Name: ______Period: ____

Freak the MightyWebQuest

Directions:Go to my teacher webpage on the FMS website and click on

“Freak the Mighty WebQuest” on the left side. Follow each of

the sections and record answers to questions in the spaces

provided.The questions on this handout differ from the ones on

thewebquest, so please pay attention.

Section 1: About the Author

Rodman Philbrick has written several novels and is a successful author.

Visit his website and answer the following questions:

  1. What inspired Mr. Philbrick to write Freak the Mighty?
  1. What are the titles of three other books written by Mr. Philbrick?

Now, Google Rodman Philbrick and find out the following information:

  1. What year was he born?
  1. What city was he born in?
  1. What award did he win for Freak the Mighty?

Section 2: Quests and Chivalry

First, visit ChivalryToday.com.

  1. Write down your own definition of what the term “chivalry” means.
  1. Give three examples of how someone might act in a “chivalrous” way.

Learn about the Legend of King Arthur to answer the following questions.

  1. What task did Arthur have to complete to become King?
  1. Who is Guinevere?
  1. What was the name King Arthur’s castle?
  1. What is the Code of Chivalry?
  1. What is the significance of the round table?

Section 3: Previewing

Read the page from the novel, Freak the Mighty, and answer the questions below in complete sentences:

  1. Who are the two main characters in this book?
  1. What kind of person do you think the main character, Max, is? Kind, funny, mean, scared? What makes you think this?
  1. Find one part of the passage that stands out to you because it’s funny, puzzling, or something you can relate to. Write about why you picked this sentence or sentences.
  1. Who do you think they are referring to when they mention “Him”? Why do you think they might be scared of “Him”?
  1. Freak calls his mom the “Fair Gwen of Air”. Based on your previous research about Arthurian legend, who do you think he is referring to?
  1. Why do you think they call Freak “robot boy”?

7. The narrator says that they became “Freak the Mighty”. What do you think they did to earn this nickname? How does the narrator feel about this nickname?

Section 4: Ornithopter

Kevin’s ornithopter proves that he likes science experiments. View the video of an ornithopter and record 3 observations about this mechanical bird.

Section 5: Morquio Syndrome

In the story Freak the Mighty, Kevin suffers from a genetic disease called Morquio Syndrome. Visit the link to learn more about this disease.

What are some symptoms of Morquio Syndrome? List three of them.

Watch the video about a young girl’s struggle with Morquio Syndrome. What difficulties do the parents describe about raising a child with this disease?

Section 6: Learning Disabilities

Max has a learning disability. Look at the descriptions of learning disabilities.

  1. What are some signs of learning disabilities?
  1. Which learning disabilities do you think are most difficult to live with?

People generally understand that it is unacceptable to tease or harass a person based on their race, religion, or culture. So why do we hear people use the word “retarded” to imply that something is stupid so often? Read this article and write a one paragraph summary of the article and a personal response to it.

  1. Does it change the way you think about the word “retarded”?
  1. Think back to Section 5, how would you respond if someone called Bella "retarded"?

3. How do you think Bella would feel if she heard someone call her retarded?

Section 7: Bullying

Bullying is a major issue that is presented within this novel.

What is your definition of bullying?

List four examples of bullying.

List at least three ways that someone could deal with bullying.