Freak The Mighty Sparknotes

NOVEL:
Palacio, R. J. Wonder. New York: Knopf, 2012. Print. (Children’s Literature)
This is a story about Auggie Pullman, a 5th grade student with a physical deformity who is entering the public school system for the first time in his life. Auggie finds it difficult to integrate into his new surroundings due to an air of fear or disgust felt by those around him. Despite his difficulties, Auggie makes a few dear friends and is able to finish out his 5th grade year with flying colors. This book is appropriate for this unit because it can add to the conversation begun by how Kevin is treated in Freak the Mighty due to his physical deformities, and it can call to question how people with deformities are perceived and treated in society. The Lexile

score for this book is 790, which will make this a good book for independent reading in this class. Wonder can be used to learn about and discuss point of view thanks to the multiple perspectives provided in the book.

Philbrick, Rodman. Freak the Mighty. New York: Scholastic, 1993. Print. (Young Adult Literature)
This text will serve as the anchor for a unit titled “Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover”.

Freak the Mighty is about an unlikely friendship formed between two misunderstood and underestimated characters; Maxwell (the Mighty), who has intellectual difficulties, and Kevin (the Freak), who has physical deformities. They use their unusual bond to overcome obstacles and help each other in various ways. Per lexile.com, Freak the Mighty has a Lexile score of 1000, which falls squarely in the middle of the 8th grade Lexile band. Because many of the students in this 8th grade class are struggling readers this book will likely be right at the instructional level for them. This is not a long book, the chapters are very short, and the language used by the narrator (Max) is relatable and accessible, which is ideal for the struggling or reluctant readers in the classroom. The protagonists in this book are in 8th grade, which will make them relatable to the students in that respect. This book is appropriate for this unit because both of the protagonists face prejudices that they must deal with throughout the

story.

POETRY:
Alexie, Sherman. "How to Write the Great American Indian Novel." Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 12 Sept. 2016.
This sardonic poem by Sherman Alexie calls to question the stereotypes associated with Native American people and culture. This poem is useful in this unit because it calls into the prejudices one feel toward a certain demographic or culture based on the common media portrayals of them. The points made by Alexie in this poem can be contrasted and compared to well-known media portrayals of Native American culture, such as Disney’s Pocahontas. Alexie’s claims seem to ring true once they are investigated. According to the Dale-Chall readability formula this poem is appropriate for grades 5-6, which is ideal for the struggling readers in the class. Although none of the students in this class are Native American, the concerns conveyed by Alexie can give them insight into the struggles and misconceptions those in the Native American community face.

Evans, Janis Leslie. "Poetry On Being Judged And Judging Others." HubPages. HubPages, 2012. Web. 12 Sept. 2016.
This is a short poem is about the nature of prejudice and how difficult it is to overcome. Evans acknowledges that holding onto prejudices keeps people from seeing what is unique or special about those they are judging. This poem can be used to begin a discussion on the power of prejudice and how our own prejudices affect us, as well as how they can be overcome. According to the Dale-Chall readability index this poem is appropriate for students in grades 7-8, which means the poem may be a challenge for some students. This poem is written by an African-American author, which makes her relatable to the majority of the students in this class.

Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "Richard Cory." Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 12 Sept. 2016.
This poem will be a more challenging read for these students, as it is ideal for students in grades 9-10 according to the Dale-Chall readability index; however, this poem is very short and can be read in a whole class setting, which should help many of the students understand the content of the poem more readily. This classic poem is about a man named Richard Corey who seems to have it all and is envied by everyone around him, but the poem makes a dramatic shift at the very end when he suddenly takes his own life. This poem can be used to explore the idea that, truly, you cannot judge any book by its cover, even if the cover seems enviable.

SHORT STORIES:
Hughes, Langston. “Thank You, Ma’am". Digital image. Http://photos.state.gov/libraries/. N.p., 1997. Web. 12 Sept. 2016.
This short story is about a troubled youth named Roger who finds himself being taught a valuable lesson by a woman he attempted to rob. Despite his attempt to steal the pocketbook of Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones she takes him to her home and shows him unprecedented and unexpected kindness. This short story shows the power of looking past prejudices and first impressions and simply treating people like people. This story can open a discussion about how setting our prejudices aside and acting kindly towards everyone could impact the world around us. The Lexile score for this text is 790, which is ideal for independent reading for these students. Langston Hughes is also a popular African-American author, which will appeal to the majority of students in this class. This text would be ideal for using sign posts, as there are many of them throughout the text which the students could identify and discuss.

Morrison, Toni. “Recitatif.” Genius, 19 Sept. 2013. 14 Sept. 2016.
This short story is interesting because, as readers, we are aware that the two female characters are from different racial backgrounds, but it is not stated which one is from what background. This could lead to a very interesting discussion about the racial identity of the two girls, which in turn could be investigated to see why students believed what they did about their respective backgrounds. This could be a valuable insight to students because it could make them aware of subconscious prejudices they may hold, especially if this ambiguous element is not explained prior to their reading of the story. The Dale-Chall readability formula says that this text is suitable for students in grades 5-6, although the complex themes contained in the story mean that these students will likely need support and guidance in order to fully understand the story. Because this short story is so long, and because the content is progressively more inappropriate, only the first section of this story about the girls’ young life will be read and discussed. This story is also by an African-American author.

