The Outsiders

Entrance/Exit CardsTHE OUTSIDERS

Entrance Card•Tell the story of your life in just 6 words. That's right, just six little words--no more, no less. And no fair making up words-that-don’t-exist-normally-as-hyphenated-words so as not to exceed the limit!

Exit Card•Create a six word biography for Pony Boy.

Entrance Card•S.E. Hinton said her alter-ego is a 15 year old boy. Who is your alter ego and why?

Exit Card•Reflect upon what you know about S.E. Hinton and the time period in which she grew up. Why do you think she chose to tell her story from the perspective of a teenage boy?

Entrance Card•How does family influence identity? How do friends influence identity? Does one influence more than the other?

Exit Card•Who exerts the most influence on Pony Boy? Do you think the influences in his life are mostly positive or negative, and why?

Entrance Card•Which character from The Outsiders do you relate to the most? Why/how?

Exit Card•Imagine you are casting a new movie version of The Outsiders using your classmates. Who would play each of the roles?

Entrance Card•What major life events shape identity?

Exit Card•Which of the major life events has Pony Boy already experienced, and how have they shaped his identity?

Tuesday November 8Entrance Card•How does identity change and evolve as you grow older? How does it stay the same?

Exit Card•Reflect upon what you already know about the novel and make a prediction. How do you think Pony Boy’s identity will evolve as he grows older?

Wednesday November 9Entrance Card•What role does gender play in identity? How does your gender influence you?

Exit Card• All of the girls in the novel are Socs. Why do you think there aren’t any female greasers?

Thursday November 10 Entrance Card•Detail a particular event that has impacted your life and has shaped who you are.

Exit Card•What events in Pony Boy and Soda Pop’s past have probably shaped their identities?

Friday November 11Entrance Card•If you were a character in a novel, what would the novel be called? Briefly describe the plot.

Exit Card•The Outsiders deals primarily with identity. What would the major theme(s) in your novel be?

MondayNovember 14Entrance Card•How does where you live influence your identity? Give examples of how your neighborhood has influenced you.

Exit Card•Describe Pony’s neighborhood, The East, and describe how the characters are influenced by living there.

Tuesday November 15Entrance Card•Finish this statement: The best thing about me is ______________, and the worst thing about me is ____________________________.

Exit Card•Finish this statement: The best thing about Pony Boy is ______________, and the worst thing about Pony Boy is ____________________________.

Wednesday November 16Entrance Card•Define heroism. What is the most heroic thing you have ever done?

Exit Card•Who are the heroes in The Outsiders? How are they heroic?

Thursday November 17Entrance Card •Previously, we talked about how family influences identity. How does our identity influence our family? How does YOUR identity influence YOUR family?

Exit Card•How does Pony Boy and Soda Pop’s identity as greasers influence their family as a whole?

Friday November 18Entrance Card •Why do we dream? What is the most vivid dream you can recall? Do you think our dreams shape our identities or do our identities shape our dreams? Explain your answer.

Exit Card•How does Ponyboy’s dream affect his family?

MondayNovember 21Entrance Card •What has been your biggest life crisis so far? How did you handle it? Who did you turn to for help?

Exit Card•How do Ponyboy and the other Greasers deal with pressures? Where could Dally turn for help?

Tuesday November 22Entrance Card•How do the books we read shape our identity? What is the most important book you have ever read and why is it so important?

Exit Card•Would you recommend The Outsiders to your family or friends to read? Would you tell them to read the book or see the movie?