TEACHER’S GUIDE FOR “HOLES”BY LOUIS SACHAR

GENERAL GOAL: Improve reading skills, extend vocabulary and

Indirectly improve writing and speaking.

OBJECTIVES: The students will be able to:

1. Use their knowledge of the book to answer specific questions.

2. Apply their knowledge of the book to illustrate the connections between the past and present in the book.

3. Design a comprehensive map of Camp Green lake.4. Carry out an Internet search to answer questions.5. Design a desert survival plan.

MATERIALS:

6. Smart board7. Student’s reading guide8. Internet facilities9. Art requirements

PRE-READING:1. Lead in.

The teenage years can be very difficult for both parents and children. Why do you think? What can go wrong? Discuss in the whole class. Discuss any recent cases of youth offences in the Netherlands. Show newspaper clippings.

2. Hand out the student’s reading guide and let them work in pairs to complete the exercise on bad behaviour. They can use dictionaries to look up new words.

3. Discuss their answers in the class.4. Tell them to, in pairs, note all the forms of punishment they

know.5. Gather their answers on the board.6. If they mentioned a boot camp follow up with LAPD boot camp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNwDQZ_ue1l

Or introduce a boot camp and show the clip.

7. Ask them their opinions on the clip and if they think something like it could be possible/acceptable in the Netherlands.

8. Hand out their copies of Holes and ask them what they think the book is about.

9. Show them the trailer of Holes the movie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvbqhdj3nYY

10. Using the student’s reading guide give them a step-by-step explanation of this reading assignment give enough time for questions. Stress that they all have to read the book and answer the given questions according to the student’s guide.

While reading:Optional and /or alternative higher cognitive level questions are given with some of the chapters .

1. They have to read chapters 1 – 5 at home and answer the questions. The answers will be checked in groups of 5 at the beginning of the next lesson.

2. Chapters 6 – 10 has to be read in class. Divide into groups of 5 and let each group choose a group leader and a time keeper. The leader divides the chapters among the group members. Each member must read his/her chapter and make a short summary. The time keeper reminds them of the available time. Each group member then tells what his/her chapter was about.

3. Show the applicable part of the movie that covers chapters 11 to 20. The students must watch and answer the questions.Alternatively you can ask 1. Do you think that Stanley’s mother really knows it is a bad place? Motivate their answers andStanley writes to his mother that the hard work is building character. Is it? Motivate their answers.

4. Chapters 21 – 25 must again be read at home and the questions must be answered. Answers will be checked at the beginning of the next lesson.In addition ask the following: Why do you think the author is telling us about Stanley’s family?

5. Chapters 26 – 30. You can either read parts out loud yourself or use the audio book. Students must answer the questions.

Alternatively you can discuss the following after reading these chapters. “Sometimes when a person like Zero gets mad, he doesn’t know how to say what he feels, so he hits and fights.”Each group write down how you could teach Zero how to use his words instead of fighting and hitting.

6. Chapters 31 – 35 Read in class in their groups of 5 (Same as for chapters 6 -10. And/or askIf you were Stanley, what would you do now.

7. Chapters 36 – 45 Watch the movie in class and answer the questions. And/orask: Zero worked a long time to figure out one word. What can you learn from this

8. Chapters 46 – 50 Read at home and answer the questions. Answer will be checked in groups at the beginning of the next lesson.

Post reading:Tell the student’s they can choose one of the following 4 assignments to hand in for marks.

1. Write or design a web to show how all the different things were connected in this book. For example the stories from Latvia, the stories from Texas 100 years ago, and what happened to Stanley and Zero. Include Ms Walker the warden.

2. What would you do if you were in a desert for such a long time without water? How would you survive? What would you do and what would you be careful not to do. Write a detailed survival plan.

3. Draw a comprehensive map of Camp Green Lake and its surroundings. Include all the most important buildings and

places that are mentioned in the book. Must be drawn on A3 paper)

4. Search the Internet and answer the following:4.1 Do yellow spotted lizards exist? What is their natural

habitat? 4.2 Which is the most dangerous: the lizards, the scorpions or

The rattle snakes? Motivate your answers and describe each reptile and include your own drawings or a picture of each.

4.3 Does/Did Green Lake exist? Can you find anything on the Internet about it or that it didn’t rain for 100years.What’s its geographical position? Can you find it on Google earth? Include a printout.

Grading:

You could collaborate with the following subject teachers:

Art, Geography and Biology.

Artwork could be displayed in the classroom.

