Teaching The Outsiders is one of my favorite units during the year. I love seeing a student falling in love with reading because of the book. My students love the book and want to keep reading. When I teach The Outsiders, I like to mix reading and writing lessons. Here are a few reading and writing lessons that I use when I teach The Outsiders. They are intermixed throughout our reading of the novel.
Reading Schedule
I only have a class set of the novel, so all reading is done in class. We read one chapter a day, except we read chapters 8 & 9 together and chapters 11 & 12 to finish the book.
Reading Lessons
Character Social Media Page: While we read chapter 1 in the book, we have a lesson on characterization. During the reading the students are looking for different kinds of characterization of the Greasers. Afterwards they take that information and create an Instagram post for one of the Greasers.
My Identity: After reading chapter 2, we have a discussion about identity and what makes us who we are. We tie in the conversation that Cherry and Ponyboy have at the drive-in. I grabbed this lesson from Presto Plans. It was perfect for helping students analyze who they are.
Analyzing "Nothing Gold Can Stay" by Robert Frost: During chapter 5, Ponyboy recites the poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay." This activity walks the student through multiple readings and analysis of the poem.
Socratic Seminar about book themes: After we have finished the book, we hold a Socratic Seminar. When we read the last couple chapters, I have the students create their own questions for the Socratic Seminar. Then the next day in class we hold our seminar.
Writing Lessons
Chronological Writing, Compare and Contrast, and Description Expository Writing: Interspersed throughout Chapters 6-10 we work on some expository writing. These are meant to be short pieces of writing. The Chronological Piece asks the students to consider how they have experienced good and bad, just like the Greasers and the Socs. Then they describe the highs and lows by writing about these events chronologically. The Compare and Contrast piece asks students to consider how they are similar to characters like Ponyboy because they also have to balance their past and future. Students will also consider what they are like as a person right now, what experiences in their past have shaped who they are now, and how they hope to become in the future with hard work and perseverance. The Descriptive Piece asks students to think of the many obstacles and trials that characters like Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally faced. These characters all handle their various hardships in different ways, and are trying to fight for a better life. The writing piece asks students to think of a time when they have faced a hardship or obstacle of their own. It might not be as extreme as what the Greasers go through, but to think of when have they had to fight through a difficulty? How did they respond, and what was the result?
Is Johnny Guilty? Argument: After we read chapter 4 we write a small argumentative piece on whether Johnny is guilty. Some years I use this as a bigger piece of writing after we finish the novel and some years I use this as a smaller piece of writing while reading the novel. It all depends on the pacing guide my team puts together. If we use this as a bigger piece of writing at the end of the novel, I have my student write a mini argument about What Makes Someone an Outsider?
You can click on any link above to go to the lesson. I also have all of these lesson and more in my Outsiders Activity Bundle in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.
