Grade Level: 6–9
Subject: ELA / Literature
Estimated Time: 2 class periods (90–120 minutes)
In this character map activity for The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, students will analyze key characters using a digital storyboard. This visual approach helps students better understand character dynamics and themes such as identity, loyalty, and socio-economic conflict.
This lesson supports social-emotional learning (SEL) by prompting students to explore perspectives, empathy, and the impact of personal choices. The character map also reinforces literary analysis skills aligned with Common Core standards.
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
| Ponyboy Curtis | Protagonist, Greaser | Darrel "Darry" Curtis | The oldest brother, gave up a promising football career to take care of his brothers after parents' death |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sodapop Curtis | Brother of Ponyboy and Darrel, Greaser | Two-Bit Mathews | Greaser, known for his switchblade |
| Steve Randle | Friends with Sodapop, thinks Ponyboy is annoying | Dallas “Dally” Winston | Toughest Greaser |
| Johnny Cade | Ponyboy's best friend | Sandy | Sodapop's girlfriend |
| Cherry Valance | Soc girl, dating Bob | Marcia | Friend of Cherry |
| Bob Sheldon | Soc, dies in fight | Paul Holden | Soc who challenges Darrel |
| Jerry Wood | A man that looks down on the gangs, despite Johnny and Ponyboy saving the children from the burning church | Tim Shepard | Leader of a different group of Greasers, friend of Dallas |
| Curly Shepard | Tim's tough younger brother, has a criminal record at the age of 15 | Mr. Syme | Ponyboy's English teacher |
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Each cell should focus on one character and include:
Make sure your storyboard:
If there is a long list of characters in a story, students are likely to feel overwhelmed. Offering them a template to keep track of the characters is extremely helpful, and gives them a place to write down their ideas and the little details about each of the characters.
How characters interact in the story is of extreme importance. Assist students in understanding which characters are Greasers and which are Socials, who is related, and who is going out with whom. There are many people to keep track of and students will benefit from your assistance in figuring out who is who.
Using a storyboard template will focus students as they find evidence about the characters in the book. They can write down quotes, explain character motivations, draw a picture of the characters, and keep all of their ideas together in one place.
Often young readers miss important details in a story as they read. By having students use character maps, they can keep track of little details and go back to reference them, thereby noticing the more intricate details that make up characterization. What seems unimportant at the time can have true importance as the story progresses.
A character's motivation is the reason why he or she does something. Understanding character motivation is integral for understanding the character's decisions and movements in a story. It is the heart of makes a character a character.
Even in fiction, characters do not exist in a vacuum. They are intricately tied to the other characters in books and the relationships they have are extremely important. Characters can influence other characters for positive or negative, and studying these relationships is important to understanding the books as a whole.