A story of social difference. A story of survival. A story of brotherhood and the definition of family. Perhaps most of all, a story of decent young men forced to grapple with the least decent of situations.

The Outsiders continues to be one of the most captivating artworks in our middle and high school classrooms. I have seen students who would normally dread reading anything–let alone a 150-page novel–start the class with a raised hand asking, “Are we reading the book today?” I have seen the toughest guy in the room choking back tears as his favorite character passed away.

On the surface, this is a little worrisome, right? I mean, after all, it shouldn’t take a book with this much violence and loss to interest our students. But it’s a book about more than just gangs and stabbings and shootings. The book and its content speak value into the experiences of our students.

We can pretend like they have lived lives devoid of loss and difficulty, but that would be foolish. Unfortunately, our students often have experienced two or three lifetime’s worth of trauma packed into the desperately short amount of time before they enter our classmates.

This is not a reason to avoid The Outsiders. Rather, this is the reason why it is so worth reading. For once, in the form of Ponyboy Curtis or Johnny Cade or Dally Winston, students may find a fictional character whose experience is true in a very real and personal way.

So what is our job as educators? If this little book represents such an important opportunity, how should we proceed? I cannot answer that question for you. I do not know your students or your classroom. But I have taught this book before several times, and I have some ideas of how it may be taught both powerfully and successfully.

I hope that you find some use in my meanderings, ideas, and resources presented over the next several pages.

Best,

Mr. Driver



Table of Contents

The Protagonist Trial: Understanding Character, Connection, Argument, and Importance through Mock Trial

Introduction:

Ok. So I hate to brag (not actually true, but I feel like I’m supposed to say that), but this is one of my favorite nerdy English-teacher inventions. My colleagues and I created this summative assessment in our school’s transition year into becoming an IB World School. Regardless of your opinion of IB, it does encourage teachers and students to do unusually awesome real-world activities at the end of our units. This is one.

At first glance, you might assume that Ponyboy is the protagonist of The Outsiders (anyone who has watched the movie would almost certainly say that). But anyone who has read the book can remember the following characters years and years later: Ponyboy Curtis, Dallas Winston, and Johnny Cade.

At any given moment over the course of the story, the focal point of the narrative shifts between these three characters. And, if you’re willing to stretch the definition of “protagonist” in a few interesting directions simultaneously, you’ll see the answer to the protagonist question is not so clear-cut.

(So what are those interesting directions? Well, if one labels a protagonist based off of “screen time” or how much of the story involves that character, Ponyboy is clearly the protagonist of the novel. Alternatively, one might view the protagonist as the character who has the greatest impact on the story. Here, it’s hard to argue for anyone but Johnny. The park. The church. The rumble. Dally’s death. All caused by Johnny. And finally, one can view the protagonist as the most dynamic of the characters at play, in which case we might land with Dally as the main character. This is the tension at the heart of this summative.)

So, we’re going to take this thing to court! In this summative assessment, students will be conducting a trial that places them into three groups with the objective of each group being to convince the judge that their client is the true protagonist of the book.

The Plan:

1. Students read through The Outsiders up until Chapter 9 (the death scene in the hospital)

2. Teacher introduces the trial

3. Students do some light prep work for the trial as they get through the final chapters, forming their own opinions of the three characters

4. Students are placed into three groups as the book is wrapped up in class

5. Roles are dispersed throughout the class, including who will play the three characters, who will be the attorneys, cross-examiners, researchers, etc.

6. Students are given time to prepare text-based arguments in favor of their clients and against the competing two characters

7. Students practice presenting the appropriate information for their roles within the group

8. Students “perform” the trial in front of a neutral judge

9. Students reflect upon the process

Odds and Ends:

A. To let them pick their groups or to not let them pick their groups? I side with the latter for this project, primarily because you need to account for the personalities that will eventually “make” the trial what it is. If all of the confident, outspoken students end up on the same character, the trial will be over before it even begins. I’d suggest creating groups like this…

Students–> 30

-Johnny groups (four groups of 3 or 4 students)

-Dally groups (four groups of 3 or 4 students)

-Ponyboy groups (four groups of 3 or 4 students)

Then, on the day of before the trial, the multiple groups from the same character join into one larger group to coordinate talking points and assign final roles. It’s very unwieldy to imagine you can split the class into three groups of 10+ students in each. They simply won’t have enough to do, even if they keep their behavior in check.

