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S. E. Hinton
Novel Guide
Teacher’s Discovery®
Note
The text used to prepare this novel guide was published by Speak, an imprint of Penguin Putnam Inc., in 2003.
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Published by:
Teacher’s Discovery®
2676 Paldan Drive
Auburn Hills, MI 48326
To order English/language arts materials:
Teacher’s Discovery® English Division
2676 Paldan Drive, Suite A
Auburn Hills, MI 48326
Phone: 1-800-583-6454
Fax: 1-888-395-6686
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Teacher’s Discovery®
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Phone: 1-800-832-2437
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Fax: 1-800-287-4509
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To order science materials:
Teacher’s Discovery® Science Division
2676 Paldan Drive, Suite C
Auburn Hills, MI 48326
Phone: 1-888-977-2436
Fax: 1-888-987-2436
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To order social studies materials:
Teacher’s Discovery® Social Studies Division Phone: 1-800-543-4180
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Fax: 1-888-395-1492
Auburn Hills, MI 48326
www.teachers-discovery.com
Author: Melissa Green Dereberry
Cover Design: Ryan Craig
Original Cover Illustration: Robert Legato and Brett Warkentien
Page Design: Julie A. Yonker
Illustrations: Colleen M. Madden
Editor: Esther J. Moreau
Publication Coordinator and Managing Editor: Sara E. Baker
Publication Manager: Kristin Barbus
Additional Contributors: Amy Kathryn Craven, Anthony Ambrogio,
Emily R. Jennings, WriterServices.net, C. Riley Auge`, Leah Ryan, Rick
Vess, and Elisabeth Khan
© 2006. Teacher’s Discovery® Publications.
These materials are protected by copyright law. For each purchased copy of this
work, a limited license is granted to allow reproduction [of activity pages and
masters] to one teacher for use with that teacher’s class(es).
SKU: TS1347E
ISBN: 0-7560-0455-1
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Table of Contents
Instructions
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
How to Use This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Before We Start
Lesson Plan Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Book Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Character List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Synopsis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Vocabulary Definition List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Pre-Reading Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Novel Road Map to Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Overall Grading Rubric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Target on Text
Chapters 1–3
Teaching Essentials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Chapters 4–6
Teaching Essentials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Chapters 7–9
Teaching Essentials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Chapters 10–12
Teaching Essentials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Reflect on Reading
Lesson Plan Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Discussion Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Activities/Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Pre-Reading Question Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Final Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Publication Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
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Melissa Dereberry holds a M.A. in English
from Southwest Missouri State University.
She is a freelance writer and also serves as
adjunct English faculty for Drury University.
She lives in Rolla, Missouri with her
husband, Mike, and two children, Joseph, 3
and Abigail, 3 months.
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Instructions... Just for YOU!
Overview
Novel guides help you navigate through great literature. This teacher-created guide frees
up your day, giving you more time to motivate your students to appreciate The Outsiders.
This guide increases your students’ understanding of literary techniques such as
characterization, theme, symbolism, plot, and more. Creative, innovative, and fun activities
improve reading comprehension and strengthen critical thinking skills. Student sections
include journal writing, research skills, expository writing techniques, and pre-reading
questions. Each chapter has key questions to be used as your students’ novel road map to
success. Teacher sections contain background information, chapter summaries, discussion
questions, writing topics, a grading rubric, and a final test.
How to Use This Guide
Follow this basic sequence of steps to ensure the smoothest course through the novel:
1. Prepare your students to read by working through the Before We Start handouts.
a. Read through the background information to familiarize yourself with the
novel.
b. Print and hand the Character List, Synopsis, Vocabulary Definition List,
Novel Road Map to Success, and Overall Grading Rubric to your students
before they start reading.
c. Have your students complete the pre-reading questions to provide a firm
foundation for entering the text.
2. Target on Text contains everything you need as the students read. We have divided
the activities into four sections of roughly the same length. This provides the
necessary stopping places for review as students work their way through the text.
a. Read through the chapter summaries, target objectives, and lesson plan details
located on the Teaching Essentials page at the start of each section.
b. Print and hand the activities provided in each section to your students as they
read through the novel.
c. Hold a class discussion at the end of each section to review what your students
just read.
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3. Reflect on Reading contains activities for students to complete after reading the novel.
In this section, the students synthesize their learning.
a. Hold a final class discussion with the 20 discussion questions.
b. Assign the activities.
c. Return to the pre-reading questions for an interesting debate on whether or not
students’ original ideas and assumptions have changed.
d. Administer the final test.
4. For your convenience, a disk is provided which includes:
a. all reproducibles
b. bonus handouts that supplement the handouts in the book
c. specially designed exercises for struggling readers
d. the entire Novel Guide
Timeline
The entire unit lasts six weeks. Below are suggested time frames (based on a
50-minute class period) for each stage of your study. The lesson plan details
located on the Before We Start, Reflect on Reading, and Teaching Essentials pages
list approximate completion times for each activity.
1. Before We Start: two class periods
2. Target on Text: one to two weeks of class time per novel section
3. Reflect on Reading: one week of class time
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Before We Start
T
his section contains preparatory information and
activities for both you and your students. You receive
background information on the novel. Students get a
character list, synopsis, vocabulary definition list, pre-reading
questions, novel road map to success, and overall grading rubric.
LESSON PLAN DETAILS
1.
2.
3.
4.
Character List—hand out for student reference
Synopsis—hand out and discuss in class (20 minutes)
Vocabulary Definition List—hand out for student reference
Pre-Reading Questions—hand out and have students complete in class
(20 minutes)
5. Novel Road Map to Success—hand out for students to complete as they
read
6. Overall Grading Rubric—hand out and discuss (20 minutes)
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Background... Just for YOU!
Author Biography
Susan Eloise Hinton was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1950. She enjoyed reading as a child
but became frustrated with literature written for young adults. She was particularly bored
by stories geared toward girls, which she felt were insubstantial. It was out of this
frustration that she was inspired to write The Outsiders, her first novel. It was published in
1967 and was wildly successful.
The success of her first novel created a predicament for Hinton that is a difficult one even
for older, more experienced writers; the pressure to write another book was paralyzing.
Hinton suffered writer’s block and was unable to produce any work for three years. Her
boyfriend (now her husband) watched her grow more and more depressed and finally
convinced her to try to write a few pages a day. The result was That Was Then, This Is Now,
published in 1971.
Hinton prefers to use her initials rather than her full first name because she often uses a
male protagonist and is concerned that readers won’t take her stories seriously if they know
that they were written by a woman.
Hinton has published several other novels for young adults and two books for elementary
school-age children. She lives in Tulsa with her husband and son and enjoys horseback
riding.
Source: http://www.sehinton.com/bio/, http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/hinton.htm
Book Summary
Background
The Outsiders reflects the author’s own observations of high school life in Oklahoma during
the 1960s. It provides astute commentary on the violence and pain that result from sharp
social divisions. Written by a teenager about teenagers (Hinton began writing it at age 15),
the novel’s poignant plot twists work to reveal each character’s humanity and essential
sameness rather than the superficial differences that create a gulf between upper and lower
classes, the haves and the have-nots.
Hinton’s debut work revolutionized young adult fiction. The realistic portrayal of street
life was a new addition to youth literature and particularly surprising given its female
authorship. Hinton’s even-handed depiction created sympathy for both sides of the
equation and raised potent questions about how our society functions. Though followed by
many literary successes, The Outsiders is Hinton’s best-known work. In the early 1980s,
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the novel was turned into a popular film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring C.
Thomas Howell, Patrick Swayze, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, Matt Dillon, Rob Lowe,
and Ralph Macchio.
Novel Setting
The setting of the novel is relevant because it reflects the tremendous social changes that
were occurring in the 1960s (for example, changes dealing with the issues of social class
and violence). Because S.E. Hinton was a teenager during this time, it is possible that her
own views and experience are mirrored in the novel.
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Before We Start
Handout 1
Name
Date
Hour
Character List
Below is a list of the major characters.
Ponyboy Curtis: He is the main character and narrator of the story. He is a member of
the greasers, but has a deeper side.
Sodapop Curtis: He is the good-looking, happy-go-lucky middle brother in the Curtis
family (Ponyboy, Sodapop, Darry). The favorite brother of Ponyboy,
Sodapop represents the good-natured, fun-loving side of the greasers
gang.
Darry Curtis:
He is the stern oldest brother of the Curtis family. Once a star athlete,
Darry represents the adult/parental influence in the family.
Johnny Cade:
He is the brooding, nervous member of the greasers, Johnny is like
everyone’s kid brother. The gang looks out for him and seems to care
for him more than any other. Despite a rough family life at home,
Johnny is a sensitive, caring person with hope for the future, even in
the midst of great conflicts.
Dallas (Dally)
Winston:
Two-Bit
Matthews:
He is the seasoned veteran of the greasers gang, Dally is the person
everyone looks up to, although they don’t necessarily approve of his
rough, hardened behavior. Dally represents the rebellious side of the
greasers.
He is the fun-loving clown of the group, Two-Bit is smart and street
savvy and keeps everyone laughing.
Cherry Valance: She is the pretty, soft-hearted Soc who befriends Ponyboy and helps
the greasers.
Bob Sheldon:
He is Cherry’s Soc boyfriend and friend of Randy.
Marcia:
She is Cherry’s friend and girlfriend of Randy.
Randy Adderson: He is Marcia’s Soc boyfriend and friend of Bob.
Steve Randle:
He is cocky, streetwise member of the greasers gang, expert car
mechanic and best friend of Sodapop.
In 1950, the year S. E. Hinton was
born, life expectancy was 68.2 years.
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Before We Start
Handout 2
Name
Date
Hour
Synopsis
What defines a human being? How can people’s differences sometimes shed light on their
similarities? What is necessary to find happiness, success, and peace in the world? S.E.
Hinton, a teenager herself when she wrote The Outsiders in 1967, attempts to answer these
questions by drawing readers into the conflict between the dark, and oftentimes, hopeless
world of the greasers and the affluent, but also troubled, territory of the Socs. The story
emphasizes our need for love and family, and inspires hope for a way out of class struggles.
The Outsiders is set in Oklahoma in the 1960s. The hatred between the poor greasers and
rich Socs, however, is not restricted to this time and place. The message of the story is as
real today as it was then. The attitudes of people in the 1960s (even though they look
different on the outside) are still evident everywhere you look today. Stereotypes still exist
and lead to misunderstandings that range from trivial arguments to tragic endings.
Hinton’s clear-eyed look at this persistent problem makes the novel truly timeless.
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Before We Start
Handout 3
Name
Date
Hour
Vocabulary Definition List
The following list provides definitions for some of the more difficult words in the text.
