English Language Arts
2009
November 2, 2009
• CW:
Chapter sign up
The Outsiders: Chapter One
Character Social Activity Part One
• HW:
Reading and recording on bookmark
Chapter Experts
• Several students are assigned to be an expert for a
chapter from the book. During the class that we read
your assigned chapter take notes. Make sure you can
address:
• Who
• What
• Where
• When
• Why
• You will need to write or type up a summary of the
chapter using the format above.
Announcements
• Vignette Portfolios were due on Wednesday. If
you haven’t turned yours in, please hand it in
as soon as possible.
• If you need to make up the elements of style
test, please see me to set up a time this week.
Announcements
• I will be giving extra credit to the students
who read from their vignette portfolio at the
Barnes and Noble Takeover next week.
• If you are interested please sign your name,
class period, and what time works best for
you.
Announcements
• Vignette Portfolio
• I am going to make an eighth grade English
Language Arts Identity Vignette Portfolio. To
submit you need to choose one of your
vignettes and bring me a printed copy. If you
bring your flashdrive I can print for you.
Deadline is this Friday.
Character Social
• One of our focuses this unit is on
characterization. Characterization is the
method used by the writer to describe a
character.
• In chapter one we were introduced to the
characters. The narrator tells the reader their
ages, appearances, backgrounds, personalities
and things that are important to them in life.
Character Social
• During this activity you will use the chapter to
fill out a character charts for each of the
following characters:
Ponyboy, Two-Bit Matthews, Sodapop, Darry,
Steve Randle, Dally and Johnny Cade.
Character Chart
• Each person in the group will fill out their own
character chart. You will keep these in the reading
notebook section of your binders, and add details
to them as we read the novel.
• In the character you chart you will record
observations and information for the following
categories:
age and background, appearance, important
things in his life and personality
November 3, 2009
• CW:
Each set of desks has a list of group members. Find
your name, and take a seat.
Character Biographical Entries
• HW:
Bookmark #6 is due tomorrow at the beginning of
class. Also due is your Post-It Handout. Make sure to
use a different reading strategy for each Post-It.
Characterization
• In chapter one the characters were introduced; it
is important to know who the characters are. The
narrator (Ponyboy) tells the reader their ages,
appearances, backgrounds, personalities and
things that are important to them in life.
• When we read we need to gather evidence that
we can use during the writing process. An
important part of that evidence is information
about the characters.
Directions
You are seated with your group. The card on
your table indicates which character you are
responsible for.
Each group member will get out his or her
character chart for your assigned character.
You will compare notes, and the notetaker will
record the information that you gathered
yesterday in class.
Directions
• You will have twenty minutes to take the
information from your notes and write an
introduction for this person that could be used
in a biographical entry in a book of fictional
characters.
• You should write your entry on your poster
board along with the name of your character.
Directions
You will choose a speaker to present the
biographical introduction for your character.
After the introduction, the class will discuss
the information that you presented and assess
whether or not the information presented was
complete and accurate.
Directions
We will post these introductions in the class, and you
can refer to them as you read the novel and gather
evidence for your essays.
Each member in the group should choose a different
role from the following list:
speaker
notetaker
editor
time keeper
facilitator
What is an introduction to a character?
• Esperenza is a young Chicana woman living in the urban
landscape of Chicago. She hasn’t always lived here, and she
is not afraid to admit that it doesn’t live up to her
expectations. She has ideas about her life, and who she
wants to be. She is a writer. Writing, and looking at the
trees outside her window is how she copes and recognizes
herself. She has a younger sister named Nenny who drives
her crazy, but also makes her laugh. She has two brothers
who only talk to her when she is in the house. It is like they
live in a different world. Esperenza and her mother are
close, and her father works hard to support the family. She
is thirteen-years-old and recently wore high heels for the
first time. She has long dark hair, skin the color of caramel,
and eyes that long for what’s to come.
What do I need to include in my
introduction?
• Name
• Age
• Family (does the character have brothers and sisters?
What is the characters relationship to his parents?)
• Likes and Dislikes (what does the character do for fun?
What does the character enjoy? What doesn’t the
character enjoy)
• A physical description of the character
• What is important to the character? (family, love,
friendship, etc.)
• Personality (Is the character funny? Shy? Outgoing?)
November 4, 2009
• CW:
• Staple your Post-It Handout to your bookmark
and turn in to the appropriate homework bin.
• Conflict Presentation
• Reading in Class: Chapter Two
• HW:
Reading and recording/Post-It Handout, due
November 12th
Conflict
• In this novel, the narrator, Ponyboy has several
conflicts. These conflicts are internal and
external.
• Conflict is the struggle that propels the action
in a story. There are three types of conflicts:
-man versus man
-man versus nature
-man versus himself
Three Types of Conflict
• Man versus Man
Example: A typical Western, in which the
sheriff confronts the outlaws.
• Lebron James and Kobe Bryant are in conflict
with each other over who is the best
basketball player in the NBA.
Man versus Nature
• Man versus Nature
• Example:
• The novel Hatchet, where Brian must survive
after being stranded in a deserted area after a
plane crash.
Man versus Himself
• Man versus Himself
• Example:
• The main character of a story fighting his or
her own addiction to drugs.
