Tanya Harrison, Mike Gurski, Lexi Vandermeulen, Jordan Fauth

Outsiders Introduction
Lesson #1 January 26th
45 minutes
GENERAL OUTCOMES
General Outcome 1: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to
explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences
SPECIFIC OUTCOMES
1.1: Express ideas and develop understanding
1.2: Combine ideas
PROCESS OUTCOCOMES
Seek out and consider diverse ideas, opinions and experiences to develop and
extend own ideas, opinions and experiences
Exchange ideas and opinions to clarify understanding and to broaden personal
perspectives
CROSS-CURRICULAR CONNECTIONS
Social Studies: Develop skills of critical thinking and creative thinking: evaluate
ideas, information and positions from multiple perspectives
NUMERACY/LITERACY; ENGAGED/ETHICAL/ENTREPRENEURIAL STUDENT
Demonstrate global and cultural understanding
Think critically
KAGAN STRATEGIES/INSTRUCTIONAL INTELLIGENCES
Think, pair, share
EBS (t chart)
Wait time
MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES/LEARNING STYLES
Interpersonal
Visual
Intrapersonal
BLOOMS TAXONOMY GUIDING QUESTIONS
While discussing in the groups, the students will indirectly be answering
questions such as:
a) Explain and justify your feelings during the activity.
b) Interpret the reasoning for the activity.
c) Explain how this activity can be applied to real life situations.

Tanya Harrison, Mike Gurski, Lexi Vandermeulen, Jordan Fauth

MATERIALS
Paper money
Prizes (Approximately three items)
White board and markers

MANIPULATIVES
Paper money

TEACHER ACTIVITIES
Anticipatory Set (Hook)
This lesson begins with an auction. Tell the students to make checkmarks on the
small pieces of paper that is provided for them for every question that applies to
them. After the seven questions, divide the class into eight groups according to
how many questions applied to them. Assign a student to hand out the five dollar
bills (one bill per correct question). The odds will be stacked in favor of some
students in the classroom, while others will have very little (if any) statements that
apply to them. This is to help set the tone for the auction. If some of the students
catch on and start bickering over how the questions are the same or how they are
stacked against a group of individuals, play it off and act as if it is not your fault
and is just a coincidence. (NOTE: These statements were changed to fit the
students in our EDTS class, however we would have a different set of statements
for our grade eight classroom)

The statements:
Anyone over the age of 20 gets $5
Anyone who has children gets $5
Anyone in at least their second year of post secondary gets $5
Anyone born before 1995 gets $5
Anyone who doesnt live with their parents or in college res gets $5
Anyone who is married or engaged gets $5
Anyone who is of legal drinking age in the U.S. gets $5
Hold a classroom auction with all students (using the fake $5 bills and the candy
as prizes), but encourage the students with $10 or less to stand off to the side
because they dont really have enough money to win anything. Support the idea of
segregation between the people with money and the people without money. While
the auction is going on, allow the students with money to talk and laugh. However,
if the students that are off to the side try to talk or join in, discourage them by
telling them that they do not have enough money and so they shouldnt bother
trying. Also if the students without money start to complain, tell them to be quiet
because we do not want them to ruin the auction for the students enjoying it.

Tanya Harrison, Mike Gurski, Lexi Vandermeulen, Jordan Fauth

If the group with less money wants to join their money together to try and buy an
item from the auction, it will be allowed. If that happens, allow those students a
few seconds of false hope before mentioning the idea to the rich group of people
that they could do the same thing and ruin the others groups chances at buying
anything. See how this plays out. However, do not mention the idea of working as
a team to join money together and see if the students are able to come up with it on
their own. If not, they will be told in their reflection (after the auction is over) that
they could have worked together to see what their reactions would be.

[ 15 min]
Practice/Development
While everyone is still segregated (the richer group and the poorer group), ask the
student the following questions to allow them to reflect on the auction. Get the
students to think, pair, share with a partner and then talk as a whole group in order
to provide optimal participation. Make sure that there is proper wait time to ensure
a group discussion and then call on students from each group to summarize the
points that have been discussed. While the students share their answers for the
class, create a t chart on the whiteboard and fill in the answers that they give. This
way, the students will be able to clearly identify the different feelings for both
groups during the auction. After the class is over, the teacher should copy down
the t chart and make a copy for each student in the class. Also, write down any
questions that they had on the bottom of the page, so that they can use this sheet as
a reference throughout the novel to remember how the two different gangs have
different perspectives.
a) How did this activity make you feel?
b) Do you think that this auction was fair? Why or why not.
c) If you were a rich student (if not, then imagine you were), would have you
tried to share your money with the poor or keep if for yourself?
d) Can an individual be better than another individual, or are all people equal?
e) Should people with more money be treated better than people without as much
money?
f) What do you think would have happened if the poor people grouped their
money together during the auction? What about if the rich did the same? What
would be the result?
These questions should have got the students thinking about values that they have,
and whether most people have the same values or if the students who had more
money in the auction had a different way of thinking than the students who had
less money based solely on their experiences in class. Once the class has had a
group discussion and there are no more questions from the students, allow them to
go back to their seats. Then get them to brainstorm at their table with their elbow
partners as to 1) Why the teacher got them to participate in an unfair auction and
2) Explain how this activity can be applied or found in real life situations. Allow
adequate wait time and then hear from each group. This leads into the introduction

Tanya Harrison, Mike Gurski, Lexi Vandermeulen, Jordan Fauth

of the novel The Outsiders, as real life applications include the two gangs in the
novel that do not get along due to one group thinking that they are better than the
others.
[ 15 min]
Play the fight scene from the movie to get the students engaged in the novel. The
fight scene also helps to illustrate how two groups with opposing opinions can end
up if they leave their conflicts unresolved. Lastly, introduce the book and make
sure the students realize that all of the themes that were discussed in class are
present in the novel.
[ 5 min]
Check for Understanding
While doing the class discussion, make a t-chart on the white board. Get the
students feedback on feelings from both sides and any opinions they may have.
While students are brainstorming their ideas, walk around the classroom to make
sure they are on the right track. It should be quite evident whether the students
understand it or not as this lesson focuses more on the emotions to create a
connection for the students while they read the novel.
Closure/Reflection
At the end of the lesson, explain to the students how the novel relates to the
auction that they participated in or witnessed in class. In The Outsiders, all of the
emotions that were felt in class are portrayed through the two different gangs. The
novel follows the lives of two gangs, one rich and one poor. Explain how in class,
while reading the novel, we will explore the affects of injustice and how the gangs
deal with the situations they are in.
[ 5 min]
MODIFICATIONS and EXTENSIONS
Use the smartboard for t chart
EVALUATION and ASSESSMENT
Formatively observe the group discussions and feedback presented in class
NOTES AND REVISIONS