Chapter 1
undisturbed:
abbreviation:
disgrace:
madras:
loping:
reckless:
heaved:
impatiently:
quivering:
sarcasm:
left alone, not bothered
a shortened version
one that brings disfavor
plaid design
moving with an easy, bounding
gait
careless
threw
not patiently, intolerantly
shaking with a slight, trembling motion
expression (often ironic) intended to cut or give pain
Chapter 2
hastily:
winced:
feud:
principle:
comical:
vaguely:
lecture:
quickly
shrank away involuntarily
bitter quarrel between two parties
belief or moral standard
humorous or funny
unclearly
instructive talk or speech
Chapter 3
gallantly:
aloofness:
reeling:
ember:
tension:
bravely and politely; chivalrously
separateness, indifference
walking unsteadily, stumbling along rapidly
a glowing coal
mental or emotional stress
Chapter 4
smoldering:
unceasingly:
bootlegging:
defiance:
ruefully:
gingerly:
bewildering:
showing scarcely suppressed anger; burning
without stopping
making or selling liquor illegally
quality of being resistant or rebellious
regretfully
very carefully
overwhelming, puzzling
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Vocabulary Definition List
Before We Start
Handout 3, continued
sheepish:
expression as if embarrassed by an admitted mistake
Chapter 5
imploringly:
hue:
eluded:
transplanted:
indignant:
gorged:
in a beseeching or entreating manner
color
evaded or stayed out of one’s grasp
dug up and moved to another place
angered by something unfair
ate greedily
Chapter 6
grim:
detached:
sobbing:
inhalation:
appreciate:
hysterics:
harshly ironic or sinister
Unattached, indifferent
crying openly
the drawing in of air (or smoke) into the lungs
to be fully aware of
uncontrollable, laughing or crying
Chapter 7
radiate:
bulged:
drawl:
gleefully:
shattered:
genuine:
recurring:
issue rays, as in light rays
swelled
to speak with drawn-out vowels
with joy
broke into many pieces
real, sincere
occurring again
Chapter 8
commanded:
gasped:
abruptly:
resemblance:
divert:
doggedly:
traitor:
charity:
gave an instruction or order
caught one’s breath
suddenly
likeness
to distract
stubbornly
a disloyal person
aid to those in need
Chapter 9
spruced:
miniature:
affectionately:
screeching:
contracted:
made neat in appearance
a small copy
fondly
screaming
reduced in size or pulled together
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Vocabulary Definition List
Before We Start
Handout 3, continued
Chapter 10
stupor:
dumfounded:
stricken:
hesitation:
crumpled:
delirious:
state of being unaware or unconscious
confused with astonishment
afflicted, affected by something overwhelming
a pause
collapsed
mentally confused due to high fever, shock, or other causes
Chapter 11
idolized:
trembling:
worshiped
shaking involuntarily
Chapter 12
desert:
veered:
rare:
vast:
to abandon
swayed off course
infrequently occurring, uncommon
large
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Before We Start
Handout 4
Name
Date
Hour
Pre-Reading Questions
Pre-reading questions help you explore your views in order to uncover important themes
in the novel.
Directions: Write down your response to each of the questions below. Keep this handout.
You will need it after you finish the novel.
1. How do social groups play a part in school?
2. How does someone’s appearance affect how others view him or her?
3. What do you think contributes to violence among teenagers? What can be done to
prevent teen violence?
4. How do you define the word “family”? Does a family mean different things to different
people?
5. Is it acceptable to commit an act of violence against someone else to protect or get
revenge for someone you love?
In 1950, the year S. E. Hinton is born, the
cost of a first-class stamp is $0.03.
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Before We Start
Handout 5
Name
Date
Hour
Novel Road Map to Success
These questions help you stay on track with the plot as well as build your reading
comprehension.
Directions: Answer these questions on a separate piece of paper as you read.
Chapter 1
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
Who is the narrator of this story?
Why do you think Ponyboy likes the movies so much?
What happens to Ponyboy when he leaves the movies?
The greasers chase the Socs away from Ponyboy using what?
How does Ponyboy define “family”?
What is a Soc? A greaser? Why are they rivals?
Socs are known for wearing what?
What is the name of the other greaser gang?
Who does Ponyboy live with?
What kind of relationship does Ponyboy have with his two brothers, Darry and
Sodapop?
Who does Ponyboy love more than anyone else?
What sport did Darry play in school?
Where does Sodapop work?
Why is Sodapop so popular with the girls?
Who is Soda’s girlfriend?
Darry tells Ponyboy “you’ve always got your nose in a book, but do you ever use your
head for common sense?” What is the difference between book sense and common
sense? Which is more important to have?
How does Ponyboy describe each of the other characters?
Which characters does Ponyboy seem to be closest to?
Ponyboy says the Socs have their cars and clothes. What do the greasers have?
What happened to Ponyboy’s parents?
Chapter 2
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Who do Ponyboy and Johnny meet at the movies?
Why do Cherry and Marcia talk to Johnny and Ponyboy at the movies?
What is Ponyboy’s first impression of Cherry and Marcia?
Why is Johnny Cade so nervous and scared all the time?
Do the greasers like being called greasers?
What is the difference between a fair fight and a rough fight? How do the greasers
fight? The Socs?
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Novel Road Map to Success
Before We Start
Handout 5, continued
7. Why does Ponyboy feel the greasers have it so much worse than the Socs?
8. How are Cherry and Marcia different from the girls the greasers normally hang out
with?
9. What does Cherry mean when she tells Ponyboy “things are rough all over”?
10. Do the Socs believe that all greasers are rough?
Chapter 3
1. Ponyboy and Johnny offer to do what for Cherry and Marcia?
2. Ponyboy tells Cherry a personal story about Sodapop; what is it?
3. Cherry says at one point that she “admires” Dally and later that she “could fall in
love” with him. Why do you think she feels this way?
4. What does Ponyboy mean when he says to Cherry, “Just don’t forget that some of us
watch the sunset too”?
5. Cherry tells Ponyboy, “Did you ever hear of having more than you wanted?” What
does she mean?
6. Ponyboy feels Darry doesn’t love him as much as Sodapop. Why?
7. Why does Ponyboy love being in the country so much?
8. Why does Ponyboy run away?
Chapter 4
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
What kind of car do the Socs drive?
Why do the Socs trail Johnny and Ponyboy in the park?
What do they do to Ponyboy?
Why does Johnny kill the Soc? Did he do the right thing? Why or why not?
How does Dally react when Ponyboy and Johnny tell him about the murder?
Where is Dally staying when Ponyboy and Johnny go to see him?
What illegal activity does Buck participate in?
How does Dally offer to help them?
How do Ponyboy and Johnny react when Dally gives them a gun?
How do Ponyboy and Johnny get away?
Ponyboy sees Johnny in a new way after they have fled. Why does he look at him
differently?
12. What does Ponyboy mean when he says “there are things worse than being a greaser”?
Chapter 5
1. What do Ponyboy and Johnny do once in hiding?
2. How is their hair an important part of who the greasers are?
3. How do Ponyboy and Johnny react when they finally see the reality of what they have
done?
4. How do Ponyboy and Johnny pass the time while in hiding?
5. Who wrote the poem Ponyboy recites?
6. Why does Johnny like Gone with the Wind so much?
7. What do Ponyboy and Johnny eat while in hiding?
8. What does Ponyboy mean when he says “Dally was so real he scared me”?
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Novel Road Map to Success
Before We Start
Handout 5, continued
9. What do you think the sunset symbolizes for Ponyboy?
10. Who sends a letter for Ponyboy to their hideout? Is he angry?
Chapter 6
1. What does Ponyboy mean when he says, “it wasn’t Cherry the Soc who was helping
us, it was Cherry the dreamer who watched sunsets and couldn’t stand fights”?
2. Why is it not a good thing to be sensitive when you are a greaser, according to
Ponyboy?
3. Why does Johnny think they should turn themselves in?
4. What conflict do Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally encounter when they return to their
hideout after lunch?
5. Who goes into the fire?
6. What does Dally do when Ponyboy emerges from the flames?
7. Who is most injured in the fire?
8. How do Darry and Sodapop react when they see Ponyboy at the hospital?
Chapter 7
1. Who approaches them at the hospital?
2. What does Ponyboy tell reporters when they ask him what he wants to do at the
hospital?
3. Darry tells the doctor that he, Ponyboy and Soda are “about as much family as Dally
and Johnny had.” What does he mean?
4. Ponyboy comments that “greasers don’t cry in front of strangers.” Why?
5. After returning home, Ponyboy discovers what in the newspaper?
6. Does Ponyboy see himself as a hero? Why or why not?
7. Does what Ponyboy and Johnny did make them heroes, in your opinion?
8. What does Ponyboy dream about in his recurring nightmare?
9. Two-Bit tells Ponyboy a joke, in which he says that if you meet a “social outcast” in an
alley, the safest thing to be is another social outcast. Do you think this is true? What
does it say about how the greasers view themselves?
10. Why is Ponyboy worried that he might not get to stay with his brothers after getting
in trouble?
11. Why does Randy come to see Ponyboy?
12. What does Randy mean when he tells Ponyboy that the greasers can’t win the fight
with the Socs?
13. Do you think parents are to blame when a kid turns bad or does something wrong?
Chapter 8
1. What is the extent of Johnny’s injuries after the fire?
2. What does he ask Dally and Ponyboy for while in the hospital?
3. What does Dally ask from Two-Bit while he is in the hospital?
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Novel Road Map to Success
Before We Start
Handout 5, continued
4. Why does Dally want to fight in the rumble?
5. What does living on the streets teach you, according to Ponyboy?
6. Why doesn’t Johnny want to see his mother? Do you think he should see her? Why or
why not?
7. Two-Bit tells Ponyboy that “the only thing that keeps Darry from bein’ a Soc is us”.
What does he mean?
8. How is Darry different from the other greasers?
9. Why do you think Cherry wants to help the greasers?
10. What message does she bring to Ponyboy about the rumble?
Chapter 9
1. Why do the greasers fix themselves up and put extra grease on their hair before the
rumble?
2. Where is the rumble to take place?
3. Why is Ponyboy afraid of some of the other greasers at the rumble?
4. Who starts the fighting at the rumble?
5. Who shows up unexpectedly at the rumble?
6. Did the greasers really win the rumble? Why or why not?
7. What do Ponyboy and Dally do after the rumble?
Chapter 10
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
What does Ponyboy do after leaving the hospital?
Why does Ponyboy have such a hard time accepting what happens to Johnny?
Who takes him home?
Who tells the gang that Johnny is dead?
Why does the gang go looking for Dally?
Ponyboy realizes that Johnny is the only thing Dally really loved. Why do you think
Dally loves Johnny?
Why does Ponyboy describe Dally with a look of triumph on his face as he crumples
under the streetlight?
What does Ponyboy do when Dally is shot?
Who does Ponyboy ask for while he is in bed?
