the outsiders graffiti wall assignment

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Wednesday, November 21, 2012

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The Outsiders Lesson Plans | Entire Novel Study

This lesson is  Background Information for the novel  The Outsiders  by S. E. Hinton.

The focus of this lesson includes history of the 1960s and topics like culture, style, music, and cars.

Before reading the novel  The Outsiders , familiarize your students with the culture of the time period as  The Outsiders  is set in 1960s Tulsa, Oklahoma. In this lesson, your students with be engaged as they take notes from a Powerpoint presentation and answer questions using the accommodating worksheet provided. Students will learn about the history of the 1960s, the clothing of the generation, the music the youth listened to, and other important details from the novel such as: car models, Paul Newman, hitchhiking, and drive-in movie theaters.

Students will also be introduced to the author S. E. Hinton, the gang rivalry present in the novel  The Outsiders , and the genre of Coming of Age literature.

Students will end this lesson with a quick write where they will actually read an excerpt from the story and answer a related prompt.

Have your students answer serious questions about life in order to build anticipation  before reading The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton.  These open-ended questions will be sure to get your students’ wheels turning and will help bridge connections to the themes in the novel.

After your students are done reading the entire novel, have them reflect on the literature with these  open-ended questions for after reading.

These reflection questions will open up wide conversations and discussions amongst students as well as help them digest and analyze the literature.

Teach your students the  Slang Words and Phrases from the novel The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton  to enhance comprehension and understanding of the plot as well as the time period the novel is set (Oklahoma 1950s).

This activity can work for BEFORE, DURING, OR AFTER reading.

Two graphic organizers are included; each make it easy to teach students the definitions of slang terms used throughout the novel. The first graphic organizer is a fun way to prepare students for the novel by having them guess the meaning of each slang word before telling them the actual meaning. The second graphic organizer is a great way to review the text during or after reading as it includes the quote and chapter number where each slang term is used. Answer keys provided.

Also included is a Powerpoint presentation that contains all slang words or phrases with their definitions.

If you are working on a  novel study for  The Outsiders  by S. E. Hinton, these Vocabulary Lists, Practice Activities, and Quizzes  will work perfectly for you!

There are three sets of vocabulary words, divided by chapters. I’ve created graphic organizers for every chapter of words, which includes the definition, part of speech, line from the novel, and the students’ definition in their own words.

Additionally, I have created corresponding practice activities for students to actually use the words independently before being tested on them.

There are three separate quizzes, divided by chapters that require students to use their comprehension skills. The tasks included ensure students will understand the context of each word in a sentence as well as how to write their own sentences using said vocabulary words.

ANSWER KEYS INCLUDED FOR ALL!

If you are doing a novel study for  The Outsiders  by S. E. Hinton, these Before Reading activities  can aid your students with engagement and reading comprehension. Using the word splash technique, students will  make predictions  about what each new chapter will be about.

Students will connect the words provided in the word splash to what they already know and what they’ve been reading in the novel  The Outsiders.  Making predictions is a fun exercise and builds anticipation for students.

Included in this purchase are 12 individual  journal prompts  based on each chapter of the novel  The Outsiders  by S. E. Hinton.  These journal prompts are meant to be used at the end of every chapter.

Students will reflect on what they’ve just read by connecting their personal opinions and feelings with the major conflicts of each specific chapter. Each prompt is ready to print individually or as a packet!

While completing a novel study for the book  The Outsiders  by S. E. Hinton, have your students answer reading comprehension questions for every chapter  using this organized packet.

Included are 12 sets of questions (for every chapter) which analyze character motives, themes, symbols, irony, dialogue, and basic comprehension of the plot. Detailed answer keys are provided for all questions.

If you want to make sure your students are following along and completing the reading for the novel  The Outsiders  by S. E. Hinton, these simple Reading Checks or Quick Chapter Quizzes  are the way to go! This product works well if your students are reading independently or if you are reading as a class.