Bibliography:

http://www.lessonplanpage.com/printables/PLAHolesByLouisSachar2-TeacherPages

The Third edition New Headway, Pre-Intermediate. John and Liz Soars. Oxford University Press 2007.

STUDENT’S READING GUIDE

NAME

Pre-reading.1. The teenage years can be difficult for both children and parents.

Why do you think?What can go wrong?Discuss with the whole class.

2. Work in pairs . Read the actions in the box. If you don’t know the words look them up in a dictionary.

Decide which actions are very bad and which are not so bad for teenagers.

Telling lies / playing truant / arguing with adults / drinking alcohol / stealing / taking and/or dealing drugs / swearing / fighting and bullying / cheating in tests.

Complete the chart:

Very bad Not very bad

The third edition New Headway Pre-Intermediate . Oxford University Press.

3. Discuss your decisions with the whole class.4. In pairs discuss what forms of punishment there are in the Netherlands

for young offenders/bad children.

While readingWhat must be read

How/where Questions to be answered.

Chapters 1 up to and including 5

Read at home What is camp Green Lake like?Hot, dry , flat wasteland.

What is the rule about snakes and scorpions?If you don’t bother them, they won’t bother you.

What’s the worst thing to be bitten by?Yellow spotted lizard, slow painful death

What do they do there?They dig holes under the hot sun.

Was Stanley made to go to Camp Green Lake?No, he was given a choice and chose it because he thought it was a real camp.

What is unusual about Stanley’s name?It’s the same spelled backwards

What did Stanley’s father do?He was an inventor

Why don’t they need fences at camp Green Lake?

Why do the boys call Mr Pedandanski MOM?Because he cared so much

Give each boys’ name and nickname.Stanley – Caveman, Hector-Zero, Alan-Squid, Brian – Twitch, Theodore – Armpit, Jose – Magnet, Ricky – Zigzag, X-Ray - Rex

Chapters 6 - 10 In class in groups. Divide chapters

Each group member makes a short summary of his/her chapter and tells the other members of the group about it.

among group members

Chapters 11 - 20 In class. Watch the movie and answer the questions on these chapters

Does Xray see very well?No

Why does Stanley like the name Caveman?It shows they have accepted him

What did Stanley think he wanted to do with his life?He wants to join the FBI

What does Magnet want to do?Become a animal trainer

What object does Stanley find in his hole? Describe the object.A gold tube closed at one end and open at the other is compared to index finger

What does the Warden look like? And what was she like?She is demanding, very bossy and sarcastic. She has red hair, freckles and wears cowboy clothes.

The boys aren’t just digging to build character, they are digging for a reason what is it?The warden is trying to find something.

Does Stanley’s mother know what Camp Green lake is ?Not sure if she really knows

What news does Stanley’s mother have in the letter?That Stanley’s father is close to inventing something for smelly sneakers.

How and where is Stanley hurt?Zigzag’s shovel accidentally hits his head causing a gash on the side of his neck below his ear.

What does Stanley realize about Zero?Realizes Zero can’t read or write

What race is each boy?

X-ray, Armpit & Zero are black, Squid, Stanley & Zigzag are white & Magnet is hispanic

Why is Magnet called Magnet?Because he is a pickpocket his fingers are like magnets.

Why did Stanley take the blame for stealing the sunflower seeds? What happens when Mr Sir took Stanley to the Warden?Reason own ideas. The warden shows him the poisoned nailpolish…his wound also tingles when she touches it…but she scratches Mr Sir because she doesn’t care about his sunflower seeds and Stanley has to walk back to the holes.

Chapters 21 - 25 Read at home How did Stanley’s great grandfather survive?Because he went to God’s thumb…there it was greener

Why had someone worked on Stanley’s hole?Because he took the blame for the seeds

Who do think dug the hole? Why?Zero because he had figured out Stanley hadn’t stolen the sneakers and had taken the blame for the seeds

Who was Kate Barlow?The Kissing Bandit who had robbed Stanley’s great grandfather and left him in the desert.

How does Stanley and Zero help each other?Zero digs the holes and Stanley teaches him to read and write

Describe what Green Lake looked like 110years ago.It was a town with a lake and picinics were held and there were peach orchards

Who was Trout Walker?

He was in love with Kate Barlow and had smelly feet…he wasn’t very nice.

What is the link between Trout Walker, “Sweet Feet” and Stanley’s dad?Trout and Sweet Feet Livingston both had smelly feet and Stanley’s father was inventing something for smelly feet.

