Seventh Grade
“Holes” by Louis Sachar Literature Study
Time Frame: 4 weeks
Standards Addressed:
· 7.RL.2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text
· 7.RL.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text. including figurative and connotative meanings
· 7.RL.6. Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text
· 7.W.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
· 7.SL.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly
· 7.L.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies
Overall Objectives:
ü SWBAT
o read and analyze provided chapter readings and determine the correct plot line
o write responses to readings and score an overall score of 20 out of 24 throughout the study (4 total)
o write concise summaries of provided readings and receive a checkmark.
o apply understanding of cause and effect relationships
o understand different points of views and receive a checkmark.
o determine meaning of given vocabulary by applying comprehension skills and receiving at least 3 out of 4 checkmarks throughout the study (checkmark will be given if student finishes vocabulary assignement)
o analyze “Holes” after reading the entirety of the novel and evaluate their understanding
o apply comprehension to a final novel study project and score at least a 25 out of 30 points
Topic Schedule:
Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / FridayIntroduction / Chapters 1-3
Summaries / Chapters 4-7
Vocabulary / Chapters 8-10
Characterization / C4U Quiz 1-10
Vocab Quiz A
Chapters 11-14
Fact vs. Fiction / Chapters 15-17
Vocabulary / Chapters 18-21
Characterization / No School / No School
No School / Chapters 22-24
Cause and Effect / C4U Quiz 11-24
Vocab Quiz B / Chapters 25-28
Types of Conflict / Chapters 29-31
Point of View
Chapters 32-35
Vocabulary / Chapters 36-38
Irony / C4U Quiz 25-38
Vocab Quiz C / Chapters 39-42
Title / Chapters 43-45
Vocabulary
Chapters 46-48
Plot / Chapters 49-50
Book Review / C4U Quiz 39-50
Vocab Quiz D
Assignment Schedule:
Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / FridayIntroduction
Assign 2-3
Provide Packet A / Assign 4-7
Vocab HW / Assign 8-10 / Assign 11-14
Response HW / C4U Quiz 1-10
Vocab Quiz A
Assign 15-17
Provide Packet B
Vocab HW / Assign 18-21 / Assign 22-24 / No School / No School
No School / Assign 25-28
Response HW / C4U Quiz 11-24
Vocab Quiz B / Assign 29-31
Provide Packet C / Assign 32-35 Vocab HW
Assign 36-38 / Assign 39-42
Response HW / C4U Quiz 25-38
Vocab Quiz C / Assign 43-45
Provide Packet D
Vocab HW / Assign 46-48
Assign 49-50 / Book Review
Response HW / C4U Quiz 39-50
Vocab Quiz D
Lessons and Assessments:
**Discussion will take place every day about the required reading with a response journal and comprehension lesson each week. Students will have a folder with all of their information from the book included for use as a resource for the final project.
**Reading Responses will be scored in the following manner: 4 points for answering all sections of the question. 1 point for having less than 5 grammatical errors. 1 point for full sentences.
**After each reading, students will be required to make predictions. Predictions will be recorded and kept for a later exercise.
Introduction
Read aloud Chapter 1
Explain packets, folders, and requirements
Chapters 1-10 (PACKET A)
Materials:
· Packet A (one per student)
· Questions for Chapters 1-10
· What a Character! (one per student)
· Classroom Character Map
· Chapters 1-10 Quiz (one per student)
-Vocabulary A: perseverance, scarcity, desolate, spigot, forlorn, preposterous, scowled, predatory, mere, grimaced
-Response Journal: In Holes, the characters have very unique characteristics. Choose three friends or family members and decide what characters they are similar to. Provide the names of your friends or family and the characteristics they share with the particular character in Holes.
Chapters 1-3: Summary Writing
ü Students will work together to determine key ideas from chapters 1-3 and thoughts will be recorded on the board. Students will work together to narrow the thoughts down to key ideas and create a summary. Each student will be able to write their own summary.
ü Assessment: Students will write a summary of their reading for tomorrow entrance card. A student will receive a checkmark if they have included at least three key points and has less than 3 mistakes.
Chapters 4-7: Vocabulary
ü Go over vocabulary words in class and have students share their sentences.
ü Students will play the game “Password” to study vocabulary words. Students will be divided into two teams. Each round, one student from each team will face away from the board. Write one vocabulary word on the board. Teams alternate giving one word clues to their teammate. The person who guesses the word first, gains a point for their team.
Chapters 8-10: Characterization
ü Students will be able to pick a partner of their choice to complete the provided worksheet. After 10 minutes, the students will come together to make corrections to the classroom character chart.
Chapters 11-24 (PACKET B)
Materials:
· Packet B (one per student)
· Character Map worksheet (one per student)
· Classroom Character Map
· Cause and Effect Game (one set per group)
· Cause and Effect worksheet (one per student)
· Chapters 11-24 Quiz (one per student)
-Vocabulary B: smug, glisten, excavated, presumably, writhed, afflict, defiance, recede, venom, calloused
-Response Journal: In Holes, the author uses the onion as a metaphor for how people can be. Compare and contrast two characters of your choice. After you have done this, tell how an onion and that character have similar qualities.
Chapters 11-14: Fact versus Fiction
ü Ask students if Camp Green Lake is anything like what Stanley thought it was going to be. Have them back up their answers with explanations.
ü Pass out “Fact or Fiction” worksheet. Have students create questions on their own. Assign six people to “be” the characters and have a fake interview allowing the students to ask/answer the questions accordingly.
