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.
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Student Instructions
Create a plot diagram for an original story that takes ideas from The Outsiders.
In order to modernize a story, students need to thoroughly understand the original. Take some time with students to discuss the story overall, paying careful attention to the theme and the way the characters interact.
The theme is the lesson the reader learns about life after reading a story, and is played out through the characters' interactions, the plot, and the conflict. Scaffold with students to ensure their understanding of theme, making sure they realize there can be more than one theme.
Students will have fun modernizing the story, and they can storyboard a modern story line using dialogue, pictures, and an adaption of the theme.
The theme of a story is what the reader learns about life after reading a story. Themes are universal and transcend time and space. When students create a modern day adaption, they use the same themes but modernize language, dress, transportation, etc.
When students use their creativity to create a modern day adaption of a story such as The Outsiders, they must thoroughly understand the original in order to do so. Having a firm grasp on the characters, how they relate, the themes, and the overall plot line will offer students the basis for their creativity.