Study Guide for :Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt & Comprehension Test

Freakonomics
by Steven D. Levitt
About_
Freakonomics, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, applies the tools of economics to everyday life,
uncovering the hidden incentives behind topics as varied as crime rates, cheating, parenting, and baby names. This
study guide walks students through the book’s Introduction and six chapters, building comprehension while
encouraging them to question conventional wisdom the way Levitt does. Students will explore vivid case
studies—from cheating sumo wrestlers to a Chicago drug gang to a name given by mistake—and practice
connecting data to real-world conclusions. This study guide contains 91 questions across 7 chapter sections (70
Factual + 21 Critical), 1 Crossword Puzzle (12 clues), and 1 Character Focus Activity.
What’s Included_
This study guide features 7 sets of 10 Factual Questions with an answer key (70 total), 7 sets of 3 Critical Analysis
Questions (21 total), 1 Crossword Puzzle (12 clues), and 1 Character Focus Activity (8 traits + evidence prompt +
critical thinking question).
Target Grades_
Grades 9-11
Teacher Note_
This guide is designed to save you prep time while giving students a genuine workout in comprehension and critical
reasoning. Because Freakonomics constantly challenges assumptions with data, it’s a wonderful tool for teaching
students to question easy answers and think like analysts. Enjoy watching your students argue over abortion-crime
correlations and rigged sumo matches with real enthusiasm!