The Outsiders Modern Adaptation Activity

The Outsiders - Nerds vs. Jocks

Activity Overview

Parodies, satires, and modern day adaptations are rich with literary elements. Moreover, they are valuable assets for teaching students about literature. Through creative writing, students learn to use literary elements in context, committing mastery of these terms to memory. It also allows students to connect to the themes in the book in a more creative way, as their adaptation will have to draw from the novel.

Students will enjoy creating their own modern day adaptation, and this is a valuable assignment to help students connect to the themes presented in the story. Have students rewrite the ending by choosing a more contemporary setting, or by choosing a current event that is closely related to the plot of The Outsiders.

Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 6-8

Difficulty Level 2 (Reinforcing / Developing)

Type of Assignment Individual or Partner

Type of Activity: Modern Day Adaptations: Parody and Satire

Common Core Standards

[ELA-Literacy/W/7/3] Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
[ELA-Literacy/W/7/4] Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)
[ELA-Literacy/W/7/6] Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources.

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Template and Class Instructions

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Student Instructions

Create a plot diagram for an original story that takes ideas from The Outsiders.

Plan out an original story using Exposition, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution.
Create an image that represents an important moment or set of events for each of the story components. This is YOUR story, so get creative!
Write a description of each of the steps in the plot diagram.

Story Outline Storyboard Template

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Rubric

(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)

Plot Diagram Rubric (Grades 9-12)

Create a plot diagram for the story using Exposition, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution.

	Proficient 25 Points	Emerging 21 Points	Beginning 17 Points	Try Again 13 Points
Descriptive and Visual Elements	Cells have many descriptive elements, and provide the reader with a vivid representation.	Cells have many descriptive elements, but flow of cells may have been hard to understand.	Cells have few descriptive elements, or have visuals that make the work confusing.	Cells have few or no descriptive elements.
Grammar/Spelling	Textables have three or fewer spelling/grammar errors.	Textables have four or fewer spelling/grammar errors.	Textables have five or fewer spelling/grammar errors.	Textables have six or more spelling/grammar errors.
Evidence of Effort	Work is well written and carefully thought out. Student has done both peer and teacher editing.	Work is well written and carefully thought out. Student has either teacher or peer editing, but not both.	Student has done neither peer, nor teacher editing.	Work shows no evidence of any effort.
Plot	All parts of the plot are included in the diagram.	All parts of the plot are included in the diagram, but one or more is confusing.	Parts of the plot are missing from the diagram, and/or some aspects of the diagram make the plot difficult to follow.	Almost all of the parts of the plot are missing from the diagram, and/or some aspects of the diagram make the plot very difficult to follow.