 4
Directions: Using the information found in chapters 1 – 6, complete the chart below by making a list of what Kevin and Max look like, how they speak how they act, and how others react to them. Include three (3) examples for each section.
Main Physical Behavior and Thoughts and Interpersonal Character Appearance Actions Feelings relationships s Physical size Personal Self-esteem Bullying Posture motivation Fears Misunderstanding Height Personal Goals Miscommunication values Hair colour Personal Family Stereotyping Eyes interests Friendship Your personal Clothing Personal reaction Quests
Max
Kevin
\
Freak the Mighty Student Resource Sheet 5
Max’s Hero Journey
Directions: Reread the events that take place in Chapters 3 – 6. Complete the chart showing how these events match the steps in the hero’s journey.
Consider the following questions: What is Max’s call to adventure? How or why does he refuse that call? Who do you think the mentor might be? Could it be more than one person?
Stages of the Hero’s Journey Events from the Novel
The call to adventure
The hero is presented with a problem, challenge or adventure to undertake. As soon as they know about this call they can no longer be comfortable in the ordinary world. The hero’s goal is made clear: to win treasure, get revenge, right a wrong, confront a challenge, or achieve a dream.
Refusal of the call
The hero becomes reluctant to take on the challenge and may start thinking or turning back. Advice from the mentor or some other circumstance is needed to enable the hero to overcome fear.
Mentor
The mentor helps the hero prepare for the adventure. He or she gives guidance and sometimes magical equipment. They can only travel part of the journey with thee hero and at this point can give serious advice to the hero to get the adventure going.
Freak the Mighty Student Resource Sheet 6
Flow Chart for the Creation of Freak the Mighty
Directions: Using information from Chapters 6-8, complete the chart to show how Kevin and Max become ‘Freak the Mighty’.
Max and Kevin are both in the same daycare. Max is the “kicker”; Kevin refers to himself and “Robot Man”. Max finds Kevin to be fierce. He doesn’t want to mess with him.
Chapter 9 and 10 Questions and Activities
1. Foreshadowing is a clue or hint about what will happen later in the story. The information is used to tease readers and keep them guessing about what is going to happen in the story. Why do you think the author included chapter 9 in the novel? What is being foreshadowed in this chapter? Give specific details from the story to explain.
2. Complete Student Resource Sheet #7
Chapter 11 and 12 Questions and Activities
1. Setting is the time place or circumstance of a story. The boys find themselves in a dangerous place in this chapter. In a well-developed paragraph discuss how does the author convey the seriousness of the situation of the “new testaments”? Explain using specific details from the novel.
2. Complete Student Resource Sheet #8
Chapter 13 and 14 Questions and Activities
1. In a well-developed paragraph explain what event occurs in chapter 14 and how Grim reacts to this news? Is this an appropriate reaction? Explain why or why not.
2. Complete Student Resource Sheet #9
Chapter 15 and 16 Questions and Activities
1. Suspense is the creation of a feeling of uncertainty in the reader. How does the author create suspense in chapter 15?
2. Conflict is the struggle between two opposing forces. In chapters 15 and 16 Max is presented with a new conflict as his father returns to his life. Explain what type of conflict this is and how Max chooses to deal with it to protect him and those he cares about.
3. Complete Student Resource Sheet #10.
Freak the Mighty Student Resource Sheet 7
Rescues, Journeys and Knightly Deeds
In Chapters 7 to 10, Kevin uses language which refers to knights and their quests. In these chapters there are events which cause the reader to think of rescues, journeys and knightly deeds. Re- read the chapters to find examples of these events and use the organizer below to record your ideas.
Examples of Rescues, journeys Knights and Language language referring and knightly knightly deeds describing Max as to knights deeds a horse
Freak the Mighty Student Resource Sheet 8
Iggy and Loretta at the “New Testaments”
Writers can use language symbolically, to paint images in the reader’s mind. If the writer wants to give a positive impression of a character, positive language will be used. However, if the writer wants to warn the reader that a character is going to be trouble, negative language might be used. The quotations below are used by the writer to give impressions of Iggy and Loretta Lee.
Draw the image that these quotations bring to your mind and then try to explain underneath how the language leads you to your expectations of the character.
Loretta Lee: “this hand comes snaking Iggy Lee: “and he’s got a beard out and reaches for the mail box” which looks like it’s made out of red barbed wire.”
Draw your image here: Draw your image here:
What does this image lead us to What does this image lead us to expect of Loretta? What might it expect of Iggy? What might it symbolize about her? symbolize about him?
Freak the Mighty Student Resource Sheet 9
Kenny Kane’s Legacy Directions: Fill in the chart with what we know about Max’s father up to this point (Chapters 1-14) and explain what you think each point means.
What we know What it means
Example: Grim refers to Max’s dad as Could show fear, disrespect. Definitely “Him”. He does not call him by name. shows he is not liked by the man.
Freak the Mighty Student Resource Sheet 10
Kenny Kane and Hidden Threats
The following are all quotations from Chapter 16. Some of these details show that on the surface the character Kenny Kane is being gentle. On the other side of the table, however, are details which suggest that there are many hidden threats.
Directions: With a partner, use the spaces to make notes about what the quotations suggest about Kenny Kane and his intentions.
Surface gentleness? Hidden threat?
‘It’s time I got to know my own ‘Rule number one, don’t sass your son.’ (page 100) old man.’ (page 105)
‘and he reaches out and touches ‘He hooks his finger in my shirt my face real gentle,’ (page 102) collar and makes me duck down until the car goes by.’ (page 104)
‘He touches me real soft on the ‘Iggy gives this nervous heh heh back of the neck.’ (page 105) heh.’ (page 107)
‘“Bring me and my boy some food,” my father says.’ (page 106)