These questions are recall questions that are meant to be brief and easy to remember. This is a tool used simply to check that students are completing the independent reading, comprehending the basic information, and/or paying attention during class.

The reading checks are divided by every 3 chapters (Chapters 1-3, Chapters 4-6, Chapters 7-9, Chapters 10-12). There are three different versions of every set of questions (a, b, and c). This is so you can use different quizzes for different classes and avoid cheating (students talk and share answers)!

This product is a Powerpoint presentation only.

To administer quizzes:

• project the questions on your board for students to see
• have students use scrap paper or lined paper to write their answers
• when everyone is done, have students grade each other’s answers by switching papers in class
• review the correct answers out loud and project them on the board
• collect graded quizzes

Answer keys included.

This lesson is a  poem analysis of “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost . This is a perfect side activity for the novel The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton, but will also work on its own if you are looking just to teach about the poem itself.

In Chapter 5 of The Outsiders, Ponyboy recites the poem Nothing Gold Can Stay. This poem plays a major role in the novel as it represents the universal message to stay gold and stay pure. Have your students analyze the poem and build their comprehension; it will make analyzing the theme of the book much easier later on! The poem analysis will touch on important literary elements such as: rhyme scheme, tone, theme, metaphor, alliteration, allusion, imagery, and personification.

To enhance their learning and make the lesson more engaging, students will also study a poem with a similar theme. Students will listen to the Bob Dylan song, answer the questions, analyze the lyrics, and then compare and contrast the themes present in both texts.

Have your students analyze characters from  S. E. Hinton’s  The Outsiders  in a fun and engaging way:  Character Collabs !

Your students will use several  characterization  methods to depict each character’s profile, demonstrate their understanding of the literature, and present their final work on a beautiful poster.

This Body Biography Project  is a hands-on approach to learning that enhances retention and inspires students to tap into their creativity.

Students will engage with the novel on a deeper level, encouraging thinking critically, making inferences, and fostering empathy. Additionally, they will learn the importance of collaboration and effective communication.

There are 10 characters from  THE OUTSIDERS  included in this resource:

• Bob Sheldon
• Cherry Valance
• Dallas Winston “Dally”
• Darrel Curtis “Darry”
• Johnny Cade
• Ponyboy Curtis
• Randy Adderson
• Sodapop Curtis
• Steve Randle
• Two-Bit Matthews

Teach your students to  analyze themes in the novel  The Outsiders  by S. E. Hinton  with this lesson plan. Your students will determine what morals/lessons were learned or taught by specific characters in the novel; they will then evaluate how these lessons were incorporated by the author and provide textual evidence as support—all using a theme graphic organizer! An answer guide is provided for teachers.

Using their literary analysis, students will then write a TDA essay based on one theme of their choice from the novel. Students will choose a theme and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot. Rubric and essay prompt included.

After reading  The Outsiders  by S. E. Hinton, have your students write a personal essay  of their choice using the two options provided. Essay rubrics, prompts, and brainstorming graphic organizers are included for both essay options.

Student choice allows students to pick the topic they are most comfortable talking/writing about. The prompts both relate directly to the novel (one about heroism and one about characterization).

Rubrics focus on: content, style, conventions, focus, and organization.

Each graphic organizer is designed to match the prompt and will guide students to write a cohesive five paragraph essay.

After your students read the novel  The Outsiders  by S. E. Hinton,  have them complete a  Plot Diagram and Chronological Order Timeline.  These activities help students determine cause and effect relationships between specific events in the story. Finding textual evidence to fill out these charts also show students how and where certain elements of the story connect.

Students will analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop by identifying exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Students will also determine how the plot unfolds and how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution. The timeline worksheet also aids students in reading comprehension. Answer keys are provided.

The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton Character Comparison Game: Would You Rather?

You’ve probably played the simple game of WOULD YOU RATHER before… where you answer a series of questions that ask would you rather pick one thing or another? For example, would you rather be a SOC or be a GREASER?

