HOLES

INTRODUCTION TO THE NOVEL

 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of the lesson you will…

 Be able to make a prediction about

the events in the novel

 Understand how to analyse language

to explore ideas and meanings
WHAT DOES THE FRONT
COVER SUGGEST?

Explore the images, colours and

words on the front cover.

Think about what each thing

could suggest to us about the
upcoming story.
WHAT CAN THE BLURB ADD TO
OUR PREDICTIONS?

Stanley Yelnats’ family has a history of bad luck,

so he isn’t too surprised when a miscarriage of
justice sends him to a boys’ juvenile detention
centre. At Camp Green Lake the boys must dig a
hole a day, five feet deep, five feet across, in the
dried up lake bed. The Warden claims the labour is
character building, but it is a lie. Stanley must dig
up the truth.
ANALYSING THE TEXT

Now, read chapters one and two and we will analyse chapter
them in detail.

Complete the worksheet by filling in the boxes. Think, pair

and share your ideas with your partner and then write them
down. Be ready to feedback to the rest of the class!
HOMEWORK
1. Complete the analysis sheet in as much detail as possible.
2. Read up to chapter 6.
HOLES
CHAPTERS 3-6
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of the lesson you will…

 Be able to describe how a

narrator’s POV influences how events
are described

Quote accurately from the text when

explaining what the text says
explicitly and when drawing
inferences from the text
POINT OF VIEW

1. What point of view is the story told from?

Provide Evidence. Is there more than one?
How does this influence how the story is
being told?

2. Do you think Sachar made a good choice by

telling the story from this point(s) of view?
Why or why not? Would another point of view
make it more effective?
 Do you know the
VOCAB CHECK! meaning of these
words?
Shriveled Descendants

Dazed
Perseverance
Forbidden

Barren
Hammock

Desolate Scarcity
Weary
COMPREHENSION
1. How does Stanley’s dad cope with his failures?
2. How does he learn from his failures?
3. Do you think Stanley is going to run? Why or why
not?
4. Why does Mr. Sir ask him if he is thirsty?
5. Why does Mr. Pendanski call the boys by their
real names even though they all have
nicknames?
6. What had Stanley done to end up at Camp Green
Lake? Do you think he is innocent? (How does
point of view influence this?)
COMPARE & CONTRAST

1. How are Mr. Sir and Mr. Pendanski

different? Provide evidence.

• How do Mr. Sir and Mr. Pendanski differ

in how they treat the campers?
• How do you think this affects the
campers?
HOMEWORK
1. Read chapter 7.
HOLES
CHAPTER 7
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of the lesson you will…

 Explain how a series of chapters,

scenes, or stanzas fits together to
provide the overall structure of a
particular story, drama, or poem.
STORY STRUCTURE

1. Why does the author go back and forth between the

present and the past? (Stanley = present. Great
grandparents=past).

2. What structure does the author use to let us know he

is switching time frames?

3. What do you think is the importance of the pig story

with Madam Zeroni? Why do you think the author
included it at this point in the story?
• What did you learn from the story of the pig?
• Do you think this story is important?
 Do you know the
VOCAB CHECK! meaning of these
words?

horizon
canteen

unearthed
shaft
COMPREHENSION
Do you think the Warden is looking for something?
2. What do you think the Warden is like?
3. What does it mean when they say they are “digging
to build character?”
4. Why do you think the boys spit in the holes after
they are done (infer)?
HOMEWORK
1. Read chapters 8-10.
HOLES
CHAPTERS 8-10
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of the lesson you will…

 Determine a theme of a story,

drama, or poem from details in the
text, including how characters in a
story or drama respond to challenges
or how the speaker in a poem reflects
upon a topic.
QUICK RECAP

What characters have we been introduced to

and what are they like?

What have we learnt about Camp

Green Lake?
DETECTIVE WORK!

Authors like to hide clues in their books to

tell you what characters are like.

Rather than them telling you what the

characters are like, they give you more
information about the character through:
• Dialogue (how they speak)
• Action (how they act)
• Description (how they look).
 SHERLOCK HOLMES CLIP

Watch the Sherlock Holmes clip on

the next slide so that you can learn
from the best.

Sherlock Holmes can learn a lot about

a character without being told
anything about them.

Watch the video and think about how

you could use his skills.
 HOW DID SHERLOCK WORK IT
ALL OUT?

She is a governess as she is wearing an

Canexpensive
you be like Sherlock
necklace.

He knows sheHolmes?
is a student because she
has flecks of ink on her skin.

