The Outsiders 1983 Movie Guide (Printable)

About this resource

What's inside this resource

A teen gang in rural Oklahoma, the Greasers are perpetually at odds with the Socials, a rival group. When Greasers Ponyboy (C. Thomas Howell) and Johnny (Ralph Macchio) get into a brawl that ends in the death of a Social member, the boys are forced to go into hiding. Soon Ponyboy and Johnny, along with the intense Dallas (Matt Dillon) and their other Greaser buddies, must contend with the consequences of their violent lives. While some Greasers try to achieve redemption, others meet tragic ends. This film is a powerful reminder of what it means to be stuck in the circumstances and groups of one's upbringing.

This product will help your students get the most out of this powerful film (easy to use format). This product includes a differences chart between the Greasers and Socs. It also includes a character reference sheet for your students, that will help them keep track of all the main characters in the film Ready to print and ready to use! No Prep! Help your students stay focused during this film and help them to grasp the most important information presented.

You can find the film here: The Outsiders 1983 (Amazon Prime)

Thumbnail clipart credit: by Teachers Resource Force & by Diction Addiction

In the classroom

Teaching tips & learning objectives

Learning objectives

Track plot events in the 1983 film The Outsiders in the order they occur while watching.
Recall specific plot details, character names, and quotes from the film, such as Sodapop's name and what Dally gives Johnny.
Complete a direct quotation from the film ('Greasers will still be ___, and Socs will still be ___.')
Summarize key plot turning points, such as the church-fire rescue and the fight between the Socs and Greasers.

Teaching tips

Pause the film at natural break points matching each question, since the guide's instructions confirm answers appear in chronological order with the movie.
Use the Teacher Key's full-sentence model answers as a grading rubric rather than requiring students to match the wording exactly.
Follow up the guide with a discussion of the 'stay gold' theme, since the guide itself covers plot recall only and leaves thematic analysis for the teacher to add.

Skills covered

reading comprehension
film analysis

Good to know

Questions teachers ask about this resource

Does the guide require students to have read the novel, or is it designed only around the film?

Only the film -- every question and answer references specific movie scenes and dialogue (e.g., what Cherry throws at Dally's face), with no novel-specific questions.