KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE
LESSON PLAN FORMAT

Teacher Candidate: Brittany Clouser

Cooperating Teacher: Amy Giuffrida
Group Size:

Date: 9/21/15
Coop. Initials

1: 28, 2:15, 3:15, 4:22 Allotted Time 53 minutes

Grade Level 8

Subject AND Topic: English: The Outsiders Section

STANDARD:
Reading Literature:
CC.13.8.A: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over
the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot;
provide an objective summary of the text.
CC.1.3.8.J: Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domainspecific word and phrase; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or
phrase important to comprehension or expression.
Arts and Humanities (Period One):
9.2.8.I: Identify, explain, and analyze philosophical beliefs as they relate to works in the
arts (e.g. Classical architecture, rock music, Native American dance)
Speaking and Listening:
CC.1.5.8.G: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English when
speaking based on Grade 8 level and content.
CC.1.5.8.A: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions, on grade level
topics, texts, and issues, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly.
I. Performance Objectives (Learning Outcomes):
A. As a result of this lesson, the student will be able to
1. Analyze the theme of The Outsiders using textual evidence to include
the characters, setting and plot proficiently.
2. Interpret vocabulary words using context clues given specific
vocabulary words and The Outsiders novel accurately.
3. (Period One) Compare the music of the time period to the theme of the
novel, describing the relationship the music has to each theme including
characters, setting and plot proficiently.
4. Engage effectively in discussion using conventions of standard English
given discussion topics proficiently.

II.

Instructional Materials:
A. Students:
1. The Outsiders Novel
2. Pencil
3. Paper
4. Period One: Chromebook
5. Cell Phone
B. Teacher:
1. The Outsiders novel
2. Songs: My Generation-The Who, Heartbreak Hotel-Elvis Presley, The
Two of Us- The Beatles.
3. 5 different color post-it note packs
4. Dry erase board
5. Dry erase makers
6. Theme Puzzle pieces (teacher made)
7. Theme Scavenger Hunt hand-out
8. Theme Scavenger Hunt Topics posted around the room
III. Subject Matter/ Content:
A. Prerequisite Skills:
1. Students will have read and discussed chapters 1 to 9 of The Outsiders.
They must have this prior knowledge in order to begin to determine the
theme and analyze the music of this time period.
B. Key Vocabulary:
1. Theme- The central message of a text.
C. Big Idea:
1. Learning how to determine the theme of a novel is an important skill.
Analyzing works of literature and comparing to music of the time period
will help students to develop a deeper understanding of teens in the
1960s.
D. Additional Content
1. The students will review in discussion the previous chapters. They will
then move forward with Chapters 7-9, while I stop for discussion and
clarification throughout their reading. I will be monitoring their progress
by listening in on their reading circles and to their discussions. I will
play for them music of the time period. We will work to uncover the
theme of the outsiders as a class by using textual evidence. I will model
my evidence towards the theme for the class and they will take over.
They will then create a thematic statement based on the evidence we
discovered. The students will relate the theme to the music choices.
IV. Implementation:
A. Introduction:

1. For period one: As the students enter, I will play the music choices for
them to hear prior to reading today's chapters. I will use these music
choices again in the lesson.
2. For period two and four: I will give each student the attached quote list
with the following topics written on separate pieces of construction
paper:
a. Class conflict
b. Love
c. Loyalty
d. Violence
e. Choices
f. Appearances
g. Education
2. I will have posted around the room the different themes from the
novel The Outsiders to match each quote on their paper.
3. The students will move around the room and match the theme on
the wall to the quote on their paper. They will have the opportunity
to compare answers with classmates after finding all matching
quotes on their paper.
4. We will review the answers as a class to ensure students
understand how textual evidence can prove a theme.
3. For period three: I will provide the students with the manipulatives to
complete a self-correcting, introduction activity involving theme.
1. Each student will receive a large puzzle piece. Their piece will
have written on it either the theme topic (ex: love, conflict,
violence, etc.) or a textual example from the novel. I will give the
students who have a difficult time analyzing dialogue the topic
headings so the lesson is tiered.
2. Each student will have five minutes to find the person that has the
dialogue to match their theme topic. Once they find their partner,
they can use the self correcting puzzle to see if they are correct.
3. When all students find their partner, they will take turns reading
aloud their match. This will give the students examples of how
textual evidence can be used to determine theme.
B. Development:
1. The students will work with their group on a theme lesson. I will write
on the dry erase board the following categories:
a. Class conflict
b. Love
c. Loyalty
d. Violence
e. Choices

