Language Arts 7 – Sarudi
April 22 – May 17, 2013
The Outsiders
Monday, April 22, 2013 (Chap. 1)
Objective: To reflect on some of the issues that surface in The Outsiders as they occur in everyday life by addressing anticipation
guide and determining a state of mind of belonging . SWBAT share their opinions as individuals and then discuss them in a small
group and then write a reflection of their experience.
Bell Ringer: Weekly Bell Ringer Sheet: I will collect BR Sheet at the end of the week
Class Activity:
 Collect last week’s bell ringer sheet / Weekly Summary
 Introduce Journal, Chapter Questions, portfolio project, and other writing assignments
 Intro to S.E. Hinton / Anticipation Guide (individual/small group exercise)
Homework:
1. Read Chapter One.
2. Answer questions to chapter one and Meet Ponyboy Worksheet
NOTE: You need to bring a shoebox to class by Friday to get started on Inside/Outside Project. Bring additional box for extra
credit. See me.
Tuesday, April 23/Wednesday, April 24, 2013
ACT & PSAE Testing - No Classes
Thursday, April 25, 2013 (Chap. 2)
Objective: Introduction to the novel “The Outsiders”. SWBAT: Define stereotype and judgment; Identify the difference between
cliques and gangs, and relate that to characters in the novel; Express their opinions about stereotyping, and relate their experiences in a
class discussion.
Bell Ringer: BR Sheet
Outsider Journal: Have you ever felt like an “outsider?” Write down your experience. Please make sure that you keep all your
Outsider Journal entries for this unit.
Class Activity:
 Discussion: Stereotypes -“hoods”, rich kids, homeless individuals, old people, immigrants? Definition of stereotype and
judgment. What does it mean to be an outsider? What was it like in September, coming to a new school, going from the
leaders of elementary school to the bottom of the food chain in high school? Do the people represented in the pictures feel
like outsiders?
 Group Work/Presentation:
 Gangs vs. Cliques: Get the students into groups of 3-4. Students will be given a topic (gangs or cliques) and they have to
brainstorm on poster paper all the words and ideas that they associate with their topic. They will then present their paper to
the front of the class, where we will compile a class list to define the two.
 Q: Are the Socs a gang or a clique? Q: Are the Outsiders a gang or a clique?
Homework:
1. Read Chapter Two.
2. Chapter 2 Questions. 3. Start working on your portfolio box.
Inside/Outside Box Project
Explanation of Inside/Outside project: You will be given time in class to create your box. Your project must express yourself and give
insight into your identity and who you are. You can use magazine clippings, poems, song lyrics, quotes, family pictures, and anything
else that explains who you are. You will be decorating a shoebox that will contain all of your work.
-Students are required to bring a shoebox, magazine clippings, and any other material you will need for your project.
Friday, April 26, 2013 - The Outsiders
Objective: Work on Inside/Outside Project. SWBAT: use material that they have selected to create an Inside/Outside box project.
Bell Ringer: BR Worksheet
Outsider Journal: Are you the same on the inside as you are on the outside or do you project a “public” identity and maintain a
“private” identity to yourself and your family? Explain.
Class Activity:
• Work on Inside/Outside Project. Due on Monday, May 6.
Homework: 1. Read Chapter 3.
2. Chapter 3 Questions. 3. Weekly Cross Summary.
Monday, April 29, 2013 - The Outsiders (Chap. 3)
Objective: To summarize events in chapter 1 of The Outsiders; To differentiate the members of Ponyboy’s gang; To consider the
significance of names and nicknames. SWBAT: give reasons for Ponyboy’s attitude toward each gang member; Recognize the factors
that influence a person’s identity, and relate those to the characters in the novel; Work productively and creatively on their portfolio
box.
Bell Ringer: BR Sheet
Outsider Journal: Who are you? (provide a definition of identity) What makes you unique? What factors influence who you are?
Class Activity:
• Review Bell Ringer / Journal
• Code of Honor
• Characters in the novel are influenced by many factors in their lives, some which they can control, some which they cannot.
-Identity is formed by things that are really important to you.
-I will provide some factors which influence the characters’ identities
• Money
• Social status
• Hair
• Clothes
• Friends
• Relate these factors to the students, and the discussion of gangs and cliques.
Q: Are these factors that influence your lives?
