Lesson 4: The Outsiders, Chapter 1, Part 1

Have students take out The Outsiders with their annotations.

• Lesson 3 Homework: Students read Chapter 1. They were asked to consider the role that the poverty of the 1960s may have played in the lives of teenagers like Ponyboy.

Academic Talk

Introduce the Academic Talk routine. Provide cue cards with lists of talk stems for students:

• Add-on talk stems:

  • “I’d like to add that . . .”

  • “I want to add some more detail to that idea . . .”

  • “I also noticed that . . .”

  • “This reminds me of . . . because . . .”

• Clarify talk stems:

  • “Can you tell me more about . . .”

  • “Can you explain why . . .”

  • “Could it also be that . . .”

Briefly model the routine by asking a student to draw on prior knowledge (including from Spark lessons) to identify a group that protested or fought for civil rights in the 1960s (for example, women, Black Americans). Use a talk move to connect details of 1960s culture and history to The Outsiders:

• Say: I want to add some more detail to that idea and point out that there was social tension between different groups. One group had fewer rights and opportunities, and they fought for equality. This reminds me of the “warfare between the social classes” that separates the Greasers and the Socs in The Outsiders. Unequal rights and opportunities contributed to tension between the two groups.

Say these Directions: Follow the Academic Talk routine by using Add-on and Clarify talk stems to answer the questions.

• Ask: As we explored the 1960s, we learned about the “War on Poverty” and how poverty affected many Americans’ lives, including young people and people of working age. How do you think poverty affects the lives of Ponyboy and his brothers and friends in The Outsiders? Which examples from the text show you these effects?

  • I think poverty affects Ponyboy and his brothers because they have had to grow up very quickly to survive. Ponyboy says that Darry “works too long and hard” to be interested in stories or art and that Darry has “gone through a lot in his twenty years.” These statements suggest that Darry has to work hard to earn enough money to support the family, even though he is young himself.

As necessary, briefly review literary elements students learned in Grade 6, including point of view and perspective.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Today, you’ll review how an author uses a narrator’s point of view to provide context and bring readers into the world of a story, to introduce a main character, and to develop a theme. You’ll practice annotating the text, or marking details that help answer a question or explain an idea. You’ll also practice gathering evidence to answer text-dependent questions about a text’s theme, or main idea, and point of view.

Introduce and analyze target vocabulary using morphology to support word meaning and comprehension. Guide students in breaking down roots and affixes, making language connections, and applying context clues to deepen understanding.

Morphology & Vocabulary

Target Words: disgrace, unfathomable

Say these Directions: We’re learning about the words disgrace and unfathomable today. First, let’s explore the word disgrace more deeply.

Introduce the Word: Present the word disgrace to students and pronounce it.

1. Ask: Have you seen this word before? Where?

Identify the Root: Underline the root grace in disgrace. Explain that grace comes from the Latin word gratia, meaning “pleasing quality,” “good will,” or “favor” in the sense of approval.

• Ask: Do you know any other words with the root grace? (graceful, gracious, gratitude)

Language Connection: The Spanish word gracias, meaning “thank you,” comes from the same Latin root. This meaning connects to grace as related to gratitude, or a description of qualities someone is thankful for.

Identify Affixes: Circle dis- in disgrace. Explain that dis- means “not” or “away.”

• Ask: What other words use dis- to mean “not” or “away”? (disagree, dislike, disappear)

Language Connection: The prefixes dis- and des- in Spanish mean “not,” “apart,” or “away,” similarly to English. For instance, discontinuar means “to discontinue,” or to stop doing something.

Determine Meaning:

• Say: We know that dis- can mean “not,” or the opposite of something. If you disagree with someone, you don’t agree with them; you do the opposite. What do you think could be the opposite of grace, or the opposite of something that pleases you or that you approve of? What do you think disgrace might mean? (disgrace: a source of shame, disapproval, or embarrassment)

Build Word Relationships: Write disgraceful next to disgrace.

1. Ask: What is the relationship between disgraceful and disgrace? (A disgraceful person, place, thing, or behavior is shameful or embarrassing; disgrace is the noun that describes this condition.)

Repeat the routine with unfathomable.

Introduce the Word: Present the word unfathomable to students and pronounce it.

1. Ask: Have you seen the word unfathomable before? Where?

Identify the Root: Underline the root fathom in unfathomable. Explain that the verb fathom means to understand completely, after a lot of thought. It comes from the Old English word fæðmian, meaning “to surround or embrace.” As a noun, fathom means a unit of length used to measure the depth of water. As a verb, fathom means to understand something clearly or deeply; this meaning also connects to depth.

Identify Affixes: Circle un- and -able in unfathomable.