2. Each group will be given a different colored pack of post it notes. I will
instruct students to find examples in the text to support the theme on the
board.
3. They will write the textual evidence on the sticky note, and then post it
on the board under the appropriate category.
4. I will give them the example from page 121, Youll be okay, I said
with fake cheerfulness. You gotta be. We couldnt get along without
you. This would go under the category of Loyalty, because Ponyboy is
talking to Johnny during his last hours.
5. I will serve as a facilitator during this activity, guiding students to
answers when they may be struggling with finding textual evidence and
keep the activity moving forward.
6. I will allow the students to use their cell phone to take pictures of the
post it notes on the board under the category they are choosing to
develop a thematic statement for. This will help them to use the textual
evidence provided by themselves and their classmates to develop their
statement.
7. I will then read aloud some of the examples to the students for them to
gain understanding of theme in the novel.
8. I will have them create a thematic statement about the novel as a group
based on the evidence and topics they found. I will create a model
thematic statement from the examples they have provided on the board.
C. Closure
1. For period one: I will play the songs again for the students from the
introduction. Using their thematic statement and the lyrics from the
songs, I will have them highlight the words that relate the music to the
theme of the outsiders. They will have space to write how and why the
lyrics they have chosen relate to the theme of The Outsiders. They will
be permitted to listen to the music of their song on their chromebook
while working on analyzing the lyrics.
2. Periods two, three and four: Exit slip- Write a thematic statement using
one of the topics we learned is covered in The Outsiders from todays
lesson.
D. Accommodations/Differentiation
1. I will provide period three with the page numbers for the vocabulary
words.
2. I will provide further modeling for period three for the theme activity. I
will use scaffolding with them by assisting them with finding textual
evidence before moving on to individual searching.
3. Periods two, three, and four had a very difficult time understanding
theme on the pre-test, as well as on their story maps.

V.

4. I have created this lesson adaptation to further assist period three with
understanding theme:
1. I will provide the students with the manipulatives to complete a
self-correcting, class activity involving theme.
2. Each student will receive a large puzzle piece. Their piece will
have written on it either the theme topic (ex: love, conflict,
violence, etc.) or a textual example from the novel. I will give the
students who have a difficult time analyzing dialogue the topic
headings so the lesson is tiered.
3. Each student will have five minutes to find the person that has the
dialogue to match their theme topic. Once they find their partner,
they can use the self correcting puzzle to see if they are correct.
4. When all students find their partner, they will take turns reading
aloud their match. This will give the students examples of how
textual evidence can be used to determine theme.
E. Assessment/Evaluation plan
1. Formative: I will be assessing student understanding by monitoring the
textual evidence placed under each category.
1. Period One: Students will be handing in their thematic statement
and lyric sheet. Students must include the following:
a. Thematic statement pertaining to one of the covered topics
b. Textual evidence to support lyric relation to novel theme
c. Accurate relation of lyrics to The Outsiders theme
2. Periods Two, Three and Four: Students will be assessed on their
ability to find the appropriate partner during the puzzle activity or
matches during scavenger hunt. I will also be monitoring and
changing instruction as needed during the post it notes for textual
evidence based on student performance. Their exit slip will be
assessed based on the following criteria:
a. Student included a topic covered in class.
b. Student created an accurate thematic statement about The
Outsiders.
c. Student used textual evidence from the novel that was
discovered during the lesson.
2. Summative: Students will be assessed on analyzing theme on the final
exam at the end of the unit.
Reflective Response
A. Report of Students Performance in Terms of States Objectives (Reflective on
students performance written after lesson is taught, includes remediation for
students who failed to meet acceptable level of achievement)

Unacceptable

Acceptable

Target

Didnt complete

Period One

27

Period Two

15

Period Three

14

Period Four

22

Total

78

For developing a theme, at the end of the lesson, all of the students that were in class
completed their post it note and handed in their group paper on a theme. For the two absent
students, I will work with them upon their return on the theme activity and allow them to create
their own theme using textual evidence.
B. Personal Reflection (Questions written before lesson is taught. Reflective answers
to questions recorded after lesson is taught.)
1. What can I do to better assist my students struggling to understand
theme after the lesson?
1. I felt as though this lesson went over very well for helping students
to understand the general idea of the theme for The Outsiders. All
students participated in placing a post it note with accurate text
representation of each theme given to them.
2. The period one class was able to accurately relate their groups
theme to the lyrics of songs from the 1960s (time period of The
Outsiders). They gave in depth detail of relations from the story
and enjoyed getting to listen to the music on their chrome books
during the lesson.
VI. Resources (in APA format):
Talking About Theme. (2011, May 11). Retrieved September 15, 2015. https://
thirtysomethingandfabulous.wordpress.com/2012/05/11/talking-about-a-theme-ateachers-post/

Name_______________________________ Period_______
The Outsiders Theme Scavenger Hunt
Directions: Find the theme around the room that relates to each of the following quotes from
The Outsiders. Write the theme on the line next to the quote.