Ponyboy says that Dally and Johnny are better off now that they are dead. What do
you think?
Ponyboy asks himself: Who died more gallantly, Dally or Johnny? What do you think?
Chapter 11
1.
2.
3.
4.
Ponyboy is delirious for several days and has to do what?
Who visits Ponyboy while he is in recovery?
Why does Ponyboy tell Randy that he is the one who killed Bob, not Johnny?
Why is Johnny so important to Ponyboy?
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Novel Road Map to Success
Before We Start
Handout 5, continued
Chapter 12
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
What happens when Ponyboy goes to court?
What is the only thing the judge asks Ponyboy?
What happens to Ponyboy after court?
What does Ponyboy do when three Socs approach him after his court appearance?
What advice does Two-Bit give Ponyboy?
Is it possible to idolize someone, even if they do something wrong or illegal?
What does Ponyboy learn from his experience?
How is Ponyboy not like the rest of
the greasers?
Why does Sodapop run away at
the end?
What happens when Darry and
Ponyboy catch up to Sodapop?
What does Johnny leave for
Ponyboy?
What does Johnny’s letter say?
What theme does Ponyboy decide
to write for his English class at the
end of the book?
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Correctly uses common
language rules in
assignments with some
higher-level examples.
Correctly uses higherlevel language rules in
assignments.
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20%
25%
25%
30%
Misuses common
language rules in
assignments.
Chooses only one or
two ways to complete
assignments, including
spoken, written, and
visual language.
Understands one or
two literary devices
and how they are used
in the novel.
Does not understand
common language
rules in assignments.
Repeatedly uses the
same medium:
spoken, written, or
visual language.
May understand
one or two literary
devices, but cannot
describe how they
are used in the novel.
Date
Class Discussion
Group Projects
Individual Assignments/Projects/Activities
Final Test
Demonstrates little
or no understanding
of the characters
or plot.
Weak
50%–59%
Understands one or two Uncertain of the
themes; may concentrate novel’s themes.
on these ideas while
excluding all others.
Frequently confuses the
characters or
misinterprets the plot.
Needs Improvement
60%–69%
Before We Start
Handout 6
Correctly uses common
language rules in
assignments.
Performs well with spoken, Attempts assignments
written, and visual language. in a variety of ways,
including spoken,
written, and visual
language.
Excels in spoken,
written, and visual
language.
Shows some
understanding of most
literary devices and
how they are used in
the novel.
Displays some
understanding of most
of the novel’s themes
and touches on them,
at least briefly, in
activities and writing
assignments.
Shows an understanding of
literary devices and how
they are used in the novel;
attempts to apply this
knowledge to other
assignments.
Displays a good
understanding of all of the
novel’s themes, mentioning
them in activities and
writing assignments.
Displays a strong
understanding of all
the novel’s themes,
discussing them easily
and using them in
activities and writing
assignments.
Demonstrates a basic
understanding of the
characters and plot with
minor, but more
frequent, errors.
Competent
70%–79%
9:20 PM
Shows an understanding
of literary devices by
clearly explaining their
use in the novel and by
applying this knowledge
to other assignments.
Demonstrates a generally
accurate understanding of
the characters and plot with
minor errors.
Demonstrates an
accurate understanding
of the characters and
plot, almost completely
error free.
Good
80%–89%
12/5/05
Excellent
90%–100%
Overall Grading Rubric
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Target on Text
N
ow it’s time to start reading. Target on Text contains a
chapter-by-chapter progression of activities to
enhance your students’ understanding and enjoyment
of The Outsiders. This guide divides the novel into four sections
of roughly the same length. Each section has individual chapter
summaries, target objectives, and a variety of activities to
highlight key story and literary elements.
While some of the activities are designed to be done individually,
working with peers provides students with the opportunity to
practice cooperation and creates richer results as the students
build on one another’s ideas.
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Teaching Essentials... Just for YOU!
Chapters 1–3
Chapter 1 Summary
The first-person narrator describes the characters and setting and reveals himself as
Ponyboy Curtis, a young greaser who has a different way of looking at the world than most
greasers. As Ponyboy leaves the movie theater alone, he is attacked by a gang of Socs, and
is rescued by a group of his fellow greasers who chase the Socs away. Ponyboy’s brother
Darry scolds him for going out alone. Back at home that evening, Ponyboy reflects on the
attack and feels comforted by his brother Sodapop.
Chapter 2 Summary
At the movie theater the next night, as Dally harasses a couple of Soc girls, named Cherry
and Marcia, Ponyboy and Johnny sit quietly on the sidelines. Finally, the normally shy
Johnny asks Dally to leave them alone, and the grateful girls ask Ponyboy and Johnny to sit
with them. Ponyboy reflects on Johnny’s brutal attack by the Socs four months earlier.
Chapter 3 Summary
As Two-Bit, Johnny and Ponyboy walk the girls home, a car stops and the bunch of Soc
boys inside try to get them to fight. To avoid a fight, the girls get in the car with the Socs.
Two-Bit leaves to go find a poker game, and Ponyboy and Johnny sit under the stars. They
fall asleep, and Ponyboy gets home late. Darry, upset with him for being late, slaps him.
Ponyboy runs away with Johnny.
Target Objectives
At the end of this section, students are able to:
• identify the characters and describe their personality traits
• perform research on related topics
• identify, discuss, and write about the major themes
• examine the setting and how it affects the story
• create a script and role play
• use new vocabulary words correctly
• use figurative language in creative writing
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LESSON PLAN DETAILS
CHAPTERS 1–3
Chapter 1
1. Characterization: Labels—hand out and have students complete in class
(45 minutes)
2. Research: Teen Violence—hand out and have students complete in class
(2 class periods)
Chapter 2
1. Essay: Theme—hand out and have students complete in class (45 minutes)
2. Setting—hand out and have students complete in class (1 class period)
3. Role Play Activity—hand out and have students complete in class (2 class periods)
Chapter 3
1. Theme Analysis—hand out and have students complete in class (30 minutes)
2. Vocabulary—hand out and have students complete in class (15 minutes)
3. Creative Writing: Figurative Language—hand out and have students complete in
class (15 minutes)
Discussion Questions: Chapters 1–3 (1 class period)
= Corresponding remedial activity located on the disk
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Chapter 1
Handout 1
Name
Date
Characterization: Labels
Group Activity
Characterization is the method used by a writer to develop
how the character looks, acts and thinks. This activity gives
you an understanding of personality types and how
sometimes labels are placed on others.
Directions: In groups of four, pretend you are creating a
personality profile for each of the greaser characters. Come
up with a name or label for each person (examples: The
Shy One, The Tough One, etc.), or an animal type (The
Bear, The Dog, etc.). Next, give a one-paragraph
description of each personality type and how it fits that
particular character. Select one person in your group to
take notes for the group. Here is a list of characters:
Ponyboy:
Sodapop:
Darry:
Two-Bit:
Johnny:
Dally:
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Chapter 1
Handout 2
Name
Date
Hour
Research: Teen Violence
Group Activity
This activity gives you experience researching current topics and applying critical thinking
skills to issues and problems.
Directions: In groups of four, research the topic of teen violence in your school’s library
and on the Internet. Assign one of the following tasks to each group member.
1. Create a list of three statistics regarding teen violence.
2. Make a list of five causes of teen violence.
3. Create a list of three things that might prevent teen violence.
4. Develop a list of five warning signs that violence might occur among specific teens or
groups of teens (for example, a teen sends a threatening email to another teen).
In the next class period, create a poster together that illustrates three facts and ideas about
teen violence.
Rolling Stone Magazine began publication in November
of 1967, the year The Outsiders was published.
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Chapter 2
Handout 1
Name
Date
Essay: Theme
A theme is a general concept or idea, such as love, justice, or
sorrow. One way to help you think of themes is to complete
the following sentence: “This is a book about __________ .”
Directions: Select one passage or quotation that stands
out the most, or which you feel will set the mood for the
rest of the novel. Write a three-paragraph essay
explaining why you feel it is important.
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Chapter 2
Handout 2
Name
Date
Hour
Setting
Group Activity
Setting determines time, place, and tone in fiction. This activity helps you visualize the
setting and compare it to a modern day setting.
Directions: In pairs, brainstorm an alternate setting for the novel. For example, instead
of being set in an urban area in the 1960s, what would the novel be like if it were set in an
urban area in the present day? What about in a rural area? Comparing your imagined
setting to the current setting of the novel, make a list of five characteristics that are
different. Put a star by the ones that would have the greatest impact on the story or might
change the outcome of the story. For example, if this story were set in the present day, the
characters might be hanging out at the mall rather than the drive-in movies.
Current Setting
Imagined Setting
1.
1.
2.
2.
3.
3.
4.
4.
5.
5.
Then make a list of five things about the two settings that are constant and would not change
(for example, teens might be concerned about violence whether it is set in the 1960s or the present day).
Constants
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Chapter 2
Handout 3
Name
Date
Hour
Role Play Activity
Group Activity
This activity gives you an understanding of character motivation and behavior through role
playing various scenes.
Directions: In groups of three, choose one of the following activities below. Assign each
person in your group a role or task for the presentation. Create a script and practice acting
out the roles of the characters. Create a title for your scene that reflects the main theme or
issue addressed in that scene.
1. Choose a scene from Chapters 1–2 of the novel and create a presentation for the class in
which you act out that scene.
2. Create an imagined scene in which you and your peers encounter violence or an
uncomfortable situation involving rival groups. Present your scene to the class.
Write a three-paragraph essay discussing the following:
1. Do you feel the social situations presented in the novel are realistic? How might these
situations be different in today’s world?
2. Do you think movies accurately portray issues and problems that face teenagers?
In 1950, the year S. E. Hinton is born,
the world population is 2.556 billion.
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Chapter 3
Handout 1
Name
Date
Hour
Theme Analysis
Group Activity
A theme is a general concept or idea, such as love, justice, or sorrow. One way to help you
think of themes is to complete the following sentence: “This is a book about __________ .”
This activity gives you experience working with specific parts of the text in terms of how
they illustrate specific themes.
Directions: In groups of three, select one of the following themes below and have each
person in the group select a passage or quotation from the book that illustrates that theme.
Alienation
Stereotypes
Family/Love
Violence
Group’s Theme: _____________________________________________________________
Passage/Quotation:
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Chapter 3
Handout 2
Name
Date
Hour
Vocabulary
A synonym is a word that has the same or nearly the same meaning as another word. This
activity reinforces the new words you’ve learned and helps you secure them firmly in your
mind.
Matching
Directions: Match each word on the left with the best synonym on the right.
