Freak the Mighty

Use these activities to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity. 

Design Your Own Ornithopter

Using instructions from Instructables, design ornithopters using basic materials. Test for speed, distance, and durability. Connect this activity to your math and science studies by discussing the measurements and forces at work within the ornithopter’s operation.

• Record your plans and predictions for your ornithopter’s design.
• Reflect after building: Did your ornithopter fly as far or as fast as you wanted? How could the outcome change?

Teaching Suggestion: Provide some instruction on how to implement the activity and maximize its intent.

Paired Text Extension: The Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco (2010)

Once the group creates their ornithopters, The Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco could be used as a read aloud option to wrap up the STEM activity. This picture book for older readers is an autobiographical account of Patricia’s own experience of being placed in a classroom for those with special accommodations. Main character Trisha is disheartened as she is ostracized for being placed in “the junkyard class” and goes on to create planes and other inventions with her new classmates.