In this activity, students will first answer a number of “would you rather” questions about themselves. Then, they will answer those same questions based on what they think Ponyboy Curtis would choose. This requires students to critically think about character motivations and personality traits—plus, it’s great fun.

Afterward, students will write about what they share in common with Ponyboy and how they consider themselves different.

In this lesson, have your students complete a  quote analysis  on the most important quotes in the novel  The Outsiders  by S. E. Hinton.

Students can complete this activity independently or in groups. I include directions for a jigsaw activity which is a great cooperative learning strategy.

Included is a graphic organizer that divides important quotes by chapters and requires students to identify the speaker as well as explain the significance/ meaning of each quote.

Have your students  analyze symbols and motifs in the novel The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton  using this graphic organizer.

Students will fill out a chart to identify important symbols and then explain the significance of each symbol or motif that is demonstrated in the story.

Answer key included!

Study the four types of  Conflicts from the novel The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton.

Included in this lesson are the definitions and examples of internal and external conflict plus the four specific kinds of conflict:

1) Character vs. Self

2) Character vs. Character

3) Character vs. Nature

4) Character vs. Society

Students must look at examples of conflict from the novel and identify the conflict as one of the four types listed above.

Students must then support their answer with textual evidence.

Lastly students must explain how the conflict is resolved.

Answer key provided.

Analyze Figurative Language in The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton . Students will identify the type of figurative language being used in the quotes provided, and then explain each of their significance and meaning.

Figurative Language definitions are provided for: Allusion, Personification, Simile, Metaphor, Idiom, and Hyperbole.

Students will then write their own sentences using Figurative Language that highlight details from the novel  The Outsiders.

Answer keys provided.

If your class is reading the novel  The Outsiders  by S. E. Hinton,  you will want them to  analyze the point of view  in the story, to include: what makes an unreliable narrator and what is biased perspective.

In this lesson, students will complete the following:

• Narrator Analysis: Students will analyze the narrator Ponyboy Curtis by considering his personality traits/ and characteristics. Answers included.
• Point of View Perspective Challenge: Students will take a look back at ten scenes from the novel, considering what facts they were given by Ponyboy alone. They will then consider how these events would be different or told differently if they were to take on a different character’s perspective. They will consider how other characters are feeling emotionally in these scenes or how they might feel in hypothetical situations.
• The Trial Point of View Analysis: Students will analyze the trial/hearing that takes place in the novel. Ponyboy is on trial for the murder of Bob, but readers do not hear much about it. Ponyboy was currently in a state of delusion and didn’t understand how the trial was unfolding. Students will write the testimonies of several characters as if they were him or her in court to either defend or defame Ponyboy.
• Constructed Response: Students will learn the definition of an unreliable narrator and reasons why a narrator’s perspective might be compromised. Then, students will write a constructed response that explains why Ponyboy could be considered an unreliable narrator using textual evidence. Possible answers included.

Have your students share their understanding of the novel  The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton  by imaginatively blending their written ideas with colorful images based on information from the text. With this  one-pager reading comprehension project,  students will analyze the literature by determining theme, symbolism, characterization, and more. Students’ artwork make for unique and creative analyses of the literature and also make great bulletin boards!

Included in this purchase is:

• Student directions for the one pager project
• Rubric for the one pager project
• Example one pager
• 10 BLANK TEMPLATES (printable—optional)

Play Bingo with your students as a fun literature review game for the novel,  The Outsiders . This  character review game  includes at least 100 questions that entail information all about the characters from the novel. Questions range from physical appearances to quote identification to character motivation. With this many clues, you will have the opportunity to play SEVERAL rounds with your students without repeating questions. This game entails details from the entire novel  The Outsiders  and should be used as a review after the entire text is read (perfect for before a test). Bingo cards, character clues, and instructions are included. Bingo tokens are not included.

