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OVERVIEWThis unit was developed for eighth grade reading students.

Students will read The Outsiders by S. E. Hilton and analyze how the characters affect the theme(s) of the story.

Students will look at the story from different points of view and determine the effect of word choice within the text.

Students will draw parallels between this story (set in the 1960’s) and life today (cliques vs. gangs / social issues facing teenagers then and now).

COMMON CORE STANDARDS AND LEARNING TARGETS

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text. (Power Standard)

LT: I will be able to determine the central idea (theme) to a text.LT: I will be able to analyze the theme’s development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; (summary of the text.)

LT: I will be able to analyze the story’s characters and its importance to the theme.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.3 Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.

LT: I will be able to analyze a character’s dialogue and infer the meaning and relationship to other characters in a novel.

LT: I will be able to explain the impact of other character’s speech and actions to cause a character to change in a novel. 

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.6 Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor. (Power Standard)

LT: I will be able to analyze how a character’s point of view affects a change in their thoughts, speech and/or actions in a novel.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.7 Analyze the extent to which a filmed or live production of a story or drama stays faithful to or departs from the text or script, evaluating the choices made by the director or actors.

LT: I will be able to compare and contrast a novel to the filmed version.LT: I will be able to evaluate why a film director chose to make the film version

different from the text.

 

 

INTERVENTIONSStudents will take CFAs (Common

Formative Assessments) throughout the unit that focus on the individual learning targets. For those students who are not proficient, they will work with me in a small intervention group during ELT (Extended Learning Time) the week following the assessment. They will then retake the assessment to monitor progress and proficiency.

READING STRATEGIE

S

Teacher read-aloud

Partner reading

Small group reading

Independent reading

INSTRUCTIONAL

STRATEGIES

Direct instruction

Whole group discussion

Teamwork (relay activity)

Small group collaboration

Independent response and reflection

ASSESSMENTSClass participation and discussion

Reading responses (chapter questions)

Independent reflections (journal prompts)

Boxcar vocabulary project

Character analysis

Final synthesis project

PRE-READING ACTIVITIESWhole group –introduction of S.E. Hilton

Teams – Class will be divided into two groups. Half will have a chart with the word “cliques” and half will have a chart with the word “gangs”. They will collaborate to create a list for their group and then share out to the to class. (Reveal s that cliques and gangs aren’t that different after all).

Independent (technology) – Students will research the 1960’s to find out about pop culture (compare and contrast to today).

Independent (journal response) – Students will consider the following questions and write a reflection:

*How do groups of people differ from other groups of people?

*How can people join, or leave, certain groups?

*Who determines whether a teenager belongs to one group or another?

*Into what group do you fit in? Do you feel that might ever change?

DURING READINGCharacter analysis – Students will complete an analysis of all main

characters as they read the book (this includes physical description, personality, and a quote as a citation of evidence).

Boxcar vocabulary activity – Students will select a word from the book that they don’t know. They will write the definition, use the word in a sentence (a more complex sentence will receive more points). Students will then use symbols, synonyms, and phrases to decorate a boxcar graffiti style.

Chapter questions – Students will respond to comprehension questions for each chapter as they read (students will work collaboratively in small groups, with partners, and also independently – varying by day).

Quotation analysis – Students will discuss quotations throughout the book with regard to characterization and word choice – what is the impact of character’s speech and actions that causes a character to change in a novel? (whole class discussion)

DURING READING (CONTINUED)Journal responses – Students will think “beyond the text” to respond to these

prompts (one per student per week). They will share one of their responses aloud with the class.

*When Ponyboy left the movie theatre he was deeply afraid. What are some fears you have felt or feel?  

*Cherry Valance tells Ponyboy “Things are rough all over.” What are some ways things have been rough on you?

*Soda wanted a horse so badly he bawled like a baby. Have you ever wanted something so badly? What was it? Did you get it? How?

*Johnny wants to forget about the night he killed Bob. Is there anything you would like to forget about? Explain.

*When Johnny cut Ponyboy’s hair he cried because it was “tuff” and he was proud of it. Is there anything that you are proud of? What is it? Why are you proud of it?

*Johnny had a hero worship of Dally. Is there anybody that is your hero? Explain.