• Ask: What do you think the prefix un- means, based on other words you know with the prefix, such as unhappy or untied? (not, opposite of)

Explain that the suffix -able means “capable of” or “fit for.” The adjective able has a similar meaning. If you are able to do something, you can do it.

• Ask: What other words use -able to mean “capable of” or “fit for”? (breakable, usable, fashionable)

• Ask: What does it mean if you are unable to do something? (You cannot do it.)

• Ask: Using what you know about the word fathom and the suffix -able, what do you think it means for something to be fathomable? (You can understand it.)

Language Connection: The suffix -able is used with a similar meaning in French and Spanish. The Spanish word amable means “friendly and likable” (capable of being liked).

Read the Text Excerpt: “[Two-Bit] liked fights, blondes, and for some unfathomable reason, school. He was still a junior at eighteen and a half and he never learned anything. He just went for kicks” (The Outsiders, Chapter 1, p. 10). 

• Ask: What context clues in these sentences help you figure out what unfathomable might mean? Think about what you know about the character Two-Bit.

• Ask: Based on context clues, what do you think unfathomable means?

Confirm or explain that unfathomable means “impossible to understand” or “incapable of being understood.” Ponyboy cannot understand why Two-Bit, who has a fun-loving, joking personality and doesn’t seem to enjoy learning, would like school.

Build Word Relationships: Write fathom next to unfathomable.

1. Ask: What is the relationship between the verb fathom and the adjective unfathomable? (To fathom is to understand deeply; something unfathomable is something you cannot understand.)

Tell students that this vocabulary will be further analyzed in this lesson’s text analysis work.

Allow students to share their work. Once sharing is complete, affirm the connection.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Words such as unfathomable and disgrace help readers understand what Ponyboy notices about the people around him. As you review and annotate the text, pay attention to how Ponyboy’s descriptions of himself and others reflect his point of view as the narrator.

Move students into partnerships to engage in reading and discussion about the opening events of the text.

Part A: Identify Key Details and Point of View (RL.7.2, RL.7.6) (15 minutes)

When you start reading a book, it’s as if you are traveling somewhere new. You look for clues to help you learn more about your surroundings. Authors engage readers by providing context, or details that help you understand people, places, and events more clearly. The first chapter of The Outsiders gives context clues that bring the reader into the story’s time and place. Right away, the author introduces the narrator, Ponyboy. As Ponyboy shares his thoughts, experiences, and fears, the author uses his point of view to develop the story’s world. As we read, we can use Ponyboy’s narration to build an understanding of the story’s context.

Introduce and model annotating a text. Provide sticky notes and/or highlighters. Read the first paragraph of Chapter 1 aloud. Pause to annotate and talk through your annotations.

• Say: Ponyboy is thinking about “Paul Newman and a ride home” (p. 1). I know that Paul Newman was a popular actor in the 1960s. This background knowledge helps me infer when the story takes place. I’ll annotate, or mark, that this detail shows that the story is set in the 1960s.

• Say: As I read, I’m learning more about Ponyboy from how he describes himself. He says Paul Newman “looks tough and I don’t.” Looking tough seems important to Ponyboy; this detail tells me more about his perspective, or how he sees the world.

• Say: What about how others see Ponyboy? He mentions that he wears his hair “longer than a lot of boys wear theirs” (p. 1). I can guess that Ponyboy’s hair makes him different from many people around him. I’ll mark this as a character detail. Later in the sentence, Ponyboy indicates that a lot of the boys in his neighborhood also have long hair. I wonder if long hair is connected to being a greaser, which is how Ponyboy identifies himself. This detail shows me that Ponyboy feels that his appearance marks him as part of a group. The group also seems to be defined by a neighborhood. This is an important detail about the setting.

Say these Directions: We will now work together to annotate the second paragraph. Use sticky notes to annotate words, phrases, and sentences that help explain who Ponyboy is as a person. As we read, we will pause to answer these questions:

• Ask: What words and phrases would you use to describe Ponyboy, based on how he describes himself?

  • I would describe Ponyboy as introverted and self-conscious. He likes to watch movies by himself, which suggests that he likes being alone. He is aware of how he looks to others; he knows that people might think of him differently because of how he wears his hair. He also compares himself to other people, such as his brothers, and notices how he looks and acts differently from them.

• Ask: Which details show that Ponyboy feels different from other members of his gang? Why do you think these details are important?

  • Ponyboy says that no one else in his gang likes, or “digs” (p. 2), movies and books the way he does. He prefers to go to the movies alone so he can spend time by himself. These details suggest that Ponyboy feels like an outsider even in the group of his closest friends and family. They show the reader that Ponyboy’s perspective is unique and that he may have trouble imagining what people’s lives are like outside of his circle—he thinks he is the only one in the world who likes movies and books, because he’s the only person he knows who does. They also suggest that Ponyboy’s life is different in some ways from those of other members of his group. For instance, his older brother Darry doesn’t have much time to read because he works.

