Freak the Mighty

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. How have different marginalized groups taken terms that were meant to harm them and used them for empowerment?

Teaching Suggestion: Facilitate a group debate or conversation about terms originally intended to harm being reclaimed for purposes of empowerment, as well as the role of such terms in the interactions of Friends vs. Bullies. Discuss the impact of words on people and why words matter.

• This article from The Inquisitive Mind looks at the possibilities and limitations of taking back harmful terms as a means of empowering targeted groups.
• “The Power of Words” is a video produced by Common Sense Media on how the power of words can affect others, specifically within the realm of video games and social media.

2. How do you define teamwork?

Teaching Suggestion: Discuss the importance of teamwork and what it looks like through different stages of life and situations. Share how teamwork is present in your own life and ask the group to think of situations outside of school where their teamwork is required.