The Outsiders 

by S.E. Hinton

Links & Handouts

All handouts that you need to download are posted in the column to the right.  Click on the sunsets to print the handouts.  

Tentative schedule of when each activity will be assigned & vocabulary list.  Click here

A.       Outsiders Packet Entry #1 (Journal Prompt) Group Identity part I-- Map of School    

•  Make a list of the different social groups or cliques on our campus.
• Draw a map of our school quad area.  Label the map to show which social groups hang out where.
• Why do you think kids congregate (or gather together) in the clumps that they do?
• Do you hang out in one or more of those groups?  Why or why not?  

 B.    SETTING: Read a few pages and then describe the setting of the novel  O Packet Entry #2 

 C.      OPTIONAL-- THIS IS WORTH 5 EXTRA POINTS OR 5 ELH TICKETS SETTING:  Interview one to two adults who were teenagers in the United States during the late 1950s or 1960s  (You may also add to your spiral entry by doing book or internet research about teenagers’ lives in the late 50’s and early 60’s for Excellent Learning Habits Tickets)  SPIRAL ENTRY #____ 

• Brainstorm what you think you know about a teenager’s life in the 50s and 60's and then create a list of interview questions  (Definitely ask about the different social groups or cliques at school.)

• Interview an adult of two and write down the main points from your interview. Then share what you learned in class.

D.      Read Chapters 1-2 

E.      CONNECTION:  Journal Prompt:  Group Identity Part II:  Society   O Packet Entry #3   Human beings are social creatures.  We all like belonging to a group that accepts us.

·      Brainstorm lists of social groups:  e.g. students, family, ethnic group, only children, daughters, sons, religious group, sports teams, clubs, ______ speakers, fan of ____ music group…

·      What groups do you identify with?  Draw a web cluster to show what groups you belong to 

  ·      Describe characteristics of two groups

·      How are two seemingly disparate groups on your web cluster actually somewhat similar?  In other words, what are some things that members of two groups that seem really different might actually have in common?

·        Fill out the “Groups in Society” Worksheet add this to your spiral as part of this entry 

F.  Read Chp 3 &   Do As a Reader/As a Writer Questions for Chapter 1-3  See column to the right for the handout on these.  O Packet Entry #4   YOUR ANSWERS ALWAYS NEED TO RESTATE THE QUESTION.  IT SHOULD TAKE YOU TWO FULL PAGES TO ANSWER THESE COMPLETELY.  

G.     CONNECTION:  Journal Prompt  Individual Identity:  Inner & Outer Perceptions of ourselves   O Packet Entry #5 

·       Using the overhead transparency mode shown in class,  list how you see yourself and how others see you.  This handout is given to you in class.   

·        Now do the same from Ponyboy.  How does he see himself and how do others see him?  Cite evidence from the text to support your claims.  (Include page numbers).  

H.      Read Chp. 4 &  Complete the handouts on the anatomy of a gang titled “There’s a Place for Us:  We Saw the Same Sunset”  O Packet Entry #6    This handout is given to you in class.        

I.      Read Chp. 5

·        Do As a Reader/As a Writer Questions for Chapter 4-5  See column at right for link to questions O Packet Entry #7    

·        Complete the table on the Robert Frost poem from page 77.  This is available at right.  You'll turn this document in immediately, so don't put it in your spiral.

J.      CONNECTION:  Journal Prompt:  Intentions  O Packet Entry #8    

·       Do you ever misinterpret your friends or family members’ actions?  Describe a situation in which you did that.

·       Do good intentions make something bad like yelling or hitting okay?  P. 98-99

K.      Read Chp 6-7

·  Journal prompt   What limits or restrictions do your parents put on your freedom?  Why do kids and adults need limits?  

·        Do As a Reader/As a Writer Questions for Chp 6-7  O Packet Entry #9      See link in the right hand column for the questions.

L.   LITERARY DEVICE:  Characterization.  Pick a character in the novel to become an expert on.  Socs:  Cherry, Randy, Marcia, Bob, or Buck.  Greasers:  Ponyboy, Soda, Two-Bit, Dally, or Darry.  Pay close attention to what makes your character act the way he or she does.  Use post-it notes to mark passages in this chapter or any other one that reveal your character's personality traits. Then complete a Characterization Chart on a main character in the novel O Packet Entry #10    

M.  Read Chp 8 and do an On the Surface/Under the Surface Tree for this chapter O Packet Entry #11 we are skipping entry 11 for 2004-2005   If you can't remember what an On the Surface/Under the Surface tree is, click here. 

