The Outsiders

1. The Outsiders Grade 9 English Unit

2. Group Discussion Questions What is a “gang”? Who joins gangs? Why do people join gangs? Brainstorm what you know about gangs, in general. If you know anything about specific gangs, mention that also.

3. “On the Sidewalk Bleeding”by Evan Hunter Read the short story and answer the questions below: 1. What is the setting of the story? How do you know? 2. Using a plot diagram, outline the plot of the story. 3. Why don’t any of the people who find Andy help him? 4. Why did Andy join a gang? Discuss Andy’s reasons and whether or not they make sense to you.

4. “On the Sidewalk Bleeding”by Evan Hunter 5. What is the climax of the story? What is the symbolic significance of the action Andy performs at this point? 6. What conclusions can you draw from the police officer’s comments at the end of the story? 7. Is Andy a round character or a flat one? Explain why you think so. 8. One goal of this story is to teach. What message(s) might the author be trying to make? How does your answer to Question 5., above, make the story more tragic, and so make the message to the reader more clear?

5. The Outsidersby S. E. Hinton The 60’s

6. The Importance of the Setting of a Novel: • Having a clear idea of where and when your story or novel takes place helps the reader to understand the characters’ thoughts, motivations and actions more clearly.

7. WHERE Alley NY city WHEN Night 1980’s or ‘90’s “On the Sidewalk Bleeding “By Evan Hunter The murder is easily accepted when we know it happened on the streets of NYC especially when gangs are involved. This setting allows the author to focus on Andy’s thoughts, actions and changes in his character. It allows the author to teach a lesson and focus on theme. If the setting wasn’t believable then it would take away from the character development and theme.

8. What do you know about the 60’s?

9. Music and Recording Artists • Sonny and Cher

10. Television • Shows

11. 1960Ocean's ElevenPsychoThe ApartmentSpartacusThe Time Machine1961The Parent TrapThe Music ManWest Side StorySplendor In The GrassThe MisfitsBreakfast At Tiffany's1962To Kill A MockingbirdThe Manchurian CandidateLawrence Of ArabiaDr. NoThe Miracle WorkerWhatever Happened To Baby Jane?Lolita 1963From Russia, With LoveIt's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad WorldThe Pink PantherCleopatraThe BirdsHow The West Was WonHud1964A Hard Day's NightMary PoppinsMy Fair LadyGoldfingerDr. Strangelove Movies, Theatre and Stars

12. 1965The Sound Of MusicCat BallouHelp!Dr. ZhivagoHush..Hush, Sweet Charlotte 1966Fantastic VoyageBatmanBlowupWho's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?A Man For All SeasonsGeorgy GirlAlfieBorn Free 1967In The Heat Of The NightThe Dirty DozenGuess Who's Coming To DinnerBonnie & ClydeThe GraduateIn Cold BloodCamelotDoctor Doolittle 19682001: A Space OdysseyYellow SubmarineRomeo & JulietPlanet Of The ApesNight Of The Living DeadOliver!Rosemary's BabyBarbarellaFunny GirlThe ProducersFinian's Rainbow Movies

13. Movies • 1969The Prime Of Miss Jean BrodieButch Cassidy & The Sundance KidMidnight CowboyEasy RiderTrue GritHello, Dolly!Paint Your Wagon

14. Lifestyle, Products etc.

15. *Barbie*G.I. Joe*electric can opener ($7.77)*Beatles albums*Beatles toy guitars, lunchboxes, etc.*Viewmaster ($1.75)*Super Balls*ladies stretch slacks ($3.97) *spy toys*sled ($3.00)*Hot Wheels*Poor Pitiful Pearl doll ($8.00)*Tonka trucks*Twister*Mrs. Beasley doll Christmas Gifts of the 60’s

16. Fashion Hairstyles

17. Technology • Electronics

18. Home Decor • Split level houses, ranch style • Tupperware • Rotary dial phones, Rabbit ears, Metal TV. trays

19. Politics and Society etc. • J. F. Kennedy • Integration of blacks

20. Write down these subject areas in your notebook: • Music and Recording Artists • T.V. • Movies, Theatre and Stars • Lifestyles, Products etc. • Fashion • Technology • Home Décor • Politics

21. Research Assignment What was it like to be a person in the setting of The Outsiders? You have formed FOUR research teams. Your task is to learn about the context of the 1960s. You will be assigned a specific time period, and your job is to prepare an organized report on the time period assigned, detailing aspects of the context of the time.