Q: Do you think your identity would be different if you had a different group of friends?
Q: Would you place more/less importance on things if you grew up in a different culture, or in a different family?
Q: Do you think Johnny and Ponyboy should have run away?
Q: Why do you think Dally, who is usually unkind and mean, would help the boys?
• Our Gang/Nicknames Worksheet
Homework: 1. Finish Our Gang/Nicknames worksheet.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013 - The Outsiders (Chap. 1-3)
Objective: To understand events and characters in chapter 3 of The Outsiders; To analyze cause-effect relationships. SWBAT:
Demonstrate completion and comprehension of chapters 1-3 on quiz; Understand the elements of characterization, and apply those
elements to the characters in the novel; Participate in an oral reading of Chapter Four
Bell Ringer: BR Worksheet
Outsider Journal: Write about an event or person that has impacted your life and helped form your character. (10 min)
Class Activity:
• Quiz (10 min.)
• Cause/Effect & Johnny Cade
• Begin reading Chapter 4
Homework: 1. Read Chapter 4
2. Answer Chapter Questions
Wednesday, May 1, 2013 - The Outsiders (Chap. 4)
Objective: To understand the crisis in chapter 4 of The Outsiders; To make personal connections with Ponyboy and Johnny; To learn
about the characteristics of gangs. SWBAT: Participate actively in a discussion about chapter 4; Analyze Robert Frost poem and
identify important elements; Work productively and cooperatively on a group project; Incorporate the elements of characterization in
their project.
Bell Ringer: BR Worksheet
Outsider Journal: Write about a moment in your childhood that you remember vividly. It can be happy, sad, scary, exciting, or
anything else you remember it to be. Try to be as detailed as possible! (10 min.)
Class Activity:
• Review Journal
• Chapter Four Questions
• Venn Diagram: compare/contrast Ponyboy and Johnny
Homework: 1. Read Chapter 5.
2. Chapter 5 Questions. 3. Finish Venn Diagram
Thursday, May 2, 2013 - The Outsiders (Chap. 5)
Objective: Understand Ponyboy’s thoughts and interactions with Johnny while they stay in the church. SWBAT: to analyze the
allusions to Gone with the Wind and “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” and to reflect on them; to reflect on the significance of the letter from
Sodapop.
Bell Ringer: BR Worksheet
Outsider Journal: Read Robert Frost’s poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay” and write a personal response to it. Do you like it or not? What
do you think it means?
Class Activity:
• Review Journal
• Introduce Poetry Worksheet
• Passing the Time
Homework: 1. Read Chapter 6 & 7. 2. Chapter Questions.
3. What is “Gone with the Wind?”
Friday, May 3, 2013 - The Outsiders (Chap. 6 & 7)
Objectives: To understand events in chapters 6 and 7 of The Outsiders; To begin to consider the novel’s themes; To find real-life
examples of teenage heroism. SWBAT: summarize the main events in the chapters; dramatize the dialogue between Randy and
Ponyboy near the end of chapter 7, which leads to a discussion of one of the novel’s main themes, the idea that the Socs and greasers
actually have a lot in common; research examples of teenage heroism and share findings in an open discussion.
Bell Ringer: BR Worksheet
Outsider Journal: What does the term “Hero” mean to you? What’s the difference between a “super hero” and a “real-life hero”?
Who’s your hero and why?
Class Activity:
• Review Journal
• Review Questions: Has there ever been a time when you have overcome conflict with a person by just talking the problem out?
Were you able to overcome your differences? Why/Why not?
• Role Play Tastee-Freeze scene
• Research a real hero
Homework: 1. Read Chapter 8.
2. Chapter 8 Questions. 3. Research Teenage Hero/Worksheet
4. No Weekly Summary!
Monday, May 6, 2013 - The Outsiders (Chap. 8)
Objectives: To identify how the theme of family is reflected in chapter 8. SWBAT: Identify the theme of family in the novel;
Recognize the important characteristics of family; Participate willingly in a role-playing activity; Identify the elements of setting, and
its place in the novel.
Bell Ringer: BR Worksheet
Outsider Journal: Discuss your family. How is each member, including yourself, different and unique? Finish the following
statements: The best thing about my family is… The worst thing about my family is…. My family is important to me because… (10
min.)