Why did Mr. Sir pour out Stanley’s water?He was angry about the sunflower seed episode and the fact that the warden had scratched him.

What was Sam the onion man’s donkey’s name?Mary Lou

Why did Kate Barlow keep asking Sam to fix things?She liked/was in love with him

What was unacceptable 100 years ago?It wasn’t acceptable for a woman to kiss a man in public and neither a white woman a black man

Chapters 26 - 30 In class. Listen to audio book and answer questions.

How/Why did Kate become the kissing Bandit?Trout led the people against Kate and set the school alight she ran to the Sheriff but he was drunk Trout caught Kate and Sam on the lake and killed Sam. Then Kate killed the sheriff and kissed him. Then she continued to rob banks and kissed her victims

Why did Trout Walker lead the people against Kate and also burn the books?He couldn’t read and was jealous of people who could and he wanted to get her back for not wanting to marry him.

Why did they call Hector Zero?His surname was Zeroni

Where have we heard the name Zeroni before?Madam Zeroni in chap 7 who cursed Stanley’s great great grand father

Where did Kate live when she returned to the area?A log cabin at the edge of the lake, next to 2 trees possibly the warden’s cabin

Where did Trout decide Kate had buried the riches?In the lake bed

What killed Kate?A spotted lizard

What were her last words?Start digging

Is Zero stupid?No the can do maths and he is learning to read and write.

Why don’t the adults stop Zero from leaving?There was nowhere to go to as it was extremely isolated.

Chapters 31 - 35 Read in class. Divide chapters among group members

Each group member makes a short summary of the chapter and tells the others about it.

Chapters 36 - 45 In class. Watch the movie and answer the questions.

What did Zero ask Stanley to do while they walked? And why?Asked to teach him words to keep his mind busy

Why are they excited about the bugs and the weeds?Because that meant there must be some water

What did Stanley find in the mud?An onion

Why was it hard for Stanley to talk?He was dehidrated

Where does the meadow full of

wild onions go back to?Sam the onion man

How could the onions help Stanley and Zero?Contains water and some nutrients

What does Zero tell Stanley about himself?About his childhood memories, what he can remember about his mother and how he began to steal

Why did Zero take the sneakers off?They smelled bad

Where did he put the sneakers?He put them on the top of a parked car

How did Zero get arrested?Stealing other shoes

Why does Stanley decide to dig the hole wider?Because he thought Kate wouldn’t have dug deeper

Who made the warden dig holes?Her parents

Chapters 46 - 50 At home, and answer the questions

Why does Stanley’s lawyerCome to the camp?Because she had realized that Stanley was innocent

Do the lawyer and the Attorney General believe the Warden’s story?

No because she changes her original story

Why can’t they find Zero’s files?

The Warden had ordered them to be destroyed

How did the lawyer know that Stanley was innocent?Because he was being bullied/beaten up when the shoes were stolen

Why did Stanley’s carrying Zero lift the curse?Because his great great grandfather had forgotten to carry Madame Zeronisup the mountain and now Stanley had carried one of her relatives up and the curse was broken.

How much money did Stanley and Zero get?Almost a million dollars each

Why did Stanley hire a private detective?To find Zero’s mother

Why do they call the foot deodorant “Sploosh”Because it was made from peaches just like the peaches of Kate Barlow and the old peaches that Zero had called Sploosh

http://www.lessonplanpage.com/printable/PLAHolesByLouisSachar2

Post reading assignmentChoose one of the following assignments:1. Write or design a web to show how all the different thing were

connected in this book, for example the stories from Latvia, the stories from Texas 100 years ago, and what happened to Stanley and Zero. Include Ms Walker, the warden.

2. What would you do if you were is a desert for so long without water?3. How would you survive? What would you do and what would you be

careful not to do. Write a detailed survival plan.4. Draw a comprehensive map of Camp Green Lake and its surroundings.

Include all the most important buildings and places that are mentioned in the book. (to be drawn on A3 paper)

5. Search the Internet and answer the following:5.1 Do yellow spotted lizards exist? Are they deadly?5.2 Which is the most dangerous: the lizards, the scorpions or the

rattle snakes? Motivate your answers and describe each of these reptiles include your own drawings of each or a picture.

5.3 Does/did Green Lake exist? Can you find anything on the Internet about it or that it didn’t rain there for 100 years?

5.4 What is its geographical position? Can it be seen on Google earth? Include a printout.