The Outsiders By S.E. Hinton
Middle School Unit
7th Grade
Teach 451N
Jacob Kruse, Shelby Pflanz, Tressa TeKolste
I) Unit Rationale
Utilizing The Outsiders in a 7th grade English classroom we believe we will be
engaging our students with an interesting novel, as well as providing
psychological/human development significance, critical literacy development, and
relevance to students’ lives.
A)Psychological/Human Development Significance
Students need to the opportunity to connect with text. Within the
secondary English classroom, it is our job as a teachers of reading to provide
students with the necessary tools to become active readers. Students need a
curriculum set up of books that are chosen for them based on their literary merit
and ability to heighten students’ academic success. Providing the students a text
that meets them where they are at personally that can help them cognitively grow
as a person is the main goal of this unit.The lessons designed in this unit are
created with the students in mind. The premise of such design is to create what
Matthew Lipman calls a “community of inquiry,”(Lipman, 84) in which students
collaboratively construct their own ideas and ideologies with their peers through
interactive activities. Students will be able to learn not only from each other, but
by their engagement with The Outsiders characters as well in a shared
experience to find themselves through a text. As Matthew Lipman states, “...since
students who thought that all learning by oneself come to discover that they can
also use and profit from the learning experiences of others.” (Lipman, 93)
The Outsiders has the ability to meet students where they are in their
lives. Seventh grade students are in a transition phase from elementary school to
middle school. During this time, student’s self-perception is heightened as they
are beginning to percolate about their identity and social standing. As stated in
Fires in the Middle School Bathroom, “Because they (Middle School students)
are filled with uncertainty about who they are and who they should act like, early
adolescents are acutely sensitive to how other people--especially people their
own age--respond to the self-images that they continually borrow and discard.”
(pg. 19) Because students are trying to form their own identities during this time it
is important teachers get to know their students. Talking to students is the best
way for teachers to educate themselves about what their lives, school,
community, and home life are like. In order to be effective teachers we must
listen to our students and what they have to say and then meet them where they
are. I agree when Cushman and Rogers states, “Whatever issues kids are
struggling with, your attentiveness will give support to them in both the personal
and the academic challenges of learning.” (pg. 105) Students need to know that
they are supported along their journey. They need to feel that through this tough
transitional period that they are fully supported and provided help when needed.
The Outsiders offers students the ability to see themselves within a text.
S.E. Hinton is only 16 years old and offers a great adolescent lense on her
writing. This enticing feature offers students a relatable narrator who undergoes
various situations that may be directly reflected in their lives.
E) Critical Literacy Development
Inevitably our students will be at some point faced with the tensions that exist
between people in different social classes. By looking at how the classes are
portrayed opens up the eyes of the reader to the power struggles between
them. In her book Critical Encounters in High School English, Appleman says
that critical literacy allows for, “greater visibility the issues of power, class,
ideology, and resistance that are embedded in the texts they read with their
students" (56-57). There is an othering that happens between people of different
groups due to the prevalence of stereotypes. Through our examination of the
greasers and socs in The Outsiders we will help students to see through the
perceived differences between the two groups. We will also tie them to modern
examples of such clashes between groups in order to illustrate that instances of
conflicts are not only tied to that time period.
By letting them recognize ways that they see it in their own life they will be
able to better construct an understanding of the conflicts between the greasers
and the socs. In the book Fires in the Middle School Bathroom one of the
students gives some insight into what students are looking for. She says that at
that age you want to know about, “who you are and who you want to be when
you grow up. What you’re going to do. Because a lot of people are confused
about who they really are” (128). Ponyboy feels the same way because he’s a
greaser, but he doesn’t think like the rest of his group. At times he feels confined
to the identity, and wonders about how it will affect what he does when he grows
up. This is a problem that our students themselves will be facing, and this book
can help them confront and understand it.
G) Relevance
One of the most important aspects of engaging students in reading, is
finding relevance with students’ lives and connecting them to the past, present
and future. If we desire to teach students to be an advocate for change, we must
provide them the tools to do so. Providing relevance in a text gives students a
model of someone similar to themselves, who encounters highs, lows and asks
questions similar to their own. We believe The Outsiders is both a window and a
mirror of students’ lives. Students will have the opportunities witness Ponyboy’s
adolescence, his struggles, desires and metacognition, through a first person
narrative. Students will be engaged with an experience either vastly different than
their own or shockingly similar. However, the human experience binds us all
together, regardless of class, age, race or gender. Students will place
themselves in Ponyboy’s shoes and ask the same question he asks himself
regarding right and wrong, equality and the strength of the bonds of loyalty.
Smagorinski states “Presumably, students take a greater interest in characters
like themselves than they do in characters and settings that fall well outside their
range of experience” (145). With characters like Ponyboy, Johnny, Dally and
Soda, students are more apt to enjoy the assigned readings of The Outsiders.
Ponyboy’s story engages students with topics all youth encounter at
some point in their adolescence as well as into their adult years. Some students
may have identical experiences with religious intolerance, racial prejudices or
gender inequalities and see a reflection of themselves or someone they know in
the story of The Outsiders. Being able to have a text directly relate to students’
lives is a powerful tool in engaging them in academic work as well as critical
literacy of the ever-evolving world around them. If students cannot directly
identify with Ponyboy’s experience, they are able to at least identify with the
questions he asks himself about right and wrong, hate, family and loyalty. Every
student should be able to make one connection from The Outsiders to their past,
current or future life. By purposefully seeking out a text with such relevance as
The Outsiders, we hope to hook our students with the story and heighten their
understanding and awareness of social issues through their interest in the
storyline.
