Lesson 31: The Outsiders, Narrative Writing, Part 5

Have students take out their copies of The Outsiders with their annotations.

Explain that in Chapter 9, Ponyboy’s point of view shapes how readers see “us” and “them.” Because he tells the story, the Greasers feel like “us,” while the Socs and others often feel like “them.”

Academic Talk Stems/Moves

Present cue cards with these talk stems/moves:

• Add on: I’d like to add to that … / I also think/feel that …/ That reminds me of …

• Inquire: Why do you think that? /Why do you feel that way? /Can you give an example? /What if…

• Say these Directions: Consider how Ponyboy’s perspective and those of other characters shape the reader’s view of divides between “us” and “them.” When Ponyboy thinks about “us,” which group of people does he think about? Why? Can you point to a moment in Chapter 9?

  • Ponyboy thinks about the Greasers because they are like his family. When he was getting ready for the rumble in Chapter 9, Ponyboy realizes that his "us" includes every Greaser who stands together against the Socs.

Model building on a student response with an Inquire talk move.

• For instance, ask: Why do you think that Ponyboy sees a divide between the core members of his gang and the members of other Greaser gangs in Chapter 9, such as the Brumly boys and Tim Shepard’s gang? Do you think he views these characters as “us” or as “them”? Why?

  • Ponyboy thinks of boys in other Greaser gangs as “them” because they are more organized and violent in a way his friends are not.

Have students continue the conversation, prompting with talk moves as appropriate.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Think about how stories shape our view of what it means to be one of “us” or one of “them.” In other stories you’ve read and films you’ve seen, you may have noticed divides between “us” and “them” among the characters. Today, you’ll watch a film version of the events in Chapter 9 and consider how this form of storytelling shapes our view of the characters. Then you’ll plan to rewrite a scene or passage from the point of view of another character. As you watch and brainstorm ideas, think about what readers can learn from different characters’ perspectives.

Language Study

Briefly review terminology used to describe different sentence types.

• An independent clause is a group of words with a subject and a verb that expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence. (Ex. The weather is sunny.)

• A dependent clause is a group of words with a subject and a verb that does not express a complete thought and cannot stand alone as a sentence, but “depends” on other words to make a sentence. (Ex. When the weather is sunny.)

• A simple sentence has one independent clause and no other clauses. (Ex. The weather is sunny.)

• A complex sentence includes one independent clause and one dependent clause. (Ex. When the weather is sunny, we go outside.)

• A compound sentence includes two related independent clauses. (Ex. The weather is sunny, and we went outside.)

• A compound-complex sentence includes at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. (Ex. Because the weather is sunny, we can go outside, and we might go swimming.)

Say these Directions: Today, we’ll examine how different sentence types can show different relationships among ideas.

Introduce the Sentence: Present the sentence from Chapter 9 describing Ponyboy’s observations of Darry and Paul, beginning “They used to be buddies …” and ending “…the West Side.” Read the sentence aloud and have students chorally repeat it to practice fluent reading.

Examine the First Half: Display the first half of the sentence, ending with “…friends” and adding a comma instead of a period after “friends.”

• Ask: Can you find the three independent clauses in this sentence? (They used to be buddies /I thought/They used to be friends)

• Ask: This sentence has at least two independent clauses. What kind of sentence is it? (compound)

• Ask: How are the two ideas in “They used to be buddies” and “They used to be friends” related to one another? (They both describe the same relationship.)

• Review that buddies and friends have similar denotations. Ask: Why do you think the author includes both of these clauses instead of just one?

  • The author uses repetition to emphasize that the characters’ former friendship is important.

Examine the Second Half: Display the second half of the sentence, beginning with “And now…”

• Ask: This sentence uses transition words to connect ideas. Can you find the transition word that shows a cause-effect relationship? (because) Can you find the transition word that shows when something is happening in time? (now)

Separate the sentence into three clauses: “And now … each other,” “because … a living,” and “and … West Side.”

• Ask: Which of these clauses is dependent? Which one cannot be a complete sentence on its own? (the clause beginning with because)

Return to the full second half of the sentence.

• Ask: This sentence has two independent clauses and one dependent clause. What kind of sentence is it? (compound-complex)

• Ask: How are the ideas in each clause related to each other?

  • The descriptions of each person’s situation explain why they hate each other.

• Ask: Based on what you already know about the setting of The Outsiders, why do you think the author says that Paul “comes from the West Side” to contrast him with Darry? What does this word choice suggest about class divides in the book?”

  • The West Side is a wealthy neighborhood where young people usually do not have to work for a living. This word choice suggests that class divides are related to where you live and that where you live affects who others think you are.

Examine the Order of Ideas: Rewrite the second half of the sentence in this order: “Because one has to work for a living and the other comes from the West Side, now they hate each other.”

Explain that authors often put important ideas, or ideas they want to emphasize, at the beginning or end of a sentence rather than in the middle.

• Ask: Which idea does the rewritten sentence end with? (They hate each other.)

• Ask: Which idea does the original sentence end with? (They come from different neighborhoods.)

