In this project, students will work collaboratively to produce a high-end product that could rival professionals in looks and

quality. At first glance, no one should be able to tell that middle school students produced this work! That’s our goal. Students

will use career readiness skills to make important decisions regarding content, layout and design, and presentation. This pro-

ject is a spinoff from a class novel study of S. E. Hinton’s, The Outsiders. To prove students have read and comprehended the

text, they will utilize what they’ve learned while supporting and extending upon it. Just like many professionals, creative

license will be employed by our 7th graders as needed. Why, you may ask? It opens up a world of possibilities! Come join us

on our journey of imagining, connecting with the real world, and accomplishing MORE!

First, students must select teams. It is advisable that a unique yet productive combination is put together. I think a tech-

nology master, writer, spokesperson, and an artist should be considered. Any combination of these, or others you like, will

do. Next, you should record the names of each team and identify the spokesperson. Now, the teams are ready for planning.

What are you making? ___ Mini-magazine ( 8 pp. to 12 pp.) ___ Photo journal w/ strong textual support

There are some fundamentals that all products must share:

All must have a front cover and a back cover. The front cover must be extraordinary! It must command attention and

make a powerful statement, or it can have an understated flair. The back must convey a sense of satisfaction and closure.

All products must include at least one (1) two-page spread.

All products must have a TITLE that is timeless and all inclusive. The title must not limit your publishing potential. This

title is always relevant.

All products must be well-written and demonstrate a mature command of the English language. That includes a variety of

sentence types and purposes. The writing process must be utilized throughout!

Students must aware of their target audience for the entire assignment. They have to identify their purpose for writing.

This applies to the overall magazine as well as individual assignments within it.

Your product must have one or two(2) ads. They can be retro, modern, or both.

All products must feature five(5) vocabulary words from the unit. They can appear anywhere and must be used correctly.

That includes spelling!

All products will be a mixture of literature and media. That means there will be prose, poetry, drama, video, technology,

and/or audio portions.

Summation of Special Assignment

Make sure you know your REACH!

Your work will influence many!

Make a difference!

Know your purpose, audience and content!

PLAN, PLAN, PLAN!

Be persistent, focused, and clear!

Document your sources!

Strive to do your best, for brilliance is in your hands!

Photo is from Shutterstock.com

PLEASE,

discover

something

new!

Front Cover—This cover requires a single page, but it is one of the

important pages in your magazine. The front cover sets the tone

for the entire work. Its purpose is to attract people to your mini-

mag and compel them to look inside. Therefore, its appearance is

EVERYTHING! It has to include a title that is broad enough and time-

less enough to cover everything you want to put inside, yet it never

seems to go out of date or style. Phew! That’s a big task, but you

can do it. Your front cover will also tease your audience about oth-

er information that is contained within. Work together to include

the following on your front cover:

Title— Titles must be timeless and all-inclusive. Keep them short!

Issue number and publication date

Powerful Photo— This must be clear & powerful; the photo must

connect to a feature.

Subtitles of Articles— Short “headlines” of features, articles, etc.

Make sure your cover matches the style and purpose set for your

mini-mag!

Price ; A barcode is necessary for contemporary magazines

Back Cover—The back has a powerful purpose, also. It brings your

entire work to a nice, neat end. The back cover is not the place to

introduce new material! Rather, it’s a place that leaves your audi-

ence feeling satisfied that closure has been provided. It’s clear that

they’ve reached the end of the magazine. Advertisements fulfill

this function very well. Make sure you conduct purposeful research

to decide what you want to advertise! Make sure your product is

appropriate for your audience and time period. Your back cover’s

tone should be objective. It doesn’t take sides; it just presents the

facts/information, and lets the audience decide.

What’s Next?

Select a product you want people to know about.

What do they need to know, and where can they find it?

What are the benefits of the product? Hint at the price.

Describe the product and mention its name thrice.

Make sure your ad’s layout is clean, crisp, and easy to understand!

No one likes a cluttered, complicated ad!

Make sure your ad fits the style of your magazine.

A “disclaimer” may be needed. Make sure you know what that is.

Try not to duplicate anyone’s ad. Create something similar of your

own.

Features/News Articles— These are all types of writing for your

magazine. These writings qualify as two-page spreads. They are

critical to your magazine and must pull your audience in! They must

be believable and creditable. They must written appropriately for

the time period in which they were designed! Contemporary maga-

zines are modern magazines that may cover things from the past.

Retro magazines are strictly from the 1960’s and cannot contain

contemporary concepts or ideas! What do I expect to see in your

features and articles? Read on.

The layout is everything

A POWERFUL title

Byline

Pull out boxes (Quotes)

Textual evidence and examples

Bulleted points

Photos/Graphics with captions

A well-written article

Transition words & phrases

Subtitles for informational articles

An appropriate conclusion

Kicking it Up a Notch

Insert audio segments that clarify, teach, or extend the article.

Add a brief note to the end of an article.

Check the

next

page for

possible

topics!