II) Unit Outline:
Part A: Pedagogical Orientation/Framework:
Not only does reading The Outsiders meet multiple state standards, The
Outsiders provides an entertaining, thought provoking story for students to
engage in academically and socially. Students will be able to relate personally
with Ponyboy’s story as all students have been personally affected or witnessed
struggles with loyalty, right and wrong and equality. While many students may
not have identical experiences to Ponyboy and his greaser gang, students can
identify with pieces and incidents and find correlations between the story and
their present lives and current issues. Using The Outsiders will give students just
enough of a reflection of their own lives to keep them hooked while providing a
bigger example of a window into another human experience to widen their
understanding of moral and social issues that have been around for years.
Smagorinski states “One of a teacher’s responsibilities in designing a unit, then,
is to think about how different sequences of activities and readings will contribute
to students’ ability to develop these generative frameworks for the thinking about
the unit concept” (118). This demonstrates the necessity of providing students
with readings and supplementary activities to engage them in developing their
critical literacy and allow them to see issues through multiple lenses to fully
develop their own beliefs.
We believe the characters in The Outsiders provide enough relevance to
student to engage them in the plethora of academic material the novel provides
in addition to the dramatic storyline. Although a young adult novel, The Outsiders
carries hefty themes, motifs and questions students encounter in their adolescent
years. We strongly believe The Outsiders “engages students in integrated inquiry
into topics that parallel their social development or help lead into their
development” as individuals and contributors to society (Smagorinski, 119.)
Smagorinski also implies the themes of novels can “help students consider
pivotal experiences in their lives… and introduce them to issues that they may
not have yet considered” (119). The themes of hate, loyalty, right/wrong all are
applicable to our students in advancing their development academically, socially
and morally.
Our main goal of assigning The Outsiders is to develop our students’
critical literacy skills of texts and of the ever evolving world around them.
Although set in the 1960’s, the themes of The Outsiders is still relevant to current
and perpetual social issues. Our hope is to have student driven discussions
regarding these issues and have the teacher be a support, mediator and devil’s
advocate. We will encourage our students to further their thinking through
activities and supplementary text, readings, videos, music and interaction that
are mainly student led. We hope to engage every student at some level of
connection between their lives and the story. By having the teacher be the
provider of texts and discussion starter and mediator, we firmly believe students
can learn more from discussion with each other and their social interactions with
their classmates during activities per Vygotskian theory. By providing students
opportunities to interact within the classroom, we will be building a community of
learners, gaining trust from our students as they begin to trust one another and
we can continually be formatively assessing our students progress and ZPD
through observing the activities and discussions in order to scaffold the activities
to the necessary levels.
Part B: Materials
The Outsiders; S.E. Hinton
The Outsiders, Movie (1983)
Week 1:
 Throughout The Years Slang Pre-Test
 Language Game Handout
 Interactive PowerPoint displaying 1960s Fads: Clothing, Magazines,
Music, Celebrities, Books
 Character Analysis Graphic Organizer
Week 2:
 Journal
 Stuffed animal for puppy toss
 sticky notes
 “Nothing Gold Can Stay;” Robert Frost
Week 3:
 Puppy for puppy toss
 Paper/Portfolio assignment sheets
 The Outsiders movie
 List of scenarios/issues for rumble activity
 Photograph of S.E. Hinton
Part C: Unit Goals
Essential Questions:
1. How do we use the stereotypes found in The Outsiders, to analyze
stereotypes in society?
2. How does analyzing a character in The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton create a
better understanding of the self?
3. How does reading The Outsiders affect our definition of family and
community?
Specific Goals:
o Students will be able to select and use context clues and text
features to figure out the meaning of unknown words. LA 7.1.5.c
Since the use of slang is so prevalent in the book there are likely to be more than
a few words that our students will not know. Instead of having them use digital
resources to find them out we want them to use the words around them to find
out what those words mean. We feel that this will allow them to become active
readers and engage with the text in a more meaningful way. As Wiggins and
McTighe point out, “the idea of understanding is surely distinct from the idea of
knowing something” (36). We don’t just want them to have the knowledge of
what the words mean, but also they should be able to understand them and how
they are used in context. This will also help them understand the time period in
which the book is set in and the characters and how they interact with each other
and society.
o Students will be able to use the main idea and supporting details to
analyze, summarize, and construct new ideas from informational
text. LA 7.6.1.d
Through this goal we hope that students will use the ideas from the book about
stereotypes and social classes to form a new understanding of the people around
them. They’ll be able to see those around them as humans not as greasers and
socs, and their modern equivalents, as the characters in the book did. We also
want them to be able to see how they themselves relate to the text and the
events contained within its pages. The key part of this goal is using evidence
and details from the book in order to back up these ideas that they are forming
and discussing. One of the facets of understanding that is outlined in
Understanding by Design is that of explanation. It is evidenced by, “sophisticated
and apt theories and illustrations, which provide knowledgeable and justified
accounts of events, actions, and ideas” (85) and the students need to ask
themselves, “why our answer is correct...we need to supply support for our
opinions” (87). We are asking them to look into themselves and the text to gain
an understanding of a character and they need to be able to show where they
are getting their information.
o Students will be able to explain how text is influenced by society,
history, culture, and people. LA 7.6.1.h
This will help students to be able to relate to the characters better by
understanding what influenced them to be the way they are. Which will in turn
will help them with their analysis of the character of their choosing. In order to do
this they will have to take into account not only their own perspective, but also
the perspective of those in the time of the book. This is important because as is
stated in Understanding by Design, “when students have or can gain perspective,
they can gain a critical distance from the habitual or knee-jerk beliefs, feelings,
theories” (95-96). For instance, something in the book might cause them to
instantly judge a character, but when looking at it from a different viewpoint and
why they did that because it occurs in a different time period then a deeper
understanding can occur. We want them to understand the ways that societal
pressures and norms shaped the thoughts and actions that the characters take in
the story. Through this they will be able to recognize the
societal/historical/cultural factors in their life that shape them in the same ways
that the characters in the text were shaped.