Conflict in novels
• Most novels include all three types on
conflicts. It is possible to have more than one
type of conflict in a story.
Conflict in the Outsiders
• The external conflict in The Outsiders, is the
conflict between two different social groups,
The Socs and The Greasers. In order to
understand this conflict, we need to gather
information about what differences separate
one group from the other.
Your Task…
• Using your copy of the text and the conflict
chart, gather specific textual evidence
(quotes, page numbers, and phrases) to
• Describe the problem( why the Socs and The
Greasers) don’t get along or agree.
• Include a quotation from our narrator,
Ponyboy, about the conflict
• Reasons the conflict exists
Ms. Freese’s Example
• Details that describe the problem:
The Socs are the “socials, the jet=set, the
west-side rich kids”(2).
• A quotation from Ponyboy about the conflict
“I’m not saying either Socs or greasers are
better; that’s just the way things are”(3).
Ms. Freese’s Example
• Reasons the conflict exists:
• “the warfare between the social classes”
External and Internal Conflict
• Complete the same charts for the following
conflicts in chapter one:
• Darry versus Ponyboy(external)
• Ponyboy versus himself (feeling hurt about
Darry)
November 5
• CW:
• Reading in class: Chapter Two
• Recognizing Stereotypes in The Outsiders
•
•
•
•
HW:
Reading and Recording
Printed copy of vignette due Friday
Chapter experts-5 W’s due Friday (hand-written
or typed)
Stereotypes
• A stereotype is _____________.
• A stereotype is a commonly held public belief
about specific social groups and types of
individuals.
• Stereotypes are based on prior assumptions.
Stereotypes can be both positive and
negative.
Stereotypes
• The following are examples of stereotypes:
• Inuits, or Eskimos travel by sleigh and wear
parkas.
• Asians are good at math.
• Blondes lack intelligence.
What are the stereotypes in The
Outsiders?
• In The Outsiders there are stereotypes about
both the Socs and the Greasers.
• Write a paragraph for each group where you
identify the stereotypes.
• Example:
One of the stereotypes about The Greasers is
that they are violent and dangerous.
Essay
• There are several stereotypes about the Greasers. Most
of these stereotypes involve assumptions that the
Greasers are violent and are looking to cause trouble.
For example, during the scene in the text where Johnny
and Ponyboy meet Cherry and Marcia, the girls
automatically assume that the boys are violent, and
they’re afraid of them. Cherry says, “You’d better leave
us alone”(22). Cherry talks about how she has seen the
Greasers beating up people. She says in response to
meeting Dallas, “he had me scared to death”(25).
Cherry is stereotyping Dallas because she doesn’t
realize that he is kidding around and thinks that he
actually might hurt her.
On a piece of paper…
•
•
•
•
On a piece of paper write the following:
Your name
The date
Survey
• Write down the following statements, and next to
each statement write down true or false based on
whether or not you agree with the statement or
not.
Survey
• In any area, tension exists between the
wealthy and the poor.
• Gangs are necessary for protection.
• Teenagers should stay with their own kind.
• People should be judged, in part, by their
appearance.
• The way to stop violence is revenge.
The activity
• For each topic we will divide into two groups.
One group for the students who wrote down
true, and one group for the students who
wrote down false.
• Once in your group plan your argument, select
a speaker and prepare to debate the issue.
November 6, 2009
• CW:
• Chapter experts hand in your five W’s
• Time to hand out papers/print vignettes for class
portfolio
• Freewrite # 1
Reading in class: Chapter Three
• HW:
• Reading and Recording on bookmark and Post-It
Handout
Freewrite # 1
• Assume that you have just met Ponyboy. Write
a letter to a friend or family member
describing him. Include what you like about
him, what you don’t like about him, and why
you would or would not want him to be your
friend.
November 9, 2009
• CW:
Reading in class: Chapter Three
Statements that Reflect Viewpoints on Life
Activity
• HW:
Prepare speech, bookmark and Post-Its
Characterization
• As the story progresses, Ponyboy, as narrator
makes several comments about what things
mean. He interprets and explains events.
Some of his explanations reflect his view of
the world and life. The comments of some of
the other characters are expresses their views
of life.
You Task…
• Select a statement from the following list and
think about its meaning.
What ideas come to your mind when you read
the statement?
What view of life is being expressed?
Do you agree or disagree? Explain
• Next, using these questions as a guide, write
notes on your reaction statement.
Your Task
• Tomorrow in class I will ask several students to
share their speeches. Regardless of whether
or not you share, you are required to hand in a
written copy.
• After students share out their speeches, we
will discuss our reactions as a class.
November 10, 2009(Tuesdsay)
• No School
November 11, 2009
• No School
November 12, 2009
• CW:
• Hand in bookmark 7 and Post-It Handouts
Reading in class: Chapter Four
Chapter Four Summary
Share out speeches/three paragraphs from
yesterday
• HW:
Start bookmark #8, reading and recording on
Post-It Handout, due November 18th
November 13, 2009
• CW:
The monologue genre presentation
Writing character monologues
Reading in class: Chapter Five
• HW:
Reading and recording for bookmark and
finish character monologue