Characters that will be focused on include:

Your students are going to love deciphering and solving puzzles in this spectacularly themed,  The   Outsiders  360° digital escape room.  This activity is designed to work for a laptop, tablet, or smart phone. Students will solve a series of clues based on the novel  The Outsiders  by S. E. Hinton in order to crack the master lock and escape the Socs! This game entails reading comprehension skills, finding textual evidence, and making inferences . It’s the perfect addition to your novel study, whether just for fun, or to use as a review activity before administering the final test.

Included in this download are teacher instructions, student instructions, the master lock graphic organizer, answer keys, and a reflection sheet (optional).

After a novel study with the book  The Outsiders  by S. E. Hinton, assess your students with a final test.  This product includes THREE versions of  The Outsiders  test including one  learning support adaptation  modified version.

I like to have multiple versions of tests so that students are less tempted to have “wandering eyes” during the exam. Version A and B are the same in format, but contain different questions, with some questions in different orders.

Version C of this test is adapted/modified for Learning Support students or students with IEPs. To make accommodations for my students in LS, I have chunked questions, added bigger spacing, bigger fonts, less answer choices, and reduced the number of directions in certain sections.

All tests are 50 questions. 20 questions are multiple choice, 5 are short answer, 9 are quote identification, 14 are true or false, and 2 are extended response questions.

Answer keys included for all.

Challenge your students to  analyze the film The Outsiders,  movie directed by Francis Ford Coppola   (1983) and compare/contrast important elements to the classic, coming-of-age novel  The Outsiders by S. E Hinton.

This lesson includes a packet for students to complete during or after viewing the film The Outsiders. Media analysis questions as well as compare/contrast prompts are included with answer keys. Additionally, students will complete an activity that requires them to choose their own celebrity cast of actors and actresses for a hypothetical reboot of The Outsiders film.

Enjoy this extensive  Novel Study  The Outsiders  by S. E. Hinton  with your students this year! Analyze the literature using these 25 products included in this complete  Unit Plan Bundle.

This novel study will allow students to develop their reading comprehension and critical thinking skills through the novel  The Outsiders  by S. E. Hinton.

You will have access to a multitude of before, during, and after reading activities like: quizzes, tests, projects, essays, reading questions, vocabulary, background information, plot diagram, graphic organizers, journal prompts, a movie guide, and a DIGITAL ESCAPE ROOM!

BONUS FILE:  Also included in this bundle is a 6 and a half week schedule for teachers to use as a pacing guide. Teacher plans are explained for each day as well as how to best utilize this bundle of products. There are so many choices, you really can personalize this unit plan however you’d like!

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21 The Outsiders Activities for Middle Schoolers

• Middle School

Introduction:

The Outsiders, a novel by S. E. Hinton, is an engaging and thought-provoking story that is commonly taught in middle schools. Here is a list of 21 activities that will help students better understand and appreciate this timeless classic. These activities are designed to develop critical thinking, interpretation, and creativity skills in middle schoolers who are exploring the themes and characters of The Outsiders.

1. Character Analysis Collage: Have students create a visual collage representing one of the main characters in the novel.

2. Greasers vs. Socs Debate: Split the class into two groups representing the Greasers and the Socs, and have them participate in a structured debate about their differences.

3. Alternate Ending Assignment: Ask students to rewrite The Outsiders’ ending from a different character’s perspective.

4. Diary Writing Activity: Students write diary entries as if they were one of the characters from The Outsiders.

5. Plot Diagram Puzzle: Have students create a plot diagram using puzzle pieces to demonstrate their understanding of the story’s structure.

6. Create a Movie Poster: Students design a movie poster for The Outsiders, complete with catchy taglines, images, and creative billing.

7. Compare and Contrast Essay: Assign students to write an essay comparing and contrasting the lives of Ponyboy and Johnny.

8. Setting Exploration: Have students examine Tulsa’s geography to pinpoint key locations from the novel and understand their significance.

9. Socioeconomic Status Discussion: Initiate a guided class discussion on the impact of socioeconomic status on the characters’ decisions and development.