o Students will respond to what they read in different ways. LA
7.1.6.o
We want our students to be able to respond to the text in ways that stretch them
and their capabilities. The work that they do will be of a nature that causes them
to do work that is unique and reflects themselves. Peter Smagorinsky states in
his book Teaching English by Design that, “regardless of the source of
difference, your students will most likely exhibit quite a broad range of capacities”
(5) and also that it is detrimental to students when, “the same evaluation is
viewed as a universal fit for all students” (5). We need to play to the students
strengths by offering them multiple ways of responding and being
assessed. Each of our students is unique and therefore has different ways of
doing work that are more suited to how their brain works and how they can most
effectively express themselves. Since we are looking at students individual
identities through the book it would only make sense that we would be sensitive
to allowing them to showcase their natural talents/abilities.
o Students will use what they read to understand the world around
them. LA 7.1.6.i
We will provide opportunities for them to apply the concepts and themes
contained within the book to their own lives and the society in which they
live. There are modern day equivalents of the greasers and socs, and we intend
to use them to help students understand there while are obvious differences
between groups, they deserve an equal amount of respect as well as empathy
for the issues they face. The issues are timeless and are more than worth
discussing within the context of the society/culture that our students are living
and growing up in. Due to this fact there is a, “correspondence between
students’ current life situations and the actions of characters in the texts they
experience” as Smagorinsky states (145). They might not realize a problem or
certain consequences that could arise until they read about a similar happening
in the text. The Outsiders has certainly been an eye opening and important book
to several generations of young people, and will continue to be for countless
more to come.
Part D: Assessment and Evaluation
Part 1:
Summative Assessment/ Culminating Texts and Activities
One of the major portions of summative assessment during The Outsiders
unit is the Character Analysis paper. Students will be asked to choose a
character to analyze throughout the text. Within the beginning of the novel our
speaker introduces the characters quite well to the reader. At the end of each
journal entry they will need to write a short reflection on the character they chose.
They will be able to reflect on the journal entries for their final writing project to
assist them in their composition of the analysis paper. This is will introduced in
the first initial week for students to start preparing their thoughts and also for
students to feel motivated to do their journals to the best of their ability. This
paper is a direct reflection of their journal entries so it is an ongoing project
throughout the unit culminating into the final analysis paper.
Another summative assessment for The Outsiders is the final portfolio. In
this portfolio will be important journal entries, worksheets showing students
engagement and growth in certain activities, and the drafts of the final character
analysis paper. This portfolio is to show the students their growth and hard work
within the classroom. Students will use this final portfolio to be reflective and
intuitive about their time spent in this unit and be able to review the various
aspects of the unit that were most meaningful and beneficial to their
advancement both educationally and socially.
Part 2:
Formative Assessment/ In-process Texts and Activities
Students will keep a journal throughout the unit. Within this unit, students
will be given a plethora of time to privately engage in personal reflection of the
self and of the text. Throughout the various activities students will record their
thoughts as they are reading the text. They will then be able to use these journal
entries for the final paper. It is also a good way for the teacher to assess student
comprehension throughout the entirety of the unit.
Journaling will happen regularly throughout the unit either at the beginning
of the day, during the class period, or at the end of the day. A prompt will be
given at each journal opportunity or the students will make up their own prompt.
We do not want this to be repetitive, so mixing up when the journaling will
happen during class will help the students feel more inclined to actually engage
in the composition of their journaling. If they do more hands on work like this,
they will be able to see the relevance of this experience. I reflect on this quote
from Understanding by Design, “Put simply, teaching for understanding always
requires something before “teaching”: thought-through and designed
experiences, artfully facilitated, to raise all the right questions and make the
ideas, knowledge, and skill seem real and worthwhile. Students need chances to
“play” with and “work” with ideas if they are to understand ideas as useful.” (pg.
234-235) Journals provide an outlet for students to actively engage with the wellscripted prompts. The prompts are open-ended and do not have one simple
answer. These will be turned in at the end of each week and assessed by way of
the rubric. Journals and reading till the end of class will provide the necessary
bellwork. We wanted to create introduction and closures that fostered the
students personal academic and personal growth.
Perspective Reflection Journal Entry
A major part of assessment for The Outsiders unit is to examine student’s
participation within the classroom. During the course of our unit, we have decided
to informally gauge student involvement based on their participation with large
classroom discussion, small group discussion, and peer work. Through their
engagement with their peers, we, as teachers, will be able to truly assess if our
students are truly involved in the classroom tasks. We will also be able to assess
the students on their reading by way of the journaling and small group work.
In the beginning week, students will engage in comparing the 1960s time
period with that of today. During this time, students will actively look into the
characters of the text and begin their journey through the text looking closely at a
character of their choice. This beginning activity is simple, yet extremely useful
for the composition of the Character Analysis Paper at the end of the unit. This
activity will happen during a cloze reading during class with sporadic pauses to
ensure students are on task and receive the necessary scaffolding they need.
During the first week students will look closely at the language used in the novel
versus the slang of today.
The students will have an opportunity to engage with analyzing poetry in
this unit. Students will analyze Robert Frost’s poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay” with
the entire class by doing a choral reading. This choral reading will be great for
building community and a new appreciation for poetry by engaging in this poem
analysis.
“The Rumble” soc/greaser Identity activity will be a fun interactive way for
us to assess the students within the unit. This activity will be highly engaging as
they take on identities and create a critically engaging bridge from themselves to
the text. Students are given identities (greaser or soc) based on those identities
that are to answer the various scenarios provided in class. They will then be
asked to write a short paper reflecting on the activity. This short paper will be
highly reflective for them to sum up their time spent during this interactive activity.
Students will hand this in to be provided proper feedback in preparation for their
final writing. This activity cannot be learned by means of a textbook like Dewey
states, “...no genuine idea can be “taught” by direct instruction.” (pg. 229, UBD)
This activity will not only be beneficial for the students understanding of the text,
but they will be able to relate it to all of the self-reflective writing and activities we
have prepared throughout the unit.
