|
Running Away from your
Problems: The Outsiders
A WebQuest
for 7th Grade language arts class
Designed
by
Ms. Gabel
tlgabel@mpsomaha.org
Introduction |
The Task
| The Process
|
Evaluation |
Conclusion
| Credits
|
Teacher Page
Introduction
You have read the book, The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton. In
the book, you read about the difficult lives that the Greasers had.
You read about the different ways that the problems the boys had influenced
the decisions that they made. As a result of one of these decisions, a
boy was killed. The boys chose to handle this situation by running
away. Many youths every year make that same choice for a variety of
reasons. In this Web Quest, you will examine the issues that many
runaways face, and draw comparisons with the events of the book.
The Task
During this Web Quest, you will examine the
following issues:
 | Why kids run away |
| Where they go |
| What happens to runaways on the street |
| How they survive |
| The risks involved with running away |
| How/why they return home |
Following your research, you will be expected to
present the information that you learned through a project chosen from a
list of many options.
You will then compare this information with the way
this topic was described in The Outsiders. You will answer the
following questions in a personal essay:
| Do you think the book accurately portrayed the
life kids have when they run away from home? Why or why not? |
| How do you think the Greasers' home lives
influenced their decision to run away from home? |
| In what ways did the book show a true portrayal
of the life of a runaway? |
| What do you think would have happened if Johnny
would have chosen to continue running rather than turn himself in? |
| Do you think you would have made the same
choices if you would have been in Johnny's position? |
The Process
1. You will use Inspiration to complete a graphic organizer showing
the results of your research on the following topics:
| Why kids run away |
| Where they go |
| What happens to runaways on the street |
| How they survive |
| The risks involved with running away |
| How/why they return home |
3. Use the following sites to find
information on the topics requested above:
National Runaway Switchboard -
Volunteer organization which provides confidential help to runaways and
their families, as well as information and educational services.
The Runaway Game - This
"choose-your-own-adventure" style hypertext novel with 20 different
endings was created to help teenagers understand the realities of life as
a runaway. At the end of each chapter, readers make choices which lead to
different scenarios.
Runaway Lives:
Personal Stories and Reflections by Runaways and Their Families -
Forum for runaways and their family members to share their experiences
through writings or images.
Life on the Run, Life on the Streets
~ The nation's runaways are legion, amounting to the populace of a big city
scattered to the four winds.
Understanding
and Preventing Teenage Runaways
- advice from a clinical psychologist.
4. Upon completion of your
Inspiration graphic organizer, you will present the information that you
have learned to your teacher in one of the following ways:
| Write a series
(5) of journal entries as if you are a runaway. The entries should
cover the time before you ran away, during your time away from home, and
your decision to return home. |
| Design a poster that could influence a
kid who is considering running away from home. Include facts and art
work that would be eye catching and informative. |
| Produce a short video or public service
announcement about the dangers of running away from home. Include
props and other actors if you would like. |
| Pretend you are a newspaper reporter
researching runaways. Write an article describing their life on the
streets and the reasons kids run away from home. |
| Draw a Venn diagram comparing Johnny to
a typical runaway. Include at lease 8 similarities and differences
for each. |
| Design a PowerPoint about the dangers
of running away from home. It should contain at least 6 slides. |
5. Upon completion of your project,
you will write a one to two page essay comparing what you found in your research to
how running away was portrayed in The Outsiders. Use the
following questions as your guide. Try to answer each question in your
essay.
| Do you think the book accurately portrayed the
life kids have when they run away from home? Why or why not? |
| How do you think the Greasers home lives
influenced their decision to run away from home? |
| In what ways did the book show a true portrayal
of the life of a runaway? |
| What do you think would have happened if Johnny
would have chosen to continue running rather than turn himself in? |
| Do you think you would have made the same
choices if you would have been in Johnny's position? |
Evaluation
You will
receive a total grade of 100 points for this Web Quest. Grades will be
assigned as follows:
Graphic
Organizer: 16 pts.
Project:
32 pts.
Essay:
16 pts.
Total:
64 pts.
|
Beginning
1 |
Developing
2 |
Accomplished
3 |
Exemplary
4 |
Score |
|
Student has shown that
they are knowledgeable through their performance on the final
assignment.
|
Description of
identifiable performance characteristics reflecting a beginning level of
performance.
|
Description of
identifiable performance characteristics reflecting development and
movement toward mastery of performance.
|
Description of
identifiable performance characteristics reflecting mastery of
performance.
|
Description of
identifiable performance characteristics reflecting the highest level of
performance.
|
|
|
Student has produced a
neat and creative finished piece.
|
Description of
identifiable performance characteristics reflecting a beginning level of
performance.
|
Description of
identifiable performance characteristics reflecting development and
movement toward mastery of performance.
|
Description of
identifiable performance characteristics reflecting mastery of
performance.
|
Description of
identifiable performance characteristics reflecting the highest level of
performance.
|
|
|
Student has completed
all required parts of the Web Quest in a timely manner.
|
Description of
identifiable performance characteristics reflecting a beginning level of
performance.
|
Description of
identifiable performance characteristics reflecting development and
movement toward mastery of performance.
|
Description of
identifiable performance characteristics reflecting mastery of
performance.
|
Description of
identifiable performance characteristics reflecting the highest level of
performance.
|
|
|
Finished product shows
correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation
|
Description of
identifiable performance characteristics reflecting a beginning level of
performance.
|
Description of
identifiable performance characteristics reflecting development and
movement toward mastery of performance.
|
Description of
identifiable performance characteristics reflecting mastery of
performance.
|
Description of
identifiable performance characteristics reflecting the highest level of
performance.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Conclusion
In this activity, you learned about the
reasons why many kids run away from home. You also learned about the
many dangers that go along with this lifestyle. You have also analyzed
the actions of the Greasers and thought about how their backgrounds and
lifestyles affected the decisions they made. Do you think you would
make the same decisions that they did had you been in their shoes? How
do you think your own background will affect the choices you will make in
your life? It is important to understand why and how people make the
decisions they do so that we can make good decisions in our own lives.
Credits & References
Thank you to Mrs. Frost at South Pointe Middle
School for providing an excellent example for my own Web Quest.
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Last updated on June 19,
2003.
Based on a template from
The WebQuest Page
|