10. Symbolism Hunt: Conduct an active scavenger hunt for symbols present throughout The Outsiders.

11. Soundtrack Creation: Ask students to create an original soundtrack for The Outsiders, exploring songs reflecting themes or moments from the story.

12. Theme Analysis: Prompt students to analyze and discuss the novel’s themes in small groups.

13. Newspaper Article Assignment: Have students write a newspaper report on key events from The Outsiders.

14. Role-Play Activity: Students act out pivotal scenes from the novel, exploring character motivations and emotions.

15. Character Interviews: Assign students to write interview questions for other characters based on their understanding of the story.

16. Creative Writing Prompt: Ask students to develop a spinoff story focusing on one aspect of the novel’s themes or characters.

17. Book Jacket Project: Students design a new book jacket for The Outsiders, incorporating important thematic elements.

18. Poetry Analysis: Explore poems referenced in the novel and discuss their significance to the central themes.

19. Costume Design Challenge: Have students create costume designs for characters based on their descriptions in the novel.

20. Venn Diagram Comparison: Use a Venn diagram to compare The Outsiders with Hinton’s other work, Rumble Fish, highlighting similarities and differences.

21. Social Media Project: Students create social media profiles for the characters in The Outsiders, incorporating dialogue, images, and personality traits from the story.

Conclusion:

These 21 activities offer a dynamic approach to teaching The Outsiders by engaging middle schoolers in critical thinking and discussion about the book’s explorations of identity, loyalty, and socioeconomic status. Incorporating these activities into your lesson plans will deepen your students’ understanding of this influential novel and help them connect it to contemporary issues they face daily.

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Easily Plan your Unit on The Outsiders (+ Free Final Project)

• April 25, 2018

The Outsiders is an ideal book for the ELA classroom. Don’t you agree? The novel, about a teenage boy who questions the divisions – social, political, economical – of the society he’s trapped in, is wildly engaging for students. The voice is gripping, real, honest. Probably because the book was actually written by a teenager dealing with truly difficult experiences.

Like so many of our students.

Though the book is at a relatively easy reading level, it’s a great option for hooking kids who have defined themselves as non-readers. And it’s quite the platform for discussing things that matter to our kids – the ways they define themselves, the raging social divisions going on around them, the complexities of being a teenager.

If you’re lucky enough to get to add it to your curriculum, it lends itself to SO MANY wonderful creative activities! Here are ten to make your unit planning easy peasy. Sprinkle these in between your discussions and you’ll be set for a fabulous unit. And don’t miss the free final project, integrating STEM + ELA, at the end of the post.

#1 The Open Mind When you’re looking to get students thinking deeply about characters, consider an activity I call “The Open Mind.” Either assign students a character, or let them choose one they are most interested in. Then ask them to go inside that character’s head, creating a page of sketchnotes that go deep with the relationships, crucial life events, dreams, and developments relating to that character. Ask them to include several quotations.

#7 Peacemakers Presentations Ponyboy is a peacemaker. Despite all that he has been through, he builds bridges. One great extension activity would be to have students research other peacemakers, creating a wall of peace in your classroom with visual displays on great leaders of peace throughout history.

Suggest people like:

• Mahatma Ghandi
• Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Nelson Mandela
• Desmond Tutu
• Malala Yousafzai
• Aung San Suu  Kyi
• Jane Addams

#8 “This I Believe” Essay for Ponyboy

You know how I feel about PBS’ “T his I Believe” curriculum (LOVE). Writing personal belief essays is a great activity with any class, but it also functions well as an activity for a literary character. Ponyboy has a strong mind of his own, and his beliefs get clearer and clearer as the book progresses. Asking him to write a “This I Believe” essay in the style of the PBS radio series, focusing in on one crucial belief with lots of specific, detailed anecdotes and examples to support the power of that belief, would be a great activity for an Outsiders unit.