B. It almost goes without saying, but choose your character actors carefully. The kid who is pretending to be Johnny can royally ruin the tone of the room if he/she cannot handle the task responsibly.

C. The more pomp and circumstance, the cooler the trial will be. Sure, you can just hope the moment “sparks” naturally without all the bells and whistles, but I’ve found bringing a gavel and fancy chair into the classroom suddenly made all of my students get amped up about how real the trial was going to be.

Preparation documents:

The students need a few things before the trial…

Text-level analysis/evidence (like to example→ here) Questions to ask during the cross-examination Time to rehearse in character

The Trial:

This is the format I’ve used in the past, but feel free to tweak to your needs and wants:

Opening statements Questions for Characters (two questions per group) Pony Johnny Dally Rebuttals from each group Closing statements Decision from judge

Rubric:

Here’s a modified IB rubric for you, but, again, do what you need to do.

Click here for Google Doc of Rubric

Plot Review, Key Moments, and Close Reading Ideas

Ch. 1: The Introduction to the Gang & Ponyboy gets jumped

3 Key Moments

Pony describes the gang members and difference between Socs and Greasers Pony is jumped by the Socs while walking alone before he is saved by the Greasers Darry, Ponyboy, and Soda briefly argue about Ponyboy walking by himself

Close Reading Ideas

-There is something to be said for the book starting and ending with Ponyboy at the movie theater. For a higher level discussion, you might ask students how we see Pony’s love of cinema play out in his moment-to-moment experience of the story.

-Ponyboy’s generous description of Soda compared with his harsh reading of Darry

-Early prediction work is good here. Which characters appear to be “set up” for narrative importance? Obviously, we know Johnny, Dally, and Pony will take center stage eventually, but can we tell that from the first chapter?

-The limited “screen time” dedicated to the deaths of the Curtis parents and/or Darry’s role as the parent in loco parentis

Ch. 2: The Drive-in & Ponyboy meets Cherry

3 Key Moments

Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally sneak into the drive-in movie theater The boys meet Cherry and Marcia, two Soc popular girls, and Dally has a negative confrontation with Cherry, who reacts badly to his poor manners. Cherry and Pony have a conversation about the differences between Socs and Greasers Pony recounts the recent jumping of Johnny by the Socs

Close Reading Ideas

-Again, another movie theater for Ponyboy…

-Ponyboy’s description of the Soc’s jumping of Johnny and the vow that he would kill the next person who tried to jump him

-Pony’s interactions with Cherry (and the stereotypeps/social bias that moves underneath their conversation) and Cherry’s respect/admiration/attraction toward Dally

-Johnny’s unexpected decision to stand up to Dally as he teases the girls

-Pony’s “I know better now” at the end of the chapter

Ch. 3: Cherry & Pony talk; Socs confront the boys; Darry hits Pony

3 Key Moments

Pony lashes out regarding his feelings toward Darry in front of Two-bit and Johnny The Socs confront the Johnny, Pony, and Two-bit for being with their girlfriends Darry hits Ponyboy when he gets home late, and Pony and Johnny run away to the park to spend the night

Close Reading Ideas

-The Soda-Mickey Mouse relationship

-Johnny and Pony’s conversation before Pony goes home

-Gang love vs. family love conversation between Johnny and Pony

Ch. 4: The Park Scene and Escape

3 Key Moments

Threats communicated by the Socs toward Johnny and Pony Socs attack the boys, nearly drowning Pony; Pony goes into a red haze and wakes up to find Johnny has killed a Soc named Bob The boys run to find Dally, who furnishes them with a gun, money, and a location to run away to

Close Reading Ideas

-Pony’s dreams of living in the country

-Why was Dally the first option when the boys needed help?