1. ______ Disgrace
a. Speech
2. ______ Feud
b. Careless
3. ______ Lecture
c. Disfavor
4. ______ Heaved
d. Stress
5. ______ Abbreviation Shortened version
e. Shaking
6. ______ Undisturbed
f. Stumbling
7. ______ Loping
g. Flinched
8. ______ Madras
h. Quickly
9. ______ Comical
i. Coal
10. ______ Tension
j. Alone
11. ______ Winced
k. Threw
12. ______ Vaguely
l. Funny
13. ______ Principle
m.Walking
14. ______ Reckless
n. Plaid
15. ______ Gallantly
o. Belief
16. ______ Reeling
p. Fight
17. ______ Quivering
q. Unclearly
18. ______ Hastily
r. Indifference
19. ______ Ember
s. Bravely
20. ______ Aloofness
t. Shortened version
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In 1950, the year
S. E. Hinton is
born, Charles
Schulz introduces
the Peanuts
comic strip.
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Chapter 3
Handout 3
Name
Date
Hour
Creative Writing: Figurative Language
A simile is a comparison between two unlike things using “like” or “as”
(for example, “My love is like a red, red rose”). Creative writers use similes
to make their writing more descriptive and more interesting. A cliché is a
simile that has been overused (for example, “The bed was as hard as a
rock”).
Writers try to avoid using clichés, however, sometimes they will
create characters who think and speak in clichés. In this case, the use
of clichés is acceptable because it reveals who the character is. This
activity familiarizes you with figurative language in creative
writing.
Directions: Create a simile by filling in the blanks for the
following. Try to avoid using clichés.
1. The room was as small as _________________________________ .
2. The woman was as scared as _________________________________ .
3. The puppy kicked and rolled around like _________________________________ .
4. I was as mad as _________________________________ .
5. He is as crazy as _________________________________ .
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Discussion Questions: Chapters 1–3
Directions: Use the following questions to review what’s happened in Chapters 1–3. Use
these questions to generate discussion about the author’s ideas and techniques.
Chapter 1
1. What are the benefits to writing a story in the first person?
Example: It helps the reader focus attention on one character and really get involved with that
individual.
2. Why do you think the author begins her story with Ponyboy being jumped?
Example: It sets a tone of violence and fear.
3. Why does the author set it up so that Ponyboy gets along with one brother but has
problems with the other brother?
Example: It mirrors the outside world where they have fierce loyalties to some and fierce hatred
for others.
Chapter 2
1. What makes a person choose to act like Dally (for example, purposefully look for the
illegal way to do something)?
Example: One reason is the person feels a need to show he is better than others, and, when he
acts like he is above the law, it makes him feel superior.
2. On the surface, the difference between the greasers and the Socs is money. What
differences do you think lie beneath that surface?
Example: I think money is just a reflection of a different set of values that guides their lives.
3. Why do you think Ponyboy opens up to Cherry?
Example: It demonstrates his inner nature, one that prefers to trust people and be kind.
Chapter 3
1. Why does the author include the story about Mickey Mouse?
Example: It shows a tender side to the greasers that doesn’t come out often.
2. How would you describe Cherry’s attitude toward Ponyboy?
Example: She likes him as a person, but she reverts to her social code when other people from
her class are around.
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Discussion Questions: Chapters 1–3
3. For Ponyboy, the country equals freedom while the city brings oppression. How would
you compare the city and the country in your world?
Example: With the Internet and 24-hour cable news, it seems like there is no escape from the
oppression of the city.
4. What is the effect of the last line of Chapter 2 and of Chapter 3, “I know better now”
and “I was wrong”?
Example: They foreshadow something ominous.
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Teaching Essentials... Just for YOU!
Chapters 4–6
Chapter 4 Summary
More details about the setting are revealed, including a detailed description of the park,
where one of the novel’s major conflicts will take place. The rivalry between the Socs and
the greasers goes too far in this chapter, as Ponyboy and Johnny must bear the full force
of the conflict. Ponyboy and Johnny decide to take a walk in the park and are attacked by
the group of Socs in the blue Mustang. As a couple of them attempt to drown Ponyboy
in the fountain, Johnny stabs and kills one of the others with his switchblade. Afterwards,
Ponyboy and Johnny go to Dally for help. He gives them some money, a gun, and
instructions to flee to the old church on Jay Mountain.
Chapter 5 Summary
A new setting (the church on Jay Mountain) is introduced and described. Ponyboy and
Johnny make an important decision about the violent act they have experienced. Once at
the church, Johnny and Ponyboy disguise themselves and hide out. Dally finally arrives
with word from home, and a letter from Sodapop, who has also sent some money to help
them. Dally informs them that there is to be a major rumble between the Socs and the
greasers the next night, and that Cherry has been helping the greasers get information.
Chapter 6 Summary
After the three of them go for a meal and return to the church, they find that it is on fire.
They discover that some kids picnicking nearby are trapped in the fire, and Ponyboy and
Johnny go in to rescue them. Barely escaping with the kids and their lives, they wake up in
the hospital, where Ponyboy is reunited with Soda and Darry.
Target Objectives
At the end of this section, students are able to:
• analyze character motivation and personality
• discuss the major conflicts in the story
• create a collage to help visual issues relevant to teens
• discuss themes from a personal perspective
• use creative writing to explore themes and characters
• examine the setting and how it affects the story
• compare and contrast characters and situations
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LESSON PLAN DETAILS
CHAPTERS 4–6
Chapter 4
1. Character Analysis—hand out and have students complete in class (30 minutes)
2. Plot: Turning Point—hand out and have students complete in class (40 minutes)
3. Art Activity—hand out and have students complete at home (1 hour)
Chapter 5
1. Theme—hand out and have students complete in class (30 minutes)
2. Journal Writing—hand out and have students complete in class (1 class period)
Chapter 6
1. Heroism—hand out and have students complete in class (30 minutes)
2. Setting—hand out and have students complete in class (1 class period)
3. Comparison Activity—hand out and have students complete in class (45 minutes)
Discussion Questions: Chapters 4–6
= Corresponding remedial activity located on the disk
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Chapter 4
Handout 1
Name
Date
Character Analysis
A character analysis helps you understand the individual
personality of each character and gives you practice in
looking for information in the text. This activity helps
you understand character motivation and behavior.
Directions: For each of the following characters,
describe a major decision they are facing or something
important that they do or say. Include one quote from
the book.
Ponyboy:
Johnny:
Dally:
Sodapop:
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Chapter 4
Handout 2
Name
Date
Hour
Plot: Turning Point
A turning point in the plot is when things are irreversibly changed. The turning point has
an impact on the major conflict that is being represented in the story.
Directions: What is the major conflict in this story? What do you think the turning point
up to Chapter 5 is? Why can things never be the same after this event? How will this event
affect the characters? How will it affect the rest of the story? Write two paragraphs using
quotations or passages from the novel to illustrate your ideas.
In 1950, the year S. E. Hinton is born,
the first Xerox machine is produced.
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Chapter 4
Handout 3
Name
Date
Art Activity
This activity helps you visualize problems and issues relevant to
today’s teens.
Directions: Create a collage using pictures and
images from magazines for one of the
following:
1. Issues facing teens today
2. Best places to escape or ways to escape
a bad situation, stress, problems, etc.
3. The 1960s
4. Symbols of wealth and poverty
5. Stereotypes
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Chapter 5
Handout 1
Name
Date
Hour
Theme
Group Activity
A theme is a general concept or idea, such as love, justice, or sorrow. One way to help you
think of themes is to complete the following sentence: “This is a book about __________ .”
This activity gives you experience identifying themes.
Directions: In pairs, determine the main theme of Chapters 4–6. To do this, begin by
writing down two possible themes on your own in the box below, and then share them
with one another.
1.
2.
As a team, decide which one of the possible themes most accurately describes the main
theme of Chapters 4–6 and write it below. Share your results with the class.
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Chapter 5
Handout 2
Name
Date
Hour
Journal Writing
Journal writing is designed to give you personal
insight into themes present in the novel. This
activity encourages you to explore your ideas, not
necessarily to create a perfect essay.
Directions: Choose one of the following topics.
Without discussing your ideas with anyone else, write
for the entire designated time. Get as much as you can
on paper without worrying so much about spelling,
grammar, or punctuation.
1. Have you ever felt like running away? Why? What did you do
about it?
2. Have you ever been in a fight or felt like getting in a fight? How did you respond?
3. Have you ever witnessed an act of violence? Who was involved? How did you react?
4. Did you or do you now go to church or other place of worship? How is religion a part
of your life? If it isn’t a part of your life, why?
5. Describe an early experience at your place of worship as a child. This can be an
experience such as something you learned in a religious or faith-based class, an activity
at your place of worship, or an event or ritual that is an important part of your faith
tradition (for example, your baptism).
6. What would you do if your best friend killed someone and came to you for help?
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Chapter 6
Handout 1
Name
Date
Heroism
A theme is a general concept or idea, such as love, justice, or
sorrow. One way to help you think of themes is to complete
the following sentence: “This is a book about __________ .”
One of the themes up to this point is heroism. Ponyboy and
Johnny exhibit heroic behavior when they rescue the
children from the fire.
Directions: Consider your own views of heroism. Respond
to the following questions:
1. What makes a hero/heroine? What qualities make a
person heroic?
2. Who is your personal hero/heroine?
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Chapter 6
Handout 2
Name
Date
Hour
Setting
Setting determines time, place, and tone in fiction.
Directions: Create a map of the setting for Chapters 4–6 that includes the following:
The park
The train
The road to Jay Mountain
The church on Jay Mountain
The restaurant where Dally takes Johnny and Ponyboy
The place where the kids are picnicking
The hospital
Ponyboy’s house
Dally’s house
Using arrows, show Johnny and Ponyboy’s movements. Indicate their starting point
with a star.
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Chapter 6
Handout 3
Name
Date
Hour
Comparison Activity
Group Activity
Comparing and contrasting characters and events helps you identify specific developments
in the story and whether or not you feel they are important. This activity helps you
understand characters and their relationships to one another.
Directions: In pairs, compare and contrast one of the following pairs of characters. Make a
list of the characteristics on the chart below.
Ponyboy and Darry
Ponyboy and Johnny
Sodapop and Darry
Ponyboy and Dally
Trait or situation
Interests or concerns
Character 1
Character 2
Example (Ponyboy): Sunsets, reading Example (Darry): Football, working
Family
Intelligence
How to deal with conflict
Physical appearance
Fears, worries
Dreams for the future
Discuss your findings above. Why do you think the characters are loyal to each other
despite their differences?
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Discussion Questions: Chapters 4–6
Directions: Use the following questions to review what’s happened in Chapters 4–6. Use
these questions to generate discussion about the author’s ideas and techniques.
Chapter 4
1. Why do you think Ponyboy is agitated but Johnny is calm?
Example: Johnny may be in a greater state of shock because he is the one who committed the
crime; Johnny’s rational side just takes over.
2. Ponyboy says that Dally’s “fight for self-preservation had hardened him beyond caring.”
Explain whether or not you believe this is common or even possible. What are some
examples?
