In chapter six, Ponyboy and Johnny rescue children from a burning church; prior to that they are negatively characterized by their association with a gang-style group. For this project, have students read chapter six, then complete a chart of the character traits that make the boys heroes in the church rescue and "bad boys" in their roles as greasers. Once they have discussed the traits, prompt the students to write their essay based on which modern social groups the boys would both belong to and be excluded from. This project encourages students to use their critical thinking skills to draw comparisons between their own lives and literature.
To introduce the idea of "out" groups, show a short slideshow or Power Point presenting modern-day outsiders such as gang members, heavily tattooed and pierced people, even foreigners in native dress. Direct students to record their reactions to each picture. As a class, discuss the idea of what it means to be an outsider. Next, remind students that the term "outsiders" never appears in the novel. Have them write an essay based on the following prompt: to whom is the author referring as "outsiders." To engage their higher order thinking skills, have them create a poster project with the essay and pictures of people they think of as outsiders.
Students can combine a character analysis essay with creative elements as a culminating project. Direct students to choose a character they like; they brainstorm about that character's personality and write an essay analyzing the character. As another part of the project, instruct them to pretend they are the producer of a movie based on the book. They create a list of actors to portray the characters with a small rationale attached to each name. Finally, have them create a commercial advertizing their upcoming movie. Students use their analysis skills to write the essay and interpret the characters in real life.
Adolescent students are often still exploring their identities, and "The Outsiders" offers a chance for them to investigate themes related to that. Start out with a group discussion or journal prompts related to identity. For instance, have them consider what makes up their identity and how it's influenced by others. For the essay, prompt them to compare themselves to one of the characters in the book, explaining the similarities and differences. Guide them to then express the two identities, the character's and their own, in a creative project such as a diorama or a video.