Part 3:
Assessment Tools
For our assessment of their summative work, we decided to create a final
Character analysis paper rubric detailing exactly what was expected on such a
final paper. We also decided to create a detailed instruction for the final portfolio
contents. This portfolio is highly reflective and provides students early on with
expectations for the final portion. This portfolio puts a lot of responsibility on the
students, but also allows the students to feel in control of their own work
throughout the semester. We have also decided to implement the index card
assessment strategy on certain days throughout the semester. It is a good way to
assess where students are at in regards to their involvement in whole class
activities such as a cloze reading or large group discussion. Students will be
handed an index card at the end of class. On this card they will be instructed to
either write a question that had or a comment and write their name on the card.
We will collect these and then comment back to the students to hand back the
next day. This is a good tool to use for assessing student involvement and
comprehension.
Part 4:
Student Assessment of their Work
Throughout the entirety of the unit we offer students to ability to assess
themselves through various activities that incorporates first the individual student
and then their peers and the teacher. Many of the handouts provided add the
necessary scaffolding and also offer the student to come up with answers on
their own based on textual evidence or previously taught concepts. I agree with
Wiggins and McTighe when they say, “The students needs experiences not only
with the key ideas but also with the phenomena that led to the need for the idea.”
(pg. 234) Students will be constantly asking the tough question, “why?” and it is
our job to provide those students will the necessary scaffolding and tools to
answer that question.
III) Daily Plans
Week 1, Day 1: 1960s vs. Now/ Introduction
Essential Questions
1. What significance does the historical context play on the composition of the
text?
2. How does looking into the past help us examine the future?
Rationale
For the introduction day of this unit, it is important for students to get a good
historical background of the time period this text was written in. We want to keep
the authors identity a secret until the final week. In order for students to engage
in the text students need to know “why?” During this introductory lesson, students
will be immerse in the 1960s culture and then compare it with the fads of todays
society. This will get the students the proper context before reading the novel.
Today we will actually begin ready as much of the first chapter as we can
by doing a cloze reading of The Outsiders. Students will begin following along,
with the teacher reading then stops for a student to continue reading and then I’ll
pick it back up. This engages them in the text and holds each student
accountable.
Lesson Progression:
1. Begin with PowerPoint on the various things throughout the 1960s (10
minutes)
 Clothing style
 Music
 Television shows
 Famous people
 Popular Books
2. Cloze Reading--Begin reading the first chapter together, stopping to ask the
students what they are gathering from the beginning to learn about (25 minutes)
3. Explain Journal and Expectations (8 minutes)
4. Closure--First post in journal: What are two differences and 2 similarities
between the 1960s and 2013?
Homework: Finish chapter 1 and finish journal entry.
Assessment:
Informal assessment of the students cloze reading by way of index card.
Students will write down on an index card a question or comment about the
reading thus far on the index card and hand it in at the end of class. The journal
entry will be handed in at the end of the week.
Week 1, Day 2: Tuff vs. YOLO
Essential Questions
1. Does slang affect the meaning and understanding?
2. What is language?
Rationale
Students will be able to relate more intimately with the text if they have
something to compare the language with. By taking a “pre-test” from slang
vocabulary from the previous years, students will gain a better understanding of the
slang used in the text and that it is not far off from how they act today.
Understanding vocabulary is essential for a deepened comprehension.
Introduction: Open the class with journaling. Prompt: Write down words,
along with their meanings, that you use with your friends that many adults would not
understand. Where did you learn these words? What contexts would you use these
words? Where would you not?
Lesson Progression
1. Journaling (5min )
2. Throughout The Years Slang Pre-Test done individually (10min.)
3. Language Game in groups of three (15 min.)
4. Discuss Game as whole class/Begin reading chapter 2 silently for the
remainder of class(10 min.)
5. (Closure) What were some interesting fads you wrote about? What are
some slang you use today and their meanings?
Index Card: Cloze reading
Homework: Finish reading Chapter 2.
Assessment:
 Completion of Language Game Worksheet
Week 1, Day 3: Character Analysis
Essential Questions
1. What characteristics make people unique?
2. How does analyzing a character in The Outsiders create a better
understanding of self?
Rationale:
Students will take a deeper look into the novel by way of character
analysis. By being able to track a specific character, students will be able to
engage more critically in the text by way of analysis. As we read portions of the
text together, students will be able to write down things they learn about their
chosen character in The Outsiders. This will promote active engagement and
critical thinking while reading.
Today students will also journal about themselves asking the questions;
What characteristics make me unique? This will be a quick activity to get the
students thinking about how to actively relate to the characters they are now
paying close attention to back to themselves.
Introduction: Journaling about the self.
Lesson Progression:
1. Begin the class period by journaling. Prompt: What characteristics make me
unique? (10 min.)
2. Introduce the final Character Analysis Paper and Portfolio (10min.)
3. Now that the students have met the characters in the text, students will choose
a character to analyze. Character Analysis Handout. (5 min.)
4. Students pair up with someone who chose the same character. Together they
fill out the handout and then trade their findings with that of another group.
(20min.)
5. Closure--Free share of similarities/differences students may have found with
their chosen character to the rest of the class. (5 min.)
Assessment:
 Student completion of small group work of the character analysis handout.
Includes direct textual evidence backing up claims.
Week 1, Day 4-- Movie/Discussion
“It’s okay… We aren’t in the same class. Just don’t forget that some of us watch
the sunset too.”--PonyBoy
Essential Questions:
1. What is the difference between being playful and bullying?
2.Is it possible to bridge the gap between the Socs and the Greasers?
3. What is the meaning of Ponyboys quote, “It’s okay...we aren’t in the same
class. Just don’t forget that some of us watch the sunset too.”
