Lesson 4: The Outsiders, Chapter 1, Part 1

Academic Talk

Directions: Learn the Academic Talk routine and use the cue cards with discussion sentence starters.

• 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 . . .”

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

• 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?

Briefly review literary elements you learned in Grade 6, such as point of view and perspective.

Connection to Today’s Learning

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.

Morphology & Vocabulary

Target Words: disgrace, unfathomable

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

Introduce the Word: Learn the word disgrace and how to pronounce it.

• Have you seen this word before? Where?

Identify the Root: Underline the root word grace in disgrace and learn that it comes from the Latin word gratia, meaning “pleasing quality,” “good will,” or “favor.”

• Do you know any other words with the root grace?

Identify Affixes: Circle dis- in "disgrace" and learn that it means "not" or "away".

• What other words use dis- to mean “not” or “away”?

Determine Meaning:

• 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?

Build Word Relationships: Write disgraceful next to disgrace.

• What is the relationship between disgraceful and disgrace?

Introduce the Word: Learn the word unfathomable and how to pronounce it.

• Have you seen the word unfathomable before? Where?

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

• What do you think the prefix un- means, based on other words you know with the prefix, such as unhappy or untied?

Learn that the suffix –able means capable of or fit for, and that able means you can do something.

• What other words use -able to mean “capable of” or “fit for”?

• What does it mean if you are unable to do something?

• Using what you know about the word fathom and the suffix -able, what do you think it means for something to be fathomable?

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). 

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

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

Build Word Relationships: Write fathom next to unfathomable.

• What is the relationship between the verb fathom and the adjective unfathomable?

Part A: Identify Key Details and Point of View

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.

Directions: Work together to annotate the second paragraph. Use sticky notes to mark words and sentences that show who Ponyboy is, and pause to answer questions during reading.

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

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

Part B: Annotate Text to Learn About Character

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, 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?

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

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

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

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

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

Turn and Talk

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 ___.