Do you remember some of your favorite reads when you were a teen? Many of my students gush over "The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton! Even my most reluctant readers claim it's their favorite book. Perhaps it's because S.E. Hinton was 16 years old when she wrote this story . . . there's just something about Ponyboy's voice that grabs my students' attention and leaves them wanting to "read ahead" -- a teacher's dream!
Teaching summer school? "The Outsiders" is a perfect summer school unit! Students love the story, they will be engaged, and the planning is already done for you! I have a complete three-week unit on "The Outsiders" to get both you and your students through summer school while leaving you more time for YOUR summer! Here's a peek into the product . . .
This unit includes 15 step-by-step lessons:
Student worksheets and graphic organizers prompt careful reading, critical analysis, connections, and thoughtful, meaningful responses to the story:
Poetry analysis fosters analytic and critical skills and helps you integrate the study of poetry into this unit:
Fun and engaging activities, such as this "Are You Ready to Rumble?" relay race capture your students' attention and make this unit relevant to their world:
Answer Keys, Learning Objectives, Teaching Tips, and Common Core State Standards are all included so you can teach an academically rigorous unit this summer while spending less time prepping and more time enjoying the summer activities you love!
These plans also include several opportunities for writing, all of which prepare students for meaningful class discussions about the themes of exclusion vs. inclusion, equality vs. inequality, and tolerance vs. acceptance . . . I've always found my more reluctant readers to be more engaged in critical discussions within the context of a novel to which they can relate, such as "The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton.
Of course, if you're not teaching summer school, this is a great unit to start your year off with a bang! Don't take my word for it . . . here's what other teachers say about this unit:
The work's done for you and can be purchased
here . . . so kick your shoes off, grab a cold drink, and dive into that great book you've been waiting to read . . . and enjoy your summer!
Happy Reading!
