Hello 8th Graders,

You have your Outsiders test tomorrow! You have known about this for the last week, so everyone should be caught up on reading and prepared. You will need to know four things for your test.

1. Plot – key events
2. Characters – how do they change?
3. Themes – what does the story teach you? (Growing up, stereotypes/breaking them, group vs. individual)
4. Symbolism – what do certain things in the story represent? (colors, things that represent losing childhood, things that represent keeping childhood)

Have a great night,

Ms. Timpf

Hello all,

Below are the chapter 11 and 12 questions that we will review on Monday. Don’t forget that your Outsiders test will be Tuesday!

1. After Ponyboy studies the picture of Bob in the yearbook, what conclusions does he make about him?
2. What was Randy‘s purpose in visiting Pony? What was the outcome of their conversation?
3. Why do you think Ponyboy insists that he is the one who killed Bob and keeps saying that Johnny isn‘t dead?
4. Why do you think the judge‘s line of questioning is so easy on Ponyboy? Why is he acquitted?
5. What happens to Ponyboy‘s schoolwork, memory, and attitude about himself after the hearing? What opportunity does his teacher give him to make up for his problems in school?
6. Why does Soda bolt out the door?
7. After Pony and Darry go find Soda, the three of them talk. What is the result of their conversation?
8. What was in the note from Johnny that Ponyboy found when it fell out of his book?
9. What does Ponyboy finally decide to write about in his theme?
10. What is significant about the last sentence of the novel? Why?

On Monday, we will discuss the Pepsi bottle scene. I want you to think about how the scene relates to innocence/childhood and Two-Bit’s reaction to Ponyboy during this scene. Bring your ideas to the discussion on Monday!

Ms. Timpf

Hello all,

Here are the Chap. 10 questions and CER directions.

Chapter 10 Questions

1. Dally runs out ―like the devil was after him when he finds out Johnny is dead. According to Pony, why is Dally having so much trouble handling Johnny‘s death?
2. When Dally phones, what is his message? Why do you think he called?
3. According to Ponyboy, Johnny died gallant. What does he mean? What is different about the death of Dally?
4. Why do you think Ponyboy becomes so sick? What are his symptoms?
5. The narrator writes, ―And the ground rushed up to meet me very suddenly. What really happened?
6. Why is Ponyboy worried about whether or not he asked for Darry while he was in the hospital?

CER

Write a CEER to answer ONE of the following two questions:

(CEER- Claim, 2 pieces of evidence, reasoning)

1. Does Ponyboy want to participate in the rumble/the violence? Explain why or why not.
2. Is Ponyboy a Greaser or an Outsider? How do you know?

Hello all,

Over the last two days we have read chapters 8 and 9. The questions are below! Also, you will need to complete a ER for chapter 9. Directions below!

Chapter 8

1. Why does Johnny really want to live, even though he has thought of suicide in the past, and he would never be able to walk again?
2. When the nurse announces to Johnny that his mother is there to see him, how does he react? When Two-Bit and Ponyboy see Johnny’s mother, what happens? How do they react?
3. When Dally asks Two-Bit about his “fancy black-handled switch”, what do you think was his reason for asking? Why do you think Two-Bit hands it over to him “without hesitation”?
4. Pony had a sick feeling in his stomach about the rumble that night. Infer what you think he was worried about.
5. Cherry tells Ponyboy about the kind of person Bob “really” was. How does she describe him?
6. Cherry says about Bob, “He could be sweet sometimes, and friendly. But when he got drunk… it was that part of him that beat up Johnny.” Explain the differences between reason and excuse. Do you believe that if someone has been drinking, it is an excuse, or is it a reason, for inappropriate behavior? Try to use examples in your answer.

Chapter 9

• Why do the boys fight? Why is Pony different?
• What is the difference between Tim Sheppard’s gang and Ponyboy’s? Explain how Pony feels this difference might give his group the upper hand?
• What do you think Johnny’s last words to Pony mean?
• Predict. Dally runs out of Johnny’s room. What is he going to do?

CEER

Write a CEER to answer one of the following two questions

(CEER- Claim, 2 pieces of evidence, reasoning)

1. Does Ponyboy want to participate in the rumble/the violence? Explain why or why not.

OR

2. Is Ponyboy a Greaser or an Outsider? How do you know?

Hello 8th Graders,

We are writing the article Two-Bit read in Chapter 7 for our next assignment. It is due on Wednesday, May 17th! Direction below:

Article PPT

Ms. Timpf

Hello all,

We read Chapter 7 in class today! If you need to catch up on reading, do so this weekend!

Outsiders PDF

Here are the discussion questions for the chapter.

1. Explain what Pony means when he says Soda “reminds me of a colt.”
2. What condition is Johnny in after the fire?
3. Why would being crippled be worse for Johnny than someone else?
4. “Maybe people are younger when they are asleep” What do you think about this comment?
5. JD stands for juvenile delinquent. What is a juvenile delinquent (p. 107)? Find a definition on the internet, in a dictionary, or create your own based on your own knowledge.
6. Why would Two-Bit think Johnny, Dally, and Pony were heroes all along; before they saved the kids?
7. What does the chocolate cake represent for the Curtis brothers?
8. What happened to Sandy? Why is Soda upset about it?
9. What was Bob’s ‘real’ problem, according to Randy (p.116)?
10. Why did Pony think it was better to see Socs as “just guys” on p. 118? What do you think he means by this?

All current and prospective students are invited to Edsel Ford for a performing arts meet and great! The event will be on May 12th, from 6pm-9pm. I am hoping to stop by and would love to see you all there!

Hello 8th Graders,

Today, we read “The Outsiders,” Chapter 6. The questions are below:

1. Why does Johnny want to turn himself in? How does Dally feel about this?
2. How did Pony and Johnny react during the church fire? Why did this surprise Pony?
3. Why is Pony surprised by Jerry’s reaction to him, a Greaser, when they were riding in the ambulance? What was he expecting?
4. How does Pony react to seeing his brothers? How do his brothers react? How do you think their relationship may change moving forward?

We will be reading Chapter 7 tomorrow!

Ms. Timpf

Hello 8th Graders,

Yesterday, we read Chapter 5 and answered the following questions.

1. Why are the boys so upset about cutting their hair?
2. Why is Pony happy to have run away with Johnny instead of another Greaser?
3. Why does Johnny see Dally as being gallant?
4. What do Pony and Johnny notice about them and the rest of the gang? What examples do they give? What other examples can we think of that we have seen in other parts of the novel?
5. Why is Dally carrying a gun if it isn’t loaded?
6. Who’s the spy for the greasers? Does this surprise you? Why or why not?

We also completed a handout which can be given in class for any absent student.

Ms. Timpf

Here are the Chap. 3-4 Outsiders Discussion Questions!

Chap. 3

What is the difference between Socs and Greasers, according to Cherry and Pony?

What does Soda’s horse represent? How does this relate to what we discussed about Johnny during Chapter 2?

What does it mean when Pony says, “Maybe the two different worlds we lived in weren’t so different. We saw the same sunset”?

What seems to be the typical Greaser family structure? How does this impact the Greasers?

What does the color “gold” seem to represent?

Chap. 4

What color was the haze Pony went into when he was drowning? Why is this important to Pony’s character?

Why do the boys turn to Dally for help? Why is he the logical choice? 

Johnny says, “Dally can do anything.” What does this show us about their relationship?

What was the plan for the boys to get away? How was this plan foreshadowed earlier in the novel? Include colors in your response!

How does the memory of going to church show the differences between Pony and Johnny and the other Greasers?