The Outsiders- Maria Macioce

The Outsiders

Maria Macioce

Prefatory Statement

Over 90 percent of secondary classrooms in the country annually teach S.E. Hinton’s The
Outsiders. A story that focuses on a pack of well-meaning societal outsiders speaks to middle schoolers in most any circumstances, as young adolescents often experience feelings of exclusion and isolation.

According to NCTE Commission on Reading Chair Jane Braunger, “Literature is a dynamic interaction of the social and cognitive realms, with textual understandings growing from students’ knowledge of their worlds to knowledge of the external world” (2001 NCTE Position/Action Statement). Literature is more than just words on a page and studying literature ought to impact some aspect of the reader’s life. Studying the book The Outsiders and reading other literature dealing with similar themes of alienation is a way for young middle school students to come to terms and embrace a significant and inevitable aspect of their lives.

Adolescence is a period of emotional change and often turmoil, and, as a whole, all young adolescents feel like "outsiders" in some aspect. In this regard, not only is it important to study this literature because of the many benefits of studying quality literature, but it is important for their development that students read about others going through similar struggles. In Teaching Literature to Adolescents, Beach et al. recommend that “you ‘frontload’ a unit with a topic, theme, issue, concern or experience that initially engages them as a group” (9). Kylene Beers writes that "just closing a book doesn’t close off the thinking that shapes our understanding of a text” (When Students Can't Read, 139). In order for the literature to remain a tangible, living organism, I want my students to reflect on their reading, while reading, through the unit’s activities and assignments.

While The Outsiders will be the main text of this unit, poetry will be used to introduce the unit. The first lesson asks students to read and reflect upon thematically related poetry and songs and to create their own “I Am” statement which recognizes something unique about them. Students will read the story on their own and reflect in journals throughout the course of the unit. Students will complete a group web quest during the second week of the unit, and during the third week, students will complete a creative essay and participate in a mock custody hearing. The unit will culminate with a final essay, complete with a peer review session and a viewing of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Outsiders film.

Class Specifications

Because The Outsiders is typically taught in middle school, this unit is geared academically towards seventh graders. Many, if not all, of the lessons and assessments, however, are appropriate for a range of age groups with specific adaptations. Thematically, the unit is appropriate for any socioeconomic group, especially those who are commonly stereotyped as “outsiders.” It might be interesting to teach it in a primarily ELL classroom, as ELL students automatically feel like language outsiders, but perhaps some of the writing activities might be replaced by activities better suited for students who struggle with the English language.

Significant Assumptions

Prior to beginning the unit, I am assuming that students will have:

grade level reading skills
basic, experiential knowledge of alienation
small group skills to accomplish a task
basic understanding of computers and navigating the Internet
written personal responses, observations, and reflections in journals
beginning knowledge of bullying and gangs
basic understanding of a legal hearing

Desired Outcomes/Standards/Objectives to be Met

State Standard: I. D. Literature: The student will actively engage in the reading process and read, understand, respond to, analyze, interpret, evaluate and appreciate a wide variety of fiction, poetic and nonfiction texts.

Students will:

Identify and understand the theme of alienation in The Outsiders and various poems and songs
Respond to literature using ideas and details from the text to support reactions and make literary connections
Write frequently in varied forms in response to literature
Understand what makes an effective 5 paragraph essay
Gather, organize, and present information in a web quest
Develop and/or hone skills to argue from a point of view
Orally communicate information, opinions, and ideas effectively to classmates

Possible Whole-Class Activities

Depending on the school’s technological resources, the class may choose to adapt, stage, film, and produce a short piece based on a scene from the book; or create a video montage paraphrasing the book; or film the book as if it were set in modern day and in the students’ town.
Students may compare and contrast Frost’s “Nothing Gold Can Stay” with The Outsiders.
The Outsiders Jeopardy might be fun for a unit geared more towards focusing on recalling characters and storyline.
Students may take on roles of either “socs” or “greasers” and engage in a “war council”, a meaningful discussion instead of a rumble to make peace. The groups could work to settle their differences with words, not fighting.

