Evan Gallinetti
Dr. Kern
EDC 448
Grade 9 Text Set
1. What is loyalty? How has loyalty been portrayed to you?
2. What are the pros and cons of being involved in a gang?
3. Are stereotyping and discrimination still a problem in today’s society? How?
1.
Hinton, S. E. The Outsiders, . New York: Viking, 1967. Print.
I am using S.E. Hinton’s
The Outsiders as the central point of my text set because it includes many themes that are easily relatable to adolescence. This novel is a great match for adolescence not only for the themes but also because this novel is an easy read that, in my opinion, is hard to put down. Although this novel doesn’t contain much historical information, the themes presented can be beneficial in showing the students that they are not the only ones dealing with coming of age, discrimination, or abuse; whether it be physical or verbal.

2.
Hinton, S. E. That Was Then, This Is Now . New York: Viking, 1971. Print.
I have decided to include the young adult novel That Was Then, This Is Now because not only is it written by the same author as The Outsiders but it includes many of the same themes as well. I think it would be beneficial for the class to read both novels because they were written about 4 years apart but still share the same impact of society on teenagers. Unlike The Outsiders however, this novel touches on the subject of the Vietnam War and teenagers involvement in it.
Being able to read both novels and compare their similarities and differences would be useful for the students’ practice in withdrawing themes and main ideas.
3.
S.E. Hinton On Location in Tulsa - YouTube . Adapt. Cynthia L. Smith. Perf. Susan Hinton.
Cynsations, 2010. YouTube. YouTube . Cynsations, 14 Nov. 2010. Web. 14 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJnfleLeOZg>.
I chose this YouTube clip because it not only offers interesting facts about S.E. Hinton but also about the production of the movie The Outsiders . It is narrated by Hinton and she walks the

viewer through some major scenes from the movie. I think that this is very beneficial for both the teacher and student because while it gives the students a break on reading, it doesn’t take away an entire class period from the teacher; which would be the case if the class were to watch the whole movie.
4.
Constantakis, Sara, and Elizabeth A. Cranston. "That Was Then, This Is Now Historical
Context." ENotes - Literature . Ed. David Galens. The Gale Group, Inc., 1998. Web. 14
Feb. 2012. <http://www.enotes.com/that-was-then-this-now/historical-context>.
I think it is important to pay attention to historical context in a novel when it is presented which is why I chose to include this website. In That Was Then, This Is Now , one of the main characters becomes drafted (and then rejected) for the Vietnam War because of his involvement with drugs.
During the time period that this novel was written, there were lots of hippies and drugs that typically got people in trouble. The last historical point in this novel that I found important to recognize was the racial discrimination and Civil Rights Movement. This would be helpful to discuss with students especially if they are learning about that in their history class.

5.
That Was Then, This is Now. Dir. Christopher Cain. Paramount Home Video, 1985. VHS.
I decided to use the film That Was Then, This Is Now instead of The Outsiders because I believe that the plot has more characters and more action and the students would benefit from being able to see it visually. The students will be able to get a better visual of how the boys in the gangs looked, the setting in which it took place, the time period, and the intensity of the encounters between the gangs. As with any film, I think that the students will be able to draw a better understanding of certain themes or characters that were presented in the novel. As a teacher, it is important to include films that have a direct connection to the novel to benefit the students’ understanding.

6.
Wonder, Stevie, Henry Panion, Ruth Adkins. Robinson, and Brian O'Neal. "Stay Gold."
Natural Wonder . Stevie Wonder. Motown, 1995. CD.
I chose to include the song Stay Gold by Stevie Wonder because it was written solely to be included in the film The Outsiders. I thought that the lyrics to this song directly correlated with the poem Nothing Gold Can Stay, which I will also be including in my text set. The purpose of including several versions of similar texts is to allow the students to practice analyzing and comparing different texts to draw meaning. I think that being able to read further in depth into a text is crucial, especially in a high school classroom.

7.
Frost, Robert. New Hampshire . 1st ed. Grant Richards, 1924. Print.
The poem that is going to be focused on from Robert Frost’s
New Hampshire is Stay Gold because of the significance it has in The Outsiders. I think that the students will be able to find a deeper meaning to the simple “Stay gold, Ponyboy” line if they are able to compare it to other texts. Although the same phrase is used, the novel, song lyrics, and poem all have different meanings behind those words. I enjoyed being able to compare all of the texts and I think it will keep the students intrigued.

8.
Seuss, Dr. Oh, the Places You'll Go!
New York: Random House, 1990. Print.
Although this book is recommended for kids ages 4-8 years old, it was one of the first books I thought of in relation to the characters from both novels. I found myself thinking as one of the characters in the gangs and hoping to hear something like this from my parents. I think that by reading a fun, easy book about believing in yourself and overcoming obstacles it will interest students and allow them to think outside of the box instead of so black and white.

9.
Pinkney, Jerry, and H. C. Andersen. The Ugly Duckling . New York: Morrow Junior, 1999.
Print.
The Ugly Duckling ties in perfectly with the theme of overcoming discrimination, stereotyping, and rejection. Considering I include two novels in this text set, I thought that by including a couple easier reads it would keep the students interested by being able to interpret common themes in several different ways. Even though a lot of students have probably read this children’s book, this will allow them to interpret it at a more elevated level.
10.
Hernandez, Arturo. "Gang Statistics." Gang Prevention for Schools and Communities .
Web. 15 Feb. 2012. <http://www.helpinggangyouth.com/index.html>.
This is a website that has interesting facts and statistics about youth gangs in the United States. I want the students to realize that these types of situations don’t only take place in fiction novels but in real life as well. Gang violence is a huge problem for youth in many cities and I think it will interest the students in being able to relate problems from the novel to reality.