Introduction

Date: December 21, 2012 Subject: Reading Class Length: Two 60 Minute Periods Grade Level: 8th Grade Objective: By the end of the period students will be able to rationalize the differences between the novel The Outsiders and the movie adaptation. Common Core Standards: Reading 7. Analyze the extent to which a filmed or live production of a story or drama stays faithful to or departs from the text or script, evaluating the choices made by the director or actors. Writing 1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically. b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text. Overview of Lessons: During the lessons, the students will be able to determine the similarities and differences between the movie and book adaptations of The Outsiders. They will be able to support their conclusions with evidence from both sources, and use reasoning skills to formulate possible reasons those differences exist. Expectations of Prior Knowledge: The students will have completed the novel unit for The Outsiders and shown understanding of the plot, characters, setting, and themes. They will also have contextual knowledge of the author, the novel, and the movie related to their critical reception and time period of release.

Materials
The Outsiders Comparison Sheet Pencil The Outsiders Movie

Procedures
Warm-Up: Write about a book you have read in the past that was also a movie. These could be fairy tales (Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin) or other novels (Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Twilight). What were some of the differences between the movie versions and the books?

This warm up question gets students thinking critically about materials they have read and watched before, and practices an essential skill for the following lessons. During discussing students should be able to support their claims with evidence from both sources. They should also be using literary terms such as plot, narrator, setting, characters, and theme in their answers. Guiding questions for students would be: Were there any differences in the personalities of characters? and Did the movie leave out any important events or add any not included in the book? Lesson: Over the next two days, students will be watching the movie version of The Outsiders. In preparation (during the reading of the novel) each person would have been filling in the novel side of the comparison sheet. This will provide more accurate results because the information will still be fresh while they are reading. The students responsibilities during the movie will be to fill in differences between the film and the novel on the comparison chart. There are major differences in the presentation of characters and plot, so the students should easily pick up on those. Dont forget to stop the movie at the first few important differences so that the process can be modeled. The minor differences in theme and setting should be provided by questioning the students, as some might miss these. At the end of the first day the exit slip should be: What is one of the biggest differences so far in the movie? Before starting the movie the next day, question the students for understanding. Some examples of probing questions are: What is one of the biggest differences in the characters? and Why do you think they chose to do that with the character instead of what the book said? Another interesting question that could be asked is Do you think the changes in the world from the time the book was written in (1960s) until the time the movie was made (1980s) impacted the way in which the movie was made? Do you think the differences in our culture between the time periods caused the movie to be made differently so that it would be more meaningful to the modern audience? Make sure to point out that the choice of actor could have caused the differences if no one else does so. Finish the movie while continuing to fill in the differences on the comparison sheet. Once the movie is finished we will create a master sheet of differences as a class. This can be used to fill in any pieces that individuals might have missed as well as synthesizing the knowledge. Extension: With any remaining class time the students will begin brainstorming ideas for their final paper for The Outsiders unit. The paper topic is as follows: There are many similarities and differences between the book and movie adaptations of The Outsiders. What are three things that changed from the book to the movie? Why do you think these things were changed? What is something you thought might change from the book to the movie but did not? Support your answers with evidence from both the movie and the book. Some brainstorming questions could be: Why do you think that the changes you listed were made from the book to the movie? Did it have to do with the time period or the actors? and What is something you thought might change in the movie but didnt? Why did you think it would, and why do you think it didnt?

The Outsiders Comparison Novel

Plot

Film

Characters

Setting

Themes