Possible Small-Group Activities

The teacher may choose to include a specific link to the school or district’s website for a web quest task where the student is asked to find help for Ponyboy and Johnny were they students at “our school.”
The teacher may ask students to complete a web quest to learn more about teenagers in Oklahoma in the 1960’s.
Groups may work together to come up with a solution for peace between the “socs” and the “greasers”.

Possible Individual Activities

The teacher might set up an online forum where students may post their journal entries if they wish. Students may also post “I Am” statements on this forum, rather than around the classroom.
Students could write a “Where Are They Now?” piece about the book’s characters.
Students could write an additional chapter to the book, perhaps about the improved relationship between Darry and Ponyboy, or about Johnny’s and Dally’s funerals.

Ongoing Activities

Students will be required to read sections of The Outsiders almost daily, and eventually in its entirety. Students will also write in-class journals almost daily. Most of the journal entries are for each student’s eyes only, with the exception of one entry to be turned in. Students will form small groups to complete a web quest and share their research with the class. See handout. Students will complete two short writing assignments, utilizing peer-editing and word processing. See handout. Students will also perform a mock hearing. See the lesson plan for day five of week three. Students will wrap up the unit by watching “The Outsiders” movie.

Student Resources

Computers with word processing and internet access, writing utensils, individual journals, tag board, markers, copies of The Outsiders, two copies apiece of about 12 poems or song lyrics dealing with themes of alienation or individuality. See unit launch for poem suggestions.

Unit Launch/Anticipatory Set/Set Induction

Lesson Topic: Being an outsider

Grade level: 7th Grade English

Length of lesson: 50 minutes

Stage 1 – Desired Results

Content Standard(s): I.D. Literature Standard: The student will actively engage in the reading process and read, understand, respond to, analyze, interpret, evaluate and appreciate a wide variety of fiction, poetic, and nonfiction texts.

Understanding (s)/goals:

Students will understand:

That there is a rich collection of poetry dealing with themes of alienation and individuality

Essential Question(s):

What does it mean to be an outsider?
Can someone celebrate being an outsider?
Is everyone an outsider in some aspect?

Student objectives (outcomes):

Students will be able to:

Read and reflect through their journals on poetry dealing with alienation.

Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence

Performance Task(s):

Students will read poetry dealing with alienation.

Other Evidence:

Students will jot down in their journals a few notes on each poem and how it is an example of literature dealing with a theme of alienation.

Stage 3 – Learning Plan

Learning Activities:

Materials and Resources:

25 copies of “I’m Nobody! Who Are You?” – Emily Dickinson

2 copies of “I am an Italian American” – Angelo Bianchi

2 copies of “My Wheelchair Had Wings” – Michele Sutphin
2 copies of “Alienation” – Ronald W. Hull
2 copies of “Sheep in Fog” – Sylvia Plath
2 copies of “Outsiders” – James Grengs
2 copies of “Please Hear What I’m Not Saying” – Charles C. Finn
2 copies of “Mending Wall” – Robert Frost
2 copies of “Psalm 55”
2 copies of the lyrics of “Heartbreak Hotel” – Elvis Presley
2 copies of the lyrics of “Lonely” – Akon
2 copies of the lyrics of “Fool on the Hill” – the Beatles
2 copies of the lyrics of “Iris” – the Goo Goo Dolls

I will read “I’m Nobody! Who Are You?” aloud, and, on an overhead projector, model note taking on the poem. (3 minutes)
I will ask a student to read another poem aloud, and, as a class, the students will practice reflecting on the poem’s theme of alienation or individuality by taking notes. A student will write the class’s notes on the board. (3-4 minutes)
Copies of the poems/songs will be set on 12 desks around the room. Students will circulate throughout the room, taking and reading as many poems as they reasonably and efficiently can, silently taking notes in their notebooks on the poems. (25 minutes)
The class will regroup and students will share some of the notes they took on some of the poems they read. (10 minutes) To guide the discussion, I will ask the students questions such as:

“Briefly summarize the poem you read.”
“How does this poem deal with being an outsider?”
“What was unique or different about the character/s in this poem?”
“Does this poem display being an outsider as a positive thing?”