Example: Yes, I think that people whose entire life is devoted merely to finding their next meal
and next temporary shelter may eventually reach a point where very little affects their emotions;
they can’t afford to be emotional.
3. Why do you think Dally rides ponies honestly?
Example: It’s the one place where he can excel within the rules, and so he does.
4. Why do people’s appearances carry so much weight in our society?
Example: We look for a quick way to judge people in order to interact with them, and
appearance can reflect who people are and what they believe.
Chapter 5
1. What does it tell us about Ponyboy when we learn that he’s always wanted a paperback
copy of Gone with the Wind?
Example: It’s another instance of not fitting the stereotype; we learn that he has a philosophical
and intellectual side.
2. What do you think of Johnny’s interpretation of “gallant”?
Example: It is an accurate definition that fits his world.
3. Why does Dally help Johnny and Ponyboy above and beyond just getting them out of
town?
Example: He loves them like brothers.
Chapter 6
1. Why does Johnny persist in asking Dally about his (Johnny’s) parents when he knows
what the answer is?
Example: Human beings rarely give up hope, and the hope/desire to be loved is probably the
strongest emotion of all.
2. Why do you think Ponyboy and Johnny aren’t scared when they enter the burning
church?
Example: They are focused on doing something good and right; that feeling supersedes their fear.
3 Why doesn’t Ponyboy realize how important he is to Darry before the night at the
hospital?
Example: He is young and only sees what’s on the surface.
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Chapters 7–9
Chapter 7 Summary
Ponyboy, Darry and Soda wait at the hospital for news about Johnny and Dally’s condition.
As they wait, numerous reporters approach them. They finally learn that Dally is badly
burned, but will recover fine. They learn that Johnny is in critical condition and may be
paralyzed. The next morning at home, Two-Bit and Steve arrive over breakfast with a
newspaper announcing Ponyboy and Johnny as heroes. As Two-Bit and Ponyboy go for
a walk later that morning, they are approached by the Socs in the blue Mustang. A Soc
named Randy gets out of the car and he and Ponyboy have a discussion about the incident
at the park. Randy says he misses his friend Bob and is tired of fighting, and that he won’t
fight in the rumble.
Chapter 8 Summary
Ponyboy and Two-Bit go back to the hospital to visit Johnny, who is now paralyzed. When
Johnny’s mom shows up, they leave to go visit Dally, who asks for Two-Bit’s knife. He
tucks it under his pillow, suggesting that he will be at the rumble later that night. As TwoBit and Ponyboy leave, they run into Cherry Valance, who refuses to visit Johnny. She is
still upset over her boyfriend Bob getting killed, even though she wants to help the
greasers at the same time. Ponyboy accuses her of being disloyal and of not really wanting
to help them, but she tells him that isn’t true.
Chapter 9 Summary
The greasers prepare for the big rumble with the Socs. They meet the Socs, and it is Darry
who begins the fighting, stepping forward to find that the Soc he is challenging is one of
his old friends from the football team in high school. Dally arrives as the rumble is in full
swing. The greasers finally defeat the Socs as they begin retreating to their cars. Dally and
Ponyboy go to see Johnny immediately after the rumble to give him the good news. They
arrive just as he dies..
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Target Objectives
At the end of this section, students are able to:
• analyze the plot
• use creative thinking and writing to understand character motivation
• examine symbolism used in the book
• foreshadow events
• role play in front of the class
• analyze major decisions and problems facing the characters
LESSON PLAN DETAILS
CHAPTERS 7–9
Chapter 7
1. Plot Analysis—hand out and have students complete in class (15 minutes)
2. Theme: Loyalty—hand out and have students complete in class (30 minutes)
Chapter 8
1. Symbolism Activity—hand out and have students complete in class (30 minutes)
2. Foreshadowing—hand out and have students complete in class (20 minutes)
3. Role Play—hand out and have students complete in class (1 class period)
Chapter 9
1. Ethics—hand out and have students complete in class (30 minutes)
2. Character Analysis—hand out and have students complete in class (40 minutes)
Discussion Questions: Chapters 7–9 (1 class period)
= Corresponding remedial activity located on the disk
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Chapter 7
Handout 1
Name
Date
Hour
Plot Analysis
Plot is the series of events that make up the story. This activity helps you comprehend the
plot elements.
Directions: In the circles below, describe in order what Ponyboy does from the time TwoBit and Steve arrive at breakfast at the Curtis house:
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Chapter 7
Handout 2
Name
Date
Hour
Theme: Loyalty
A theme is a general concept or idea, such as love, justice, or sorrow. One way to help you
think of themes is to complete the following sentence: “This is a book about __________ .”
One of the themes of this section is loyalty. This activity gives you experience working
with specific parts of the text in terms of how they illustrate specific themes.
How would you define loyalty? Is it possible to be loyal to more than one person or group
at the same time, even if they are in opposition to one another?
Direction: Choose one of the following characters and write a brief essay describing to
whom or what that character is most loyal:
Ponyboy
Dally
Johnny
Two-Bit
Cherry
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Chapter 8
Handout 1
Name
Date
Hour
Symbolism Activity
A symbol is an object or action that stands for something else. This activity helps you
understand the use of symbolism in the novel.
Directions: Answer the questions below in the space provided.
What do you think are the four most important symbols up to Chapter 8?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Explain who is most affected by each symbol or image:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Find at least two places (list page numbers) throughout the novel where the images or
symbols described above are mentioned:
1.
2.
3.
4.
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Chapter 8
Handout 2
Name
Date
Hour
Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is a technique authors use to drop hints about future events in a novel.
This activity helps you understand foreshadowing (seeing hints about or predicting) story
elements.
Directions: Predict what each event from Chapter 8 below foreshadows about the rest of
the story. Keep this handout and check your guesses with the facts after you finished
reading this novel.
Foreshadows
Johnny tells
Ponyboy, “I don’t
want to die now. I
ain’t long enough.”
Two-Bit says,
“We could get along
without anyone but
Johnny”.
Dally asks for
Two-Bit’s knife
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Chapter 8
Handout 3
Name
Date
Hour
Role Play
Group Activity
Role playing is a creative way to explore specific scenes in a story. It helps you to
empathize with the characters and the situations. This activity helps you to understand
character motivation.
Directions: In pairs, create a dialogue between Ponyboy and Bob in which you imagine
what they would talk about if Bob were still alive. Then, present the dialogue to the class.
Discuss the following:
1. The incident in the park
2. The upcoming rumble between the Socs and the greasers
3. Cherry’s involvement in the rivalry
Brainstorm ideas below:
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Chapter 9
Handout 1
Name
Date
Hour
Ethics
Ethics are the values or beliefs by which we live and make decisions every
day. This activity helps you understand how we make moral decisions and
judgments, and how they are represented in the novel.
Directions: Answer the following questions that deal with ethical issues:
1. Who’s most at fault for what happens to Johnny?
2. Should Randy fight in the rumble? Why or why not?
3. Should Two-Bit have given Dally his knife? Why or why not?
4. Should Cherry help the greasers? Why or why not?
5. Is Darry setting a good example for Ponyboy and Sodapop by joining in the rumble?
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Chapter 9
Handout 2
Name
Date
Hour
Character Analysis
Characterization is the method used by a writer to develop how the character looks, acts,
and thinks. This activity helps you understand character motivation and behavior.
Directions: For each of the following characters, describe one major issue, concern, or
problem facing him/her. Then, describe how the character resolves the problem or
concern, or explain the outcome:
1. Randy:
2. Ponyboy:
3. Cherry:
4. Johnny:
5. Dally:
6. Darry:
In 1950, the year S. E. Hinton is born,
Phonevision, the first pay-per-view
service, becomes available.
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Discussion Questions: Chapters 7–9
Directions: Use the following questions to review what’s happened in Chapters 7–9. Use
these questions to generate discussion about the author’s ideas and techniques.
Chapter 7
1. Explain whether the doctor would have accepted friends as family members if Johnny
had been a Soc.
Example: I think the doctor would have forbidden it, believing that the Soc patient would have
caring parents at his side.
2. What do you think of the Curtises’ open door policy?
Example: It shows their loyalty and love toward their friends; it also shows another way friends
replace family.
3. Why do you think Darry never got over missing college?
Example: Darry knew that education was his way into another lifestyle; he could have risen
above his station in life if he’d been able to go to college.
4. Why is the conversation between Ponyboy and Randy pivotal? Or is it?
Example: It’s a conversation between two people who aren’t hiding behind their labels; it’s a
moment of truth.
Chapter 8
1. Why do you think the gang needed Johnny as much as he needed them?
Example: Johnny was someone they could love and protect; his presence allowed them to care for
somebody.
2. Why do you think Johnny refuses to see his mother?
Example: He wanted her to care for him when he was missing, and she didn’t; now that he is
critically ill, he feels her actions are worthless.
3. Why does Ponyboy accuse Cherry of acting high and mighty?
Example: Ponyboy is afraid and scared; he also blames a lot of the greasers’ problems on the
Socs so he uses Cherry as a scapegoat.
Chapter 9
1. Why do you think some people like fights?
Example: Some people might like fights because it gives them an opportunity to win, and most
of the time they feel like they are losing out compared to other people.
2. Why does the author have Darry confront an old high school buddy at the rumble?
Example: It underscores Darry’s emotions, who he is, because it’s a moment where he sees what
he could have had but never will.
3. What does it mean to “stay gold”?
Example: It means to keep the beauty and innocence and truthfulness that everyone else seems
to have lost.
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Chapter 10–12
Chapter 10 Summary
Ponyboy leaves the hospital in a daze, and wanders around nearly all night. When a
stranger finally takes him home, he finds the gang waiting for him. He tells the gang that
Johnny is dead, and when a phone call reveals that Dally has robbed a store and fled, they
all run out to look for him. They find him in an alley, surrounded by cops, and as he
flashes a gun, the police shoot him dead in front of them. Ponyboy faints.
Chapter 11 Summary
Ponyboy wakes to find that he has been in and out of consciousness for four days. He has
to stay in bed for a week. During that time, Randy visits him, on the eve of their hearing
regarding the incident at the park. Ponyboy tries to convince Randy it was he who killed
Bob, not Johnny, and that Johnny is not dead. Hearing the commotion, Darry comes into
the room and asks Randy to leave. Ponyboy is worried about the judge putting him and
Soda into a foster home.
Chapter 12 Summary
At the hearing, Ponyboy is acquitted of any crime, and he returns home. After the hearing,
Ponyboy suffers a severe depression. His schoolwork suffers and he stops eating. His
English teacher tells him he will give him a chance to rescue his grade if he writes a good
theme for his class. One day while walking with Two-Bit and Steve, Ponyboy pulls a
broken bottle on a Soc. Two-Bit warns him not to become too hardened in life. Ponyboy
goes home and tries to write, finding it difficult. Later, Darry tells him the news that
Sandy (Soda’s girlfriend) has left Soda. As Soda runs out of the room, Ponyboy and Darry
chase him. They catch up to him, rediscovering their bond to one another. With his
renewed sense of family, Ponyboy goes home and decides to write the whole story from
the beginning.