#9 Bring in a Touch of Transcendentalism

Ponyboy walks his own road. It’s not too hard to connect his story to the transcendentalist movement. I especially like to bring in one quotation by Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.” Ask students to consider the meaning of this quotation, and how the different characters in the book stack up to it. Who is willing to let their views change when confronted with new ideas and circumstances? Who grows instead of stagnating? What characters cling to their consistency and small-mindedness?

#10 Create the App Final Project

Particularly if you’ve already experimented with the critical thinking required for One-Pagers and This I Believe essays, you may wish to do a creative final project for the novel rather than an essay. Build a bridge to the ever-popular themes of STEM by launching your students into an app creation project. Have them imagine they are Ponyboy, creating an App that would help real people break down the barriers between them. You can download this final project completely free here .

I’ll help you find the creative ELA strategies that will light up your classroom. Get ready for joyful teaching!

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Inside the world of the Outsiders art movement

Graffiti, taxidermy, porn as fine art – this is a movement that delights in subverting the old order. gallery owner steve lazarides explains why he became its champion, article bookmarked.

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The Outsiders' work is actually chosen very subjectively. It's just a collection of work I admire, as do other people it seems from the numbers. The Outsiders' show that we have running in New York, has, since 26 September, had more than 30,000 visitors, and this is without any advertising for the show. This more than anything gives an indication of the populist nature of the work, and how far it has come in the past decade.

The internet has played a huge part in the popularity of the Outsider artists. What other museum is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with no entry fee? All the artists have websites and a considerable net presence. Mostly, though, the art we show is so popular now because people enjoy its aesthetics as well as its messages, even if they don't agree with them. We live in highly politicised times and that doesn't get addressed a great deal by culture. The majority of the Outsiders' work is very accessible – you don't need an art history degree to understand it; the same way an idea isn't necessarily any less powerful if not communicated in a complex manner.

Both the book and the show are entitled "Outsiders" because a considerable proportion of the artists included have chosen to display their work in the public domain of the street. But equally they're Outsiders because they've made their name without taking the traditional path. Many haven't had any formal art training. Some landed on my desk by chance. But most I took the first step in approaching after seeing their work in – or on – their chosen medium of the "outside" world. These artists' greatest claim to the tag of "Outsiders", however, is that while they've regularly been accused of "not being art" they've ended up gracing major museums and art galleries.

From the start our supporters have ranged from landed gentry to teenagers. We've always encouraged gallery visitors to simply come and see the art – the last thing I want is for them to feel at all nervous around the work, or that they don't have the credentials to be there. All they have in common is a personality that's drawn to the new and isn't swayed by orthodoxy. I believe most people generally find contemporary art to be quite personal and also rather intimidating. They want to be excited and entertained, which is maybe something they've missed out on in the age of white boxes and private views, where it's all as much about commodity as the work itself.

Hob-nobbing and money may be fun, but the Outsider artists aren't producing their work just so a millionaire can put their work up in his Swiss chalet. They do it to communicate their message to a mass audience. Some of these artists travel the world exposing their work and ploughing the money they gain from selling pieces back into even more ambitious projects. This purity of purpose is easy for everyone to admire.

© Steve Lazarides 2008. All extracts are from his book 'Outsiders', which will be published by Century on 30 October, priced £14.99. For more information about current and forthcoming exhibitions featuring these artists, see www.lazinc.com . To order 'Outsiders' for £13.49 (free postage), please call Independent Books Direct on 0870 079 8897 or visit www.independentbooksdirect.co.uk

Polly Morgan

Traditionally, taxidermists place their preserved animal corpses in scenes which replicate their natural surroundings, mimicking and containing what we think to be "nature" in a glass box. Polly Morgan subverts this craft to create an art form, by constructing sculptural moments that often ask us to look again at the beauty of nature and the artifice of modern life. A dead rat, for example, becomes less about disease and squalor when placed inside the context of a champagne glass, just as the glass becomes less about decadence and luxury.

Polly's art fits in with the rest of the Outsiders in that it inventively jolts the viewer into re-evaluating their environment. Rabbits sleep on hats rather than being pulled out of them, and dead birds are served on golden platters. Our relationship to the natural world seems less predictable and straightforward when Polly Morgan creates her taxidermy situations.

