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| L to R Mr. Dial, Mrs. Rash, and Mr. Evans |
When I returned to public school librarianship this year, my goal was clear: to transform the library into a vibrant hub for immersive programming that brings curriculum to life. I've seen firsthand the impact that this type of programming can have on the student learning experience. The first major collaboration—an interdisciplinary experience for 8th graders reading S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders—exceeded every expectation. I have so many fond memories of bringing books to life through collaboration, and it is incredibly exciting to have the full support of the Malvern Middle School building and district administration!
Planning the Experience: ELA Meets Science
With the help of Principal Mr. Ben Dial, one of our ELA teachers, Mrs. Terah Rash, showed immediate interest in a deep dive collaboration based on The Outsiders. Since Mrs. Rash also teaches Science, this opened up thrilling possibilities for the kinds of experiences we could provide.
We reviewed a previous blog post I had written years ago about a similar program and decided to proceed with four distinct learning stations, blending social history, literature, and even physics to truly transport students back to the 1960s.
🏎️ Station 1: Racing Through The Outsiders (Physics)
We aimed to connect the fast-paced action of the novel to real-world physics. Students worked through a "Force and Motion" lab using matchbox cars. They explored Newton's Three Laws through three experiments: 1) inertia (rest and motion), 2) how added mass impacts acceleration (like a souped-up hot rod!), and 3) the action/reaction of cars colliding. This cross-curricular approach was a huge hit and gave the science concepts tangible meaning.
🚬 Station 2: Smoking Hot or Not? (Media Literacy)
This station provided a powerful visual piece showing how history repeated itself regarding mass marketing. We found vintage cigarette sales ads from the 1950s and 1960s so students could see how people were mass-targeted by tobacco companies. We paired these with e-cig/vaping ads that target young people in recent years. This sparked an insightful discussion about consumerism and persuasive media tactics then and now.
🍿 Station 3: Drive-In Reflections (Film History)
At the drive-in, students reflected on how movie entertainment formats have changed over the years. We found clips of movies and novels mentioned in the book, such as Gone With the Wind, Gidget Goes to Rome, and the iconic rumble scene from Beach Blanket Bingo. I was surprised at how engaged the students were; they genuinely enjoyed seeing these classic movie clips.
🎶 Station 4: Jam or Slam (Technology Evolution)
Mrs. Rash kindly loaned us her record player for the day. We played vintage vinyl albums by artists like The Righteous Brothers and Elvis. We discussed how Ponyboy might have listened to music in the 1960s. It was eye-opening for the students to see how technology has evolved—in fact, students actually asked for me to keep playing records for several periods after our collaboration programming was over!
Here is a link to our materials from the event.
How the Immersion Went Down (And Why it Worked)
Having not delivered a program like this in five years, I was thrilled by the response. The students were fully engaged the entire time. We kept the energy high with 7-minute rotations, and the atmosphere was incredible: Mrs. Rash (poodle skirt), Mr. Dial (leather jacket), and I (also a greaser) were all dressed up for the occasion. The student interest was so high that an additional ELA class joined our last session!
The real magic was seeing the students connect a 1960s novel to physics labs, media literacy, and music history. (We had planned to incorporate a modern twist by having students ask an AI-emulated Ponyboy questions using Google Gemini at the end, but we ran out of time due to the overall enthusiasm!)
The Verdict: Student Voices on the Experience
The reflections we gathered confirmed the deeper impact of the hands-on learning:
"I think it gave me more understanding of what it felt like back then, almost like a vibe. I liked the music station because you can sense so much emotion in the music." - Cora
"It gave me a much better understanding of the book as well as the 1960s as a whole. (Next time) maybe give us more time to get deep thinking and still be able to answer the questions we were asked." - Drake
"It helped me understand what they were able to do back then." - Faith
"The Outsiders program helped me really see what the greasers and Socs looked like. My favorite station was the record [player]. I liked to really be able to listen to the music." - Jocelyn
"I think it affected me by showing me how the world actually looked from their perspective." - Preston
What's Next for Library Collaboration
The success of The Outsiders immersion is already inspiring our next steps! I am confident that this first collaboration will encourage other teachers to view the library as a dynamic space for experiential learning—a true extension of the classroom.
We are already planning a new collaboration focused on History next semester, and Mrs. Rash has been inspired to host a similar library event when her class reads Alan Gratz’s Refugee. The future of the school library is immersive, interdisciplinary, and exciting. I can't wait to see what happens next.
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