Target Objectives:
At the end of this section, students are able to:
• describe the five stages of grief and Ponyboy’s behavior
• discuss and find quotations that illustrate the themes
• perform research on related topics
• use creative thinking and writing in different points of view to understand
character motivation and behavior
• discuss the overall messages and themes of the book and describe personal responses
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LESSON PLAN DETAILS
CHAPTERS 10–12
Chapter 10
1. Character Activity: Stages of Grief—hand out and have students complete in class
(1 class period)
2. Theme Analysis—hand out and have students complete in class (30 minutes)
Chapter 11
1. Journal Activity—hand out and have students complete in class (20 minutes)
2. Research Topic: Role Models—hand out and have students complete at home
(2 hours)
Chapter 12
1. Creative Writing Activity—hand out and have students complete in class
(30 minutes)
2. Ethics Activity—hand out and have students complete in class (1 class period)
3. Interview With the Author—hand out and have students complete in class
(1 class period)
Discussion Questions: Chapters 10–12 (1 class period)
= Corresponding remedial activity located on the disk
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Chapter 10
Handout 1
Name
Date
Hour
Character Activity: Stages of Grief
Characterization is the method used by a writer to develop how the character looks, acts,
and thinks. This activity helps you understand the stages of grief in Ponyboy.
Directions: Locate a website or book that describes five stages of grief and list them in the
circles below. Then, underneath each circle, describe how Ponyboy’s behavior reflects that
stage of grief.
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Chapter 10
Handout 2
Name
Date
Hour
Theme Analysis
Group Activity
A theme is a general concept or idea, such as love, justice, or sorrow. One way to help you
think of themes is to complete the following sentence: “This is a book about __________ .”
This activity gives you experience working with specific parts of the text in terms of how
they illustrate specific themes.
Directions: Together with a partner, choose one of the following themes from Chapter 10
and locate five passages or quotations which illustrate that theme:
Grief
Heroism
Justice
Bravery
Self-expression
Passages/Quotations:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Chapter 11
Handout 1
Name
Date
Hour
Journal Activity
Journal writing is designed to give you personal insight into themes present in the novel.
This activity encourages you to explore your ideas, not necessarily to create a perfect essay.
Directions: Choose one of the following topics. Without discussing your ideas with
anyone else, write for the entire designated time. Get as much as you can on paper without
worrying so much about spelling, grammar, or punctuation.
1. Have you ever experienced the death of someone close to you? How did you deal with
it?
2. Describe an experience in which you were asked to do something important for a cause
but were afraid to do it or were not sure it was the right thing to do.
3. Have you ever been untruthful for someone else’s benefit? Explain.
4. Do you think violence is ever an appropriate way to solve a problem or dispute?
5. Have you ever been depressed, or do you know someone who has experienced
depression? Describe the experience.
6. If you had a chance to change the world by writing about something important or
telling a story, what would it be?
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Chapter 11
Handout 2
Name
Date
Hour
Research Topic: Role Models
This activity gives you experience researching current topics and applying critical thinking
skills to issues and problems.
Directions: The following question is the basis for your paper. Use the suggestions below
to organize your essay. Your paper needs to be five paragraphs, with a clear thesis.
What qualities in a person make him or her a good role model for teens? Compare and
contrast good and bad role models that teens have today.
Suggestions:
a. Interview peers about what they think makes a hero, and who their heroes are.
b. Give examples from the media and discuss how the media represents heroes. Is heroism
a popularity contest?
c. What happens when a role model does something morally wrong?
d. Do you believe teens today have the right role models? Why or why not?
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Chapter 12
Handout 1
Name
Date
Hour
Creative Writing Activity
Group Activity
This activity helps you use creative thinking to understand characters, point of view, and
themes present in the novel.
Directions: In groups of two, imagine how this story would begin if told from the point of
view of each of the following characters. Provide an alternate first paragraph for the novel.
Darry
First Paragraph:
Johnny
First Paragraph:
Cherry
First Paragraph:
Dally
First Paragraph:
Bob
First Paragraph:
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Chapter 12
Handout 2
Name
Date
Ethics Activity
Ethics are the values or beliefs by which we live and make decisions
every day. This activity helps you understand how we make
moral decisions and judgments, and how they are represented
in the novel.
Directions: Brainstorm all the things that might influence the
following characters to make the decision indicated:
1. Dally pulls out a gun as cops surround him.
2. The cops shoot Dally.
3. Ponyboy tells Randy he is the one—not Johnny—who killed Bob.
4. The judge acquits Ponyboy.
5. Ponyboy pulls a broken bottle on a Soc.
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Chapter 12
Handout 3
Name
Date
Hour
Interview With the Author
Group Activity
Often, the end of a reading experience leaves you feeling a little sad, satisfied, and curious
This activity allows you to interact with the writer, S.E. Hinton! Be as creative, humorous,
or serious as you like, but you must ask some fundamental questions regarding The
Outsiders that only Hinton could answer.
Directions: Write ten questions regarding the novel that you would like to ask S.E.
Hinton. Use a separate piece of paper to do this assignment. After you write your
questions, exchange papers with another student who will answer the questions.
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Discussion Questions: Chapters 10–12
Directions: Use the following questions to review what’s happened in Chapters 10–12. Use
these questions to generate discussion about the author’s ideas and techniques.
Chapter 10
1. How did you feel when Dally died?
Example: Even though he’d done bad things, I felt sad because it seems as if he had no choice but
to live a terrible life.
2. Why do you think Ponyboy has difficulty talking to Darry?
Example: He sees Darry as an adversary, and he never thinks of him in a positive manner.
Chapter 11
1. Why does Ponyboy describe Bob as “the person we had killed”?
Example: Ponyboy feels that their collective lifestyle culminated in Bob’s death; it didn’t happen
because of one person at one time.
2. Why does Ponyboy care about middle class school friends seeing his messy house but
not about rich Randy seeing it?
Example: He wants his friends to have a good impression of him, but a Soc will never think
well of him no matter how clean his house is.
3. What is Randy’s purpose in visiting Ponyboy?
Example: It seems that he just wanted to talk to someone else who was there, someone who
might understand how he felt.
Chapter 12
1. Why do Darry and Sodapop have different emotional reactions when explaining that
Dally was their friend?
Example: Darry works hard and does the right thing, which includes standing by their friend
Dally; he doesn’t have time to be emotional about it. Sodapop is still immature and doesn’t bear
the weight of responsibility for the family, so he can let his feelings overwhelm him.
2. Why do you think Ponyboy is failing his classes?
Example: School seems unimportant in light of what has happened to him. He just can’t focus
on it when his mind is consumed with grief and wondering.
3. What makes Ponyboy brandish the broken bottle at the Socs?
Example: It seems that he’s trying out the greaser philosophy that violence reigns supreme and
life has no meaning; he wants to see how that approach feels.
4. Why is Two-Bit relieved when Ponyboy picks up the broken pieces of glass?
Example: It shows that Ponyboy’s nature is unchanged; he’s still a decent, civilized kid.
5. How did you feel when you were reading the letter from Johnny?
Example: It was sad that someone who saw life so clearly, someone who might be able to change
things, was dead now.
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Reflect on Reading
T
he following activities require students to work with the novel as a
whole. This includes discussion questions, activities, a pre-reading
question review, and a final test.
LESSON PLAN DETAILS
Discussion Questions (2 class periods)
1. “Nothing Gold Can Stay”—hand out and have students complete in class
(1 class period)
2. Interview the Greasers—hand out and have students complete in class
(2 class periods)
3. Pre-Reading Question Review—hand out and have students complete in class
(1 class period)
Final Test—hand out and have students complete in class (1 class period)
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Reflect on Reading
Discussion Questions
Directions: Use the following questions to review what’s happened in the novel and to
discuss ideas and themes.
1. What do you feel is the overall message of this story?
Example: When you remove the factors that make people different on the outside, the same
emotions are inside of everyone.
2. Do you think this is a realistic representation of the problems teens faced during this
time period?
Example: Some elements are realistic, but, as the story itself illustrates, no generalizations are
ever entirely accurate.
3. What effect does the fact that Hinton was herself a teenager have on the story?
Example: She probably captured their emotions well, but she also lacked some maturity.
4. What do you think of the fact that Hinton was a female writing from a male
perspective?
Example: It was a bold move that shed new light on certain issues.
5. What is the effect of ending the story with the same line as the beginning?
Example: It brings the story full circle; it also suggests that the same types of events will
continue to repeat themselves, but maybe there can be a different ending if there is more
understanding.
6. This is a story of how we stereotype and place labels on others. What have you
learned from it?
Example: You cannot judge someone without getting to know them personally.
7. This is a story about heroism. Who is your hero? Why?
Example: Anyone who sacrifices his or her desires for other people is my hero, whether they do
it on a large scale or a small one.
8. Who was the most “gallant” character in this story? Why?
Example: Ponyboy was because he thought beyond his current situation and tried to apply those
lessons despite the dire circumstances of his life.
9. Would you help someone you love if you knew he or she had committed a terrible
crime? How exactly would you help?
Example: If it was a truly terrible crime, I’d probably turn them over to the authorities because
they wouldn’t be safe to be around. But if they’d done it in self-defense, I’d probably try to hide
them.
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Discussion Questions
Reflect on Reading, continued
10. Do you think some people are so hardened that they are beyond help or rescue?
Example: Yes, some people seem to lack all moral sense.
11. Do you think someone’s particular circumstances affect how they are judged after
committing a crime?
Example: The circumstances should affect their sentences, but not a guilty or not guilty verdict.
12. Who’s responsible for teens that commit violent or criminal acts?
Example: Teens have to be responsible for their actions. If, however, their parents created the
awful situation that led the teen to commit the crime, the parents should be punished, too.
13. Do you think a fight or violent acts are ever justified?
Example: Violence is only justified in self-defense.
14. What is the one thing you will remember most about this story in five years?
Example: I’ll remember Ponyboy’s line about greasers watching sunsets too; it shows that
everyone is the same no matter how different they look or live.
15. How is this a story about hope—for the future, humanity, for those struggling with
their own battles?
Example: It shows that people survive difficult situations, and where there’s life there’s hope.
16. How would you find out that someone you knew was in trouble—with drugs, gangs,
depression, etc.?
Example: I would discover it once their behavior began to change, when their actions no longer
matched the personality they once had.
17. What is the best way to deal with violence when you are confronted with it?
Example: Finding help is the best way, particularly with bullies because they are really just
cowards underneath it all.