Rationale:
Students will be shown for the first time the movie version of The
Outsiders. The movie will only been shown sporadically throughout the unit to
ensure that students can still come up with their own creative perception of the
text itself. They watch this scene from chapter three before reading it because it
is such a meaningful portion to discuss in class. It speaks to the very root of this
novel for the first time. This also allows students to be set up for success in
comprehension prior to reading.
Today we will watch a scene where Ponyboy is being chased by the Socs
in their car. He is taunted and eventually tackled to the group and beat up. His
greaser friends come to his aid and help chase them away. He realizes the gap
later between the Socs and the Greasers and says, “some of us watch the
sunset.” During today’s class students will actively critique this quote and its
possible meanings. While watching this scene from the movie.This is the first
time the division between the two groups (Soc vs Greaser) will be discussed in
class so it will be beneficial to do so by way of group work and silent group
discussion where students can work together to synthesize their ideas. The
groups then trade with another group and respond, and then once more to add
new perspectives for students.
The goal of today is to get students to see the rivalry between the two
groups. This entire day is devoted to critically analyzing the differences between
the two and if it can be repaired.
Introduction: Movie scene and journal.
Lesson Progression:
1. Introduction to movie/Watch the movie scene. (15min.)
-Write in journals: Why does the Socs attack Ponyboy? Does the aid of his
Greaser friends justified?
2. Break into groups of 3-4 members and discuss the quote from Ponyboy--”It’s
okay… We aren’t in the same class. Just don’t forget that some of us watch the
sunset too.”
 Record findings on a blank piece of notebook paper (10min.)
3. Groups trade with another group and respond--just like they did with the
journals (10 min.)
4. Trade again/Respond (10 min.)
5. Closure--Students offer insight into the silent discussion, who had good ideas,
etc. (5min.)
6. Index Card: Write a question or comment if you think the groups can be
integrated or must remain rivals? (5min.)
Assessment:
 Index Cards
 Journal response
Week 1, Day 5-- Reading/Journaling:
Essential Questions:
1. How does writing increase our awareness of self?
Rationale:
Students will be able to take day five of the first week to engage in a
reading/journaling day. During this time students will spend todays class reading
chapter three and then journaling based on a few prompts. This day allows
students who need more help than others to have one-on-one time with the
teacher. It also allows students who need time in class to read to do so. Students
will also turn in their journals today for grading. They will have two separate
entries; character analysis and the final entry will be a short reflection on the
week. This will help students better synthesize the week and reiterate their
learning; beneficial for the teacher to see and the student to see how far they
have come as well. By allowing sufficient time for students to get help from the
teacher, students should be able to catch up on reading, confusion within the
text, and any missing journal entries or entries they need to fix before grading.
Introduction: Journaling prompt: At this point in the text how do you relate
to your character? Does your character remind you of anyone else? If you were
in front of your chosen character right now, what would you tell them?
Lesson Progression:
1. Journaling Prompt. (10 min.)
2. Silent read/Turn in journal with reflection of the first week. (40 minutes)
Assessment:
Today students will turn in their journals to be assessed over the weekend.
Week 2, Day 1: Do we hate just to hate?
“You know what a greaser is?” Bob asked. “White trash with long hair.”
I felt the blood draining from my face. I’ve been cussed out and sworn at, but
nothing ever hit me like that did.” (55)
Essential Questions:
1. Where does the hate between greaser and soc originate?
2.. Is Johnny justified in killing Bob?
3. What are the deeper issues than just the rivalry between greaser and soc?
Rationale
Students will be prepared to discuss the intensity of chapter 4 where Ponyboy
and Johnny run into trouble at the park and Bob ends up dead. Students will
have opportunities to reflect on the chapter as well as discuss the obvious social
issues in the novel between the rival groups as well as rivalries they have
witnessed in their own lives and in the world around them. Since this is an
intense chapter, the teacher will begin class by reading the chapter aloud to
students. Students then will journal on quote of the day, and then have
opportunities to share personal experiences similar to Ponyboy’s emotions at this
instant.
Lesson Progression
1. Teacher reading aloud chapter 4 (15 mins)
2. Journal (10 mins)
3. Students will participate in a puppy toss to share their examples and
experiences (10 mins)
4. Fishbowl activity discussing the essential questions (15 mins)
Assessment: participation in puppy toss and fishbowl
Assignment: Finish reading Chapter 5
Week 2, Day 2: Stay Gold
Essential Questions:
1.
2.
Does your appearance define who you are?
Why is “Nothing Gold can Stay” significant to The Outsiders and to us?
Rationale
Students will engage in discussion regarding appearance and how it defines
people. Students will also talk about the stereotypes people are assigned
because of their appearance and how it affects them as characters of the book
and individuals in real life. The second part of class, students will engage in
poetry analysis where they will work through Frost’s poem “Nothing Gold Can
Stay.” By giving students opportunities to practice with poetry, they will be able to
better understand the poem on its own and in the context of the novel.
Introduction: Students will journal about a defining physical trait they have or they
have noticed on other people and how they are judged/judge people accordingly.
Ponyboy says his hair is his “pride… and what makes him a greaser.” Students
will journal in response to Pony’s hair being cut and how they would feel if they
had to give up a favorite/defining physical trait.
Lesson Progression
1.
2.
3.
Journal (5 mins)
Partner share of journal entry (5 minutes)
Poem analysis (30 mins)
a. Read independently 2x
b. Listen to poem read out loud, follow along
c. Read independently again, underlining passages
d. Choral reading and repetition of favorite lines
e. Small group discussion of poem
4. Groups report back and debrief the poem in and out of context of the novel
(10 mins)
Assessment:


Participation in poem analysis
2 contribution to choral reading/ repetition of favorite lines
Week 2, Day 3: The human experience
Essential Questions
1. How do we know what people mean when they aren’t saying it out loud?
2. How does reading the story from Ponyboy’s point of view help our reading?
Rationale
Students will have this day to delve into Ponyboy’s thought, experiences and
emotions around his situation, family and life. Students will be able to relate to
Ponyboy by having opportunities to read the chapter 6 in class as well as visually
encounter his experiences by viewing the film. Students will gain a better
understanding of the story and more empathy for Ponyboy and his gang while
finding aspects of the novel that relate to their own lives.
