A fun way to do a more in depth analysis of a character and how they change is to create a Wanted Poster. Students can pick any character from The Outsiders, or they can be assigned by the teacher. They'll create a Wanted Poster that provides a description of the character, their gang alliance, important information, and the "reward", which will be where the character is at the end and how they've changed.
Teacher note: Add additional template options to the project by visiting our Wanted Poster template page!
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a Wanted Poster that analyzes a character from The Outsiders.
Before a creative project, it is a good idea to show students some examples of what they will be making so you can help frame the project for them. By showing some posters and talking about them, you will get the creative juices flowing.
Students will be making a Wanted Poster for one of the characters in The Outsiders. You can allow them to pick or assign them one. Explain that students will need to describe the character physically and emotionally, what he or she is wanted for, and how the character grows through the novel (the reward).
Some students love creative projects and will get to work immediately, while others need more help. As you move throughout the room, scaffold as needed so that students can synthesize everything they know about their character.
Students should analyze characters carefully when reading. They should include what the character says and does, what other characters say about them, how they interact with others, and any other important elements of the story that relate to the characters.
When students are asked to think outside of the box, they do away with rote memorization and are led to some deeper thinking. In order to create the wanted poster, students need to synthesize a lot of the elements of the story to complete it.