Class Activity:
• Review Journal
• What is the importance of family in “The Outsiders”? Find examples of family different from traditional family
• Role-Playing Activity: Exploring Family Dynamics
-Students are put into groups, and are each assigned a character. They are given different scenarios
which they have
to act out according to their role, and based on the knowledge they have acquired
from the novel thus far. (see handout for
scenarios)
-Once they have practiced in their groups, the students will present to the rest of the class and we will
discuss how the
different family dynamics affect the result of the conflict.
• Family Rules
Homework: 1. Write Family Rules book.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013 - The Outsiders (Chap. 8)
Objectives: To identify how the theme of family is reflected in chapter 8. SWBAT: explain what a premonition is; Identify the theme
of suicide and discuss how it is handled in “The Outsiders.”
Bell Ringer: BR Worksheet
Outsider Journal: Have you ever had a premonition about something? Detail what you thought would happen. Did it happen or not?
Class Activity:
Review Journal
Presentations of Role Playing
Small Group: Teen Suicide Questions
- The Outsiders airs all of the hot issues that confront teenagers. This chapter starts out with a diatribe
against suicide.
Suicide is a critical issue for teens, and Johnny's lack of choice about his living or dying brings him a new perspective. He is angry
with himself (for not valuing his life when he had the time)
and at life itself (for not being fair): "I used to talk about killing myself.
I don't want to die now. It ain't
long enough," Johnny tells his friends. Have students work in groups to consider these questions
about suicide:
a) How prevalent is suicide in the teen population? Why?
b) Does the rate vary from culture to culture? Why?
c) Does Hinton handle this teen hot issue well? Give examples to support your opinion.
d) What other teen issues has Hinton addressed so far in the book?
Have students decide how their group will share their information effectively with the class.
Homework: 1. Read Chapter 9.
2. Chapter 9 Questions.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013 - The Outsiders (Chap. 8)
Objectives: To identify how the theme of suicide is reflected in the novel and how the theme of being an “outsider” is re-invented.
SWBAT: present their view of suicide in the novel; explain how “stay gold” is reinforced in the novel..
Bell Ringer: BR Worksheet
Outsider Journal: Which of the characters from the novel to you connect with the most. Why? Is this the character you like? Why are
they not the same as the one you connect with?
Class Activity:
• Review Journal
• Johnny's dying wish for Pony was for him to "Stay gold." This is a recurring reference to Frost’s poem and to Hinton’s color theme.
If Johnny were to write a list of rules for Pony to follow to “stay gold” what do you think he would have listed? Create a “stay gold”
list.
• Being an outsider has now almost come full circle. Pony is now beginning to view himself and his brothers as outsiders within the
East Side Greasers. Seeing oneself as an outsider is a matter of perspective. That perspective can shift as a person begins to look at
life and life's situations through different eyes. Think back to your preschool and early school days and discuss who were the
Insiders and how this changes as you grow up and as their needs change.
• Members of Pony’s gang are exhibiting self-destructive behaviors and attitudes. Skim through chapter nine to find examples of
these. Discuss the importance of Pony’s noting this.
• Hinton deals with the “don’t judge a book by its cover” in this chapter. Find references to outward appearances. What lesson is
learned? Who learns it? Why is this important?
Homework:
1. Read Chapter 10.
2. Chapter 10 Questions
Thursday, May 9, 2013 - The Outsiders (Chap. 10)
Objectives: Identify how many themes come together at the end of the novel. SWBAT: identify how themes of loss and grief are
played out; compare and contrast characters from “The Outsiders” to that from “Gone with the Wind.”
Bell Ringer: BR Worksheet
Outsider Journal: Think back to a difficult situation that has affected your life. How did you handle the situation? What sort of
emotions were you feeling? Explain how you dealt with those emotions. (10 min)
Class Activity:
• Review Journal
• After Johnny’s death Pony is in a state of denial. Find proof of this from the chapter. Review the stages of grief and explore Pony’s
life as he worked through the loss of his parents in earlier chapters.
• Johnny had instructed the nurse to give Gone with the Wind to Pony. All Pony can think about are the Southern gentlemen who
were going off to certain death in the war — just like Dally.
• View Gone with the Wind going to war scene Discuss similarities and differences between the characters in Gone with the Wind
and The Outsiders. Compare themes and create a well-organized chart comparing and contrasting setting; characters; themes of the
two books.
