Pull research from different countries
Popular gangs in the media
Gangs and Drug Trafficking
Gangs and teens
Gangs and their affect on society
EVEN BETTER: Choose a specific place to research
Suggested Search Terms
You either participate in transporting and selling drugs or you have jobs that may not be as fulfilling (think...Sodapop works at a gas station)
Drug trafficking becomes a form of income.
In communities where jobs are limited it becomes THE job to have.
Drugs are circulated through
the community
Has Monster's account of his time in a gang changed your opinion? Has it confirmed what you had originally thought?
Jobs are limited and those within the community are forced to find income elsewhere
Or they are forced to stay where they are because they can not sell their homes. This allows the cycle of gang recruitment to continue
Good families move away
Business can not stay within the community, which decreases the amount of money being spread throughout the community
Fear for their lives
Looting, theft, stealing
Violence and death ensued
What affect did both of these interpretations of gang life have on their surrounding neighborhoods?
Darry is concerned with how his brothers do in school
Some of the male characters are depicted as sensitive
Is there ever a time when gangs are good?
Is the media and research right to depict gangs as violent and menacing?
If this had been the only gang related movie you saw when "The Outsiders" came out, would you have thought that a gang doesn't seem so bad?
Does this fit your idea of gang members?
Were you shocked that someone could commit such violence and be happy with themselves?
What about how he got his name?
Monster was initiated into a gang in 6th grade... did that surprise you? why?
Does "The Outsiders" seem more tame than what you would say the media depicts gangs as/or what you believe gangs to be?
Are there events you have read about that are similar to what you read about in "The Outsiders" or "Monster"
Sodapop and other boys have dropped out of highschool
Many of the boys come from low income families. You can see this in the movie by looking at how their homes look and how they are dressed.
Darry finished highschool and almost went to college on a football scholarship
Many of the boys steal
Rival gang members attempt to attack Johnny and Ponyboy
Darry wants his brother Ponyboy to do well in school, he wants him away from the violence of the gang life, but ultimately he can't stop it from happening.
Darry creates a new home for his friends whose home lifes are sometime violent and uncaring
Dally steals from a shop ultimately leading to his death
Johnny murders a gang member from another gang to protect his friend.
Did you view gang life negatively?
Or as something that may have been over done and ramped up in the media?
What have you seen in the news that is similar to situations Monster went through?
Do you see instances where your opinion was brought to life through something Monster said or described?
What was your opinion before and now after?
Think... biases? opinions? symbolism?
Think... violent acts? shoot outs? running from the law? sticking together in tough times? helping each other?
Think... criminals? poor? violent? High school drop outs?
What have you learned about gangs? Does this real life interpretation change your outlook? Were your thoughts about gangs correct? Incorrect?
Did anything about the text surprise you? Or have media interpretations accurately depicted gang life?
Does the autobiography fit your understanding of gangs?
Are there stereotypes within the novel that are still represented in media today? Have those stereotypes changed over time? Have they stayed the same?
Does "The Outsiders" represent gang life accurately? How does it compare to your new understanding of gangs?
Do you see connections between your research and "The Outsiders"? Are there similarities between the two?
How does "The Outsiders" Influence your idea of gang life? Does it influence it?
"Monster"
"The Outsiders"
4. Incorporate and Connect the Text Sets used in class.
Omit information that may not be true (height, age, time period)
Google Scholar
Academic One File
NY Times
Gang Violence Unit Plan Research Processes/Text Set Synthesis
1. Choose YOUR research question
2. Start Researching
Search Strategies
Suggested Databases
Get specific when you search
Find a reliable database/article.
3. Start Annotating
What are the author's sources? Are they reliable? Can they back up the information they present?
What audience is the author trying to reach? Did their point come across well? Did it actually target the audience they wanted to target?
What is the author's opinion on gangs?
Are they for or against it? Is the article merely informational?
Is there bias in this article?
How can you tell?
Is the article from a well-known and trustworthy site?
Who is the author? Are they reliable? Is their writing more opinion based or is it more factual?
Does the database end in .gov or .edu? Or does it end in .com or .org?
Is the database found on the library homepage? Why do you think this is a good database? Is it relevant to your research? Is it well made and professional?
You may create a topic of your own and submit for approval.
What makes gangs appealing?
Why do people join gangs?
How does Gang Violence affect Neighborhoods?