22. Form a Research Team Your research team must have the following roles assigned to members: • Researcher – All members of the group! – Assign topics? • Presenter – All members of the group! – Assign topics? • Picture finder • Presentation Preparer (Word) • Presentation Preparer (Flipchart) In reality, all roles are assigned to all members, but the primary responsibility for that role must be assigned to one person in particular.

23. Research Assignment Goal: The goal is to create a presentation that informs the class of the context of the novel. Materials: 2 pieces of printer paper 1 page of flipchart paper You can fill up to TWO standard-size pages with information on your years. You must organize your information CONCISELY, and LEARN things to fill in the details.

24. Evaluation This assignment will be evaluated in three ways: 1) Classroom work – Organizing, using class time effectively, and working well in a group. 2) Materials – Preparation of information into useable form. 3) Presentation – Presenting the information to the class. Every member of the group must have a part. Presentations must take no more than 10 minutes per group.

25. Schedule Day 1 – Organize team, conduct research in Library and/or on computers. Homework: Conduct additional research if necessary. Day 2 – Conduct additional research. Prepare presentation materials. Prepare presentation. Homework: Anything else that needs to be done for the presentation. Day 3 – Present – 10 minutes per presentation! Journal – What I thought about the presentations, the process of creating the presentations, what I learned in the presentations, etc.

26. Group 1 1960-1962 Group 3 1965-67 Group 2 1963-1965 Group 4 1968-69 Your Assignment:

27. Assignment: A Letter to the Future . . . • Write a two-three page double spaced letter to someone in the future (2006). • You, the writer, are a teen in the 1960’s. Your focus will be on the specific year and topics given to your group. • Explain in detail what your life is like while incorporating the specific information required.

28. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

30. About the Author S.E. Hinton was just 17 years old when she published the novel The Outsiders, a modern classic of teen literature which has been alternately praised and condemned since it was first published in 1967.

31. About the Book The story of the struggle between two groups of teens, the novel gained popularity among readers and educators in the 1970s for its frank depiction of violence and cruelty in the social structure of American high schools. The book is frequently challenged for use in high school because of its portrayal of violence, language, drug and alcohol abuse, and the fact that "virtually all the characters were from broken homes."

32. Slang in the Novel Slang is a form of diction used by authors. It is used in the novel as an indirect characterization technique (i.e. to develop believable characters). • Diction - word choice. Word choice can be formal, informal, colloquial or slang. • Slang – a newly coined word not accepted for formal usage yet, and is usually not found in the dictionary. • Indirect Characterization – The author gives certain information and lets the reader draw his/her own conclusions regarding the character.

33. Slang in the Novel cont. Copy the following definitions of slang into your notebook. Refer to them when you need to, as we read the book. • boozed – To be drunk • breeze – An attractive girl/boy • cooler – Jail • cancer stick – A cigarette • hacked off – To be angry. • heater – A hand-gun • fly – A cute girl

34. Slang in the Novel cont. • fuzz – Police/law enforcement • jumped – To be attacked; the Greasers use this to describe attacks by the Socs • lift – To steal, shoplift, or pick-pocket • lighting up – Smoking • lone it – Doing something alone • rank – Something uncool and not fun • rolled – To rob • rumble – A gang fight • scrap – To fight • tuff – Something cool • weed – drug (In this novel it refers to cigarettes)

35. Plot in the Novel climax rising action falling action inciting force denouement

36. Characters Practice Taking Notes Take brief notes on each of the characters. Write down the character’s name on the left side of your page, and write three or more things about that character on the right. Note that the descriptions that follow are character sketches created from a close reading of the author’s characterization techniques!

37. Ponyboy Michael Curtis, 14: The youngest of the Curtis brothers and main protagonist of the novel, he is a daydreamer, painter, and a bit of a bookworm. A heavy smoker, Ponyboy is also a star on his school's track team and is best friends with Johnny Cade. Ponyboy is a deep analyzer, but sometimes overlooks the obvious. He is particularly attached to his hair and was upset when Johnny told him that he had to cut it when they were on the run.

38. Ponyboy hates fighting, and the stereotypes put on people, such as "Greasers" and "Socs." He often wonders what life would be like were there are no Greasers or Socs; no labels, just people. He has a very close relationship with his second-oldest brother, Sodapop, who he feels is the only other person, besides Johnny, that he can confide in. His parents recently died in a car crash.