18. What are the top three problems facing teens today, in your opinion? What are the
causes of these problems?
Example: Violence, drugs, and lack of close relationships. Kids need to feel more connected to
important people in their lives and when they don’t feel that, they turn to violence, drugs, etc.,
to find a sense of belonging.
19. Do you think your problems today are as bad as those of 1960s teens?
Example: I think they are different and equally bad in their own way.
20. How can we as a society help solve these problems?
Example: We have to spend more time with kids and less time letting them watch violent
television shows and play violent video games.
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Reflect on Reading
Handout 1
Name
Date
Hour
“Nothing Gold Can Stay”
Essays help you synthesize what you have learned regarding a character, theme, or literary
device.
Directions: Write a five-paragraph essay in which you discuss Robert Frost’s poem,
“Nothing Gold Can Stay,” that is mentioned in the novel. Here are the guidelines:
1. What is the overall message of this poem?
2. Why do you think Ponyboy remembered this poem?
3. Why is this poem important to the meaning of the novel?
Your essay needs to have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The above guidelines
serve as the topics for the three paragraphs in the body of your essay.
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Reflect on Reading
Handout 2
Name
Date
Hour
Interview the Greasers
Group Project
Role playing is a creative way to explore
specific scenes in a story. It helps you to
empathize with the characters and the
situations.
Directions: In groups of five, create
a script for a mock television
interview with the members
of the greaser gang, asking
them questions about what
it’s like to be a member of a
gang, how they respond to the violence, what they plan to do with their lives, etc. Take
a humorous or serious approach to this project. One person in your group needs to play
the interviewer and everyone else needs to play various greaser roles. Write down the
questions and answers, practice your roles, then present your interview in front of the class.
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Reflect on Reading
Handout 3
Name
Date
Hour
Pre-Reading Question Review
Take out the pre-reading questions that you completed before you read The Outsiders.
Determine if the novel has changed your beliefs.
Directions: Complete the chart below in preparation for a discussion with your classmates.
Pre-Reading
Question
Answers Before
Reading
1. How do social groups play a
part in school?
2. How does someone’s
appearance affect how others
view him or her?
3. What do you think contributes
to violence among teenagers?
What can be done to prevent
teen violence?
4. How do you define the word
“family”? Does a family mean
different things to different
people?
5. Is it acceptable to commit an
act of violence against
someone else to protect or get
revenge for someone you love?
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Answers After
Reading
Changes?
Write Yes
or No
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Name
Date
Hour
Final Test
The following test assesses your knowledge and understanding of The Outsiders.
Directions: Read all the directions and questions carefully.
Multiple Choice
Directions: Circle the letter of the correct answer. (1 pt. each)
1. Who narrates The Outsiders?
a) Dally
b) an outside observer
c) Johnny
d) Ponyboy
2. What happens when the Socs are attempting to drown Ponyboy?
a) Johnny stabs the Soc named Bob. c) A cop breaks up the fight.
b) Dally intervenes
d) none of the above
3. Ponyboy says the Socs have madras shirts and Corvairs. What does he say the
greasers have?
a) leather jackets
c) their hair
b) strength
d) chains
4. What impressed Johnny most about Gone with the Wind?
a) the description
c) the Southern gentlemen
b) the religious references
d) the poetry
5. Dally brings a letter to Ponyboy at the church. Who is it from?
a) Cherry
c) Sodapop
b) Darry
d) Two-Bit
6. Why does Dally knock Ponyboy down as he comes out of the burning church?
a) He is mad at Ponyboy.
c) Ponyboy’s back is on fire.
b) He is proud of Ponyboy.
d) He can’t see where he is going.
7. At the hospital, what does Ponyboy tell reporters he wishes he could do more than
anything?
a) smoke a cigarette
c) save Johnny’s life
b) become a hero
d) take a bath
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Final Test
Final Test, continued
8. Ponyboy remembers what words from Cherry Valance?
a) Those are the breaks.
c) Things are rough all over.
b) It’s bad over here too.
d) Don’t get too tough.
9. What does the front page of the newspaper say the day after Ponyboy goes home
from the hospital?
a) Children Saved From Fire
c) Juvenile Delinquents Turned Heroes
b) The Outsiders Win
d) Things Are Rough All Over
10. Ponyboy has a recurring nightmare about what?
a) his first camping trip
c) hiding at the church
b) he can’t remember
d) Sodapop getting attacked by Socs
11. Why does Dally want to fight in the rumble, even though he is in no condition to
fight?
a) He wants to get revenge for Johnny. c) He wants to die.
b) He has to protect Ponyboy.
d) Randy threatened him
12. What does Two-Bit say is the only thing that keeps Darry from being a Soc?
a) his job
c) his parents
b) the other greasers
d) himself
13. Why do the greasers dress in their best outfits before a rumble?
a) They want to get them dirty.
c) They want to prove to the Socs
that they aren’t trashy.
b) They plan on going to the movies
d) They have grease on their other
after the rumble.
clothes.
14. What are Johnny’s last words to Ponyboy?
a) Don’t get too tough.
c) stay great
b) You’re the only family I had.
d) stay gold
15. Who tells the gang that Johnny is dead?
a) Ponyboy
c) the cops
b) They read it in the newspapers.
d) Randy
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Final Test
Final Test, continued
Matching
Directions: Choose the letter that fits the description. Make sure that you use each letter
just once and that you have no letters left over. (1 pt. each)
1. _____ Author of “Nothing Gold Can Stay”
a. Two-Bit
2. _____ Steve’s favorite past time
b. movies
3. _____ Narrator of The Outsiders
c. Darrel
4. _____ Soc who watches sunsets
d. Robert Frost
5. _____ Owner of a black-handled switchblade
e. Soda
6. _____ Handsome dropout who works at the gas station
f.
7. _____ Soc Johnny kills
g. Ponyboy Curtis
8. _____ Oldest Curtis brother
h. Cherry Valance
9. _____ Hurt by his parents’ neglect
i.
Johnny
j.
Robert Sheldon
10. _____ Ponyboy’s favorite pastime
fights
Event Sequencing
Directions: Order the following events chronologically from 1 to 10. (1pt. each)
_______ a. Ponyboy writes a theme for English
_______ b. Dally is shot
_______ c. Ponyboy is attacked by Socs after leaving the movie theater
_______ d. Ponyboy and Johnny walk Cherry and Marcia home
_______ e. Ponyboy reads a letter from Johnny
_______ f. The greasers defeat the Socs
_______ g. Ponyboy is sick in bed for a week
_______ h. Dally gives Johnny and Ponyboy money and a gun
_______ i. Johnny and Ponyboy disguise themselves
_______ j. Ponyboy pulls a broken bottle on a Soc
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Final Test
Final Test, continued
Short Answer
Directions: Write your answer to each question on a separate piece of paper. Use complete
sentences. (4 pts. each)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
At the movies, Cherry tells Ponyboy she could fall in love with whom?
What personal story does Ponyboy tell Cherry about?
Why does Ponyboy want to live in the country?
What happened to Ponyboy’s parents?
Who does Ponyboy love more than anyone else?
How are the Soc girls different than most of the girls the greasers date?
How do Ponyboy and Johnny get to their hideout?
What book do Ponyboy and Johnny read while in hiding?
What does Randy tell Ponyboy when he comes to visit him?
What is Dally doing when he is shot?
Essay Questions
Directions: Choose one of the three essay questions listed below to answer. The length
needs to be approximately 350 words. Make sure your response is well organized and
grammatically correct. Use a separate piece of paper. (20 pts.)
1. What is the message of The Outsiders?
2. What does Two-Bit mean when he tells Ponyboy not to get too tough?
3. How are the greasers and the Socs really different? How are they similar?
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Answer Key
This section provides answers to activities and the test in the order in which they appear in
the guide.
Novel Road Map to Success
Before We Start
Handout 5
Chapter 1
1. Ponyboy
2. He likes to be alone, and the movies are a way for him to escape his present reality by
experiencing a world that is more pleasant, more positive, etc.
3. He is jumped by some Socs.
4. rocks
5. Since Ponyboy’s parents were killed when he was young, family for him includes his two older
brothers, Darry and Soda. (Darry is more like a parent because he established rules, etc.) In
some ways, he also thinks of the gang as family because they look out for one another.
6. A Soc is a member of the well-to-do, rich social class, and a greaser is a member of the
poorer, lower class. They seem to be rivals because they seem so different on the outside.
Each side is threatened by what it doesn’t know or understand about the other side.
7. Madras shirts
8. Tim Shepard’s gang
9. his brothers, Sodapop and Darry
10. Ponyboy is close to his brother Sodapop because he sees him as more fun. Darry is strict, so
Ponyboy is not as close to him.
11. Ponyboy loves Soda (or says he does) more than Darry. Ponyboy is very close to Soda, who is
more fun-loving and adventurous. Darry is more like a parent and is strict with Ponyboy.
12. football
13. at the gas station
14. He is so good-looking.
15. Sandy
16. Book sense is about knowing the facts, but common sense is about recognizing and dealing
with situations that are affected by facts (in other words, common sense is the application of
book knowledge).
17. He describes Johnny as a “little dark puppy,” Two-Bit as a clown, Dally as dangerous, and
Steve as an expert with cars who doesn’t like Ponyboy very much.
18. Besides his brother Sodapop, he seems to have an affection for Johnny, who is the youngest,
next to Ponyboy.
19. their hair
20. They were killed in a car wreck.
Chapter 2
1. Dally
2. Cherry and Marcia see them as unthreatening, and they are curious.
3. He thinks they are prettier and smarter than the girls the greasers usually go out with.
4. He was brutally attacked by the Socs several months before, and because he has a rough family
life.
5. only if they are called so by other members of their gang
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6. According to the greasers, a rough fight is one that involves weapons such as knives and
chains. When the greasers fight among themselves, it’s a fair fight (skin-to-skin or fist fight)
between two. The Socs are rough. They gang up on one or two, or they rumble each other
with their social clubs.
7. Because Johnny has such a rough home life, because they are always getting jumped by the
Socs, and because his brother Darry has to work so hard.
8. They are more cultured and prettier—not loud and rough like greaser girls.
9. She says that the Socs have problems too, and, though they are not the same kinds of
problems, they have it just as rough as the greasers.
10. No, Cherry believes they are people too.
Chapter 3
1. walk them home
2. He tells her about Sodapop’s horse, Mickey Mouse.
3. Cherry seems to be intrigued by the other side and by the unknown. She would like to escape
her seemingly “perfect world.”
4. He is telling her that the greasers are really just like the Socs—they are all human and can
appreciate sunsets.
5. She means that when you have everything you want, you are continually unsatisfied with your
life.
6. Because Darry is so strict with Ponyboy and wants to keep him out of trouble, he has a
detached way of loving Ponyboy that Ponyboy doesn’t understand.
