In this section of the unit I will discuss some of the strategies I will be using in order to bridge the background information with the text which we will be reading in class.
QFT
The Question Formulation Technique is a strategy recently introduced to our district in which students are encouraged to work together to brainstorm questions on a given topic and work with the questions as a group. The technique has been proven to boost student curiosity, help with argumentative writing and boost student engagement.
Not only is the QFT an incredibly helpful process that allows students to practice working together and sharing ideas, but it is also a great way to get students thinking deeply about the information that will help them read/view the material more critically. At the conclusion of QFT group work, you have excellent questions for discussion, journal writing, debate, or further research. These questions are put up in my room for the duration of the unit.
Once you have practiced the QFT process several times with your students, you will find it very useful and can use it throughout this unit or on other topics that you are working on.
Restorative Circles
All teachers in the New Haven school district have been trained in the concept of restorative circles. These circles are meant to give students a chance to voice their opinions and ideas, while building listening and cooperation skills that are vital to a successful school year. The circles can be used as a community building center, a place to solve problems or get issues or concerns voiced and, as with this unit, to allow for discussion and understanding of concepts and ideas rising from the reading of The Outsiders.
We usually start out the year very simply with circles. After establishing agreed upon rules for the circles, students utilize a talking piece to introduce themselves, gradually building up to utilizing the circles for discussions of literature and academic ideas. When introducing the concept of Indian schools, I will put up a before and after picture of students inducted in such schools. Looking at the pictures much like we would observe art in a museum, I will ask students what they observe, and then what ideas or thoughts rise from their observations as well as the reasoning behind the things that they brought up.
Journal Writing
Although technology continues to suck all of us into its convenient, high speed techno-world, I continue to have a warm spot in my heart for journals and journal writing. While we do utilize Google Classroom now for nearly all of our written work including research papers, speeches, reading comprehension responses and others, there is still something special about holding a journal in your hand, putting a pen or pencil to paper, doodling in margins and really making the journal a representation of who you are. Students are always on computers these days, in school, at home, in the library, on their phones, or laptops or others. Getting students started early in the year on journal writing and having them write in their journal once or twice a week is a good way to help them to get used not only to writing and responding to your work, but to sharing their work and listening to others. It is a simple tool that really can make a difference in your students and can be utilized abundantly in this unit and any other work that you are working on.
It is important to follow a few guidelines to make journaling successful. Encourage students to share what they have written either with the class or in small groups. Also encourage students to doodle or draw if they like in their journals. I also tell students if they put something personal in their journal that they do not want me to read, they can simply fold the page and I will not read it. Journal should be a place where students can feel free to put down their ideas without being judged, so I do not correct journal like I would an essay or test paper. Finally journals should be kept in a safe place out of the reach of all the other students. Like diaries, journals can contain privileged information that students may not want to share with others. I keep crates of journals near my desk, out of the reach of others.
For this unit students will be utilizing response journals to make many of the connections that I will be expecting them to make between The Outsiders and material related to racism and inequality in America. Journaling will take place throughout this unit. Many of the questions that students raise during the QFT sessions will become excellent sources for journal writing and sharing. The following topics may also be utilized and will go along nicely with the unit.
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What is a melting pot? Do you think the United States should be considered a melting pot? Explain.
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Have you ever felt like an Outsider? What made you feel that way? How are others made to feel like Outsiders?
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Pony Boy and Johnny relive a lot of memorable experiences in the novel. What experience have you had that has changed your life?
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Write a journal entry through the point of view of a Native American student in an “Indian school” who feels like an outsider.
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Why do you think the eugenics movement was able to succeed for as long as it did in the US?
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What might be a solution for the problem on our southern border?
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How does the problem of immigration on our southern border reveal a “new racism?”
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Create a new character for The Outsiders who is not white. How would he/she interact with the gang?
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Write a poem that can replace the Robert Frost poem, Nothing Gold Can Stay, and highlights a problem that many outsiders feel
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After reading one or two Carrie Buck letters write a letter back to Carrie
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Brainstorm rules for entering a modern day “Fitter Family Contest” How would your rules differ from what we discovered in our study of Eugenics.
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Write about evidence of colorblindness in The Outsiders
Visuals
Visuals in any classroom can be helpful in relating materials and helping reach students through multiple learning abilities. The photography of Native Americans by such artists as Edward Curtis or paintings by Frederick Remington can be compared and contrasted with more modern paintings and photography of indigenous people. Before and after photos of Native Americans in Indian Schools can also be utilized in this unit.
Any study of the Eugenics movement in the United States should include looks at the charts and photos that document the era and the concept of eugenics in our country. There are thousands of photos that can be used in this unit to introduce the concept to students and bring about interesting discussion.
Finally, looking at our southern border with Mexico can almost entirely be seen through images of the crisis which is developing there. Ask students to search up images of the Mexican border crisis and see what they come up with. Use images in a QFT session to see what sorts of questions and ideas come to rise as the images are shared in the classroom.