*Randy said to Ponyboy “I wouldn’t have, I would have let those kids burn to death.” Would you have risked your life to save those kids? Why or why not?

*Johnny told Ponyboy “I wouldn’t mind dying if there were not so many things I haven’t done yet.” What are some things you want to accomplish before you die?

*If you had the chance to tell somebody something before you or that person died, what would it be?

*Do you think Dally was a hero or a hoodlum? Why?

*Have you ever had to play the middle person like Soda did between Darry and Ponyboy? What did you do? How did you feel?

*What was you opinion of Ponyboy’s theme paper? Why?

AFTER READING – RELAY ACTIVITYStudents will be divided into two groups – Greasers and Socs. They will be faced

with various challenges. Greasers will have a disadvantage in each challenge, while Socs will have a small advantage. This relay will show reveal that even kids who have unfair circumstances in life can succeed by working doubly hard (much like how Ponyboy and his brothers choose to overcome their situation in order to make something of themselves). Here is the challenge Greasers will face: Do you give up, or do you work harder to overcome the Socs’s advantages?

Students will be encouraged to dress the part of their character on the day of the relay.

Supplies needed for the activity:2 golf ballsLarge Serving SpoonRegular Silverware SpoonTwo jump ropesTwo rolling chairs, or skateboardsPost-It NotesLarge MarkersNotebook PaperPens/Pencils2 koosh balls or soft balls2 trash cans2 Sleeping bagsAn open space for the relay activities (gym, cafeteria, outside)

RELAY ACTIVITY (CONTINUED)

T H E G O L F B A L L R A C E

Designate a distance students will have to walk down and back to, and give the Socs the large serving spoon and Greasers the regular-sized silverware spoon.

Tell students they must carry the golf ball in the spoon to the other end and back without dropping the ball. If they drop the ball, they must return to the starting line and begin again. Students MUST NOT touch the ball and must hold the spoon on the handle.

The first team to have each member complete the challenge, wins! If you have uneven teams, make sure you have a student go twice to keep the challenge even.

J U M P R O P E R A C E

Have students run to a designated stopping point to complete their jump roping, and run back to their line for the next team member to go.

Greasers will have to complete ten jumps, while Socs will only have to complete eight before running back to their line.

After completing their jumps, they will drop the rope and leave it for the next team member.

RELAY ACTIVITY (CONTINUED)

R O L L I N G C H A I R O R S K AT E B O A R D R A C E

Students will roll themselves to a designated stopping point, and back to their teammates.

Greasers will only be allowed use one foot to propel themselves, while Socs are allowed to use both feet.

They must keep all four wheels of the chair on the ground, and their bottom in the seat.

Greaser can hold their foot up or sit on it, but once they choose which leg they are using to use, they cannot switch.

“ M A RY H A D A L I T T L E L A M B”

Pass out sticky notes and black markers to Greasers.

Pass out notebook paper and pens/pencils to the Socs.

Instruct students that they cannot write on the back of their sticky note or paper, and they cannot abbreviate the first part of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" (They must write, "Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb. Mary had a little lamb whose fleece was white as snow.")

They cannot begin writing until the teacher says "go“; students run to the teacher to stack their writing. The first team to stack their writing and be seated, wins.

Breaking the writing rules will disqualify their team!

RELAY ACTIVITY (CONTINUED)

KO O S H B A L L T O S SUsing two trash cans, put them

at differing distances from the starting line.

Place the Socs’s can a foot closer than the Greasers.

Each team member will stay behind the start line and toss the koosh ball in the trash can.

If they miss the trash can, they have to retrieve the ball and go back to the line to keep trying until they make it.

Each team member must make it into the can before moving onto the next member.

First team to have every teammate shoot and score, wins!

S L E E P I N G B A G P U L LThe object of the challenge is to

drag each team member (one at a time) on the sleeping bag to the finish line, drop them off, and pick up the other team member. (Riders will have their back facing the end being dragged to avoid injury)

The first team to drag each member to the finishing point, wins.

Teams may alternate "draggers" but every team member must ride the bag at some point (for example, if one team member decides to be the designated dragger, he too must ride at the end of the race before the team can win the challenge)

Give Socs the advantage by making them drag their team mates a shorter distance than the Greasers.