Have a gothat
He knows andshesee
haswhat youofcan
been out the

identify about the Holes’

country as she has a slight tan.

She characters fromasthe

was once engaged shetext!
has a tan
line where the ring once was.
 DESCRIPTION
What does this description tell you about Stanley?

Quiet? Lonely?
He didn’t have any friends at
home. He was overweight and
the kids at middle school often
Shy? teased him. Slow?

Nerdy? Different?

Nervous? Strange?
 DIALOGUE
What does this dialogue tell you about Stanley?

“Thanks for the ride” he said. Considerate?

His mouth was dry, and his
Polite? throat hurt. He stepped onto the
hard-dry dirt. There was a band
of sweat around his wrists where
the cuffs had been. Caring?
Respectful?

Nice?
Scared?
Kind?
 ACTION
What does this action tell you about Stanley?

Scared? Stanley stepped off the bus, his Shy?

head down looking at the dirt.
The guard led Stanley to a
small building, he slowly
Nervous? Uncertain?
shuffled behind.

Worried? Slow?
Anxious?
 HOW DO YOU P.E.E.?
P.E.E. stands for Point, Evidence, Explain.

Point Evidence Explain is used for structuring your arguments to make them
more convincing.

Point I believe that Stanley will be quite shy

and nervous.

Evidence I think this because Stanley is described

as having no friends and he is often teased.

Explain Therefore he is likely to be quite shy and

nervous as he will probably be insecure
from having no friends and being bullied.
 I believe that Stanley will
be caring and kind. He
said thank you to the bus
Read the text and find the P.E.E driver even though he
had brought him to the
awful camp green lake.
Where is the point? Therefore he is likely to
be kind and caring as he
is even polite to a person
What is the Evidence? that has brought him to
a horrible place.

Where is the explanation?

What does Mr Pendanski’s dialogue tell you?
Wants Stanley to
feel welcome?
Wants to help
Stanley? “My name is easy to remember” said Mr Pedanski as
he shook hands with Stanley just outside the tent.
“Three easy words: pen, dance, key” Mr Pendanski
He is a caring
was younger than MR Sir, and not nearly as scary
looking. The top of his head was shaved so close it was person?
He is a nice almost bald, but his face was covered in a thick curly
person? black beard. His nose was badly sunburned.
"I'm going to help you turn your life around," said his
counsellor. "But you're going
to have to help, too. Can I count on your help?"
"Yes, sir," Stanley said.
Wants him to Mr. Pendanski said, "Good," and patted Stanley on the
know his back.
name?
He respects
Stanley?
What do Mr Pendanski’s actions tell you?

“My name is easy to remember” said Mr Pedanski as

he shook hands with Stanley just outside the tent. Respects Stanley as
“Three easy words: pen, dance, key” Mr Pendanski an equal?
was younger than MR Sir, and not nearly as scary
looking. The top of his head was shaved so close it was
almost bald, but his face was covered in a thick curly He want to make a
black beard. His nose was badly sunburned. good introduction?
"I'm going to help you turn your life around," said his
counsellor. "But you're going
to have to help, too. Can I count on your help?" He cares about
"Yes, sir," Stanley said. Stanley?
Mr. Pendanski said, "Good," and patted Stanley on the
back.
He wants Stanley
to feel safe?
What does the description of Mr Pendanski tell you?

He isn’t scary or
mean. “My name is easy to remember” said Mr Pedanski as
he shook hands with Stanley just outside the tent.
“Three easy words: pen, dance, key” Mr Pendanski
He spends a lot of was younger than MR Sir, and not nearly as scary
time working looking. The top of his head was shaved so close it was
outside. almost bald, but his face was covered in a thick curly
black beard. His nose was badly sunburned.
"I'm going to help you turn your life around," said his
He is young so can counsellor. "But you're going
relate to Stanley? to have to help, too. Can I count on your help?"
"Yes, sir," Stanley said.
Mr. Pendanski said, "Good," and patted Stanley on the
Maybe he has been a back.
child at camp green
lake?
 What does Mr Sir’s dialogue tell you?
Doesn’t
respond to
A man was sitting with his feet up on a desk and a scowl on guards'
his face. He turned his head when Stanley and the guard question
entered, but otherwise didn't move. Even though he was
inside, he wore sunglasses and a cowboy hat. “How you
doing? That's a lot of sunflower seeds," the bus guard said.
Stanley noticed a burlap sack filled with sunflower seeds on
the floor next to the desk.
"I quit smoking last month," said the man in the cowboy hat.
He had a tattoo of a rattlesnake on his arm, and as he signed He isn’t
He is very his name, the snake's rattle seemed to wiggle "I used to welcoming
blunt smoke a pack a day. Now I eat a sack of every week."

