Holes LP v1

TEACHER’S PET PUBLICATIONS
LitPlan Teacher Pack™

for
Holes
based on the book by
Louis Sachar
Written by Marion B. Hoffman
© 2001 Teacher’s Pet Publications, Inc.

All Rights Reserved
This LitPlan on Louis Sachar’s Holes
has been brought to you by Teacher’s Pet Publications, Inc.
Copyright Teacher’s Pet Publications 2001
Only the student materials in this unit plan may be

reproduced. Pages such as worksheets and study
guides may be reproduced for use in the purchaser’s
classroom. For any additional copyright questions,
contact Teacher’s Pet Publications.
2
Table of Contents - Holes
Introduction 6
Unit Objectives 9
Reading Assignment Sheet 10
Unit Outline 11
Study Questions (Short Answer) 15
Quiz/Study Questions (Multiple Choice) 28
Pre-reading Vocabulary Worksheets 53
Lesson One (Introductory Lesson) 67
Nonfiction Assignment Sheet 69
Oral Reading Evaluation Form 70
Writing Assignment #1 72
Writing Evaluation Form 77
Vocabulary Review Activities 98
Extra Writing Assignments/Discussion ?s 90
Unit Tests 103
Unit Resource Materials 133
Vocabulary Resource Materials 155
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A Few Notes About The Author--Louis Sachar
Fortunately for us today, we can acquire much biographical information on an author from the Internet.
If your students have easy computer access, you might want them to explore sites that tell about Louis
Sachar.
For now, a quick Internet exploration for biographical material on the author of Holes reveals much about
this interesting author of children’s books. Louis Sachar (pronounced Sacker) was born in 1954 in East
Meadow, New York, moved to Southern California in his youth, and now lives in Austin, Texas.
Sachar briefly attended Antioch College in Ohio and eventually graduated from the University of California
at Berkeley in 1976. He is a law school graduate who has passed the bar exam, but he chose a writing
profession over a legal one. His first book, Sideways Stories from Wayside School, was published just
as he began law school. But though he has been a lawyer since 1981, he has devoted himself to writing
children’s literature instead of a legal career.
His interest in children’s literature reportedly began when he became a teachers’ aide in an elementary
school while he was in college. Not only did he earn three credits for helping out at the school, but the
work became his favorite and perhaps most important college course.
But Sachar also began to write because he enjoyed reading. The authors he most enjoyed became his
heroes, and he wanted to be like them. Today he especially enjoys Kurt Vonnegut, E. L. Doctorow, J.
D. Salinger, Tolstoy, and Dostoevsky.
Sachar reportedly writes alone and doesn’t talk about a book until it is finished. Usually he begins with just
a kernel of inspiration and over time develops it into a good story. He admits that he frequently suffers from
writer’s block. Sachar believes that his initial inspiration for Holes probably came from the long, hot
summers he has spent in Texas. Writing Holes, which Sachar considers his “best” book, took a year and
a half. The book has been published in many other countries.
Holes has won numerous awards, among them the prestigious Newberry Award, the National Book
Award, the New York Times Book Review Notable Children’s Book of the Year, the ALA Best Book
for Young Adults, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, and the Publishers Weekly Best
Book of the Year.
Some of Sachar’s other works are Sideways Stories from Wayside School, Johnny’s in the
Basement, Someday Angeline, Sixth Grade Secrets, There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom, The
Boy Who Lost His Face, Wayside School is Falling Down, Dogs Don’t Tell Jokes, the Marvin
Redpost series (Marvin Redpost: Kidnapped at Birth?, Marvin Redpost: Is He a Girl?, and
Marvin Redpost: Why Pick on Me?), Alone in His Teacher’s House, and Wayside School Gets
a Little Stranger.
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A Few Notes - Holes - page 2
In Holes, Sachar has written an ironic, serious, yet often comic novel that appeals to people of all ages.
The book features a poor boy with seemingly incredibly bad luck–Stanley Yelnats, whose name “was
spelled the same frontward and backward.” He is sent to Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention facility
for bad boys that is neither a camp, nor green, nor the site of a lake. In addition, the book
is crammed with such colorful characters as Stanley himself; Miss Katherine Barlow, aka Kissin’ Kate
Barlow, the school teacher turned robber; the sunflower seed spitting Mr. Sir, who talks constantly in Girl
Scout allusions; Madame Zeroni, the one-legged gypsy, whose story plays such a central role in the novel;
X-Ray; Armpit; the Warden with the red fingernails; Charles “Trout” Walker; Sam the Onion Man whose
only real sin was caring deeply for another person; the donkey Mary Lou; and Zero/Hector Zeroni.
Holes is a delightful, enlightening, clever, and satisfying book whose environment is one of lively growth
as well as dangerous destruction. Indeed, this book is so full of twists and turns and delightful bits of irony
that a person might need to read it more than once, or even twice, in order to glean its total meaning.
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Introduction - Holes
This unit has been designed to develop students’ reading, writing, thinking, and language skills through
exercises and activities related to Holes by Louis Sachar. It includes twenty-one lessons, quizzes,
worksheets, unit tests, and extra resource materials.
The introductory lesson introduces students to one of the novel’s main themes (aloneness) through a
bulletin board activity. During the novel’s introduction, students will learn how the board’s activities relate
to the book they are beginning to read. Depending on how long you can, or want to, keep the bulletin
board intact in the classroom, you might want to keep referring to it to deepen students’ thoughts about
how easy it is to be totally alone, even when in a group of people.
The eleven reading assignments are approximately twenty pages each; some are a little shorter, while
others are a little longer. Students have approximately fifteen minutes of pre-reading work to do prior to
each reading assignment. This pre-reading work involves reviewing the study questions for the assignment
and doing some vocabulary work for the vocabulary words they will encounter in their reading.
The study guide questions are fact based: students can find the answers to these questions right in the
text. The questions come in two formats: short answer or multiple choice. The best use of these materials
is probably to use the short answer version of the questions as study guides for students (since answers will
be more complete) and to use the multiple choice version for occasional quizzes.
The vocabulary work is intended to enrich students’ vocabularies as well as to aid in their understanding
of the novel. Prior to each reading assignment, students will complete a two-part worksheet for
approximately seven or eight vocabulary words in the upcoming reading assignment. Part I focuses on
students’ use of general knowledge and contextual clues by giving the sentence in which the word appears
in the text. Students may then write down what they think the words mean based on their usage. Part II
nails down the definitions of the words by giving students dictionary definitions of them and having students