• Ask: What do you think the author wants to emphasize? (the economic difference between the two characters)

Add the first half of the sentence to the end of the second half, creating the sentence “Because one has to work for a living and the other comes from the West Side, now they hate each other; they used to be buddies, I thought, they used to be friends.”

• Ask: Which idea does this sentence emphasize? (their former friendship)

Analyze the Complete Sentence: Display the complete sentence in its original version.

• Ask: How can you tell that this is a compound-complex sentence? (It has at least one dependent clause and at least two independent clauses.)

• Ask: How are the first half and the second half of this sentence related? What does the sentence explain about Darry and Paul’s relationship?

  • The first half of the sentence describes the past, and the second half contrasts it with the present. The sentence explains that Darry and Paul’s relationship changed over time because of their different circumstances.

Ask: Explain to a partner how identifying different parts of the sentence helped you to understand its meaning.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: This sentence uses a compound-complex construction to convey a lot of information. It summarizes some of the important character divides in The Outsiders, as well as how these divides can prevent connection. As you watch the film version of the scene, consider how these divides are displayed.

Part A: Compare Ideas Across Mediums: The Outsiders, Chapter 9 (RL.7.7, W.7.9) (15 minutes)

Prepare a brief video clip from a film version of The Outsiders that shows events reflected in Chapter 9, such as the preparation for the fight, the fight itself, and/or Johnny’s death. The scene from the fight itself is going to be the strongest to show the contrast.

Review: Ideas and Perspectives in Text and Film

Engage students in a brief discussion and review of how films present ideas differently from text. Books and films show perspective in different ways. In a book, authors use narration and dialogue to reveal what a character thinks and feels. In a film, directors use camera angles, lighting, sound, and pacing to show perspective and influence how viewers feel.

• Ask: How can a book show a character’s perspective? (Ex. The author can narrate from a character’s point of view or have them express ideas in dialogue.)

• Ask: How can a film show a character’s perspective? (Ex. The camera can show us what the character sees; the camera can zoom in on the character’s face or keep other characters in the background; the character can deliver a monologue or speech.)

Provide students with a Venn diagram to take notes on how Chapter 9 in the book and the corresponding scenes in the film show differences in perspective.

• Say these Directions: After watching the film scene, consider how it is similar to and different from the events of the book. Think about which characters’ perspectives are shown more clearly than others in both versions, and how both versions portray ideas of “us” and “them” by showing connections and divides between the characters. Additionally, pay attention to how the film and book develop themes of family, loyalty, and empathy.

• Say these Directions: The first time you watch the film scene, listen and focus on what you are seeing, hearing, and experiencing. The second time, take notes on what you observe. Use the Venn diagram.

Play the clip at least twice. The second time, pause as needed for students to write. If time is short, just show the clip once and pause during the viewing.

Compare How Mediums Show Character Perspective

Have students work in pairs or small groups to continue using the Venn diagram to compare/contrast.

Say these Directions: Complete the Venn diagram using details from the text and the film. Then use the information in the diagram to write two sentences: one about how the book shows perspective and one about how the film shows perspective.

• Optional Sentence Starter: The book shows perspective by _________. The film shows perspective by _____________.

  • (Venn diagram) Both: Both the book and the film show the rumble happening quickly and chaotically, emphasizing how intense and confusing the fight is. Book only: The book reveals Ponyboy’s inner thoughts, including his confusion about why the groups are fighting and his growing realization that the violence is meaningless. Film only: The film uses dark lighting, fast camera cuts, and close-ups of the Greasers to make the scene feel tense and to show how intimidating they might appear from the Socs’ perspective.

  • (Sentences) The book shows perspective by revealing Ponyboy’s inner thoughts, which help the reader understand his doubts about the violence and his changing view of the rumble. The film shows perspective by using lighting, camera angles, and pacing to create tension and show how the Greasers and Socs appear to one another during the fight.

Part B: Plan Outline of a Narrative Passage (W.7.3.a, W.7.3.b, W.7.3.c, W.7.3.d, W.7.3.e, W.7.4, W.7.10, RL.7.6) (15 minutes)

In the book, we saw how Ponyboy’s thoughts show his perspective. In the film, we saw how the camera and sound show perspective. Now you will create perspective by showing what a character thinks, feels, and notices. You will rewrite part of Chapter 9 from another character’s point of view using first-person narration.

Introduce Task: Rewriting a Passage or Scene

Remind students of their previous experience writing from a character’s point of view.

Say these Directions: In this lesson and the following lesson, you will rewrite part of Chapter 9 from another character’s point of view using first-person narration.

Show what the character thinks, feels, and notices.

Review which characters are included in Chapter 9 and add any new characters with significant roles (Ex. Tim, Paul) along with descriptive adjectives.

Provide the following list of scene/character options. The list is a starting point. Guide students to choose a smaller scene within the passage, as appropriate, or allow them to choose another character/passage within Chapter 9. Their chosen character needs to be “on stage,” so to speak, during the scene.

• Option 1: Darry or Soda POV: “I don’t know if you ought to be in this rumble …” to “holler and I’ll get you out.”

• Option 2: Darry or Paul POV: from “He stood there, tall, broad-shouldered…” to “…the rumble was on.”