I will explain the “I Am” assignment, due the next class period. For the assignment, students will write or type “I Am” on a sheet of paper, followed by a word or phrase explains their alienation or individuality. The teacher will hang the “I Am” statements around the room. (7 minutes)

Organization of the Unit:

Week One:

Day One: See Unit Launch lesson plan

Day Two: In order to give students some idea of the prejudices between the socs and greasers as demonstrated in The Outsiders, I will begin class by passing out the text to only some of the students, complimenting these students on their appearance and telling them things like “I know that you will take care of this book. I don’t even have to worry about it.” I will tell the other students that I don’t think that they will even read the books, or am not sure what they will do with the books; after all, the books ARE school property. I will make statements like “I’ve heard that your kind doesn’t even read much” or “You look too shady for me to trust you with school property.” Also, I will separate the students with and without the books by seating them in opposite sides of the room. I will then explain that the activity was only an exercise to get them thinking about prejudices. I will ask for volunteers to explain how the activity made them feel. Students will write in their individual journals about a time which they have seen or experienced people not getting along because of prejudices. Students will then journal about someone with whom they don’t get along and the reasons why. I will assure students that the journals will not be read by anyone else. Students will begin to read The Outsiders and complete chapter 1 by the next class period.

Day Three:

Students will write in their journals about a time in which they were scared. How did the incident change their life and the way they see things? I will place students into seven groups of around four students each, depending upon the class size. Each group will receive a sheet of tagboard and markers, as well as the name of a greaser from The Outsiders whom they will have to characterize. Each group will draw an image of their greaser and write down their full name, three personality traits with a book quote supporting each trait, the character’s relationship to other characters. Students will spend the rest of the class period individually reading chapter two, to be completed by the next class period.

Day Four: Students will begin class by writing a response in their journals to the question, “What would you do if you ever saw a friend or loved one attacked like Johnny had been?” I will show the students a clip from “High School Musical” (“We’re All in This Together”) and ask each student to consider, while reading the next chapters, ways in which he or she is similar to his or her classmates and ways in which he or she is different. Students will read chapters three and four for the remainder of the class.

Day Five: I will give students the URL for the web quest and explain the assignment to be worked on in class for several days next week. I will give students a copy of the web quest rubric so that they may prepare beforehand if they wish. I will then give a brief explanation and demonstration of Power Point as a mode to share the web quest research with the class, and give students time to read The Outsiders for the remainder of the class.

Week Two:

Day One and Two: The students, in teacher-selected groups of four or five, will work together in the computer lab on the web quest. I will remind students that they should continue to read The Outsiders on their own time and be done with chapter six by Friday.

Day Three: Students will work in their groups to organize and form a presentation of their research. Students who wish to use the computer lab may.

Day Four: Students will give their presentations.

Day Five: Students will write in their journals, responding to the question, “Were Johnny and Ponyboy more alienated when they were in the community or when they were by themselves in the church?” I will then pass out and explain the writing assignment. As a class, we will create a rubric for the writing assignment. I will work on my computer using an overhead projection screen, then print out and distribute the rubrics to the class, telling them that they must have a completed draft of their paper on Monday for peer review.

Week Three:

Day One: Students will form groups of five and review peer essays, editing when necessary and filling out a rubric. Students will spend eight or nine minutes per paper, ideally reading and reviewing five classmate’s papers.

Day Two: Students will type their papers in the computer lab and turn in the revised copy as well as the draft and peer rubrics. When finished, students will read chapter seven for tomorrow.

Day Three: Students will journal about “a time when you were in the hospital or were sick or hurt. Describe the hospital, or if not in the hospital, describe the setting. Were you in pain? Afraid? Sad? Why?” Students will read chapter eight for tomorrow.

Day Four: I will assign students to groups (six judges, nine social workers, three Ponyboys, three Darrys, and three Sodapops) and give the students time to prepare for tomorrow’s mock hearing. The judges will brainstorm about the pros and cons of Ponyboy and Sodapop remaining under Darry’s guardianship. The social workers will provide evidence (textual examples) that Darry is an unfit guardian for his brothers and that they would receive better care elsewhere, and the Curtis groups will provide evidence that their family should remain together and that Darry is the best guardian. I will encourage students to dress their part if they so wish, awarding a little extra credit to students who perform in character.