RELAY ACTIVITY (CONTINUED)

Relay Assessment

After the race, have students respond to the following questions, by writing in their journals or on a separate sheet paper that they will turn in for a grade.

1. What advantages were given to the Soc team in each challenge?

2. How did the advantages or disadvantages make you feel?

3. What lessons can be learned about the real world through this activity?

Have them reflect on and discuss the questions before writing their responses, because many students will see the real-world connections that other students may not see.

*Students will view the film version of The Outsiders.

*They will compare and contrast the film version with the novel using the common formative assessment below.

Common Formative Assessment #7 (Compare/Contrast) Name:___________________ Rdg. Hr. _____

Unit: Short Stories Topic: Compare/Contrast Proficiency: 5/6 Your Score: ____/6 Proficient: Yes/No

ELT: Yes/No

Learning Target: LT: I will be able to compare and contrast a novel to the filmed version.

Below state two differences from the novel The Outsiders and the video as well as two similarities: (Make sure the differences and similarities are important details to the storyline.)

LT: I will be able to evaluate why the director chose to make the film version different from the text.

Write: Give a reason why the director of the film may have chosen the difference they did for the film version.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

AFTER READING – COMPARE/CONTRAST

Novel: The Outsiders SIMILARITIES Video: The Outsiders

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AFTER READING – SYNTHESIS PROJECTStudents will choose from the following projects:

Yearbook – Students will create a yearbook that includes the characters from the novel (done digitally or in a book/binder format). They must include pictures (photographs of people dressed in character or self-created drawings), quotes, and relevant information. They will include a written reflection explaining why they included the information that they chose, citing evidence from the novel.

Graffiti Wall – Students will convert the bulletin board in the 8th grade hallway into a graffiti wall by writing quotations that they think the characters from the novel would write. Students will write a reflection explaining why they chose the quotation/graffiti on the wall, citing evidence from the novel.

Diorama – Students will select a critical scene from the novel and create a diorama that accurately reflects the scene (using description and details from the book). Students will write a reflection explaining why the scene was a pivotal point in the book and why they included certain details in their diorama (citing evidence from the novel).

Book Soundtrack – Students will create a CD of current music that they think would go with the book. The CD must include at least 5 songs. They will create a sleeve for the CD that includes a cover for the front and the list of songs. They will write a reflection explaining why they chose each of the songs, citing evidence from the text.

CENTRAL TENETS OF CONSTRUCTIVISMAllows for personal perception of the world

Provides opportunities for invention

Provides for active involvement in the learning process

Creates opportunities for transferring learning

Accommodates individual and social construction in the learning process

Provides opportunities to defend ideas

Knowledge is constructed, not transmitted.

Emphasizes process over product

Teacher serves as facilitator rather than director

Allows students to see the “Big Picture” as opposed to looking only at a series of details

Is a “hands on” activity

Does not require extensive memorization

Encourages use of dialogue

Cooperation/collaboration are valued as opposed to competition

Provides multiple perspectives on reality

CENTRAL TENANTS OF CONSTRUCTIVISM (CONTINUED)

Can be an ongoing process. (Students are constantly making connections between the book and their other classes/life.)

Has open-ended activities

Has multiple extensions

Allows for a spiraling curriculum so that students can continually build knowledge

Prior knowledge is assessed/evaluated

Encourages independent research.

Scaffolding present

Makes use of cognitive terminology

Requires connections to real world activities

Emphasizes importance of social and cultural contexts

Technology is useful

Allows for self-reflection

Involves students in language-rich activities

WISCONSIN EDUCATOR STANDARDSTeachers know that subjects they are teaching.

The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the disciplines she or he teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for pupils.

Teachers understand that children learn differently. The teacher understands how pupils differ in their approaches to learning and the barriers that impede learning and can adapt instruction to meet the diverse needs of pupils, including those with disabilities and exceptionalities.

Teachers know how to teach. The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies, including the use of technology, to encourage children's development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.

Teachers communicate well. The teacher uses effective verbal and nonverbal communication techniques as well as instructional media and technology to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.

Teachers know how to test for student progress.The teacher understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the pupil.