1. Take out a clean piece of paper and answer the following questions in complete sentences: 1.What do you think “The Outsiders” means? What is an “outsider”? 2.What do you think a “coming-of-age” novel means? 3.What do you think were some of the issues teenagers faced in the 1960s? 4.Do you think these are issues that teenagers still face today?

2. Background Information on The Outsiders S.E. Hinton Hinton wrote The Outsiders because she wasn’t satisfied with the selection of books for young adults. She was fifteen years old when she started The Outsiders and was sixteen when it was published. Hinton only uses her initials “S.E.” in stead of her name, Susan Eloise, because she was afraid people would not want to read a book about boys written by a girl. The Outsiders was an instant success which caused Hinton to face severe pressure causing her to not want to write at all. She finally overcame her writer’s block when her boyfriend (now husband) made her write two pages a day if she wanted to go anywhere. This eventually led to That Was Then, This Is Now. S.E. Hinton said, “It’s the message, not the messenger“ about her writing The Outsiders because she says she feels as if this novel was meant to be written, and she was chosen to write it. Hinton was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and went to the University of Tulsa after publishing The Outsiders. Hinton’s stories typically take place in Oklahoma.

3. Background Information on The Outsiders Oklahoma The highest point in Oklahoma is Black Mesa at 4,973 feet. Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, and Texas border Oklahoma. Oklahoma has a rich Native American heritage. The origin of the state’s name is based on Choctaw Indian words for "redman.” The nickname for Oklahoma is the “Sooner State.”

4. Background Information on The Outsiders The state poem for Oklahoma is "Howdy Folks“ by David Randolph Milsten. This poem describes the dedication of the Will Rogers Memorial in 1938. Will Rogers is Oklahoma’s most famous cowboy. Rodeos are the only national spectator sport originating entirely in the United States. A typical rodeo includes a variety of events to test a cowboy's skill. From calf roping and steer wrestling to saddle-bronc and bull riding, the degree of danger varies but the competition is always exciting.

5. Background Information on The Outsiders 1967 Lyndon B. Johnson was the United States president. Thurgood Marshall becomes the first African American justice on the Supreme Court. Muhammad Ali is stripped of his heavyweight title for refusing induction into US army. The median household income was $7, 134. A movie ticket cost $1.25, and a tank of gas was $.33.

6. Background Information on The Outsiders The first Super Bowl played between Green Bay Packers ( win 35-10 ) and the Kansas City Chiefs. The first pocket calculator is invented by USA Texas Instruments. The Beatles release Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, one of rock's most acclaimed albums. The famous author Langston Hughes passed away. On April 15, 1967 over 180,000 protestors gathered in New York and San Francisco to protest against the Vietnam War with a number of protesters burning draft cards. Congress creates PBS, and Rolling Stone magazine is started.

7. Background Information on The Outsiders In The Outsiders…