Discussion Director
For the novel of The Outsiders, you will be leading the group in a discussion about the
chapter you have been assigned. You will prepare questions that will serve as a
springboard or starting point for discussion. Your job is to make sure your group has
thoroughly discussed and identified the key moments in the chapter and has made note of
their symbolic significance.
1. You want to ask questions that don’t just have one answer. You want your group
to gain insight into the chapter by asking questions that will get them to think
about the chapter and them give their opinions.
2. Your questions might begin with WHY, HOW, DO YOU THINK, IN YOUR
OPINION.
Ex.
How would you have reacted when…?
What do you think about the way_____________ handled or reacted to _______?
What techniques did the author use to create the effect that s/he did?
Predict what will happen next.
Why do you think…?
3. Keep the following information in mind when writing your questions about Book
Five:
This book emphasizes the growing relationship between the characters, and the
importance their families play in their lives. Keep in mind how the different characters
influence each other. Also, note the relationship between the greasers and the socs—how
have things changed? How have things stayed the same? How can family be an asset?
How can family be a liability?
4. Create a sheet with seven questions on it for each of your group members. There
should be room for them to fill in notes from your discussion.
5. Make sure your copy of the sheet with seven questions has page numbers to refer
to when discussing the questions and notes of your own about the answers. A
teacher always has the answers to questions prepared ahead of time.
6. Make sure answers given make specific references to the chapter. Give specific
examples.
7. Turn in your sheet with the questions, your notes, and any you added from the
discussion along with your rubric.
Character Captain
For the novel The Outsiders, your job is to be the expert on the main characters within the
chapters you have been assigned. You need to understand the development of the
characters within the chapter, how they relate to other characters, and how they relate to
the development or maintenance of the theme of the novel.
1. You should discuss with your group the following characters from Book, plus
four other important characters in the chapters. Refer to the sheet I have attached
to help you with analyzing the characters.
 Ponyboy
 Johnny
 Darry
 Soda Pop
2. You should have a sheet prepared for each group member with the names of the
characters you are discussing written on the sheet. (Typed is best) Leave room
for your members to take notes on what you discuss about the characters.
3. Your discussion of the characters should involve your group members. Preparing
some statements or questions ahead of time will help to get them involved in
discussing the characters as well.
4. On your copy of the character chart, you should have page numbers listed where
references to the characters are made, and you should have your own notes on the
characters as well.
5. Turn in your copy of the character sheet with any notes and page numbers for
reference that you have.
6. Prepare a definition for the word indirect characterization. How does Hinton use
indirect characterization to inform us about each of your characters?
7. Turn in all your work and your rubric with your name on it to the teacher.
Vocabulary & Literary Luminary
For the novel The Outsiders, your job is to be the expert on eight words and three literary
terms in the chapter assigned to you. It is your responsibility to find difficult words from
the text and to teach them to your group so that they can more easily understand what
they are reading. You will also find and define three literary terms for your group, and
connect them to the text.
1. Have eight (8) words prepared that you want your group to understand. They
should be words that are important to the understanding of the sentence or the
paragraph.
2. Look up the words in the dictionary and have the definitions prepared in your own
words.
3. Record whether these words have a positive, negative, or neutral connotation.
4. Make a copy for each group member of the definitions, and connotations.
5. Record the page number where each of these words can be found in your novel
and read through them with your group after you have gone over the definitions.
6. Provide a section where each group member can write a short summery of the
section your vocabulary word appears in.
7. Prepare definitions for:
 Figurative Language
 First Person Narrative
 Universal Theme
Connect each of these terms to the chapter you are presenting. Provide examples
with page numbers of each literary devise in the chapter.
8. Make sure your group members write down the definition
9. Turn in all your work and your rubric with your name on it to the teacher.
Literary Critic
For the novel The Outsiders, your job is to write a critical analysis of the chapter assigned
to you. You will be presenting the strong and weak parts of the chapter as well as a
summery of the events that took place. You will also be writing a recommendation to
fellow students as to whether they should read this chapter or not.
1. Write a summery of your assigned chapter. What were the major events in
the chapter? How do these events tie into the larger theme of the novel?
Make sure to include the important people in your chapter. Also write
about any interesting, powerful, funny, confusing, and important sections
in your chapter.
2. Find five (5) important quotations from the chapter. Write out the
quotations and the page number. Explain why these quotes are significant
to the plot and theme of the novel. Have a section for each quotation for
other students to write about how the quote is significant and relevant to
the plot and theme of the novel.
3. Write a critical review of your chapter. Persuade a fellow student to read,
or not to read, the chapter. Discuss the various elements of the chapter
that make it worth reading. Use persuasive language to convince someone
who has not read your chapter, to read it. Have each group member write
whether she/he is convinced by your argument.
4. Include a suggestion on how the chapter could be improved. What could
have made this section of the novel more interesting?
5. Lastly, write a comparison of this novel to something else you have read
or seen. How is the plot of this novel similar to the plot of another novel
or movie? How is the theme a UNIVERSAL THEME? You may want to
work with the Vocabulary and Literary Luminary on this section. Have
each student write about the Universal theme of this novel.
6. Turn in all your work and your rubric with your name on it to the teacher.