The Outsiders - Understanding the Times

Introduction

The Outsiders is a novel that was published in 1967. The Outsiders is about two weeks in the life of a 14-year-old boy. The novel tells the story of Ponyboy Curtis and his struggles with right and wrong in a society in which he believes that he is an outsider.

Task


What was it like living in the 1960's?

Your task is to gain knowledge of the early 1960's culture in order to better understand and connect with the characters in The Outsiders.

Using the webistes provided on the Process page, you will be asked to explore all aspects of the 60s. This process will take some time, as you will be asked to do some investigative work finding specific facts and details about important people, events, and activities of the decade.

 

 

Process

Part 1

  1. Open a Word document and put your name in the left corner
  2. Save your document as 1960s Webquest in your shared drive.
  3. Find a picture of a madras shirt and paste it into your word document.
  4. Find a picture of a 50's/60's male pompadour and paste the picture in your word document.
  5. Find a picture of both a Corvair and a Corvette from the 1960s and paste the picture in your word document.
  6. Find a picture of a young Paul Newman and paste the picture in your word document. Write a brief description of who he was (1 complete sentence) 

Part 2 

  1. List 5 bands that were popular during the early to mid 1960’s.
  2. List 5 popular T.V. shows from the 1960’s.
  3. Write the names of two presidents in the 1960’s.
  4. Find the prices of 6 commonly used items in the 1960’s.
  5. List five popular toys from the 1960’s.
  6. Read about greasers and write a brief summary of the 1950's/1960’s greaser subculture.
  7. What are some reasons why a teenager might join a gang in the 60's?
  8. What were gangs like in the 1960’s?
  9. List 5 slang words with their definitions
  10. List 3 major world events from the 1960's.
Greaser's Subculture http://thegreasersubculture.weebly.com/background-information.html
60s Toys http://www.skooldays.com/blog/toys-in-the-60s/
60s Fashion http://fiftiesweb.com/fashion/1960s-fashion/
60s Slang http://cougartown.com/slang.html
60s TV http://www.tvparty.com/fall1.html
60s Music http://www.rockmusictimeline.com/1960s.html
60s History and Inflation http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1960s.html
60s Timeline http://www.pbs.org/opb/thesixties/timeline/timeline_text.html
Gang Appeal https://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/About/FAQ#q13

Part 3 - Geting to Know the Author

  1. Who is the author of The Outsiders?
  2. When and where was the author born?
  3. What does S. E. stand for?
  4. Why does the author use the initials S.E. instead of her full name?
  5. How old was the author when she wrote her first novel and what was it?
  6. In what year was The Outsiders published?
  7. What was the author’s inspiration for The Outsiders?
  8. S.E. Hinton was the first to win a certain award. What award was it and what was it for?

Evaluation

This webquest will be worth 48 pts. All students must work on this project on their own. Any working together will result in a loss of points or a "0" for the assignment.

Conclusion

Now that you've gained more insight into the 1960s, it is time to experience the Hinton's classic coming of age novel.

Credits