We get jumped by the Socs. Im not sure how you spell it, but its the abbreviation for the
Socials, the jet set, the West-side rich kids. Its like the term greaser, which is used to class all
us boys on the East Side. Were poorer than the Socs and the middle class. (pages 2-3)
______________________________

How can I take it? I wondered. Dally is tougher then I am. Why can I take it when Dally cant?
And then I knew. Johnny was the only thing Dally loved. And now Johnny was gone. (page 152)
______________________________

I looked around, startled. I hadnt realized Johnny had been right behind me all the way [into
the burning church]. I took a deep breath, and started coughing. (pages 91-92)
______________________________

Someone put his hand over my mouth, and I bit as hard as I could, tasting blood running
through my teeth. I heard a muttered curse and got slugged again, and they were stuffing a
handkerchief in my mouth. (pages 5-6) ______________________________

We all had the money to get in-it only costs a quarter if youre not in a car- but Dally hated to do
things the legal way. (page 20) ______________________________

[Pony speaking about his hair] It was my pride. It was long and silky, just like Sodas, only a
little redder. Our hair was tuff- we didnt have to use much grease on it. Our hair labeled us as
Greasers, too- it was our trademark. (page 71) ______________________________

Im not like them. And nobody in our gang digs moves and books the way I do. For a while
there, I thought I was the only person in the world that did. (page 2)
______________________________

THE WHO LYRICS-My Generation"

People try to put us d-down (Talkin' 'bout my generation)

Just because we get around (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Things they do look awful c-c-cold (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I hope I die before I get old (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
This is my generation. This is my generation, baby
Why don't you all f-fade away (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
And don't try to dig what we all s-s-say (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I'm not trying to cause a big s-s-sensationI'm just talkin' 'bout my gg-g-generation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
This is my generation. This is my generation, baby
Why don't you all f-fade away (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
And don't try to d-dig what we all s-s-say
I'm not trying to cause a b-big s-s-sensation
I'm just talkin' 'bout my g-g-generation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
People try to put us d-down (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Just because we g-g-get around (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Things they do look awful c-c-cold (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Yeah, I hope I die before I get old (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
This is my generation. This is my generation, baby"Heartbreak Hotel"

Heartbreak Hotel- Elvis

and the desk clerk's dressed in

Presley

black.

Well, since my baby left me,

Well they been so long on lonely

I found a new place to dwell.

street

It's down at the end of lonely

They ain't ever gonna look back.

street
at Heartbreak Hotel.

You make me so lonely baby,

You make me so lonely baby,

I get so lonely,

I get so lonely,

I get so lonely I could die.

I get so lonely I could die.

Hey now, if your baby leaves you,

And although it's always

and you got a tale to tell.

crowded,

Just take a walk down lonely

you still can find some room.

street

Where broken hearted lovers

to Heartbreak Hotel.

do cry away their gloom.

You make me so lonely baby,
I get so lonely,
I get so lonely I could die.
Well, the Bell hop's tears keep
flowin',

The Beatles- The Two of Us

Two of us riding nowhere
Spending someone's
Hard earned pay
You and me Sunday driving
Not arriving
On our way back home
We're on our way home
We're on our way home
We're going home
Two of us sending postcards
Writing letters
On my wall
You and me burning matches
Lifting latches
On our way back home
We're on our way home
We're on our way home
We're going home
You and I have memories
Longer than the road that
stretches out ahead
Two of us wearing raincoats
Standing so low
In the sun
You and me chasing paper
Getting nowhere
On our way back home
We're on our way home
We're on our way home
We're going home
You and I have memories
Longer than the road that
stretches out ahead

Two of us wearing raincoats

Standing so low
In the sun
You and me chasing paper
Getting nowhere
On our way back home
We're on our way home
We're on our way home
We're going home