He doesn’t ask how

the bus guard is.
What do Mr Sir’s actions tell you?
Relaxed?
A man was sitting with his feet up on a desk and a scowl on Laid back?
his face. He turned his head when Stanley and the guard
entered, but otherwise didn't move. Even though he was
inside, he wore sunglasses and a cowboy hat. “How you
doing? That's a lot of sunflower seeds," the bus guard said.
Stanley noticed a burlap sack filled with sunflower seeds on
the floor next to the desk.
"I quit smoking last month," said the man in the cowboy hat.
He had a tattoo of a rattlesnake on his arm, and as he signed
his name, the snake's rattle seemed to wiggle "I used to
smoke a pack a day. Now I eat a sack of every week."

Rude? Uninterested?
What does the description of Mr Sir tell you?
Scary? Dangerous?
A man was sitting with his feet up on a desk and a scowl on
his face. He turned his head when Stanley and the guard
entered, but otherwise didn't move. Even though he was
inside, he wore sunglasses and a cowboy hat. “How you
doing? That's a lot of sunflower seeds," the bus guard said.
Stanley noticed a burlap sack filled with sunflower seeds on
the floor next to the desk.
"I quit smoking last month," said the man in the cowboy hat.
He had a tattoo of a rattlesnake on his arm, and as he signed
his name, the snake's rattle seemed to wiggle "I used to
smoke a pack a day. Now I eat a sack of every week."

Intimidating?
Cool?
 Do you know the
VOCAB CHECK! meaning of these
words?

sprawl
predatory

fossil
scowl
DISCUSSION
1. What character traits do you think are necessary
to survive time at Camp Green Lake? Do you
think Stanley has these traits?
COMPREHENSION
1. Why do you think the author keeps mentioning
lizards?

2. What do these lizards look like and what do they

eat?

3. What has Stanley learned, about digging holes,

since his first day?
• Is this learning from his failures, like his dad did?

4. Do you think the Warden is looking for something?

HOMEWORK
1. Do up mini character traits booklets in your literature
notebook for the following characters: Stanley, Zero, Mr
Sir, Mr Pedanski, Warden

2. Be as creative as you want for the illustrations.

HOLES
DESCRIPTIVE WRITING
EFFECTIVE DESCRIPTIVE
WRITING HAS:

• Vivid details. Specific details paint a picture in the reader's

mind and appeal to the reader's senses.

• Figurative language. Tools of the writer's craft such as

analogy, simile, and metaphor add depth to authors'
descriptions.

• Precise language

• Thoughtful organization
 (CONTINUED)

Purpose

•Portrays people, places, or things with vivid details to help

the reader create a mental picture of what is being described

•Involves the reader so that he or she can visualize what or

who is being described

•Creates or conveys a dominant impression of what is being

described through sensory details
 (CONTINUED)

Methods

•Zoom in, zoom out (Background, foreground)

•Panning from left to right or right to left

•A combination of panning and zooming

Identify the specific details used by the author to help
us visualise the yellow spotted lizard.
Chapter 8

Actually, it is kind of odd that scientists named the lizard after its yellow spots. Each lizard has

exactly eleven yellow spots, but the spots are hard to see on its yellow-green body. The lizard

is from six to ten inches long and has big red eyes. In truth, its eyes are yellow, and it is the

skin around the eyes which is red, but everyone always speaks of its red eyes. It also has

black teeth and a milky white tongue. Looking at one, you would have thought that it should

have been named a "red-eyed" lizard, or a "black-toothed" lizard, or perhaps a "white-tongued"

lizard. If you've ever been close enough to see the yellow spots, you are probably dead. The

yellow-spotted lizards like to live in holes, which offer shade from the sun and protection from

predatory birds. Up to twenty lizards may live in one hole. They have strong, powerful legs,

and can leap out of very deep holes to attack their prey.
DESCRIPTIVE WRITING TASK

• In your language notebook, write 250-300 words on a

special moment that you experienced over your summer
break.

• It could be a particular moment of an event that you

attended, or a person that you met.
The Woman I've Seen Once SAMPLE
Every day we see a lot of strangers passing them by without paying attention but that woman in
the red dress stood out from the crowd. She was extremely beautiful. She knew about this and
even felt proud of being like a model from the fashion magazine. She has long black hair, big
black eyes that it was possible to dive into them and get lost forever like in the ocean. However,
on their surface, I noticed waves of sorrow.