• Option 3: Dally POV: from “We won…” to “…If I hadn’t been sick at the time.”

• Option 4: Dally or Johnny POV: from “The cop left us…” to “down the hall.”

Say these Directions: To make your scene as effective as possible, keep these guidelines in mind and remember what you have already learned about narrative craft.

Provide and discuss the following guidelines.

• The rewritten scene can have one to three paragraphs. If you include dialogue, remember to include a new paragraph for each new speaker.

• Your narration and dialogue should be original, using your own words. You can use Hinton’s dialogue as an inspiration for how your character will sound, but don’t copy it directly.

• Think about how you want to pace the scene. Which parts do you want to move along with quickly, and which parts do you want the reader to focus on longer? For instance, you may want to describe your character’s inner thoughts in a way that the original scene does not include, or your character may notice things that Ponyboy does not. In this case, you will pace the narrative more slowly to communicate these ideas.

• Your rewritten scene may be shorter or longer than the original scene if you need it to be.

• Include at least one transition (e.g., then, because, suddenly) to show how events unfold and how ideas are connected.

• Think about how your writing will express themes of family, loyalty, or empathy. For instance, how will you show that family or loyalty is important to a character? How will you show a character demonstrating empathy across a divide? Remember that there can be divides within the same group, such as within the Greasers. Use specific details or sensory language (what the character sees, hears, or feels) to help the reader understand the character’s experience.

• When you write, consider how you can use compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to show different relationships among ideas.

• Include a description of the effect or outcome of the scene on the character.

Outline a Rewritten Passage

Briefly review the steps in the PLACE strategy as a class.

• P: Who are the people in the scene? Whose point of view is shown?

• L: Where is the scene located? When does it happen? Does it describe or “flash back” to a time in the past? Does it take place over a long or short period of time?

  • Mention that as students consider location and time, they should also consider pacing—how long the events of the scene last. Do they take place over a few minutes, or several hours? Do a character’s inner thoughts take up a lot of time, while only a little time is passing in “real life”?

• A: What does the character want? What is their goal, or aim?

• C: What challenges the character and keeps them from reaching their goal?

• E: What is the ultimate effect on the character?

Then have students outline their passage by completing the following sentence frames. As necessary, share the sample responses as models. To streamline the draft, you could provide a document to students for them to fill out.

I’ll rewrite the Chapter 9 scene where [briefly describe what happens in the scene] __________________. I’ll write from [character’s]_____________ perspective. I’ll include dialogue between _________ and ____________.

• I’ll rewrite the Chapter 9 scene where Dally drives Ponyboy to the hospital. I’ll write from Dally’s perspective. I’ll include dialogue between Dally and Ponyboy.

What is important to [character] in this scene is ____________________. [Character] wants _____________________. The challenge [character] faces is _________________________. This challenge affects [character] because _____________________________. The character responds by ___________.

• What is important to Dally in this scene is getting to see Johnny before he dies. Dally wants to tell Johnny they won the rumble. The challenge Dally faces is that Johnny is likely to die soon. This challenge affects Dally because he does not have much time. The character responds by speeding in his car as he reflects on what he wished he told Johnny.

I want to focus on the moment when __________________________. I want to show that [character] feels _______________________. I’ll show this through [the character’s dialogue/narration of the character’s inner thoughts].

• I want to focus on the moment when Dally explains he wished he had told Johnny to be tough and hard like him. I want to show that Dally feels guilty about Johnny’s death. I’ll show this through narration of Dally’s inner thoughts.

The scene will develop the theme of [family/loyalty/empathy]. It will develop this theme by ________________.

• The scene will develop the theme of family. It will develop this theme by describing how Dally feels like an older brother to Johnny, as if he is responsible for Johnny.

Say: As you planned your own scene, you had to decide how to show perspective—just like the author and filmmaker did.

Lesson 31 Writing Rubric: Narrative Paragraph — Across Perspectives 1

Writing prompt: Write a narrative paragraph from a different character's perspective in The Outsiders. Show the same event from this new point of view, using specific details and voice to reveal how this character's perspective differs from the original narrator's.

Turn and Talk

Say these Directions: Think about your answer to the following question. Then discuss your thoughts with a partner.

• Ask: How did experiencing the same scene in two different mediums—book and film—change or deepen your understanding of “us” and “them”?

  • Optional Sentence Starter: “The book and the film showed me that ____. Both versions shape the audience’s view of “us” and “them” by _____.”

    • The film emphasizes visible differences between groups through clothing, body language, and setting, which makes the divide between “us” and “them” feel immediate. The book also describes these differences, but it deepens understanding by including Ponyboy’s thoughts about how Greasers are judged unfairly. Both versions show how people are grouped based on appearance, but the book more clearly explains how those judgments affect Ponyboy’s perspective.

Instruct students to take notes in their Journal on the following prompt:

• Brainstorm two to three ideas for the narrative you will write during the Showcase. Consider moments where you may have felt like an outsider or connected to someone else across a divide (differences in group, background, beliefs, etc.). What is a story you think is important for you to tell?