If you are looking for activities for Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick you have come to the right place. For this exceptional book, you’ll find novel study samples as well as a compare and contrast organizer.
By the time Max enters the eighth grade, he is the size of a full-grown man. His dyslexia and size make him an outcast at school. One day a new kid moves next door. This kid is also an outcast, with major health problems. Max calls him Freak in a friendly way.
Soon the two boys become close friends. Freak, who is super smart, teaches Max about robotics and history. He also tells Max that he is going to have an operation, so he won’t be sick anymore. Freak rides on Max’s shoulders and the two become a “dynamic duo” going on quests and adventures. The two make a great pairing with Freak’s brains and Max’s body.
Activities for Freak the Mighty
Book Unit Samples
This sample includes vocabulary practice, comprehension questions, and a constructed response question plus answer keys for Freaky the Mighty.
Teaching Idea #1 ~ Character Trait Organizer
This graphic organizer is extremely flexible and may be used at different times during your book study. Use it as a Venn diagram to compare Max and Kevin. Max’s and Kevin’s differences are described in approximately Chapter 3.
In the two narrow rectangles, students brainstorm by listing facts as sentence fragments. In the larger rectangle, students take their facts and rewrite them into paragraph form.
Get your free character trait booklets here.
Students could use the organizer for many comparisons. Here are a few suggestions:
- Compare Kevin’s and Max’s personalities at different points in the novel. [When their friendship grows, the two boys change.]
- Explain how the two react to different situations in the novel. For example, what is each boy feeling and thinking as he walks to the medical research building in Chapter 9?
- Another example is how the two boys react on their visit to Iggy and Loretta Lee’s home.
- How does the friendship between the two characters compare to the boys’ personalities?
Instructions for Making the Organizer
- Print the page with Max’s and Kevin’s pictures. Fold it in thirds to make Kevin and Max stand side by side.
- Print the page with rectangles on a different piece of paper. Contrasting colors look great but are not necessary.
- Students cut out the rectangles and glue them to the inside of the first page.
Teaching Idea #2 ~ Freak the Mighty Poem
Freak and Max, Max and Freak,
Tall strong kid, small sick geek.
Adventures with Knights,
Horses, stuff that gives you frights.
“The usual,” says Max,
Talking about the knightly attacks.
Have students create a similar poem.
Teaching Idea #3 ~ The Mighty Movie
Have students watch The Mighty, the movie version of the book. Then compare the book to the movie.
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Freak the Mighty Novel Study includes vocabulary practice, comprehension questions, constructed response writing, and skill practice.