Robert Del Naja's painting and graphic design work have visually represented the music of his band, Massive Attack, for almost two decades. Under his tag 3D was a central figure in the Bristol graffiti movement, and his more recent work has a hypnotic quality to it. Often depicting faceless zombie-like figures, his powerful and haunting work has been a massive influence on many of today's Outsider artists.

Jonathan Yeo

Jonathan Yeo might be termed an inside-Outsider. A talented self-taught portrait painter, he's nonetheless created of some of the most controversial and amusing artworks of the past few years. His representations of the great and the good are often coloured by a very scampish sense of irony, even in his traditional portraiture. For instance, when commissioned as official artist of the 2001 General Election, each of the party leaders was scaled according to their electoral popularity.

It is, however, with his more recent porn collages of public figures like George Bush, Gordon Brown, Lucian Freud and Paris Hilton that Yeo has become legendary. Pushing his irreverent attitude to celebrity as far as decency will allow, his work comments wittily on the proliferation and disposability of images of today's elite.

Antony Micallef

Antony Micallef is an accomplished painter and sculptor who has managed to achieve recognition within the art establishment (in November his work will feature in the Royal Academy's GSK Contemporary season), and yet continue to maintain an uneasy relationship with the mainstream.

His work, at once beautiful and troubling, examines the tensions and hypocrisies in our relationships with consumerism and capitalism. Micallef's art often evokes that very contemporary sense of loneliness that is felt when we make friends with brands rather than people, and questions how we can profess to be suspicious or critical of multinational companies, and yet allow ourselves to be repeatedly seduced by their wares.

Paul Insect

Paul Insect is one of cult art's most colourful talents, and an increasingly daring one. His last exhibition, which was held in a former sex shop and Victorian bath house in King's Cross, north London, featured an extraordinary body of work – literally, a body of work, as bronze casts of skeletons and skulls decked out in Playboy Bunny gear savagely and wittily forced the viewer to think about the commodification of sex in our modern world.

In both sculpture and his paintings and graphic work, Paul is at his core a satirist. As he strips layers off the most recognisable motifs of mass media to reveal the violence, greed and depravity that often lie beneath, we wonder at the seamy world we seem to have made for ourselves.

Conor Harrington

In both style and subject, Conor's work presents a colourful fusion of the traditional and the contemporary. Painted figures of heroic men in military attire might be found in any stately home or museum, but as handled by Conor, such images take on an intriguing modern resonance.

His uniformed figures are less about some historic military elite, and more about modern men, and how they connect to "old-fashioned" values like courage, dignity and stoicism. The graffiti and vibrantly graphic elements refer to alternative cultures of contemporary masculinity, such as hip-hop, and immediately ask us if there is such a thing as some timeless quality of manliness that carries through the ages.

Mark Jenkins

Mark Jenkins is undoubtedly the mischief-maker of the Outsiders, a prankster who nonetheless reveals a serious purpose with his urban interventions. Using Scotch Tape (well, Sellotape – he's from Washington DC, so we'll forgive him), he makes empty life-scale casts of human forms, dresses them in his own hand-me-down clothes, and then leaves them in alarming, surreal or impossible situations on our streets. These dummies, fabricated from the most disposable of materials yet clad in recycled garb, startle passers-by into remembering to look at the homeless and outcast of the modern city, and reflect on the things, and people, we allow ourselves to throw away.

Portuguese-born Alexandre Farto ranges in his work from collage to portraiture, and has recently focused on the creative use of found materials. The idea of Vandalism As Art is taken to its conclusion, as advertising billboards are torn away to make fresh images, and plaster is drilled away until the remaining relief forms the work.