NON-FICTION/EXPOSITORY:
Myers, Walter Dean. Bad Boy: a Memoir. New York, NY, HarperCollins Publishers, 2001.
In this memoir Walter Dean Myers tells us about the prejudices and misrepresentations a faced from all sides during his childhood. A speech impediment early in life, disdain for his love of reading within his own community, and the designation as a “bad boy” by a grade school teacher are just some of the things Myers had to overcome in his early life. Eventually, Myers gave into the prejudices that waged against him and dropped out of school, believing that no amount of determination would release him from his grim destiny. This powerful memoir can be used to investigate the negative toll that mislead beliefs about people based on their race or socioeconomic status can have on young people. The Lexile score for this book is 970, which will make it a challenging read for some students. This book was written by a popular African-American writer, which will appeal to many students in the class.

St. John, Warren. Outcasts United: the Story of a Refugee Soccer Team That Changed a Town. New York, NY, Delacorte Press, 2012.
This true story is about a soccer coach who takes the initiative to create a soccer team for newly-immigrated young boys who find themselves living in a reluctant Georgia town. Despite her community’s initial objections, Luma Mufleh organized the “Fugees” team for these boys to play on, with surprising results. This book shows the power of acceptance and walks the reader though a “turning of the tides” as a community comes to accept their status as a refugee resettlement location and the people who join their community as a result. The Lexile score for the young reader addition of this book is 980, which is ideal for independent or instructional reading in this class. Since the majority of students in this class are male, the sport theme should appeal to some of them, and perhaps some girls as well, especially since the coach is a female. There is also a wide variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds represented by the boys on the team.

NON-PRINT MEDIA:
Atchison, Doug et al. “Akeelah and the Bee.” Lionsgate, 2006.
This inspiring movie is about a young African-American girl who discovers she has a natural talent for spelling. Despite the objections voiced by her family and her community, Akeelah goes on to compete in an event where she is surrounded by competitors who come from much more privileged and supportive backgrounds than her own. Despite the opposition she faces, Akeelah goes on to compete and emerges as a co-victor in the National Spelling Bee. This movie can be compared and contrasted to other works in the text set, such as Bad Boy, to discuss how their characters dealt with the prejudices waged against them differently. This movie is enjoyable and appropriate for 8th grade students despite the protagonist being slightly younger than the 8th grade students.

Jenner, Kylie. “#IAmMoreThan Photo Campaign.” Kylie Jenner Official Site, Whalerock Industries , 15 Jan. 2016. Web. 12 Sept. 2016.
This is a photo campaign begun by Kylie Jenner in which people declare that they are more than just what meets the eye. When looking at the posts associated with the hashtag #IAmMoreThan, one can read inspiring stories about people and who they actually are, beyond what people can see about them. By using a specially curated selection of these photos, students can explore the stories of real people that may challenge some of the prejudices they may hold. They can then use the hashtag to create a “#IAmMoreThan” post for the characters in their books such as Auggie, Kevin, or Max. This activity would require them to understand the characters as they are perceived by those around them as well as who they actually are.

PRINT MEDIA:
Chandler, Michael Alison. “U.S. to Track Discrimination in Schools as Anti-Muslim Sentiment Grows.” Edited by Newsela Staff, Newsela, Washington Post, 14 Sept. 2016. Web. 14 Sept. 2016.
This is a thought-provoking article about the prejudices held against followers of Islam and the manifestation of those prejudices in schools, which are often displayed in the form of bullying. This article can be used to discuss how prejudices can be waged against any aspect of one’s life; age, race, socioeconomic status, religion, or anything else. Because this issue in particular is so relevant in America today, it is valuable for students to examine this article and learn how the prejudices about Muslim people have a negative effect on them. This is also a Newsela article with an adjustable Lexile score and the ability to produce it in Spanish for the ESOL students in the classroom.

Panzar, Javier. “‘Cool Kids’ in Middle School Fizzle out Later On.” Edited by Newsela Staff, Newsela, Los Angles Times, 19 June 2014. Web. 12 Sept. 2016.
This article discusses the perception of “cool kids” in school and the dim reality that these students are more prone to unproductive or even criminal activity later in life.

The article talks about the perception of these students being more mature than their classmates can have negative affect on the development into actual maturity for them. This is a powerful article because it shows that not even the “cool kids” are immune from harmful prejudices in school. As with the poem “Richard Cory”, this opens the discussion for students talking about seemingly “good” stereotypes and prejudices being harmful to those they are projected on. This is a Newela article, which means the Lexile level can be set to a 4th, 6th, 9th, or 12th grade level. This is helpful because it allows for customization for each student. This article can also be printed in Spanish in the various exile levels, which is ideal for the 3 ESOL students in the

classroom.

Weisburd, Kate. “Opinion: Getting Suspended or Expelled Should Not Be the End of Hope.” Newsela, The Marshall Project, 27 July 2016. Web. 13 Sept. 2016.
This article makes the case that students should not have their school discipline records held against them when applying for college. The author states that there are many reasons for this, such as inaccurate records and the lack of due process involved in determining whether a student is responsible for breaking the rules. This article shows how choices can have an impact on the prejudices people may have, but also shows the faultiness of those prejudices. Students can use this article to decide where they stand on this issue and participate in a class discussion to determine the pros and cons of either decision. Once again, this is a Newela article with an adjustable Lexile score for individualized learning. Students can be given the version that is at their instructional level since the article will be discussed.