7. Ponyboy sees the country as a place of escape, a place where there are no labels placed on
people and life is perfect.
8. Darry slaps him for being out too late.
Chapter 4
1. a blue Mustang
2. They are walking with the Socs’ girlfriends, Cherry and Marcia.
3. They try to drown him in the fountain.
4. Johnny is afraid that the Socs will kill Ponyboy. He acts out of pure fear. Sample answer: It is
difficult to say whether one’s actions are morally right or wrong when they are done in the
heat of the moment.
5. He says, “Good for you,” and seems pleased. Then, he offers to help them escape.
6. at Buck’s house
7. bootlegging
8. He gives them some money, a jacket, instructions on where to go, and a gun.
9. They are frightened and say they would never use a gun.
10. They hop on a train to the country.
11. He sees that Johnny really is rough around the edges and has truly had it rough. For the first
time, he sees him as a stranger.
12. He means that never seeing his friends and family again and living with the knowledge of a
brutal crime would be far worse than being a greaser.
Chapter 5
1. They decide to disguise themselves. Ponyboy bleaches his hair, and Johnny cuts his hair.
2. Their hair is a form of self-identity. It is the one thing that really sets them apart.
3. They break down in tears and regretfully acknowledge the terrible consequences.
4. They play cards, read from the book Gone with the Wind and recite a poem by Robert Frost.
5. Robert Frost
6. He is fascinated by Southern gentlemen.
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7. bologna sandwiches
8. For Ponyboy, what are “real” are the tough actions and attitudes that sometimes go along with
“real” life. Somehow, he has managed to maintain a certain innocence, despite the rough
things he has experienced. He believes that some people lose who they are in the bitterness
and hardened attitude that goes along with life’s difficulties.
9. The sunset is a symbol of hope and understanding for Ponyboy. It comes to represent the
things that unite all of us as human beings, regardless of whether we are a greaser or a Soc.
10. Sodapop. He is not angry with Ponyboy.
Chapter 6
1. Cherry is someone who bridges the gap between the world of the greasers and the world of
the Socs. She represents the hope that we can all understand each other as human beings
instead of a social label.
2. Showing one’s emotions is a sign of weakness, and greasers have to keep their guard up in
order to protect themselves.
3. He believes that, because the crime was self-defense, they will get off easy. He also seems tired
of hiding and wants to end it.
4. They discover that it is on fire and some kids are trapped inside.
5. Ponyboy and Johnny
6. He slaps him on the back to put out the fire.
7. Johnny
8. They are just glad to see him and that he is safe.
Chapter 7
1. reporters
2. to take a bath
3. He means that because they look out for him and care about him, that is more family than his
real family at home who do not care about him.
4. They have to keep up the front of being tough in order to protect themselves.
5. that he and Johnny are being called heroes
6. He doesn’t see himself as a hero because he feels anyone in that situation would have acted the
same way.
7. Answers will vary. Sample answer: They put themselves in front of others, or seemed to. That
is a heroic act. Yet, they may also have acted on the fear that they would be blamed for the fire
and that helping rescue the kids would somehow help them.
8. He can never remember; he just wakes up in a cold sweat or screaming.
9. It might seem helpful to be “of the same kind” if you met someone in an alley. It seems to say
greasers see themselves in a negative light, but that that is a safe place to be.
10. When Ponyboy gets in trouble, the authorities might think Darry isn’t sufficiently responsible
and place Ponyboy and Sodapop in a foster home.
11. He tells him that he is tired of the fighting between the Socs and the greasers and that he is
not going to fight any more.
12. He means that the greasers will always be greasers and the Socs will always be Socs.
13. Answers will vary. Sample answer: Parents are responsible for teaching kids right and wrong,
but they cannot always control their actions. There is a saying, “Prepare your child for the
path, not the path for the child.”
Chapter 8
1. He broke his back and will never walk again.
2. a copy of Gone with the Wind
3. a knife
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4.
5.
6.
7.
He wants to get revenge for Johnny.
He says it teaches you all the wrong things and none of the things you want to see.
He doesn’t want to see her because she has always treated him badly and selfishly.
Darry was a football player in school and was always clean-cut and popular. He just never had
the money to really be of the Soc group. Two-Bit is saying that they all keep him back from
becoming who he should be.
8. He is more grown-up and has more responsibilities. He is like the parent.
9. Answers will vary. Sample answer: She feels a sense of obligation to help her fellow human
beings. She sees them as real people with real problems and not as just greasers. She is tired of
all the fighting between the Socs and the greasers.
10. that Socs are going to play fair
Chapter 9
1. Because they want to really express that they are greasers by exaggerating their features. Yet,
they want to show the Socs that they aren’t trash, so they clean themselves up and put on
good clothes.
2. at the vacant lot
3. They are much rougher than the members of his own gang.
4. Darry steps forward and starts the rumble. Ironically, the person he meets is an old friend
from high school.
5. Dally
6. Answers will vary. Sample answer: The greasers may have won the battle, but not the war—
yet. In the future, with more greasers like Ponyboy who understand the common humanity of
the two groups, the war may come to an end.
7. They go visit Johnny.
Chapter 10
1. He wanders around almost all night in a daze.
2. Because he doesn’t want to give up hope that there is good in the world. In some ways,
Johnny represented hope because he was the one who had a more difficult time than the
others, yet he was still a good person at heart—not hardened by experience.
3. a stranger
4. Ponyboy
5. They learn that he has robbed a grocery store and is on the run.
6. Answers will vary. Sample answer: Dally may have loved Johnny because he admired his
ability to stay true to himself despite the hard knocks of life. He may also have been like a
child to Dally—someone for him to protect.
7. He believes that this is what Dally really wanted in life.
8. he faints
9. Sodapop. He is concerned that he might not have asked for Darry and doesn’t want Darry to
think he doesn’t love him.
10. Answers will vary. Sample answer: In Ponyboy’s view, Dally may have been better off because
he probably would not have changed—he would have just become more and more hardened
and bitter in life. Johnny may have been better off if the world doesn’t change—if good
continued to fall in the face of evil.
11. Answers will vary. Sample answer: Dally was gallant because it took bravery to pull out the
gun—it was equivalent to committing suicide in Ponyboy’s view. Johnny was brave because he
never lost who he was, even in the face of death.
Chapter 11
1. stay in bed for a week
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2. Randy
3. Answers will vary. Sample answer: Maybe because he is still in denial or he wants to accept
responsibility or punish himself for Johnny’s death.
4. He was still full of hope despite all the hard times, and because of what they had been through
together.
Chapter 12
1. The judge acquits him.
2. if he likes living with Darry
3. He goes into a depression.
4. He pulls a broken bottle on them.
5. He tells him not to become too hardened by his experiences.
6. It is possible to love someone and yet hate what they do.
7. He learns that we are all people, regardless of the labels we place on each other and the
battles we wage against one another.
8. He is like Johnny, in that he will keep his hope and positive outlook despite the hard
experiences he has had.
9. He is tired of the fighting between Darry and Ponyboy.
10. They realize that all they really have is each other and how much they need and love each
other. They realize what true family is.
11. his copy of Gone with the Wind and a letter
12. He tells him to “stay gold” and to keep his childlike, hopeful outlook on life.
13. He decides to tell the story of the greasers and the Socs and the conflicts and problems of
young boys.
Vocabulary
Chapter 3
Handout 2
1. c
3. a
2. p
4. k
5. t
6. j
7. m
8. n
9. l
10. d
11. g
12. q
13. o
14. b
15. s
16. f
17. c
18. h
19. i
20. r
Character Analysis
Chapter 4
Handout 1
1. Ponyboy—Concerned about being sent to a foster home, worried about his friends, wants to
prove his manhood by fighting in the rumble.
2. Cherry—Wants to help the greasers, but feels guilty too.
3. Johnny—He is fighting for his life.
4. Dally—Fighting his injuries, wants to get revenge at the rumble, upset when Johnny dies.
Foreshadowing
Chapter 8
Handout 2
Answers will vary but may include:
1. Johnny will die and the greasers will talk about his life being too short; Johnny will live and
talk about having a chance to live longer.
2. The greasers will have to learn how to live without Johnny; they will lose another member of
their gang and have to learn how to live without someone else; Two-Bit will realize they need
everyone in order to get along.
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3. Dally will use the knife to escape from the hospital; Dally will use the knife to kill Socs who he
feels are responsible for Johnny’s death; Dally will have Two-Bit’s knife and Two-Bit will be
unable to defend himself against a Soc.
Final Test
Reflect on Reading
Multiple Choice
1. d
3. c
2. a
4. c
Matching
1. d
2. f
Event Sequencing
a. 10
b. 6
5. c
6. c
7. d
8. c
9. c
10. b
11. a
12. b
13. c
14. d
3. g
4. h
5. a
6. e
7. j
8. c
c. 1
d. 2
e. 9
f. 5
g. 7
h. 3
15. a
9. i
i. 4
10. b
j. 5
Short Answer
1. Dally
2. Sodapop’s horse, Mickey Mouse
3. He sees it as an escape, a place where there are no labels placed on people.
4. They were killed in a car wreck.
5. Sodapop
6. They are cleaner and smarter.
7. hop a train
8. Gone with the Wind
9. that he is tired of fighting
10. pulling out a gun
Essay Questions
These are general answer suggestions. Answers may include some or all of the points listed below.
1. The Outsiders gives commentary on several prominent social issues including the importance
of family/love, the negative consequences of senseless social/class divisions, and the extent to
which violence ruins lives. The characters that draw strength from close family ties are able to
survive despite the tragedies; for example, Ponyboy lives but Johnny dies. The author suggests
that recognizing sameness of humanity over the differences is key to ending stereotypes,
misunderstandings, and violence.
2. Two-Bit knows that Ponyboy, like his older brother Darry, has the qualities needed to escape
his current situation. Two-Bit also knows that becoming hardened and isolating yourself from
emotions is the path to self-destruction, much like Dally. Two-Bit is clearly relieved when
Ponyboy picks up the broken glass because it shows Ponyboy’s inherent nature has not
changed; he is considerate and caring despite the environment in which he lives.
3. Greasers and Socs are different in the following ways: 1) The Socs have money and the
luxuries money can buy. Their parents can buy them out of jail and provide fancy cars and
clothes. The greasers lack the financial foundation to move up in the world. 2) They have
different values and parental expectations. The Socs are expected to go to college and have a
successful career. The greasers are left to their own devices; no one thinks they will amount to
anything. The greasers and Socs are similar in the following ways: 1) Both groups struggle
with a set of problems specific to their circumstances in life. 2) Both groups watch sunsets, can
see the beauty in life, and can inflict pain through violent actions. 3) Both groups rely heavily
on their friends and are influenced by their peer groups.
82
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