39. Ponyboy Michael Curtis 14, youngest bro Reads,paints Smokes heavily Hair = important!!  must cut it on the run Hates fighting + stereotypes /labels Close to Sodapop Parents died in car crash Note-taking example

40. Johnny Cade, 16: "If you can picture a little dark puppy that has been kicked too many times and is lost in a crowd of strangers, you'll have Johnny," says Ponyboy. Johnny is a small and timid boy. His shy and nervous nature stems from years of abuse from his parents, and a recent jumping from a Soc, who is later revealed to be Bob Shelton. Bob wore many large rings on his hand when he jumped Johnny, which scarred Johnny's face. Ever since then, Johnny never walks alone, and carries a six-inch switchblade in his back pocket. He looks up to Dallas Winston and is prone to instability and emotional oversensitivity.

41. Although he never finished school, Johnny is very good at analyzing things that many other people do not understand. Johnny is the "gang's pet, everyone's kid brother," and relies on the Greasers for the love and affection he does not get at home.

42. Dallas "Dally" Winston, 17: The tough guy of the group, Dallas is considered extremely dangerous. He spent his teenage years in jail, which hardened him seemingly beyond caring. Although he is not muscular, even Darry Curtis is afraid to fight him. Dallas is the opposite of Johnny; he is prone to react rashly and violently, even to his friends, and avoids showing emotion as much as possible. He does, however, have a soft spot for Johnny, and is very protective of the younger boy.

43. Ponyboy on Dallas: "He had an elfish face, with high cheekbones and a pointed chin, small, sharp animal teeth, and ears like a lynx. His hair was almost white it was so blonde, and he didn't like haircuts, or hair oil either, so it fell over his forehead in wisps and kicked out the back in tufts and curled behind his ears and along the nape of his neck. His eyes were blue, blazing ice, cold with a hatred of the world."

44. Sodapop Patrick Curtis, 16: The middle Curtis brother, he is described as extremely good looking and is an undefeated fighter, though he is not the runner his brothers are. Sodapop is very carefree, preferring to play around rather than do any work. He isolates himself and smokes only when he's upset; otherwise, he is social and hyperactive. Although he is generally very optimistic, when reality hits him, it hits him hard enough to sink him into an extremely deep funk.

45. Sodapop is always sticking up for Ponyboy around Darry and tells Ponyboy things he tells no one else. Sodapop is the only one who can tease Darry and get away with it. He has a girlfriend, Sandy.

46. Darrel "Darry" Shaynne Curtis, Jr., 20: The eldest of the Curtis boys, Darry is tall, broad-shouldered, and muscular. Darry is occasionally perceived as cold and uncaring, as a result of assuming the role of parental figure after the death of his parents, in order to keep the family together. Ponyboy had believed that Darry did not love him, yet later realizes otherwise when Darry cried for him, since Darry did not cry at the death of their parents. Because of his build, Darry is often referred to as "Superman" or "Muscles." He roofs houses for a living. He is Ponyboy's opposite; he is as logical as Ponyboy is imaginative.

47. He is attentive to Ponyboy's grades, though not upset about Sodapop dropping out of high school. Darry is very bitter about the fact that he never went to college, even though he had been offered an athletic scholarship. Even though Darry is associated with the Greasers, he keeps his hair cut short. Ponyboy notes that Darry is very Soc-like and too "smart" to be a Greaser, and the only reason that Darry was not a Soc was because he would not turn his back on his brothers or the gang.

48. Keith "Two-Bit" Mathews, 18: He has been known as "Two-Bit" for so long that even his teachers have forgotten that his real name is Keith. Two-Bit is the joker of the gang, always smiling and cracking jokes. Like Sodapop, he lives for action and fun. Though nearly 19 years old, Two-Bit is still a junior in high school because he finds school "entertaining."

49. With his long sideburns and deep grey eyes, Two-Bit is known as both a shoplifter and a ladies' man, though he is not perceived to be as good-looking as Sodapop. He loves fighting, his black-handled switchblade, blondes, and flirting. He flirts with Marcia, even though he knows that she is the girlfriend of a Soc.

50. Steve Randle, 17: He has thick greasy hair that he combs back "in complicated swirls." Steve is tall, lean, cocky, and arrogant, though smart and skilled at driving. He is the only one of the gang who does not care much for Ponyboy. Steve has been Sodapop's best friend since grade school; the two even work at the same gas station. Steve and Sodapop often bicker and get into wrestling/arm-wrestling matches to vent their excessive energy.