TEACHER'S GUIDE TO THE OUTSIDERS
By S.E. Hinton
MEET THE AUTHOR
S.E. Hinton is one of the "great" classic writers of Literature. Her writing, especially in the early years focuses on coming of age for teens. She hated the divide of class and the mistreatment of those who were not "popular," so she gave light to the subjects of race, class, and diversity.
For her very first novel, The Outsiders, she received various awards including:
New York Herald Tribune Best Teenage Books List, 1967
Chicago Tribune Book World Spring Book Festival Honor Book, 1967
Media and Methods Maxi Award, 1975
ALA Best Young Adult Books, 1975
Massachusetts Children’s Book Award, 1979
Her novels have become some of the most renowned texts to date. For instance, The Outsiders has sold over 4 million copies in the US. Long credited with changing the way Y.A. fiction is written, Hinton’s novel changed the way teenagers read as well, empowering a generation to demand stories that reflected their realities.
Many of her books were adapted into films. ‘The outsiders’ was released in March 1983 and ‘Rumble Fish’ in October 1983. The films were directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Her novels ‘Tex’ and ‘That was Then, This is Now’ also made into films were a hit. Hinton also wrote some adult books which include ‘Hawkes Harbor’ (2004) and ‘Some of Tim’s Stories’ (2006).
"Things are rough all over."
-Cherry Valance
DIG INTO THE TEXT...
This timeless novel is perfect for grades 6-8. It's a coming of age book that deals with all the uncertainties of life and the harshness of reality that young adults face. It is a fiction novel based on experiences of author S.E. Hinton growing up. his book appeals to preteens (many read it in sixth grade) because that's the time when kids break into social cliques and life becomes tribal. The feelings of being ostracized are timeless -- which is why this book is still so relevant more than 40 years after its original publication.
Synopsis: Protagonist, Ponyboy Curtis associates himself with a group of lower-class teens known as greasers; a name they’ve earned on account of their greasy, long hair, the "hood" they live in, and the shady activities they are involved in. The Greaser's greatest rivalry is a group of wealthy, upper-class teens known as the "Socs" which is short for socialites. They find themselves in constant rumbles with the Socs over any and everything. The story is from Ponyboy's point of view as he tells the Greaser's fight to make a place for themselves in the world. Even after dealing with violence, death, bullying, and realizing that none of that matters, he realizes that not everyone is that different after all.
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PRAISE FOR THE OUTSIDERS
The Outsiders transformed young-adult fiction from a genre mostly about prom queens, football players, and high school crushes, to one that portrayed a darker, truer world.
-New York Times
[A] classic coming-of-age book.
-Philadelphia Daily News
Taut with tension, filled with drama.
-Chicago Tribune
What it's like to live lonely and unwanted and cornered by circumstance....There is rawness and violence here, but honest hope, too.
-National Observer
TEACHING CHALLENGES
GANG VIOLENCE
The novel is based around two gangs, the Greasers and the Socs. The characters are constantly carrying around switch blades, busted beer bottles, and looking for a fight. With it being so relatable to young teens, it takes a heavy subject in some ways and can make it feel light. Due to so much gang violence going on today, it is important that we deter our students from encouragement of joining a gang.
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Our students should be well informed of the difference between gangs of the 1950s and 60s and gangs today.
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We must also allow our students to feel safe when discussing the subject, and letting them know that if they experiencing anything like this, they can seek help by confiding in their teacher.
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This article makes connections between the gangs in the outsiders and gangs of today.
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It is important that students understand the consequences of joining a gang and are fully aware/understanding of what gang violence is. Before teaching the novel, educators could go over this information with students.
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In some cases there may be students that are affiliated with gangs in your classroom as you are teaching this. Thus, interest/conflict could be sparked. Here is a great resource on dealing/working with students affiliated with gangs.
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A great resource for visually explaining what gang violence is and why it happens... video
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MORE TEACHING RESOURCES
Here is a full guide to teaching the novel from Pearson. This gives information for all levels of readers.
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This prezi demonstrates connections between the novel and real world connections.
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Movies can be a great resource in the ELA classroom when they encourage critical thinking. Here is a lesson plan on comparing movies to novels that could really go well with The Outsiders.
Here is the poem by Robert Frost that Ponyboy recites in the novel. This would be great to analyze and compare to the novel.
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