1. Rewrite the end of this story with Johnny surviving. What changes would his living have brought about in the other characters? For example, would Dally still be alive?
2. Create a role-playing game. Make two decks of cards. One deck displays characters — Ponyboy, Darry, and so on — and the other deck reflects situations — both from the book and made-up. Two class members at a time draw from the character pile and together choose a situation. As they create the scene, the rest of the class must identify the characters and discuss the particulars of the scene.