The woman was standing silently. The entire nature of hers was ready to scream from pain. Her
eyes were full of tears looking at me - those were tears of sadness mixed with happiness. I
wanted to come to her to ask what had happened. Unfortunately, something prevented me from
this.

I turned back, understood that she had disappeared. I did my best to find her seeing her nowhere.
It was so strange because it seemed that her perfume was left in that park forever. I smelled it - it
seemed so familiar to the one my mom had. She died when I was five. I wanted to find her seeing
her in everyone.

I will never forget the woman who looked so similar to my mom because she had such a sad face.
I think that there are no meetings, which take place by chance. I am sure, that one has been
planned by someone. Who was she? This has remained a secret. This doesn't matter because
her appearance gave me a chance to see the image of my mom once again and feel her love
wherever she is now.
HOLES
WRITER’S EFFECT
 Read the passage given below.
Chapter 7
What is
Stanley's blisters had ripped open, and new blisters formed. the He kept changing
overall
his grip on the shovel to try to avoid the pain. Finally, he removed
effect? his cap and
held it between the shaft of his shovel and his raw hands. This helped, but
digging was harder because the cap would slip and slide. The sun beat down on
his unprotected head and neck. Though he tried to convince himself otherwise,
Which
he'd been aware for a while that his piles of dirt were too closewords
to hisorhole. The
phrases
piles were outside his five-foot circle, but he could see he shouldto run out
was going
we select to
of room. Still, he pretended otherwise and kept adding more dirt to the piles,
analyse?
piles that he would eventually have to move.
The problem was that when the dirt was in the ground, it was compacted. It
expanded when it was excavated. The piles were a lot bigger than his hole was
deep. It was either now or later. Reluctantly, he climbed up out of his hole, and
once again dug his shovel into his previously dug dirt.
Read the passage given below.
Chapter 7

Stanley's blisters had ripped open, and new blisters formed. He kept
changing his grip on the shovel to try to avoid the pain. Finally, he removed
his cap and held it between the shaft of his shovel and his raw hands. This
helped, but digging was harder because the cap would slip and slide. The sun
beat down on his unprotected head and neck. Though he tried to convince
himself otherwise, he'd been aware for a while that his piles of dirt were too
close to his hole. The piles were outside his five-foot circle, but he could see
he was going to run out of room. Still, he pretended otherwise and kept
adding more dirt to the piles, piles that he would eventually have to move.
The problem was that when the dirt was in the ground, it was compacted. It
expanded when it was excavated. The piles were a lot bigger than his hole
was deep. It was either now or later. Reluctantly, he climbed up out of his
hole, and once again dug his shovel into his previously dug dirt.
WRITER’S EFFECT
Now, write a writer’s effect paragraph for the passage on the previous
slide, based on what you have been taught last semester.

Let’s recap, how do we write a writer’s effect paragraph?

1. Overall effect
2. Evidence #1
3. Elaboration (Literary Device, Implicit meaning, Connotations, Effect)
4. Evidence #2
5. Elaboration (Literary Device, Implicit meaning, Connotations, Effect)
6. Evidence #3
7. Elaboration (Literary Device, Implicit meaning, Connotations, Effect)
WRITER’S EFFECT SAMPLE PARAGRAPH

This extract is mainly telling us about the pain and difficulty that
Stanley is going through while digging the holes. The phrase ‘ripped
open’ conveys a ferocious visual imagery of something being
forcefully torn apart, reflecting the magnitude of pain his hands are
going through. ‘Raw hands’ expresses a rough tactile imagery, of
hands that are not protected nor treated with sufficient care, and
vulnerable to the harsh conditions. This shows that Stanley’s hands
are probably hurt, full of scars and calluses. The phrase ‘the sun beat
down on his unprotected head and neck’ suggest that Stanley is
exposed to the relentless heat without appropriate attire. ‘Beat
down’ is a personification of the sun hurting him, almost like hitting
or bullying Stanley even though he has no form of defense as
What do the
conveyed through ‘unprotected’. different colours
represent?
AA TASK 3 - STORY MAP ON ‘HOLES’
• In groups of three, create a visual story map depicting at
least 10 key events and settings from ‘Holes’.
• The story map should include important details such as
character interactions, conflicts, and plot twists to
demonstrate the group's understanding of the story.
• Each illustration should include a maximum of two
sentences.
• Students will present their findings using an A2 storyboard or
PowerPoint.

DUE ON 18 AUGUST 2023.