Digital Unit Plan Template

Unit Title: What Does It Mean To Be An Outsider?

Name: Kyle Nault

Content Area: English

Grade Level: 8th

CA Content Standard(s)/Common Core Standard(s):

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.1
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text,
including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.3
Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a
character, or provoke a decision.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative
meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions
to other texts.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.6
Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created
through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.7
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 STANDARDS
W.9-10.4 - Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose,
and audience.
W.9-10.7 - Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question or solve a problem; narrow or broaden
the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under
investigation.
W.9-10.9 - Draw evidence from literary or informational text to support analysis, reflection and research.

Big Ideas/Unit Goals:

-Demonstrate an understanding of the themes, main ideas, and events of a novel.

-Identify and explain connections between new ideas/information and a characters previous beliefs, values,
and experiences.
-Define and understand the terms stereotype and judgment, as well as identify the difference between
cliques and gangs, and how they relate to characters in the selected readings.
-Compare and contrast the 1960s and 2000s in regards to culture (how they dressed, what social activities
they participated in).

-Compose a wide variety of writing assessments in regards to identity, self-identity, and Outsider themes.
Unit Summary:

8th grade is a unique time when many students start transitioning from children into adults through a process
called adolescence. In fact, adolescence is a period of several different transitions: biological, psychological,
social, and economic. Adolescent youth, especially 8th graders, can relate to S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders as
the characters in the novel learn how to deal with peer groups, group uniqueness, and self-exploration. This
unit will not only allow for students to gain an appreciation for a classic piece of literature, but it will allow
them to learn about their own identity and become more aware of the changes they are undergoing.
As part of our unit plan, students will create an all-encompassing portfolio, which will be made up of their
assignments, journal entries, in-class worksheets, and their final project. The portfolio will reflect students
progress made in the unit, and will examine our essential question: What Does It Mean To Be An Outsider?
The journal entries will be written from prompts provided by Mr. Nault. The final project on the novel will allow
for all students to discover their own identity and how it relates to one of the characters in the novel. Do you
like reading books like Ponyboy? Would you like to be "Superman" like Darry? Perhaps handsome and
charming like Sodapop? Our final project will allow for you to dig deeper and relate to one of the characters!

Assessment Plan:
Entry-Level:

Formative:

Summative:

Brainstorming-What Does It Mean

To Be An Outsider?

Comprehension Quizzes

LiteraryandFilmAnalysisEssay

Studentswillanalyzetheextenttowhicha
filmedorliveproductionofastoryor
dramastaysfaithfultoordepartsfromthe

As a class, students will brainstorm

and examine the theme of Identity

Every four chapters, students will

be given a thorough
comprehension quiz on important

using a semantic map. This

activates prior knowledge and
allows the teacher insight into
students experiences and
assumptions in relation to their
own identity. An informal
assessment, the semantic map will
allow my students to clearly define
the overarching unit question of:
What Does It Mean To Be An
Outsider? The term outsider will
be found at the center of the
semantic map as my students
describe characteristics that depict
an individual lost on the outside.

Music Assignment-Elvis and The

Beatles
Before reading the entirety of the
novel, students will choose an Elvis
or Beatles song that reminds them
of the two gangs: the Greasers or
the Socs. This activity would take
place after our Lesson 1
Introduction where they learn
about the characteristics of each
major character group. In a 200-

plot devices, themes, and

characters. Students will use their
reading response packets to aid
them in studying for these multiple
choice quizzes. These quizzes will
be distributed throughout the
entire time we read The
Outsiders and will be key in
making sure that we adequately
understand the text.
Analysis Quizzes
At the midway point of our reading
and again at the end of the text,
students will have students will be
quizzed on literary analysis of the
novel. They will be given quotes
from the text and asked to write a
short paragraph explaining the
meaning, or what literary devices
are used to add to the plot. This
primarily assesses my students
writing and short-answer
capabilities.
Reading Response Packets
During the reading of the novel in

textorscript,evaluatingthechoicesmade
bythedirectororactors.Oneofthemajor
projectsinthisunit,thisformalpaper
assessescomprehensionofthenovel,film,
andisakeyapplicationofanalysisskills.
(SeeRubricBelow).