Lesson Progression
1. Teacher will read chapter 6 aloud with pauses and time for all class discussion
via prompted questions on the reading (30 minutes)
2. Students will view film clip of the events of ch 6, church, Dally visits, fire,
hospital (20 mins)
3. Students will close the class period with a journal reflecting on the quote that
closes ch 6, “I had taken the long way around, but I was finally home. To stay.”
What does this mean to Pony and his relationship with his brothers? Have you
ever experienced a time like this where a misunderstanding was resolved?
Assignment: Read Ch 7 for next class
Week 2, Day 4: Soc vs Greaser
Essential Questions:
1. What are the stereotypes in The Outsiders as well as current society?
2. Are the stereotypes in the novel inaccurate/unfair depictions of the groups?
3. Are the stereotypes in current society always bad?
Rationale
As students are over halfway done with the novel, they understand the significant
differences between Soc’s and Greasers. Obviously as middle school students,
stereotypes and friends make up a large part of their identity. Students will have
the opportunity to look back through their books to find textual examples and
descriptions of the two different gangs and will then apply their critical literacy of
the perceived identity of the gang to their own lives and how they perceive
stereotypes and labels
Lesson Progression
1. Students will search their book for 3 descriptions of each gang to record in
their journal. Students will need to write 2 sentences on each of those
descriptions talking about why it define the gang and makes it different from the
other. (10 mins)
2. Students will brainstorm and compile a list of stereotypes relevant today (5
mins)
3. Students engage in large group discussion led/mediated by teacher in the
meaning and purpose of stereotypes within our lives today, answering the
essential questions and beyond. (20 mins)
4. Students will embody the stereotype from the book (soc or greaser) and write
a letter to the opposing side, taking into account Ponyboy’s conversation with
Randy and the discussion on stereotypes. ( 15 mins)
Assessment:

Journal entry, 3 textual examples of each gang
Week 2, Day 5: Is it worth it?
Essential Questions
1. What purpose does physically fighting serve?
2. How are gangs similar to one another?
Rationale
In chapter 8 Ponyboy has a fair amount of narration regarding his metacognition
of right and wrong, hate and violence. After his interaction with Randy, Ponyboy
is beginning to see more similarities between him and the individual Soc’s. This
chapter will engage students in dialogue regarding the purpose of fighting and
questioning to what ends it meets? We also see Johnny severely hurt in the
hospital and can question students if physical violence simply for the principle of
hate is worth Johnny’s life.
Lesson Progression
1. Students will journal about a time they got in a physical fight or witnessed a
fight. (5 mins)
2. Cloze, in class reading of chapter 8. Pausing to ask questions regarding the
text and connection with their personal life. (20 mins)
3. Students will hold Socratic Circle regarding key quotes from the texts and
questions listed during the cloze reading making connections and using
examples from the text.
4. Debrief Socratic Circle discussion and make closing remarks (10)
Assessment:

Participation in Socratic Circle
o 2 spoken comments
o 3 notes on the other group
Assignment: Read chapter 9 for next class
Week 3, Day 1: Fighting For a Cause
Essential Questions
1. Does viewing the film version of the rumble help your understanding of the
event?
2. Was there any other way to resolve the conflict?
3. Could Ponyboy have persuaded his friends out of it?
Rationale
This is one of the pivotal and most memorable parts of the story. It is worth
devoting an entire day to because it is what the entire conflict between the socs
and greasers is leading up to. That is also why we are going to read the passage
of the rumble taking place and then watching the scene in the film in order to
emphasize the importance that it holds within the text. We will also examine the
motives behind the rumble and if there was any other way for the situation to be
resolved.
Lesson Progression
1. Introduction: Read the rumble passage aloud to the students. (5)
2. Have students journal about if they think that the rumble could have been
stopped or if it was necessary for the conflict to be resolved in that way. (15)
3. Show clip from the movie of the scene. (5)
4. Have students get into groups of 3-4 and discuss ways in which the film
version of the scene was similar and different than the book and the way they
pictured it in their head. (15)
5. Closure: Each group appoint a spokesperson to speak about what their group
came up with in the course of their discussion.
Assessment
Participation in small group discussion
Week 3, Day 2: Rumble Activity
Essential Questions
1. How does taking a perspective help your understanding of the characters in
the book?
2. Does looking at both sides of an argument change the way you look at it?
Rationale
This is in part a continuation of the previous day’s lesson, but most importantly it
is a way for students to take on a perspective and think through it. We will have
our students take on the persona of either a greaser or a soc and give their
opinion on issues using that frame of thought. Since their final paper for this
class is analyzing characters and themselves, we are hoping that by applying
these viewpoints they are able to understand the characters in a deeper way. It
will also be interesting to get the soc perspective since throughout most of the
story we only get the greaser perspective.
Lesson Progression
1. Introduction: Introduce the rumble activity and assign greaser and soc roles.
(5)
2. Conduct the rumble activity. (45)
Assessment
Participation in the rumble activity
Written reflection
Homework
Do written reflection
Read Chapter 10
Week 3, Day 3: Death Day
Essential Questions
1. What does Johnny mean when he tells Ponyboy to “stay gold”?
2. In what ways do we deal with death that are unhealthy? Healthy?
Rationale
At the end of chapter 9 and into chapter 10 there is a lot of emotional heaviness
because of the deaths of Dallas and Johnny. Death of friends/family/pets/etc.
are often major and life shaping events in a person’s life. This is especially true
for Ponyboy, and we see through his actions and thoughts after they occur how
deeply he is shaken. We really get to see the characters’ true colors through
these events. This is also a good way for student to examine how they’ve
experienced and dealt with death in their own lives and can compare and
contrast it with the events in the story.
