THE OUTSIDERS By: S.E. Hinton
READING GUIDE- 7th grade literature
IBSN # 13: 9780140385724
We will be opening the new school year with your summer reading of The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. The following questions will help guide your reading and will help you recall the information prior to us beginning the new school year. Do the best you can. As long you put forth effort, you will do great. NEW VOCABULARY AND DEFINITIONS: If you come across a word you don’t know, look it up and write the definition down. This is always a useful habit to develop. DIRECTIONS: On a separate sheet of paper answer the following questions. CHAPTER 1 1. “Greaser” is first used in the first paragraph on page one. How far must you read before you have a good idea of whom or what a greaser is? (Reading to the end of a sentence, paragraph, page, or further is one strategy to use when you find a word you don’t know.) 2. What two groups of teenagers does Ponyboy describe? Below is an example of a T‐chart diagram to compare each group by listing the characteristics (words or phrases that describe) of each group. Draw the same chart on a separate sheet of paper and write your observations about each group in the columns below each group name. GREASERS
Give a characteristic of Greasers
SOCS
Give characteristics of the socs
CHAPTER 2 3. What were “fair” rules for a gang fight? What did “fair” mean? How were these rules established? CHAPTER 3 4. Do you agree with Johnny that having friends care for you is not the same as having your own folks care about you? Why or why not? CHAPTER 4 5. Was anyone right or wrong in what happened at the park? Give 2 reasons. CHAPTER 5 6. Do you think crying helped the boys or made them weaker? Why? CHAPTER 6 7. Would you say Ponyboy and Johnny are heroes? Why or why not? CHAPTER 7 8. What do you think it would have been like for Johnny to return to his home in a wheelchair? CHAPTER 8 9. Did Johnny know he was going to die? How did he feel about that? CHAPTER 9 10. Who are the good guys and bad guys in The Outsiders? Explain. CHAPTER 10 11. Do you think the rumble was worth the trouble? Why or why not? CHAPTER 11 12. Why was Ponyboy concerned about his friends seeing his house but not about Randy seeing his house? CHAPTER 12 13. Why did Ponyboy’s life seem so different after the hearing?