HOLES by Louis Sachar

The study of a novel.

What might our objectives be?

Our assessment objectives

Themes

What issues does the writer want us to think about?

Plot

Analyse the construction of the plot (e.g.tension, impact of sub-plots on main plot ).

Style of language

Sentence construction,

paragraphing, layout etc

Characterisation

To investigate the skills a writer uses to develop character (eg action, dialogue, narration, description.)

Setting

Study the significance of the setting to the story.

Look at description

Literal and metaphorical

Objective: to explore Louis Sashar’s character Stanley and the methods he uses

to develop this character.

Outcome: to create mind maps of the character Stanley Yelnats using

Point

Evidence

Explanation statements

How does Louis Sachar develop his character Stanley Yelnats?

The BIG question?

actions

Characterisationtechniques

description

dialogue narration

We can use skimming, scanning and asking questions to help us with our investigation. In a pair create some questions.

Details or inference?

Read between the lines. In pairs work out something about Stanley’s character. ( Help? Use Stanley’s character list.)

“Stanley’s father was an inventor.”

He smiled. It was a family joke. Whenever and thing went wrong, they always blamed Stanley’s no-good- dirty –rotten – pig- stealing-

great-great grandfather

Success Criteria- making inferences

Point - What quality can you find out about

Stanley from your quotation

Evidence – Talk about the quotation with a

partner. What does it tell you? Remember - read between the lines.

Explanation- Now explain your findings in

as much detail as you can.

GROUP TASK

In small groups make a spider diagram or mind map of Stanley analysing his character in detail.

USE the post-it notes to PEE

Remember this is a collaborative task, organise yourselves effectively.

Plenary

Pool your findings…bring a post-it to add to the class spider.

Which skills did you use well?

How effective was your group?

Assessment for Learning

Cycle

Share learning objectives with pupils

Learning outcomes

The bigger picture

Refer to in plenary

Success features

Make explicit

Share in advance of the activity

Pupils may establish success criteria

The Activity

Engage in the activity with reference to objectives and success features

Peer assessment

Pupils determine their progress by measuring self against success criteria.

Train for peer and self assessment.

Pupils understand feedback and set their own targets.

Curricular Target setting

Analysis of what has/has not been learned

Teacher assessment

Clear evaluation of strengths and weaknesses

Prompts further thought.

Identifies next step in learning

Objective – to use information and inferences to write about Stanley’s character.

Outcome – an opening paragraph about Stanley

Yelnats character.

Success Criteria

1. Include details about Stanley’s character.2. Make inferences about him.3. Use Point Evidence Explanation. Identify his characteristics, find

appropriate quotations and analyse. 4. Use a range of sentence constructions.5. Spell, punctuate and paragraph well.

Level 4 Stanley was a teenager. He came from a

poor family. His dad was an inventer. He was trying to create sports shoes that did’nt smell. Stanley had been sentencd for something he hadn’t done. He and his family blamed it on his great-great-grandfather.

“He smiled. It was a family joke.” Stanley doesn’t get too upset by problems.

He is always having them.

Level 5

Stanley seems to be a nice boy who comes from a poor family but is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even though he is innocent, he takes the punishment of going to Camp Green Lake well. His family had taught him to accept problems in life.

“Despite their awful luck, they always remained

hopeful.”

His mum, dad and grandpa try to make it better by suggesting that it might be like the camp the rich boys

to and this helps Stanley to face his ordeal.

Level 6

Stanley Yelnats is an unfortunate but pleasant boy who is caught up in an incident where he is wrongly accused of stealing the baseball shoes of Clyde “Sweet feet” Livingston, a famous baseball player. What is amazing is that he seems to see this as part of his destiny. He “couldn’t help but think there was something special about the shoes.” He “felt like he was holding destiny’s shoes.” It is part of his nature to accept whatever life deals him; he sees each event as part of life’s pattern.

He rarely shows negative emotions except for in extreme circumstances where he feels threatened by others. When Armpit threw Stanley to the ground, he “stared up at him, terrified.

Write your paragraph. Use the success criteria and your understanding of the

examples given to write your paragraph.

Now peer assess. Use the success criteria.

Give praise.

Set targets

Where next?