Lesson Progression
1. Introduction: Journal about a time when a family member, friend, or pet died
and how it affected you and your reaction to it. If you haven’t experienced any of
those then write about how you’ve seen it affect a friend or how it is portrayed in
the media. (15)
2. Socratic circle activity: What does Johnny mean by telling Ponyboy to “stay
gold”? Is that possible? Then number students off again and repeat the socratic
circle with different questions. How would Johnny have felt about how Dallas
reacted to his death? Was it necessary for him to do that? (30)
3. Closure: Hand out assignment sheets for the final paper and portfolio and give
a brief overview. (5)
Assessment
Participation in the socratic circle activity.
Week 3, Day 4: Love Thy Enemy
Essential Questions
1. Is it easier to hate someone if you don’t know them?
2. Why do you think that Ponyboy doesn’t see Randy’s problems as valid his
own?
Rationale
Chapter 11 is very short, but it makes up for the low page count by being rich
with content. We see Ponyboy as he thinks of who Bob was as a person instead
of just as a soc. He realizes that there was more to him, and draws a few
parallels between himself and Bob. Then Randy, another soc, comes over to talk
to Ponyboy about the trial coming up and his concerns. He tells Ponyboy about
the problems that he is facing, which Ponyboy scoffs at and dismisses as not
being as big as his own problems. Even though he has just spent that time
thinking of Bob he fails to look at Randy in the same way and doesn’t try to
understand why those problems would be such a big deal in his life.
Lesson Progression
1. Introduction: Journaling on if it’s easier to hate someone if you don’t know
them. (10)
2. Cloze reading of chapter 11. (15)
3. Puppy toss discussion about why Ponyboy dismisses Randy’s problems
regarding the trial as lesser than his own. Are they? Why isn’t he able to look at
Randy as he was able to look at Bob earlier in the chapter? (15)
4. Closure: Predict and write about what you think will happen in the trial. Will
the socs tell the truth? Will the Curtis family stay together? Hand in at the end of
the period. (10)
Assessment
Participation in puppy toss.
Prediction about the trial.
Week 3, Day 5: Final Reactions and Author Reveal
Essential Questions
1. Are the members of the Curtis Family outsiders?
2. How do you picture the author?
Rationale
On the last day of instruction for the book we will be wrapping up by reading the
final chapter and reacting to the book as a whole. We want every student in the
class to end on the same note so we will be reading the final chapter in
class. Then they will journal their reflections on the book and give their opinion
on the tagline for the movie and how it relates to the book. Lastly we will have a
mini event in which they will be asked how they imagine the author, and then it
will be revealed that it was written by a 16 year old girl. This serves as one final
reinforcement about stereotypes.
Lesson Progression
1. Cloze reading of chapter 12. (30)
2. Have students journal about their reactions to the book. Then ask them to
journal on whether the tagline of “They grew up on the outside of society. They
weren't looking for a fight. They were looking to belong.” for the movie fits the
book. (15)
3. Closure: Ask them how they imagine the author and then reveal that S.E.
Hinton is a woman and that she wrote the book at age 16. (5)
Homework
Compile portfolio
Start working on character analysis paper
Week 4
Character compare/contrast Writing workshops!
Banned Books Leads into the next unit: Pick a banned book to read. BOOM.
Calendar
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Week Intro/1960s vs. Tuff vs.
1
Now
YOLO:
Vocabulary
Character
Analysis
Movie
Discussion
over Ponyboy
Quote
Reading/
Journaling
Week Do we hate
2
just to hate?
Stay Gold
The Human
Experience
Soc vs
Greaser
Is it worth it?
Week Fighting for a
3
Cause
Rumble
Activity
Death Day
Love Thy
Enemy
Final
Reactions
and Author
Reveal
Week Work on
4
Character
comparison
paper
Peer
Revision
Teacher
Conference
Computer Lab Select
Banned book
to begin next
unit
Reading Discussion Questions
Week 2, Day 3
“So Cherry Valance, the cheerleader, Bob’s girl, the Soc was trying to help us.
No, it wasn’t Cherry the Soc who was helping us, it was Cherry the dreamer who
watched sunsets and couldn’t stand fights. It was hard to believe a soc would
help us, even a soc that dug sunsets.” (86)
·
·
·
Why do you think Cherry wants to help them?
Why does it matter that Cherry is a Soc trying to help them?
What is Cherry risking by wanting to help them?
Page 87 is a dialogue between Johnny and Dally regarding turning themselves
into the police.
·
·
Why does Dally try to convince Johnny not to?
Would you turn yourself in?
Johnny and Ponyboy run into the church to save the kids from the fire. “He
wasn’t scared either. That was the only time I can think of when I saw him
without that defeated, suspicious look in his eyes. He looked like he was having
the time of his life.” (92)
· Are the boys responsible for the fire?
· Why don’t you think either of the boys was scared?
· Why would Johnny be “having the time of his life”?
At the hospital when Darry and Soda show up Pony finally understands the love
of his brothers. “In that second what Soda and Dally and Two-Bit had been trying
to tell me came through. Darry did care about me, maybe as much as he cared
about Soda and because he cared he was trying to hard to make something of
me.” (98)
·
·
Why do you think Darry can’t verbalize his love for his brother until this point?
Why are we hardest on the people we love?
Socratic Circle Activity
Mr. Kruse, Ms. Pflanz, Ms. TeKolste
The Outsiders
Today you will be discussing the events that happen in chapter 10 and
surrounding Johnny’s death. You will be split into four groups and then will use
the Socratic circle method of discussion that we used earlier in the year. We will
be discussing one set of questions, and then getting new groups followed by
discussion another set of questions. During the time when you’re observing one
person in your group needs to keep track of how many times each person talks
while the rest of you takes notes on the discussion. You will turn these in as your
points for the day. You will also get points for how many times you spoke.
Question #1:
· What does Johnny mean by telling Ponyboy to “stay gold”? Is that is possible?
