Freak the Mighty

1. Freak the Mighty By Rodman Philbrick

2. Vocabulary: Ch. 1-4 • unvanquished (adj): not conquered; undefeated • hunkering (v): to take shelter in, hide in, or crouch so as not to be seen • phony (adj): not an honest person; fake; imposter • mainstream (n): to integrate or incorporate into a prevailing group • duplex (n): a house divided into two living units • glimpse (n): a brief, incomplete look • scuttle (v): to move or run in short hurried motions • flimsy (adj): lacking solidity and strength • sobriquet [so-bree-kay] (n): a given or assumed nickname (Orangutangas) • opiate (n): a chemical drug with sedative (sleepy) affects • propulsion (n): a driving or propelling force • postulated (v): to assume; to make a claim without proof

3. Do Now Complete the worksheet taking care to be as honest as possible. This will not be collected or corrected, but answers will be discussed. Therefore, you must have answers recorded or you will start MP3 with negative points!

4. Recap Last week, you received a homework assignment to complete brief research on the following disorders and write a 3-5 sentence blurb describing each one. Let’s review using the U.S. National Library of Medicine website: Down Syndrome Autism Bipolar Disorder ADD/ADHD

5. Down Syndrome Down Syndrome is a genetic condition in which a person has 47 chromosomes instead of the usual 46. In most cases, Down syndrome occurs when there is an extra copy of chromosome 21. This form of Down Syndrome is called Trisomy 21. The extra chromosome causes problems with the way the body and brain develop. Widely recognizable physical appearance. The level of mental retardation varies from patient to patient, but is usually moderate. Down syndrome is the most common single cause of human birth defects.

6. Autism Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, and affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills. Autism affects boys more often than girls. The exact causes of these abnormalities remain unknown.  Are you familiar with any of the myths surrounding Autism?

7. Bipolar Disorder Bipolar disorder is a condition in which people go back and forth between periods of a very good or irritable mood and depression. The "mood swings" between mania and depression can be very quick. Bipolar disorder affects men and women equally. It usually starts between ages 15 - 25. The exact cause is unknown, but it occurs more often in relatives of people with bipolar disorder.

8. ADD/ADHD ADHD is a problem with inattentiveness, over-activity, impulsivity, or a combination. For these problems to be diagnosed as ADHD, they must be out of the normal range for a child's age and development. ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed behavioral disorder of childhood. It affects about 3-5% of school aged children. ADHD is diagnosed much more often in boys than in girls. No clear cause, but is believed to be set early in life as the brain is developing. 

9. Do Now What does it mean to be a freak? What are the physical and psychological characteristics? Work with a partner to create a list of logical responses to this question.

10. Morquio Syndrome Morquio Syndrome is an inherited disease of metabolism in which the body is missing or doesn't have enough of a substance needed to break down long chains of a particular sugar molecule. Morquio syndrome is an autosomal recessive trait (that means both your parents must pass you the defective gene in order for you to get this disease). Abnormalities associated with this disease include a short stature with a particularly short trunk, abnormal development of bones and other organs (ex: enlarged heart), a large head, an unnatural curvature of the spine, and widely spaced teeth.

11. Morquio Syndrome

12. Why is chapter 1 titled “The Unvanquished Truth”? What is unconquered that needs discovery? • Reread the 2nd & 3rd paragraphs of chapter 2. What do you gather about Max’s personality? Think critically about how you believe he views himself, not how others view him. • At the beginning of chapter 3, the reader is formally introduced to Freak. He proceeds to call Max “earthling” which Max finds rather bizarre. Why would someone like Freak refer to Max as “earthling” when he is also from Earth? • Justify why Freak is very knowledgeable and has an advanced vocabulary. • In chapter 4, Max admits something to the reader, but not to Freak. What is different about Max? Infer how this difference has impacted other people’s view of him in the past. Why does he choose not to tell Freak about it? This is a three-part question. • Create a Venn diagram that compares and contrasts Max and Freak. Ch. 1-4 S.G.Q.

13. Vocabulary: Ch. 5-11 • deplete (v): to lessen in quantity, value, or power • trajectory (n): a path of progression • evasive (adj): to slip away or avoid directly • archetype (n): an original model or pattern • divulge (v): to make known; provide secret information • avarice (n): excessive desire for wealth; greed • bionic (adj): normal human capacity improved by mechanical device or alteration [pacemaker] • smug (adj): highly self-satisfied [on your high horse] • yonder (n): a distant, undefined place within sight • oath (n): a promise for truth; to attest to the facts

14. Dyslexia(Developmental) • May have trouble separating sounds that make up spoken words • Difficulty understanding sentences • Difficulty determining the meaning of a simple sentence • Difficulty learning to recognize written words • Difficulty rhyming • May occur in combination with writing or math learning problems

15. Do Now How will Max and Kevin being friends help each other to grow as people? What can Max offer to Kevin and vice versa?

16. Reading Check Quiz: Ch. 5-8 • Give two reasons why Gwen, Freak’s mom, was scared when she came to Max’s to pick up her son. • Gwen thinks she may have hurt Max’s feelings. What does she offer Max to make it up to him? • What two things does Gram tells Max about Gwen and his mom? • How did the pair of friends become “Freak the Mighty”?

17. Freak the Mighty Journal #1 On page 41, Max says, “Me rescuing Freak. What a joke, right? Except that’s how it must have looked from a distance, because they never knew it was Freak who rescued me – or his genius brain and my big dumb body.” Even though you’re only about 25% through the novel, using what you know so far, explain the double meaning (literal and figurative) behind the boys saving each other.

18. Vocabulary: Ch. 11-25 • furrowed (v):a crease or groove in a surface [earth; skin] • dysfunctional (adj): behaving or acting outside of social norms • kin (n): a person’s relatives or family • illiterate (adj): not being able to read or write; minimal education • precaution (n): taking measures to avert or prevent an unfavorable outcome or danger • trussed (v): to tie, bind, or fasten securely • godforsaken (adj): bleak, dreary, miserable, unfavorable • aberration (n): the act of departing from the right, normal, or usual course • prodigy (n): a person, especially a child or young person, having extraordinary talent or ability

19. Vocabulary: Ch. 11-25 • lofty (adj): elevated in style, expectation, dignity, and/or character • gyp (v): to swindle or cheat • tracheotomy (n): the act of cutting into the trachea to deliver air to the lungs • facilitate (v): to assist the progress of

20. Ch. 16-20 Reading Check Quiz • Killer Kane keeps swearing to God. What is he swearing to Him about? • Killer Kane asks Max if he ever received the presents or letters that were sent. Do you believe that either ever existed? Why or why not? • Killer Kane is constructing a plan to move to a warmer climate, but asks for two things from Iggy. What two things does he request? • Who does Killer Kane say that you cannot trust? • When Max is tied up in the basement, who is the first person to come to his rescue? • Earlier in the novel, Freak tells Max that you can force yourself to remember anything if you try hard enough. What does Max remember?