Chapters 15-17: Vocabulary
ü Go over vocabulary words in class and have students share their sentences.
ü There will be a crossword puzzle on the board with all the vocabulary words from this week and last week. The class will be split into two teams. Each team will get to choose one word to solve for. In order to place the word on the board, they must answer a trivia question from Holes and have the correct vocabulary word.
Chapters 18-21: Character Analysis
ü Students will be placed in groups by picture corners. Each group will be given a character to analyze. After ten minutes, students will come together and present each character to class to make corrections to the classroom character chart. The students will be analyzing Stanley Yelnats, Zero, the Warden, X-Ray, and Mr. Pendanski. The students will be using a Character map to analyze the characters.
Chapters 22-24: Cause and Effect
ü An event will be written on the board, the students will have to think of a cause of the event. The next person using the previous cause and this event and so on....
ü Students will be placed in four groups to play a cause and effect game. The game is played similarly to concentration. Each group has a set of cards with causes and effects that are relevant to the student’ lives. The students will have 10 minutes to play the game.
ü Students will work on their own to finish the Cause and Effect worksheet. After 5 minutes, the class will come together and discuss their choices for each question. If students have different answers, allow for discussion before determining which is correct.
Chapters 25-38 (PACKET C)
Materials:
· Packet C (one per student)
· Conflict Worksheet (one per student)
· “The True Story of the Three Little Pigs” written by Lane Smith and Jon Scieszka
· That’s Ironic worksheet (one per student)
· Chapters 25-38 Quiz (one per student)
-Vocabulary C: drawl, asthma, sparingly, delirious, systematic, mirage, protruding, precipice, parched, gully
-Response Journal: In Holes, the boys at Camp Green Lake are made to dig holes to make them better people. Do you think this would work in today’s world? Why or why not? What activity would you put in effect if you were in charge of a camp similar to Camp Green Lake to make the campers better people in today’s society?
Chapters 25-28: Types of Conflict
ü Ask students what type of conflict they have gone through in their lives. Ask what types of conflicts have occurred so far in holes.
ü Pass out Conflict worksheet and discuss the four different kinds of conflict. Allow 10 minutes for students to finish the worksheet on their own. Bring students together and go through worksheet. Have students come up with other examples as each type is brought up.
Chapters 29-31: Point of View Activity
ü Read aloud “The True Story of the Three Little Pigs” written by Lane Smith and Jon Scieszka. Explain to students that point of view is very important in novels because it can change the whole idea of the story.
ü Place students in three groups. Students will be acting out a scene about Sam and Kate from chapters 29-31 in a different point of view. Give students 5 minutes to prepare. Let students present their skits.
ü Assessment: Students will be given the question “Why is point of view important?” for tomorrow’s entrance. (The student will receive a checkmark if it evident the student understands the overall concept.)
Chapters 32-35: Vocabulary
ü Go over vocabulary words in class and have students share their sentences.
ü Students will play a Pictionary game with the last three weeks vocabulary words. The students will be split into two teams and the students will be given a word to draw. The team who guesses the word first will win the point.
Chapters 36-38: Irony
ü Explain to students what irony is and why authors use the technique often in literature.
ü Have students get into five groups by numbering off. Give each group one question from the That’s Ironic worksheet. Allow time for students to determine answer. After 5-10 minutes, bring the class back together and discuss the ironic situations.
ü Ask students if they found any other irony within the book so far. Have students start discussions.
Chapters 39-50 (PACKET D)
Materials:
· Packet D (one per student)
· Find the Main Idea worksheet (one per student)
· Bingo boards (one per student)
· Plot line (one per student)
· Classroom Illustrated Plot Line
· White computer paper
· Filling in the Holes worksheet (one per student)
· Project handout (one per student)
· Chapters 39-50 Quiz (one per student)
-Vocabulary D: contritely, feebly, fugitive, precarious, commotion, strenuous, tarnation, tedious, neutralizes, legitimate
-Response Journal: What is the significance of the title? Besides the fact that the boys have to dig holes, how else is the image of a hole used? What do you think the novel should have been titled and why?
Chapters 39-42: Title Significance
ü Refresh students’ minds on summary writing. Ask students what significance a title has not only in a book but also for each individual chapter.
ü Have students work on the Find the Main Idea worksheet. Allow students to share their titles. Go around and have students do a quick refresh on the main ideas of each chapter and then allow for several different title names and have students back up their titles with reasoning.
Chapters 43-45: Vocabulary
ü Go over vocabulary words in class and have students share their sentences.
ü Students will play Bingo with the vocabulary words. Students will be given a Bingo board to write their words on. Read the definitions allowed and have students cross out words with pencil. Students have to be able to give the proper definitions to win.
Chapters 46-48: Plot Development
ü Ask students what their favorite movies and/or books are. Have each students explain why they like that particular example. Talk about what a plot is.
ü Help students create an illustrated classroom plot line. Provide individual plot lines for students to fill out while classroom chart is being created. Place class into five groups and have each group draw one part of the plot line to include in the plot line.
ü Talk with students about how the story would be different without a climax and why the climax is important.
Chapters 49-50: Filling in the Holes and a look back at predictions
ü Have students talk about their favorite moments of Holes.
ü Pass out Filling the Holes worksheet and go through the worksheet as a class to see if the connections can be made throughout the story.
ü Have students pull out predictions and see if any of their predictions came true.
ü Explain project using the bulletin board.