Eighth Grade Lesson Plans 

Lesson Title: The Outsiders Then and Now: Multimedia Project
Created and Submitted by: Jo Ann Lopez and Rosalinda Gutierrez
School Name: Clark Middle School
District: United ISD
Roles: Librarian and 8th-grade Reading Teacher 

Grade Level: 8th

Lesson Plan Objectives:
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Make text connections to the real world by comparing and contrasting related themes.
2. Use a Venn diagram to organize similarities and differences.
3. Design a book trailer which includes text, graphics, images, and sound using Windows Movie Maker.

ELA-R TEKS:
§110.20. (17) Writing/Expository and Procedural Texts. Students write expository and procedural or work-related texts to communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for specific purposes. Students are expected to:
(D) produce a multimedia presentation involving text, graphics, images, and sound using available technology.

Standards for the 21st-Century Learner Indicators:
2.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to analyze and organize information.
3.1.2 Participate and collaborate as members of a social and intellectual network of learners.
3.3.4 Create products that apply to authentic, real-world contexts.

Classroom Teacher – School Librarian(s) Collaboration:
• The librarian issues a class set of The Outsiders to the reading teacher and sets up a class discussion board on the school’s eChalk page for continuous collaboration between the classroom teacher, students, and school librarian.
• The classroom teacher reads and discusses The Outsiders in class with the students.
• The librarian and the classroom teacher post topics and monitor the discussion board.
• The educators model the use of the Venn diagram.
• The educators monitor the students during guided practice.
• The librarian demonstrates how to create a book trailer.
• The librarian provides a blank story board for students to use for brainstorming.
• The educators use a rubric to assess the book trailer.

Measurable Outcome or Final Product: Using Windows Movie Maker, the students will create a book trailer, which will demonstrate their background knowledge by re-creating modern day characters that represent the “greasers” from the 1960s in today’s society. The book trailer must also address the underlying theme of youth seeking their identity.

Assessment Tool: Book Trailer Rubric

Resources
• The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (Viking 1967)
• Venn Diagram
• Storyboard Handout – Students could also use online storyboarding tools such as Popplet.
• Sample Book Trailer for The Outsiders: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0izmGO60fW4
• Sample Greaser Collage: http://xmasqueradedfacesx.deviantart.com/art/The-Outsiders-341758825
• E-chalk Discussion Board Access
• Projector, Computer, and Student Access to Computers
• Windows Movie Maker program – Students could also use Web 2.0 tools such as Animoto or VoiceThread if Windows Movie Maker is not available.

Estimated Lesson Time: Two-50 minute class periods

Instructional Plan Outline:

Preparation
• Educators discuss the learning objectives.
• Educators discuss the expectations for the lesson and final project.
• Educators create a collage of the original “greasers” creating a foundation for the 1960’s character who is seeking his identity in society. (We used the site www.photovisi.com, and included photos of 60’s clothing, hairstyles, and characters from The Outsiders movie. The collage can be downloaded for free but includes watermark.)

Motivation
1. Educators show the students several examples of book trailers that touch on themes of identity and the modern day “Greaser”. Example using modern-day characters: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0izmGO60fW4
2. Educators discuss several of the underlying themes from the novel such as identity, which we will focus on.
3. Educators refer the students to the discussion board where several links have been posted, along with discussion questions.
4. Educators show the students where to locate Windows Movie Maker for their project.

Presentation
5. Educators share the collage and discuss how the “greasers” from the novel compare to the 2013 modern day “greaser”.
6. Educators partner the students before they distribute Venn diagrams and ask students to list the similarities and differences between the 1960s “greaser” to the modern day version. Discussion will follow.
7. Educators distribute storyboard handout to brainstorm for book trailer project.
8. Educators review with students how to create a book trailer and address the students’ use of copyright-free images and music.

Guided Practice
9. The classroom teacher monitors as students fill out Venn diagram and discuss with a partner.
10. The librarian will monitor students as they brainstorm and complete the storyboard handout
11. Both educators monitor as students edit their storyboards before starting final product.

Closure
12. Students create their final product to present to the class using Windows Movie Maker or a Web 2.0 tool.

Assessment
13. Educators assess the students’ book trailers using the rubric.

Extension
14. The classroom teacher can have students write a newspaper article for the school newspaper on one of the underlying themes from the novel that affect our youth today.

Lesson Plan Resources:

ELAR_8_17_D_Venn_Diagram

ELAR_8_17_D_Storyboard

ELAR_8_17_D_Book_Trailer_Rubric

ELAR_8_17_D_Lopez_Gutierrez_Lesson_Plan (.pdf)