Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Mustangs and Madras: An Outsiders Event

The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton, when originally published, ushered in a whole new genre of books geared towards teenagers.  The struggles of the Curtis family prove to be as accessible to today's young men and women as it was when it was first published in 1967. Rumblings between the "haves" and the "have nots" still echo in communities such as ours.  It is an issue that young people will wrestle with for generations to come.  Though gritty in nature, The Outsiders provides hope. No matter what situation you find yourself in, you can survive. You may even learn how to thrive.

To close out this popular book with our 8th graders, we decided to plan an event that would bring parts of the book alive. We created 6 stations as follows:

Station 1--The Drive In Movie



Students were served Pepsi and popcorn as they watched a short film called "On Location in Tulsa" in which S.E. Hinton shows viewers around the various places they filmed the movie and filling the audience in on behind the scenes happenings.

Station 2--Are you a Greaser or a Soc?




Students worked on Chrome books to complete an online quiz that would determine which group they would belong to.  Then they made a "Greaser' or a 'Soc' name tag to wear during the rest of the event.

Station 3--Music of The Outsiders

Students watched videos of the music mentioned in the book including Elvis Presley, Hank Williams, and the Beatles.  Mrs. Hiegel, our Spanish teacher, led this group in thinking about why the Greasers liked certain artists and the Socials like others.

Station 4--Cupcakes and Cards




Students enjoyed bologna sandwiches as they played poker much like Ponyboy and Johnny did during their time in Windrixville. To top it off, each student got a chocolate cupcake. A special thanks to Coach Bradford and Coach Glover for helping with this station.

Station 5--Blue Mustang





Students took turns taking a short cruise in a 1967 blue Mustang. During the cruise, students are transported back to a time when the rumble of a Mustang meant trouble for a Greaser.

Station 6--Photo Booth


Mrs. Hutto, Mrs. Lankford, and Mrs. Henson

8th graders strike a pose...

Students used props and gathered to take pictures while they were decked out in their Outsiders gear.

In the end, we as teachers hope to create moments that our students will carry with them for the rest of their lives. We don't always have the time or resources to create these fun, larger than life scenarios,  but in those cases where we can, we most certainly should.  I sincerely hope that this day is one that will stick out in their memory for a really long time.

Until next time,












Amy Hutto, LMS
South Side High School


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