This New York collective is responsible for some of the smartest and most instantly recognisable art in the Outsiders movement. Their work both uses and pastiches the throw-away pop imagery of advertising, flyposting, comic books and TV, to create paintings, many of which are layered and collaged, which hum with a quintessentially American energy. Heroes, icons and legends of US culture are scattered throughout their work, from boxing stars pasted on to a wall in Palestine, to a comic book Red Indian bursting through the wall of Tate Modern. Their works are often playful but are nonetheless thoughtful in how they think about how we can make sense of anything in a world so saturated with pictures. They're about to pop up again in London in a new show in Vauxhall, which opens on 6 November.

French photographer JR has developed a unique brand of visually arresting social activism. From the slums of Paris and Rio to the conflict-ridden streets of the Middle East and Sierra Leone, JR uses his camera to capture his sense of outrage at the poverty and injustice suffered by millions around the world. Monumental monochrome images of those victims are mounted in impossible-to-miss situations. At the moment, anyone strolling past Charing Cross Road's iconic bookshop, Foyles, is forced to confront the faces of the people JR photographed in Rio's favelas.

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Watch CBS News

Teen caught graffitiing finds unexpected support from Sioux Falls mayor

By David Begnaud , Analisa Novak , Samantha Kulok

Updated on: August 22, 2024 / 2:55 PM EDT / CBS News

Jaden Brunz, an 18-year-old artist from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, has always had a simple goal: To make people smile through his art. His passion for graffiti led him to take a risky step by painting a bike path tunnel in his hometown.

Jaden's parents, Micah and Becky Brunz, were aware and warned him about the legal repercussions. 

"He told us he was doing graffiti art around town, and we let him know that's illegal," Becky said. "If you get caught, you're gonna have to pay for this."

Facing the challenge of supporting his artistic talent without endorsing vandalism, they got a helping hand from an unlikely ally: Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken, who is also a graphic artist. TenHaken received a video of Jaden's graffiti from a city worker. 

"As an art guy who appreciates art, I was like, 'Dude, this is really good graffiti,' and as a mayor, I'm probably supposed to be mad about that. But I was just impressed," TenHaken said.

While the incident was under investigation, TenHaken met with Jaden, explaining that his actions were wrong. Even so, after recognizing his talent, the mayor commissioned a piece of art from him.

Jaden was ordered to pay about $700 in restitution for his graffiti. With that in mind, TenHaken offered Jaden $800 for the commissioned artwork, which now hangs behind the mayor's desk. 

"I hope for Jaden, he realizes that he's got a real talent," TenHaken said. "It shouldn't be wasted under the cover of night in a dark bridge somewhere, or on the side of a train."

Meanwhile, Brunz acknowledged his mistake and says going forward, he plans to show his artwork the legal way.

"I feel like the luckiest person on Earth," said Brunz. 

Mayor TenHaken is working to designate a public space in town where artists like Brunz can legally create graffiti art. His decision is influenced by his experience with Brunz and his commitment to using his influence to provide opportunities for young people, helping to steer them away from criminal activity.

David Begnaud loves uncovering the heart of every story and will continue to do so, highlighting everyday heroes and proving that there is good news in the news with his exclusive "CBS Mornings" series "Beg-Knows America." Every Monday, get ready for moments that will make you smile or even shed a tear. Do you have a story about an ordinary person doing something extraordinary for someone else? Email David and his team at  [email protected]

• South Dakota

David Begnaud is a CBS News contributor and previously served as the lead national correspondent for "CBS Mornings," based in New York City.

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"The Outsiders" Character Sketch Google Doc Assignment

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This Google Doc assignment is based on chapter 1 of S.E. Hinton's novel "The Outsiders". This is a two-part assignment. In the first part, students will, in point form, fill in a chart describing the physical and personality traits of the major characters. Page reference numbers are provided. In the second part of the assignment students, will, in sentence and paragraph form, describe who their favorite character is and why. This assignment is out of 20 marks and rubrics are provided for both parts of the assignment. A model sample answer key is provided for the character sketch part of the assignment. Also included is a fun 18 slide Jeopardy style Outsider's Easel quiz on the novel and the movie.

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