Game Board Example:
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My niece created the "Outsider Trivia Dash" after reading the book The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. She modeled it after candy land in the rules of how you play and move from different colors. She came up with different trivia questions that connected and tested your knowledge of the book. This seemed to be a really fun project for her. She spent many hours making sure her game was perfect and it definitely shows in her finished product. It wasn't an essay or a paper but it clearly demonstrated her knowledge of the text. I think this would be a really fun way for kids to show what they learned in a creative way. I also think it would be cool to "test" their knowledge by playing each others games. That would be much more fun and interactive than a boring reading quiz!! :)
Movie Trailer:
After the students read The Outsiders they can create a movie trailer of what they think others would be interested in. Just like real movie trailers the students need to create a video trailer that will catch viewers eyes (present to their fellow peers) to want to watch this movie based on the book (Burke, 1998). Here is an example:
Novel Billboard:
As in the movies, students can take what seems like the most compelling image(s) and create an ad, just like what they might see on billboards. This could also be done on a classroom bulletin board (if there is room). Students can present their work in any multimedia way to their peers (Burke, 1998). Here is an example:
Surf the Net:
Prior to, while, or after reading a book check out the Web and its offerings about the book, its author, or its subject. We were able to find a website a teacher set up for students to activate their prior knowledge before reading The Outsiders in a 1960's flashback activity. The website explains what students need to do. This can be done with a word document (as suggested) or students can create a powerpoint presentation, weebly, wiki, prezi, etc. (Burke, 1998). Here is the example:
Oprah's Book Club:
Host a talkshow: students play the host, author, and cast of characters. Allow questions from the audience. This can be done with the class with their designated parts and videotape the talk show and play back for the class to evaluate (Burke, 1998). Here is an example:
Storyboard:
Individually or in groups, students can create a storyboard for a chapter or the entire novel. This project could be done in groups for each chapter. Students can be assigned to do a storyboard for when the chapter is assigned to be read. After students read the chapter the group will present their storyboard about that chapter. This can allow for great conversation as well as a storyboard of the entire novel (Burke, 1998). Here are some examples:
Character Analysis Project – The Yearbook:
The Outsiders is well received by most students because it is a novel that they can relate to, sharing many of the sentiments and thoughts of the characters. Something else that all students can relate to is the yearbook and this activity will ask students to take their knowledge of the characters in The Outsiders, as well as their knowledge of the yearbook and combine them. Students will be asked to create a yearbook including the characters from the novel. They will construct this yearbook in a multimodal way (weebly, wiki, prezi, etc.). Inside, they must include pictures of the characters (i.e. photographs they take of people dressed up as the characters, pictures from the internet, or hand-drawn sketches), as well as quotes and information that is normally seen in a yearbook. The students will also have to include an explanation of why they used the photos, quotes and information that they chose to, using evidence from the novel (Weera, 2013). Here is the lesson link:
Character and Plot Analysis Project – The Book Soundtrack:
This book takes place in the 60s, but the challenges, and situations that the characters face in The Outsiders, are very much relevant today. As such, students are asked to create a CD of current music that would go with the book. Students will also create a CD cover (Weera, 2013). Here is the lesson link:
Relay Challenge:
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is a great coming-of-age novel that touches upon many themes, the main one being the eternal conflict between high school cliques and differing social stratas. This lesson plan will illustrate to students how even kids "given the rough breaks" can overcome adversity. This lesson plan is designed to engage students in various challenges, but in the end, will teach them that even kids who have "unfair" breaks in life can work doubly hard in order succeed. Greasers will be given a disadvantage in each relay challenge, while Socs are given a slight advantage. Just like in S.E. Hinton's novel, The Outsiders, Greasers "have all the rough breaks", according to Ponyboy, and the Socs are born into wealth and prosperity. This relay will illustrate (on a smaller scale) how Ponyboy and his brothers are choosing to fight through their disadvantages to overcome the statistics and make something of themselves. Students will also be posed this challenge: Do they give up or do they work harder to make the Socs advantages in each challenge inconsequential? (Hart, 2012). Here is the lesson plan link (gives exact steps):
Resources:
Burke, J. (1998). 103 things to do before/during/after reading. Retrieved from http://www.readingrockets.org/article/82/
Hart, L. (2012, January 17). The outsiders by s.e. hinton relay challenge!. Retrieved from http://www.brighthubeducation.com/high-school-english-lessons/28569-the-outsiders-lesson-plan-relay-challenge/
Weera, N. (2013, March 25). Novel project ideas for the outsiders. Retrieved from http://suite101.com/article/novel-project-ideas-for-the-outsiders-a173343
Burke, J. (1998). 103 things to do before/during/after reading. Retrieved from http://www.readingrockets.org/article/82/
Hart, L. (2012, January 17). The outsiders by s.e. hinton relay challenge!. Retrieved from http://www.brighthubeducation.com/high-school-english-lessons/28569-the-outsiders-lesson-plan-relay-challenge/
Weera, N. (2013, March 25). Novel project ideas for the outsiders. Retrieved from http://suite101.com/article/novel-project-ideas-for-the-outsiders-a173343