Question #2:
· How would Johnny have felt about how Dallas reacted to his death? Was it
necessary for him to do that?
The Rumble
Group
Members______________________________
In your group you will list ways in which the film version of the rumble scene from
The Outsiders differed than how you pictured it in your reading of it.
Ways that it was similar
Ways that it was different.
The Rumble Activity
Mr. Kruse, Ms. Pflanz, Ms. TeKolste
The Outsiders
Today, each of us will be taking on the identity of either a greaser or a soc. After
that, you will be split up into two groups, one for each identity, and then into groups
with each one being assigned a scenario. You will then come up with an answer for
your assigned scenario in your group for the identity you’ve been given. Each group
will have a person who will read their answer to the scenario, both sides will read
their answer and why as a greaser or soc they said that.
Scenarios:
1. You pass someone in the street that is in severe need and you are able to help
them, but you are running late for school and have a test in your first class. What do
you do?
2. You’re in charge of the finances for a local business. Your boss enters your
office and asks you for a check for $150.00 for expenses from meeting with a client
last night. She gives you receipts from a restaurant. At lunch your boss’s boyfriend
stops by to pick her up for lunch and you overhear him telling the receptionist what a
great time he had at dinner boss the night before. What do you do?
3. Someone you have never met needs a kidney transplant. You are one of the
few people who can provide the kidney. What do you do? How would it be different
if it were a cousin?
4. You work at a store that your family owns and one of your friends comes in to
buy a product, but they don’t have enough money for it at that time. However, you
know that a competing store has the same product at a price your friend can
afford. Do you tell them about it and cause your family’s store to lose business and
save your friend money?
5. A new student just moved into your town. It is the third week of school and he
still hasn’t made a friend yet. You see a group of students picking on him after
school. Do you say something or keep walking by? What if it were a group of your
friends that were picking on him?
Reflecton:
Tomorrow bring to class a 1 to 2 page reflection on this activity in which you answer
these questions.
1. How did it feel to be in the role of a greaser/soc? Answer for whichever one you
had.
2. Do you think it would have been easier to be the other one? Why?
3. Which scenarios were the easiest for you to answer for?
4. Any other reactions/thoughts on the activity.
Character Analysis Paper
Mr. Kruse, Ms. Pflanz, Ms. TeKolste
The Outsiders
Character Analysis Paper
Throughout your reading of the story and the journaling you
were asked to keep track of a character. As you kept them
in mind as you read and were journaling you got a sense of
who they were, what they stood for, etc.
Now you will write a paper between three to five pages long
in which you analyze their development through the
novel. Are they a greaser or a soc? What is important to
them? You will need to use quotes and passages from
the book in order to prove your points.
You will also compare and contrast that character with
yourself. Would you have done the same things or reacted
differently if you were in the situations? As always make
sure to use correct grammar, spelling, etc.
Final Portfolio
Mr. Kruse, Ms. Pflanz, Ms. TeKolste
The Outsiders
Instructions
Over the course of this unit you have been learning about a wide
range of topics. As a way to demonstrate your growth and learning
you will compile a portfolio that documents what you’ve done.
As a part of it you will choose your five best written, most poignant,
or favorite journal entries. They can be the ones that you’ve
discovered the most about yourself or the character you focused
on, or ones that you feel best exemplify your journey through the
pages of The Outsiders. Along with them you should include a
typed reflection on why you chose the entries you did that is
between 750 and 1000 words long.
You will also include all of the work you’ve done with your
character analysis paper. This includes all drafts and the final
copy.
All work will be put into a folder.
Contents
· Cover page
· Worksheets
· 5 Journal entries
· Reflection on why you chose those journal entries.
·
·
Drafts of your character analysis paper
Final character analysis paper
Works Cited
Appleman, Deborah. Critical Encounters In High School English: Teaching
Literary Theory To Adolescents. New York: Teachers College Press, 2000. Print.
Lipman, Matthew. Thinking In Education. New York, NY: Cambridge University
Press, 2010. Print.
McTighe, Jay and Wiggins, Grant. Understanding by Design. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Pearson, 2005. Print.
Smagorinsky, Peter. Teaching English by Design: How to Create and Carry out
Instructional Units. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2008. Print.
Introduction to Middle School Unit: Shelby Pflanz, Tressa, TeKolste, Jacob Kruse
The main focus of our unit over The Outsiders is to see themselves,
family, and society through the events found in the text. We hope to teach
students to critically analyze stereotypes and how those stereotypes affect
society and what they can do to defy them. We believe The Outsiders is both a
window and mirror of students’ lives and hope to develop their sense of self and
society through the course of the unit. Our main themes to be addressed through
the unit are issues of stereotypes/rivalry, family and self discovery.
Students will demonstrate their engagement and understanding of these
themes through writing, interaction with their peers, and a summative portfolio.
We firmly believe students learn more through social interactions and
discussions with their peers and hope to have more student led activities with the
teacher being the prompter and mediator rather than a lecturer or preacher. We
believe we have developed solid activites that will engage our students to
critically think about their lives in comparison to the text while still having fun.
The primary focus of our revision is the unit’s essential questions. We
decided to go back to the beginning and find the reader in ourselves and tie that
into the teacher we have become. We decided to re-read the text in order to truly
revise the essential questions we had previously centered around the teacher
instead of the student. We revised those questions to remain large issues but
directly rooted in the text. Another big part of our revision was our individual
lesson essential questions. We went through each one and rooted each question
to be student oriented rather than teacher oriented. This then led to minor
revisions with goals and activities within each lesson. We made sure we had a
goal set in mind for each day. We made sure that each goal was met and met
properly in a means that was appropriate for seventh graders.
The most important part of the learning process for us was becoming
more aware of our students needs. The essential questions was a big part of the
revision and in revising those we learned to constantly keep the student and what
we want them to get out of the lesson in mind.