PersonalIdentityReflection

Studentswilleithercomposeaonepage
personalreflectionoruseacreativemedium
oftheirchoice(drawing,visualposter,
etc...)toconcludetheirexperiencewiththe
novel.Thisactivitywilladequately
demonstratewhattheylearnedabouttheir
ownidentity,andhowitrelatestoHintons
novel.Ultimately,thisprimarilyassesses
andgaugesonesunderstandingofthe
majorthemeinthetext.

word mini-essay, they will then

explain how the gangs identity
is present in the song they chose,
and how it relates to social life and
music today. This assesses
knowledge of big ideas and
creativity.

class, students will be asked to

respond to prompts and write at
least 2-3 sentences in their reading
response packets. The questions
will relate to the ideas presented in
the text and may ask students to
respond to a fill in the blank, or
an entire thought-provoking
question. This once again assesses
ones comprehension of the big
ideas of the text and writing
ability in my classroom.
Class Discussions Paired with Exit
Slips
Students will participate in class
and small group discussions about
key points in the novel. This
assesses analytical skills,
teamwork, and group cooperation.
This is an informal assessment.
Discussions would always be
paired with exit tickets. Exit tickets
would take the form of a sticky
note that a student would paste on
a poster placed in the back of the
classroom. They would answer the
question: What Stuck with you

in The Outsiders today?

New Media Project-Knovio
Narration
Students will create a narrated
video project using the educational
technology Knovio. As part of the
activity, students will select a
character from the novel and then
complete a short 200 word minidialogue in which they continue
onward as that selected character
from any dialogue in the story. This
assesses a students writing ability
as they will be writing a dialogue
script and also assesses ones
technological skills and creativity.
The Outsiders-News Report Story
After reading the first half of the
novel, students will choose an
event from the text that they
would deem newsworthy. After
choosing that specific newsworthy
event from The Outsiders , my
students would then write a news
story about it from the perspective

of a TV or radio news anchor. They

will then use the education
technology Knovio or Prezi to
create an audio or visual recording
their stories and adding other
special effects.
Lesson 1
Student Learning
Objective:

Acceptable Evidence
(Assessments):

Lesson Activities:

Students will learn the

basics of Identity and
what it means to be
called an Outsider.

Naming Graphic
organizer

-Students will participate in an in-class lecture analyzing themes from the novel
-Students will work to understand new characters names and if they belong to the
Greasers or the Socs.

Lesson 2
Student Learning
Objective:

Using a webercise to
learn about the
background and history
of The Outsiders and
1960s culture that we
will be focusing on in
this unit.

Acceptable Evidence:

Lesson Activities:

The Outsiders
Webquest Worksheet

- Students will be given the webercise as homework.

- Students will use the provided links in each section to learn and answer questions
about the novel covered in the unit.
- Students can also dive further into the Hintons work by completing her section in
the webercise.

Lesson 3
Student Learning
Objective:

Students will be able to

Acceptable Evidence:

Students will use an

Lesson Activities:

Students will identify new vocabulary in the provided text.

analyze and make

personal connections
from the novel
using a double-entry
dialectical journal.

dialectical journal
coupled with
discovering new
vocabulary to find
meaning and literary
devices that are
important in the
interpretation of what a
character says or does.

- Students will use the interactive journal to make personal connection, point out
important lines (words, dialogue, etc...) that contribute to the overall meaning of the
text.
- Students will bring the dialectical journals into class the following day and will
discuss with the class.

Unit Resources:

The Outsiders Full Text (In Case You Forget Your Copy In Class) -http://nisbah.com/summer_reading/the-outsiders_se_hinton.pdf
The Outsiders Literature Guide -http://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-outsiders/
1960's Greasers Subculture-A History -http://www.worldlibrary.org/articles/eng/greaser_(subculture)
Mr. Nault's-The Outsiders Double Entry Journal Packet (Word File found at http://naultdigitalunitplan.weebly.com/unit-resources.html)
The Outsiders Graphic Organizer Teacher Example - http://novelinks.org/uploads/novels/theoutsiders/graphicorganizer.pdf
S.E. Hinton-Author of The Outsiders-Official Website http://www.senhinton.com
The Outsiders 10 Question Assessment Quiz - https://www.webteaching.com/quiz/the-outsiders/quiz.html
The Outsiders Study Guide Questions and Essay Topics https://hrsbstaff.ednet.ns.ca/engramja/outsider.html
Learn Knovio (Option 1 For Your Personal Narration Project) https://www.knovio.com/learn
Learn Present Me (Option 2 For Your Personal Narration Project) https://blog.present.me/how-tos/how-to-record-your-first-present-me

Useful Websites:

Purdue OWL - http://owl.english.purdue.edu/

Plagiarism tracker - http://www.plagtracker.com/
Knight Cite - http://www.calvin.edu/library/knightcite/?
Character web - http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/magazines/scope/pdfs/SCOPE-REPRO-021808-11.pdf