Two-Page Spread Topics

**Characters from the Novel

The Vietnam War

The Military Draft

John F. Kennedy, Jr.

Dr. Martin Luther Kind, Jr.

Robert Kennedy

NASA

Jacqueline Onassis Kennedy

Lyndon B. Johnson

Women in the Workforce

Ladies of the 60’s

Life is Not Fair

History of the Police Force

Entertainment

TV Shows and Personalities

Dragnet

The Ed Sullivan Show

Ironside

Get Smart

Bonanza

Archie Bunker

The Jefferson’s

The Old West

The Lone Ranger

The Partridge Family

Family Affair

The Brady Bunch

I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched

Mary Tyler Moore

Dick Van Dyke

Michael Landon

Star Trek

Gunsmoke

The Beverly Hillbillies

One–Pagers— These are your lighthearted, intriguing entries!

Most of the topics for the one-pagers are common enough that you

do not require a list from me. You can generate your own. Below, I

have listed the category I think you may need help with. I hope it

helps!

Equestrian Topics

Types of Horses

Andalusian

Arabian

Akhal-Teke

Quarter Horse

Paint Horse

Palomino

Horse racing was huge in America in the past, and some horse rac-

ing continues today. Rodeos were big, also. Were any of these

horse breed used in either of these sports? If not, which ones

were? What other purposes are there for horses? What do “hands”

have to do with horses, and I am not referring to grooming? Does

the word “horse power” have anything to do with real horses?

Inquiring minds want to know!

Call-in Show Topics

“Things are Rough All Over.

A Call for Change?”

“Are American Teens Grow-

ing Up Too Fast?”

“It was the Best of Times, the

Worst of Times”

“Is it True that ‘Life is Not

Fair’”? Remember, “Naw,

Ponyboy, you got it all

wrong!”

Music

Rock n’ Roll

Motown

Oldie Goldies

Jazz

Soul

Country

Bluegrass

Kid Singing Groups

Dance

Ballet

Tap

The Waltz

Line dancing

The Electric Slide?

Jitterbug

Party Dances

The Twist

The Fly

The Mash Potato

The Watusi

and more!

**Everyone has to do this topic!

Highly Informative Articles— Usually two-pages

Characterization— All magazines must include an article featuring characters from the novel. You must decide present

them correctly to your target audience. The article needs a genuine purpose that persuades, informs, or entertains. Will

you create a thumbnail sketch of everyone, or will you focus on the minor characters or major ones? Which characters are

flat, round, static, or dynamic? Does knowing that affect who they were? Will your article begin with a creative title such

as, “Name that Hood”? Think, Think, Hmmm… Will you highlight one character, or do a side by side comparison of two or

more? Whatever you decide, it must be well-planned. Textual evidence and text features such as graphics, photos with

captions, italicized or boldfaced vocabulary are required. [A two-page spread is mandatory!] [RL 7.6]

Cars from the Past/Cars Today— If you dig cars the way Steve, Sodapop, and the gang do, you may want to choose this!

You have many options. You could highlight one of the old cars mentioned in the novel, highlight a hot car from today.

Another idea would be to do a comparison/contrast of the safety features that have been added to cars since the 60’s. Cars

back then were not as safe as they are today. The aerodynamics of cars have changed also. What’s the reasoning behind

these changes? Research to find out! [W 7.4 –W 7.10]

Past & Present Societal Issues— Let’s educate by including a societal issue that took place during the 1960’s. This requires

a strong set of research skills. You must take notes, paraphrase the information, and shape the information into a new

report. Another ideas is to run an original article next to a similar article from today. That way your audience can witness

your expertise with comparison and contrasting. Remember, Cherry told Ponyboy, “Things are rough all over.” Is that still

true? Create an article that supports your conclusion, and don’t forget to document your sources! [A definite two-page

spread that demonstrates your maturity as a writer.] [W 7.4 –W 7.10]

Sodapop’s Horse—Let’s use some creative license here. Let’s pretend that Sodapop’s horse was an “Akhal-Teke”! Conduct

thorough research to find about more about this amazing horse. Tell us what you can, and make it so riveting we can hardly

put it down! Make sure you cover the five W’s and the H. [This is better as a two-pager, so you can show off the horse.]