• Dally's death forces readers to take another serious look at themes that are vital to understanding the novel. List all the lessons
which can be learned from Dally’s death. Why did he choose to die? Do you agree or disagree with his choice? Why? Share your
discussion with the class.
Homework: 1. Read Chapter 11 & 12.
2. Chapter Questions
Friday, May 10, 2013 - The Outsiders (Chap. 11-12)
Objectives: To understand events and characters in the novel’s closing chapters; To understand the structure of a frame story.
SWBAT: summarize events and focusing on their effects on Ponyboy; voice personal responses to situations in the story; define the
term “frame story” and apply it to The Outsiders.
Bell Ringer: BR Worksheet
Outsider Journal: What expectations do you hold for yourself? What expectations do your friends and family hold for you? (10 min.)
Class Activity:
• Review Journal
• Small Group: Summarize Chapters 9-12 (Impact on Ponyboy)/ The Way I See It
• Review Anticipation Guide
• Define a Frame Story
Homework: 1. Finish your Chapter Questions.
Weekly Cross Summary
Reminder: Unit Test on Tuesday, May 14.
2. Vocabulary Definitions. 3. This Was No Coincidence Worksheet.
4.
Essay Topics
“Sixteen years on the streets and you can learn a lot. But all the wrong things, not the things you want to learn.” (p.
122)
Discuss this quote from the novel and how it applies to each of the boys’ lives. What things did they learn? What
things might they have liked to learn? Support your ideas with what you know about the characters through
examples from the novel.
Write an essay about how expectations played a role in the lives of the Socs and the Greasers. How did internal and
external expectations influence each group’s actions in the novel?
Write an essay explaining why each of the Greasers could be considered a ‘hero’. Include your own definition of
hero in the essay, and be sure to explain how each boy, in his own way, meets your definition. Be sure to include
examples from the text.
Write an essay about how the Socs were more of a disgrace and menace to society than the Greasers. Look at how
society viewed and treated the two groups. Explain the characteristics of each group, their actions, and the choices
each made. Be sure to support your ideas with examples from the novel.
Discuss Ponyboy’s evolving conception of the Socs. How does his opinion of the Socs at the end of the novel differ
from his opinion at the beginning?
Compare and contrast the Curtis brothers Darry, Sodapop and Ponyboy. How does their relationship change over the
course of the novel?
Compare and contrast Johnny and Dally. What roles do they play in the novel? What roles do they play in Ponyboy’s
life?
Role Playing Activities
Scenario #1: Johnny killing Bob
Characters:
Ponyboy, Darry, Sodapop
Scenario #2: Cherry’s father sees her at the movies with Johnny, Ponyboy and Dally. Characters: Cherry, Cherry’s
father, Cherry’s mother.
Scenario #3: Johnny’s parents vs. Johnny’s ‘family’ in the gang.
Characters: Johnny, Dally
Scenario #4: Ponyboy and Johnny running away.
Characters: Ponyboy, Darry, Sodapop
Scenario #5: Johnny killing Bob
Characters: Johnny, Johnny’s mom, Johnny’s dad.
Scenario #6: Discuss the following: tension at home.
Characters: Sodapop, Darry, Ponyboy.
Scenario #7: Your child’s rescue from the burning church by Johnny and Ponyboy.
Characters: Rescued child’s mother, rescued child’s father, Johnny, Ponyboy.
Scenario #8: The future of the family of brothers.
Characters: Sodapop, Darry, Ponyboy.
Name________________
Code of Honor
You have been challenged by your friends to justify your friendship. Answer the
following questions to establish a code of honor between you and your friends….
What is a code of honor?
___________________________________________________________________
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What unspoken rules exist between friends? How far should friends go for each
other? Write the code of honor for you and your friends.
___________________________________________________________________
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Do you think your group of friends differs much from other groups? Do you think
your code of honor differs from that of the Greasers? Why or why not?
__________________________________________________
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Name___________
Bullying
1. List some ways teen-agers bully each other.
2. List some ways adults bully each other.
3. List some ways adults bully teen-agers.
4. List some ways children bully adults.
5. What are some ways that bullying hurts yourself?
6. Do you think that punishing bullies is always the best way to get someone to stop
bullying?