Guidance on effective feedback

P positive things first

L learners’ views on their work

O own choices to be made

P praise and encouragement

S specific comments on specific parts of their work

IMPROVING YOUR PEE

Point about Stanley’s character:   Evidence: “  Explanation : Analyse make inferences 

   

‘HOLES’

L.O. to raise your level through your use of sentence structures.

Success Criteria

1. Include details about Stanley’s character.2. Make inferences about him.3. Use Point Evidence Explanation. Identify his characteristics, find

appropriate quotations and analyse. 4. Use a range of sentence constructions.5. Spell, punctuate and paragraph well.

Level 4 Stanley was a teenager. He came from a

poor family. His dad was an inventer. He was trying to create sports shoes that did’nt smell. Stanley had been sentencd for something he hadn’t done. He and his family blamed it on his great-great-grandfather.

“He smiled. It was a family joke.” Stanley doesn’t get too upset by problems.

He is always having them.

S--------------------.H--------------------.H---------------------.H---------------------------------.S--------------------------.H-----------------------------. “H-------.I--------------.”S------------------------.H--------------------.

Level 5

Stanley seems to be a nice boy who comes from a poor family but is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even though he is innocent, he takes the punishment of going to Camp Green Lake well. His family had taught him to accept problems in life.

“Despite their awful luck, they always remained

hopeful.”

His mum, dad and grandpa try to make it better by suggesting that it might be like the camp the rich boys

go to and this helps Stanley to face his ordeal.

S---------------------- who ----------but-------------------.E------------------,-----------------------------------.H----------------------------------. “ D----------,---------------------”H----,--------------------------------------and --------------------------------------------.

Level 6

Stanley Yelnats is an unfortunate but pleasant boy who is caught up in an incident where he is wrongly accused of stealing the baseball shoes of Clyde “Sweet feet” Livingston, a famous baseball player. What is amazing is that he seems to see this as part of his destiny. He “couldn’t help but think there was something special about the shoes.” He “felt like he was holding destiny’s shoes.” It is part of his nature to accept whatever life deals him; he sees each event as part of life’s pattern.

He rarely shows negative emotions except for in extreme circumstances where he feels threatened by others. When Armpit threw Stanley to the ground, he “stared up at him, terrified.”

S----------------------but -----------who----------------where------------------------------”------”----------------,---------------------.W---------------------------------------------------------------.H “----------------------------------.”H– “--------------------------------.”It ---------------------------------;-----------------------------.H--------------------------------where ----------------------.W------------------------------,--- “------------------,------.”

Level 7Although unfortunate enough to be sent to “Camp Green Lake”, Stanley grows in personality whilst there, both because he has learned to accept the “fate” handed down to him by his “dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather” and also because he becomes physically and emotionally stronger. His low self esteem, created by his unfortunate ‘friendships’ with those such as “Derrick Dunne and his unsympathetic teachers who “never took” his “complaints seriously", begins to disappear when he is accepted into the team of boys led by X-Ray. He gains so much status that he unexpectedly acquires the nickname “Caveman” and is promoted from “the end of the line” to the position “in front of Zero.” His confidence in his physical ability develops; as he loses weight he becomes stronger and more able to dig the holes, like the other boys.

A----------- “----------”,--------------both because--------------- “-----”---------- “------------------------”and-----------------.H------,--------- “---------”---------- “-------”--------------- “--------” ---------- “------------”, ------------------------.H---------------------------------- “------” and --------------- “--------” ---------------- “---------”.H-------------------------------- ; --------------,-------------.

BUILD A SENTENCE

Simple sentence

Add Connectives

Make a semi-colon sentence

Embed a quotation

Make a complex sentence

Which level are you?

4 Some attempt to P E E

but no detail or explanation

5. P E E

Sentences

Inserted quotation

Some explanation

6. P E E

Complex sentences

Embedded quotation

Detailed explanation

Links between poems

Interesting vocabulary

Use of connectives

7.P E E

Complex sentences

Increased embedded quotation flowing within sentences

Interesting vocabulary

Analysis Links

Use of connectives

Guidance on effective feedback

P positive things first

L learners’ views on their work

O own choices to be made

P praise and encouragement

S specific comments on specific parts of their work

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