[W 7.4 –W 7.10]

Music— Music was an important outlet for Americans during the 1960’s. How does the music reflect the time in which it

was made? What genre(s) will you choose? Consider Casey Kasem and America’s Top 40, Dick Clark’s American Bandstand,

or Don Cornelius’ Soul Train? Don’t forget about the Jackson Five, Osmonds, and the Sylvers! Don’t forget the Beatles, the

Carpenters, Mommas and Papas, and Elvis Presley. If you love music, research to find out something you don’t know. Com-

pare your newfound knowledge to what music currently means to you. What do you want your audience to know about

music— past or present? [One or two-page spread.] [W 7.4 –W 7.10]

A Change is Gonna Come— Some members of the gang needed strong alternatives to their violent lives, but it seemed none

were available. That turned to tragedy. While some teens today are still live under similar circumstances, let’s turn things

in a positive direction. In this section, you will conduct an interview of a TALENTED you may know of. Share a talent or

passion of someone your age. Get the person’s permission, first! Interview your him/her and write an article. If you are

lucky, the favor may be returned! [This is easily a one-pager. Please format it like an interview.] [W 7.4 –W 7.10]

Dance— Did the Greasers or Socs ever dance? Did they ever let their hair down and enjoy life? What kind of dances were

popular during the 1960’s and early 70’s? Would they have liked the Jitterbug? Have you ever heard of the Mashed

Potato? What about the Lawrence Welk Show, or Chubby Checker and The Twist? What kind of dances are popular today?

How are they different from those from the past? Is it fair to compare them? Which ones do you like best? What about

your audience? How about gathering a few folks and making a short video clip of one of the dances? Go on and have some

fun! [The length of this depends on the layout and amount of research you’re willing to do.] [W 7.4 –W 7.10]

Lighthearted Choices—Usually one-page

Advertisements (Ads)—One must be retro. There are some products that were mega-popular in the past! Do you know any of

them? Have you ever heard of Big Wheels? Rockem’ Sockem’ Robots? Trix cereal? Boo Berry cereal? Count Chocula? M & M’s?

McDonald’s—Ronald McDonald? There are so many more. This would be something you could ask your parents about. If you

dare, create an ad you think would appeal to the gang! The second ad must be modern. What would you like to advertise to

your target audience during this holiday season? Pick a product and create an ad of your own! Make sure you include a disclaim-

er, too. [Disclaimers state that we have no intention of stealing or misrepresenting anyone’s product. This is strictly for education-

al purposes only! [W 7.4]

Art— If you love art and creating something new, bring it in! I’d love to help you choose one to include!

Music Option 2— Who did it best? (a particular song) Compare a song from the past to a remake of it since then. It can be any

genre you choose as long as the lyrics are clean enough for school and has a positive message. Were there any musicians out

there making a difference on a musical front? Somehow music spanned the great racial divide. America was full of good music

during good and bad times. Did the Greasers and Socs know about these groups? Music was part of the military experience, too.

How so you ask? Write to inform, persuade, or explain. Diversify your work if you dare!

Poetry or Song— The novel features a poem by Robert Frost entitled, “Nothing Gold Can Stay.” Write a poem on a topic of your

choice. It must be approved by the teacher, and it cannot be too dark! Before you begin, make sure you have a target audience,

a purpose for writing, and a message. Whether you write a poem or a song, use some of the poetic devices we’ve studied in

class—including theme. Poems/songs should be meaningful, so get it approved. [W 7.4]

Food for Sodapop & the Gang— Today, we know that certain foods are just not good for us. Use this platform as a way of

teaching Sodapop and the boys about healthier eating. You could offer them a meal that is inexpensive to make, yet it’s healthy.

You may elect to share a few options we have today, especially if you have a delicious family recipe! [This could be a one or two –

page spread] [W 7.4 –W 7.10]

Guy Things or Girl Things— This can be what you want it to be as long as the team supports and agrees. Use this space for a

little fun! Feature things adolescents love! They can be an item from the past or present. Hair, makeup, clothing, shoes, nails,

toys, activities, sports, jobs, or something else that appeals to youth. You may include fashion modeling as well. (Caveat: Re-

member, you must agree. One person may be writing it, but it will affect the entire flow of the magazine, so it must be approved

by everyone. That includes your teacher!) [W 7.4 –W 7.10]

Audiovisual Inserts—These cannot stand alone! They must be embedded within an existing article/page.

Phone Call—Transcript Required—This feature will be based on old technology—the answering machine. Your team will create

a dialogue between two characters. First, the person tries to call, but the answering machine picks up on the second or third ring.

The person leaves a message is heard later. Which character calls another one? What would that character say? Make the re-

cording uses language from the time period and it sounds like something the character would actually say. You must pretend to

be that character! Help your audience understand the characters better through this dialogue. Will the dialogue be Soc to Soc,

Greaser to Greaser, or Soc to Greaser? Make sure you get the characters right and capture an extraordinary moment!

Call-in Show— Transcript Required—Here is a chance to hear from concerned parents. They don’t know what to do to help

their sons and daughters. They are seeking anonymous help from a professional. What are their concerns? What does this

sound like? Whose parents decided to make this call? Which parents choose to call in? Write this transcript and show your ex-

pertise with writing dialogue! [Make sure the show has an established purpose that allows for this. Also, make sure you keep

track of the tone of the show. Variety is key. Make sure the host/hostess has the right personality for dealing with this. Anyone

could be listening!] [SL 7.2, 7.5, 7.6]

Video— To complement your article, create a short clip to accompany it. Your article may be about the novel or about some-

thing else. Use the video feature to highlight that. [SL 7.2, 7.5, 7.6]