-Is Ponyboy correct to see himself as protecting his family by running away?

Ch. 5: The Church

3 Key Moments

Ponyboy reflects on his memories with the gang, specifically his brothers, and Johnny returns from the store with supplies The boys cut each other’s hair, and Pony dyes his blonde; Johnny has an emotional outburst when reminded of the killing at the park The boys pass the time in various ways until Dally shows up to update them on events back home, including a letter from Soda to Pony and the news that Cherry is now operating as a “spy” for the Greasers

Close Reading Ideas

-The significance of the physical “marker” of greasy hair

-The importance of the various literature that grabs the boys’ attention while they stay at the church

Ch. 6 The Fire

3 Key Moments

While Dally fills the boys in, Johnny declares that he is returning home to turn himself in The boys return to the church to find it is on fire, and it quickly becomes clear that there are children trapped inside Johnny and Pony rush into save the kids; Johnny is seriously injured and Pony passes out as Dally rescues both of them

Close Reading Ideas

-Dally’s strong reaction to Johnny’s decision to turn himself in

-Ponyboy’s inability to understand his fellow Greasers, as he misinterprets Dally’s capacity for connection with others and, later, Darry’s treatment of him and Soda

-The characters’ differing reactions to the fire (Johnny blaming himself, Pony being first into the church, Dally refusing to go in at first)

-Johnny and Pony’s reaction to being inside the burning church

Ch. 7: Greasers at the Hospital; Randy finds Ponyboy

3 Key Moments

The Greasers reconnect at the hospital as Johnny lies in his hospital bed; Darry and Pony have an especially positive moment here The Curtis boys are back under the same roof the next morning, and the Greasers share a light-hearted morning with one another; news coverage of the murder reveals that Johnny is being charged with manslaughter While out, Ponyboy is approached by Randy, the best friend of Bob the Soc whom Johnny killed, and they have a revealing conversation about the futility of the Soc-Greaser dynamic

Close Reading Ideas

-How are the Greasers able to act so silly at the hospital in light of this terrible event?

-Two-bit claims that Pony and Johnny were always heroes and that it’s not accurate for the newspaper to say they “turned into” heroes

-What do we make of Pony’s nightmares after he comes home from the hospital?

-Is it fair that Johnny gets charged with manslaughter?

-Is Randy a good guy? Or just a disillusioned rich kid who is bored?

Ch. 8: Johnny, Dally, and Ponyboy at the Hospital; Cherry’s 2nd conversation with POnyboy

3 Key Moments

Pony and Two-bit go to visit Johnny in the hospital to let him know about the rumble coming up between the Socs and Greaser; Johnny speaks about some of his inner feelings and refuses to see his mother when she comes to visit him Dally is “released” from the hospital and declares that the Greasers must beat the Socs in the rumble “for Johnny” Pony has one final conversation with Cherry where she explains her feelings toward Dally, Bob, Johnny, and Pony

Close Reading Ideas

-Why does Pony spend so much time with Two-bit of all people in the gang?

-Does our perception of Dally change because of how Cherry views him?

-Cherry is one of many people who analyzes Ponyboy and what kind of a person he is. How do you see her analysis of him in his own perceptions of himself?

Ch. 9: The Rumble

3 Key Moments

The Greasers hang out at the Curtis house prior to the rumble with the Socs before meeting up with Tim Shepard to begin the fight Darry is elected as the “captain” of the Greasers, and he is punched by a Soc (a former high school football teammate of his) to begin the fight; Dally rushes in to join the rumble, which the Greasers eventually win Immediately after the fight, Dally pulls Ponyboy to his car to speed toward the hospital to see Johnny; Johnny weakly tells Ponyboy to “Stay gold” before passing away in front of the boys

Close Reading Ideas

-What do we make of this moment between Darry and Paul, his former high school classmate, and why does Pony feel such a need to distinguish Darry from the “Greaser trash?”