Day Five:

Lesson Topic: Curtis Custody Battle

Grade level: 7th Grade English

Length of lesson: 50 minutes

Stage 1 – Desired Results

Content Standard(s): III.A. Speaking and Listening: Students will demonstrate understanding and communicate effectively through listening and speaking.

Understanding (s)/goals:

Students will understand:

The pros and cons of the Curtis custody issue in The Outsiders

Essential Question(s):

Are families better if they stick together?
What is important for a family to function effectively?

Student objectives (outcomes):

Students will be able to:

Support their pro or con argument with specific textual examples
Work in groups to effectively persuade others of their position

Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence

Performance Task(s):

Students will participate in a mock hearing and argue their case before a panel of judges. The judges will make a custody decision based upon the arguments.

Other Evidence:

Students will make their characters come alive with appropriate textual examples and by performing in character.

Stage 3 – Learning Plan

Learning Activities:

Students will sit in their desks, already arranged in a circle. I will flip a coin to determine which group goes first. (2 minutes)
Order determined by the coin toss.

Group Darry will argue to the jurors why he believes that he should maintain sole custody of his brothers. (2 minutes)

Group Soda will follow suit. (2 minutes)

Group Ponyboy will follow suit. (3 minutes)

The social workers argue to the jurors why they believe that Darry is an unfit guardian for his brothers and why they belong with other adults. (5 minutes)

The judges will ask each group questions. (5 minutes)
The judges will converse amongst themselves and determine a verdict. (5 minutes)
The students will participate in a brief discussion about the hearing.

Possible questions: How effective was this exercise in expanding your understanding of the characters in The Outsiders?

Did you find yourself changing your original stance on the issue due to your classmates’ persuasive arguments?

Are families better off if they stick together no matter what?

What is important for a family to function effectively? (7 minutes)

Each student will turn in a sheet that gives his or her participation in the hearing a score out of 10 possible points and a defense of why that grade is deserved. (5 minutes)
Students will read chapters 9 and 10 for the next class period.

Week Four:

Day One: Students will write in their journalsresponding to one of the questions “Was Cherry right for not going to visit Johnny in the hospital? Why or why not?” or “Should Johnny have sent his mother away when she tried to visit him in the hospital? Why or why not?” Students read in class and finish the book by tomorrow.

Day Two: Students write in their journals responding to the question, “What is the most valuable person or thing you have ever lost? How did you feel? How did you cope?” Students will participate in a brief, popcorn discussion where they share their reactions to The Outsiders and the unit. I will give students the writing assignment and give them time to begin free writing and brainstorming in class. I will encourage them to complete a thesis, which they can show to me for input, prior to leaving class.

Day Three: Students will have time to compose their drafts in class.

Day Four: I will assign students to groups of five, different than the ones for the previous peer review sessions, and they will review peer essays like last time.

Day Five: Students will type their papers in the computer lab and turn in the revised copy as well as the draft and peer rubrics.

Week Five:

Day One: I will hand back the student essays and students will begin watching “The Outsiders”.

Day Two: Students will finish watching “The Outsiders”.

Supporting Materials for Teachers Who Teach the Unit

“High School Musical” – Disney Movie

Richard Beach et. al. Teaching Literature to Adolescents
Kylene Beers When Kids Can’t Read – What Teachers Can Do
Jane Braunger, NCTE Commission on Reading

Links of other Outsiders web quests:

www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/crc/webquest/OutsidersWebQuest/

outsiders06.tripod.com/

projects.edtech.sandi.net/lewis/outsiders

www.atech.org/faculty/bouchard/EnglishI/Outsiders/Outsiders.htm

Links addressing bullying and gangs:

http://www.ncjrs.gov/txtfiles1/ojjdp/fs200127.txt

http://www.mincava.umn.edu

http://www.BeatTheHeat.com/tips/gangs.htm

http://www.PacerKidsAgainstBullying.org

Poetry and songs dealing with alienation/being an outsider:

“I am an Italian American” – Angelo Bianchi

“My Wheelchair Had Wings” – Michele Sutphin

“Alienation” – Ronald W. Hull

“Sheep in Fog” – Sylvia Plath

“Outsiders” – James Grengs

“Please Hear What I’m Not Saying” – Charles C. Finn

“Mending Wall” – Robert Frost

“Psalm 55” – The Holy Bible

“Heartbreak Hotel” – Elvis Presley

“Lonely” – Akon

“Fool on the Hill” – the Beatles

“Iris” – the Goo Goo Dolls

Assessment Task:

http://www.d.umn.edu/~macio005/OutsidersUnitWebQuest.htm

Grades:

Journals: 20 points - The teacher will check it over at the end of each week

and award five points each week for a completed week.

“I Am” assignment: 5 points

Character Posters: 5 points

Web Quest: 30 points – See rubric

Creative Writing Paper: 20 points – See rubric

Mock Hearing: 20 points (10 from the student’s self-assessment and 10 from the teacher’s) *Option for two points extra credit for dressing up.

Final Paper: 35 points – See rubric

The Outsiders Unit Final Paper

We began this unit reading poems and songs dealing with the feeling of being an “outsider”. As you have read The Outsiders, you have hopefully gained more insight into what it means to be an outsider. Your final paper must:
*            Be written in five paragraph essay form
*            Be double spaced
*            Have 1 inch margins
*            Be in 12 point font
*            Explain which character is the biggest outsider in The Outsiders. Support your thesis with three examples, and for each example, provide at least two texual supports.

I will give you time to write on Tuesday, and you will bring in a draft on Thursday to share with peers for a review. On Friday, the class will type their essays in the computer lab and turn them in with the peer review rubrics and the original draft. This assignment is worth 35 points.

Church Rescue Assignment

This is a chance for you to be creative and write a part of The Outsiders. I want you to write a one page narrative, 12 point font, double spaced, 1 inch margins, choosing from one of these two options.

You are a child who was playing in the church with your classmates when it caught on fire. Describe the event and be creative! For example, what are you feeling as you are trapped in the flaming church? What are you most afraid of, and what are the sights, sounds, and smells. What was it was like to be rescued by two rough looking teenage boys?

You are Jerry, a school teacher who brought his students on a picnic. Everything was going great until the church caught on fire and a few of your students were trapped inside! You may choose to take this assignment many directions. For example, what are you feeling as three teenagers rescue the children? Describe the sights, sounds, or smells. Describe how the day went prior to the incident. Perhaps you are afraid for your job now that this happened. After all, parents may blame you. As you write, be creative!

You must bring a draft of your completed paper on Monday for peer review. I will give you time on Tuesday to type your paper in the computer lab. Please turn in peer review sheets and your draft with the final copy. The paper is due at the end of the class on Tuesday.

Oral Presentation Rubric : Web Quest and Presentation

Teacher Name: Ms. Macioce

Student Name: ________________________________________

CATEGORY	10	8	6	0	Score
Group Work/Diligence	Group member actively participated in the presentation and preparation and listened to and worked with others' ideas. Student also remained on task during research.	Group member participated in the preparation and presentation some and usually listened to, shared with, and supported the efforts of others in the group. Student needed only minimal reminders to remain on task.	Group member sometimes listened to, shared with, and supported the efforts of others in the group, and participated some in the presentation, but could have supported the group more.	Group member rarely listened to, shared with, and supported the efforts of others in the group. Student disrupted other students while doing research.
Research Quality	Web quest indicated rich, varied, and legitimate research. Group completed all of the tasks .	Web quest indicated sufficient research. Group completed all of the tasks.	Web quest indicated some research. Group completed some of the tasks or could have done better with better research.	Group did not efficiently research for the web quest. Many tasks are not completed.
Presentation Creativity/Quality	Group presented the research in an insightful, meaningful, creative mode, illuminating and even surprising the audience with the information.	Group presented in their information in an effective, informative, and clear manner.	Group presented their information in a manner lacking creativity. (ie. simply read their information) OR information was minimal and insufficient to cover the topic.	Group did not present.