Part B: Annotate Text to Learn About Character (RL.7.2, RL.7.6) (15 minutes)

Move students into partnerships, providing them with sticky notes.

Say these Directions: You have learned to annotate key details about a story’s setting and characters. Now, annotate and investigate details with a partner.

Reread paragraphs 3–6 of Chapter 1 (pp. 2–3), using sticky notes to annotate details that reveal more about Ponyboy’s character, perspective, and identity, such as:

• Details that show how Ponyboy compares himself to people around him

• Moments when Ponyboy identifies himself as part of a group

Then, use your annotations to discuss some or all of these questions with your partner:

• According to Ponyboy, how are the Greasers and Socs different? What does Ponyboy think these differences mean?

  • Ponyboy explains that the Socs are richer than the Greasers and that the Greasers tend to be “wilder” (p. 3). From Ponyboy’s perspective, these differences mean that other people see the groups differently and may think better of the Socs than they do of the Greasers. But Ponyboy thinks neither group is better or worse than the other; they just have different life circumstances.

• Why do you think that newspapers describe the Socs as both a “disgrace” (p. 3) and an “asset” (p. 3) (something helpful or useful) to society?

  • The Socs get into trouble and do damage, but they are wealthy. Because of their wealth and opportunities, the newspapers may view them as responsible and intelligent. The newspapers may also suggest that the Socs are an “asset” because they attack the Greasers, whom others see as the bigger nuisance.

• Why do you think it is important that the Socs and the Greasers are from different parts of town?

  • This detail is important because the setting reinforces the division between the two groups. The division between parts of the town makes the groups’ division physical and visible. It also reinforces class and economic divisions, since the Socs are implied to be from the wealthier part of town.

• How does Ponyboy feel that Soda and Darry see him? What details show Ponyboy’s feelings about each brother’s perspective?

  • Ponyboy feels that Soda likes and admires him despite their differences; Ponyboy says that Soda “tries to understand, at least” (p. 2), even though Soda can’t really understand some things that are important to Ponyboy, such as books. From Ponyboy’s point of view, Darry sees his personality and choices as often unfathomable, as if he were an irresponsible child in need of protection. Ponyboy complains that Darry treats him as if he’s six, and he feels that Darry would criticize his decision to go to the movies alone. When Ponyboy says in his narration, “Sometimes I just don’t use my head” (p. 4), he may be imagining what Darry will tell him.

• How does belonging to a close-knit group affect Ponyboy’s self-image?

  • Ponyboy feels that being a member of the group is an important part of who he is. This has both positive and negative effects on his self-image. He appreciates being part of a group that is like family, and he is glad to have their protection. However, he sometimes compares himself negatively to other members of the group, such as by criticizing himself for being stupid enough to go to the movies alone. He may feel that he is vulnerable without the group and cannot defend himself on his own.

• How does author S. E. Hinton introduce themes of belonging and identity?

  • S. E. Hinton introduces a theme of belonging by showing how group membership can bring protection and safety as well as inspire loyalty. Group members will defend other members and view people outside the group as threats. For instance, Ponyboy feels threatened by the Socs because he knows that they will attack a Greaser who is alone. And belonging to the Greasers helps him survive, since they will defend him. The author also has the narrator, Ponyboy, identify himself to the reader by explaining which gang he is in and showing that physical traits, such as his hair, are a sign of membership.

As students analyze the text with partners, circulate and listen for text-based support or elaboration during their exchanges. Also consider asking pairs which questions they chose to discuss and why.

Have students write a short response using text evidence, then share with a partner to deepen understanding of character and point of view. Use discussion to reinforce how authors develop characters and their identities.

Turn and Talk

Say these Directions: Write three or four sentences to complete the sentence stem. Use specific evidence from the text in your response. Then, turn and talk to share your response with a partner.

• When author S. E. Hinton introduces Ponyboy, she helps readers understand him and his place in the world by ___.

  • When author S. E. Hinton introduces Ponyboy, she helps readers understand him and his place in the world by having Ponyboy describe his group’s reputation with others and how they compare to others. He explains that the Greasers are “poorer than the Socs and the middle class. I reckon we’re wilder, too” (p. 3). He understands that people may view him as wild because of the way he looks and because “most greasers do things like that” (p. 3)—theft and robbery. Even though he is personally careful to stay out of trouble, he knows that his group identity affects how others treat him.

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

• Choose one of these characters—Sodapop, Darry, or Dally—and use this character and Ponyboy to complete the Venn diagram, listing ways they are similar and different. Then use your Venn diagram notations to write a short paragraph about how Ponyboy compares himself to the character you chose. Does he wish he could be more like that character? Why or why not?