After watching a small portion of West Side Story in class or after reading the two major fight scenes in  Romeo and Juliet,  create a Venn diagram comparing The Outsiders last fight scene in chapter nine to the fight scenes in either Westside Story or Romeo and Juliet.  

For extra points, read a summary of Shakespeare's play, and then read the excerpts I've provided at right of the major sword fight scenes in Romeo and Juliet.  Then compare that to the West Side Story and The Outsiders fight scenes.  Thus, your Venn diagram will have three overlapping circles instead of two.

O.   Read Chp 9

q       Annotate using sticky notes

P.  Read Chp 10

•   Do As a reader/Writer questions for 8-10 

•  Write your own Reader/Writer questions—2 of each type for a total of four questions. You do not have to answer them.  But be prepared to use them in our LSC discussion O Packet Entry #13    

Q.  Read Chp 11 and 12

q       Answer As a Reader/As a Writer questions for chps. 11-12 or do a Dialectical Journal Entry” Spiral Entry # ___  . as you read If you can't remember how to do a  Dialectical Journal Response click here to visit the Responding to Literature web page.  O Packet Entry #14    

q       Complete “Novel Map Handout/Plot Structure.”  Handout is available only in class.  O Packet Entry #15    

Final Project

Class-created rubrics available at right.  Click on the last sunset.

Chose one of the four project options below.  Worth 50 points.  Due _____________________

a)   Who was Johnny on the inside? 

·      Identify five to ten quotes that reveal Johnny’s true personality.  Write them on a paper, include page numbers. 

·      Draw three pictures that reveal the real Johnny.  Include a quote from the novel in each picture.  Explain what each quote reveals about Johnny.

b)  Juvenile violence analysis

q    The town leaders decide to end juvenile violence.  They study Johnny’s case to find out what led Johnny to carry a gun and kill someone.  Identify three to five factors that led Johnny to violence.  Back those up with evidence in the book. 

q    Next write a one page paper that traces the violence in Johnny’s life.  Quote from the book, citing the pages.

         c)  Letter of recommendation for Ponyboy

Ponyboy would like to go to college.  He will need a scholarship.  Write a persuasive letter of recommendation for him which thoughtfully considers both sides of this issue:  will Ponyboy succeed in college?  Use at least five pieces of evidence from the novel to support your letter.  Also, honestly question his abilities and address the college admission board’s concerns about why he might not succeed.  SAMPLE LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION AVAILABLE WITH THE RUBRICS

d)    Response to Literature Essay

        Write a one to two page essay about the theme(s) of The Outsiders.  Include in your discussion of the theme(s) an explanation of how Ponyboy’s growth as a character helps to reveal the theme.  Back up your argument with evidence from the novel.    HERE'S A SAMPLE ESSAY (YOU'LL NEED TO WRITE ON A DIFFERENT THEME THAN THIS STUDENT DID)

  Possible Final Test Topics

Students will also be tested on their understanding of the following literary terms as they relate to the novel. This will be an open note test.

• PLOT:  

  • exposition (setting, internal and external conflicts),

  •  rising action or complications, 

  • resolution or denoument.

• CHARACTERIZATION:  

  • five methods of characterization, 

  • character's motives

• NARRATOR TYPES:  

  • first person, 

  • third-person limited, 

  • third-person omniscient

• LITERARY DEVICES: 

  • foreshadowing and suspense, 

  • allusion, 

  • sensory descriptions (sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch).

  • explicit and implicit themes

Biography of S.E. Hinton includes an interview with the author.

"Groups in Society" Handout (activity E)

"As a Reader & As a Writer Discussion Questions"for all chapters  

OOPS-- the questions mistakenly state that they need to answered in the spiral. That is incorrect. They belong in your Outsiders Packet

"Robert Frost Poem Table" for Activity I

"Characterization Chart" for Activity L

Text of fight scenes in Romeo & Juliet

FINAL PROJECT RUBRICS 

(Click on the sunset above to access the rubrics, but do not print out the entire 4 pages of rubrics.  Rather, cut and paste the rubric for your project only into a word document and then fix the margins so it takes only one page.)

Don't forget to turn in your Outsiders novel.

Web page designed by L. Clark-Burnell, 2003