-The Greasers are riding high prior to the rumble. This may be the most excited we see the entire group at any point in the novel. Why is that?

-Why does Dally grab Ponyboy of all people to join him at the hospital?

-What made Dally gravitate toward Johnny?

Ch. 10: Dally Robs the Store

3 Key Moments

Pony returns home to let the gang know of Johnny’s passing The boys receive a call from Dally who has just robbed a grocery store and is being pursued by the police; they race to catch up to Dally just as the police find and shoot him while he raises his empty gun in the air Pony returns home and sleeps, waking up to find he has suffered a concussion from the rumble

Close Reading Ideas

-Pony often remarks that no one will memorialize kids like Johnny or Dally. Why do you think he is so keen on this point?

-What is the significance of Johnny leaving the book Gone with the Wind for Pony?

Ch. 11: Pony Recovers; Final Conversation with Randy

3 Key Moments

Ponyboy has been made to rest for a week to recover from his sickness Randy stops by to speak with him, who attempts to explain the situation from his perspective Ponyboy claims to have been the one kill Bob, not Johnny, and this brings an uncomfortable end to his conversation with Randy

Close Reading Ideas

-At one point, Ponyboy writes “A soc, even, worried because some kid greaser was on his way to a foster home or something. That was really funny. I don’t mean funny. You know what I mean.” Throughout this chapter, we see small and large moments (i.e. claiming to have killed Bob) to indicate the shakiness of Ponyboy’s reliability in this section.

-Darry appears to soften toward Ponyboy in this section. What do you think caused this change?

Ch. 12: Johnny’s Letter

3 Key Moments

Ponyboy attends the court hearing, and the judge decides Ponyboy is not guilty of any wrongdoing; Pony is not able to transition well back into the day-to-day of school and home, so his English teacher asks him to write a final essay to help improve his grade in the class; Pony also has a negative interaction with a Soc who calls him out as “the guy who killed Bob Sheldon” and Pony responds by breaking off the end of a glass pop bottle. Darry and Pony have another blow-up, which makes Soda flee from the house in frustration; Darry and Pony chase him down, and the three share a moment of reconnection Finally, Pony receives a letter that Johnny wrote before he died in the hospital that explains his feelings toward Dally and his advice for Ponyboy; this letter inspires Ponyboy to write the story of Johnny Cade and Dallas Winston; we leave the book with Ponyboy writing the first paragraph of Chapter 1

Close Reading Ideas

-Ponyboy picks up the broken pieces of glass from his bottle and Two-bit finds this amusing. What does the small moment show us about Pony?

-Why is the book written in a circular manner, with the first paragraph of the book ending the final chapter too?

Vocabulary

Quizlet Folder Link: Click here

Connection Texts

The great Gwendolyn Brooks

Poems

Real-world articles

–“Bored, Broke, and Armed” from the New York Times

–“Stanley Williams” from CommonLit

–“Teen Brain” article from CommonLit

–“How Nipsey Hussle’s death inspired peace talks among L.A. gangs” from The Guardian via NewsELA

Videos

– “The Danger of Silence” or “How to Raise a Black Son in America” by Clint Smith TED Talk

– Asch Line test

Film/TV

–The Outsiders film (stream with ads on Amazon Prime Video)

-Various clips from the TV shows Young-ish, Black-ish, and Fresh Off the Boat

–The Sneetches

-Younger students: Zootopia (stream on Disney+; purchase from Youtube or Amazon Prime Video)

-Any students: Hidden Figures (no streams), Queen of Katwe (stream on Disney+, purchase from Youtube or Amazon Prime Video)

-Older students: Les Intouchables

Activities

–16 Personalities (use this personality test to have students make connections between personality types and the characters in the book)

-Analogy Poster (use Canva.com or a similar site to create an infographic demonstrating the similarities between the characters from the book and another group like a cast of TV show characters, sports figures, etc.)

An example infographic comparing the Greasers with the Golden State Warriors NBA team)