match the words to the correct definitions based on the words’ contextual usage. Students should then
have an understanding of the words when they meet them in the text.
After each reading assignment, students will go back and formulate answers for the study guide questions.
Discussion of these questions will serve as a review of the most important events and ideas presented in
the reading assignments.
A series of extra discussion questions is part of Lesson Twelve. These questions will give students an
opportunity to use more critical thinking skills and should provide for some lively class discussions. Feel
free to use these questions in whatever way seems most appropriate for your students. If you like, the extra
discussion questions can become the basis for some group activities. They can be used at any time during
your teaching of the novel: there is nothing magical about using them in Lesson Twelve.
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Introduction - Holes - page 2
The extra discussion questions focus on interpretation, critical analysis, and personal response, employing
a variety of thinking skills and adding to the students’ understanding of the novel. In fact, if your students
enjoy classroom discussions, you might have them come up with additional questions for consideration.
The LitPlan for Holes was created to give you lots of flexibility. You may use the plan as a self-contained
guide to teaching the novel, but you will also find that it gives you the opportunity to define your classroom
approach for yourself. Sometimes students can just work alone in and out of class, sometimes they can
work in small groups, sometimes they will be giving and listening to reports, and sometimes the group as
a whole will be focused on a classroom assignment or discussion that relies heavily on their participation.
Lesson Thirteen, which affords an opportunity to do role playing, and Lesson Nineteen, which offers some
vocabulary games the students may play, create an environment for students to work with each other.
After students complete extra discussion questions, there is a vocabulary review lesson which pulls
together all of the fragmented vocabulary lists for the reading assignments and gives students a review of
all of the words they have studied. (Note: Holes is a remarkably complex book that is written, for the most
part, in a very simple, easy-to-understand way. Depending on your students’ skills level, the words might
prove not to be especially challenging to them. Should that be the case, you might like to use some of the
vocabulary time having students come up with synonyms and antonyms for the vocabulary words. Maybe
students could even play with using all vocabulary words from one reading assignment in a sentence. These
sentences–some of them perhaps written mostly for fun–could be put on the board prior to class.)
There are three writing assignments in this unit, each with the purpose of informing/explaining, expressing
personal opinion, or persuading. Through the writing assignments, students will become familiar with a
variety of rhetorical devices through which to organize their thoughts. The first writing assignment,
introduced in Lesson Six, is to inform/explain, but students will also be defining the word “wasteland” as
they write. The second assignment, introduced in Lesson Ten, is to express a personal opinion, but as
students write about nicknames, they might very well use classification and some narrative techniques. The
third and final writing assignment, introduced in Lesson Nineteen, gives students six different topics on
which to write persuasively. By the time that they are in Lesson Nineteen, they should be able to write a
satisfactory argument and to utilize various rhetorical methods.
There is also a nonfiction reading assignment. Students are required to read some nonfiction related
in some way to Holes. After reading their nonfiction pieces, students will fill out a worksheet on which they
answer questions regarding facts, interpretation, criticism, and personal opinions. Students are also given
the opportunity to make oral presentations about the nonfiction pieces they have read. This method not
only exposes all students to a wealth of information, it also gives students a chance to practice public
speaking.
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Introduction - Holes - page 3
There is an optional class project (Project Juvenile Detention Centers) through which students gain some
additional knowledge of the problems and proffered solutions to juvenile crime in this country. Feel free
to use the entire project, to modify it, or to eliminate it altogether. You might even want to use parts of it
to create extra credit projects.
Review lessons throughout the plan pull together all of the aspects of the unit. Not only will the reviews
help students to connect all the threads of the novel, but they also will give you a clear picture of whether
or not students have understood what they have read.
The unit test comes in three types: short answer, advanced short answer (more critical thinking), and
multiple choice. Altogether there are five unit tests.
There are additional support materials throughout the LitPlan–games, puzzles, bulletin board ideas.
There are answer keys and forms through which to evaluate students’ progress. As always, please feel
free to use whatever appeals to you and will be supportive of your students’ learning.
You are also being provided with two forms–an Oral Reading Evaluation Form and a Writing
Evaluation Form–to use in any way you wish. Both forms may be used by you and/or by the students.
A final note: You know your students, yourself, and your school environment better than anyone else
does. This LitPlan is designed to be supportive of you, not to restrict you in your own personal teaching
style. The materials in this LitPlan are offered to complement your teaching style and to contribute to your
students’ optimal learning experience.
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Unit Objectives - Holes
1. Through reading and discussing Holes, students will preliminarily gain a better understanding of
the theme of aloneness and the importance of the individual. Students are also encouraged to
consider such themes as bravery, revenge, courage, family values, friendship, greed, and
loyalty. And of course Holes offers ample material to generate discussions of good vs evil.
2. Students will demonstrate their understanding of the text on four levels: factual, interpretive,
critical, and personal.
3. Students will define and, it is hoped, express their own viewpoints on the aforementioned
themes.
4. Students will be exposed to several different points of view and will learn something about
standing up for one’s principles and being true to oneself and to others.
5. Students will learn something about juvenile detention in their town and perhaps in their nation.
6. Students will be given the opportunity to practice reading aloud and silently to improve their
skills in each area. They will from time to time receive feedback on their reading ability.
7. Students will answer questions to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the main
events and characters in Holes as they relate to the author’s theme development.
8. Students will enrich their vocabularies and improve their understanding of the novel through the
vocabulary lessons prepared for use in conjunction with the novel.
9. The writing assignments in this unit are geared to several purposes:

A. To have students demonstrate their ability to inform/explain, to express personal
opinions, and to persuade.
Note: Students will demonstrate ability to write effectively to inform/explain by
developing and organizing facts to convey information. Students will demonstrate the
ability to write effectively to express personal opinions by selecting a form and its
appropriate elements. And they will demonstrate the ability to write effectively to
persuade by selecting and organizing relevant information, establishing an
argumentative purpose, and designing an appropriate strategy for a specific audience.
B. To check the students’ reading comprehension
C. To make students think about the ideas presented by the novel.
D. To encourage logical thinking
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Reading Assignment Sheet - Holes
Date Assigned Reading Assignment Completion Date

pp 3-20
pp 21-40
pp 41-58
pp 59-79
pp 80-100
pp 101-123
pp 127-144
pp 145-159
pp 160-181
pp 182-197
pp 198-233
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Unit Outline - Holes
1 2 3 4 5
Introduction to unit Study ?? 3-20 Begin theme Review 3-20 Review 21-40
Distribution of Vocab 3-20 discussion Read 21-40 Study ?? 41-58
materials for unit Read aloud 3-20 In-class activity Vocab 41-58
Bulletin board Evaluate reading (good counselor) RA 41-58
activity Study ?? 21-40
Vocab 21-40
6 7 8 9 10
WA #1 Review 41-58 Read 59-79 Review 80-100 Begin NFRA
Paragraph writing Class discussion Class discussion Assign WA #2
Study ?? 59-79 (Stanley’s growth) (Zero’s character Study ?? 101-123
Vocab 59-79 Study ?? 80-100 development) Vocab 101-123
Vocab 80-100 Prep for NFRA. RA 101-123
RA 80-100
11 12 13 14 15
Review 101-123 Read 127-144 Assign study ?? Review 145-159 Oral reports NFRA
Set up class project Review 3-144 and vocab. 145-159 Study ?? 160-181 Review 160-181
Study ??127-144 Use extra RA 145-159 RA 160-181
Vocab 127-144 discussion Read 160-181 Oral reports NFRA
questions Oral reports NFRA
16 17 18 19 20
Study ?? 181-197 Read 181-197 Continue project Continue project WA #3
Vocab 181-197 Study ?? 198-233 reports reports
Catch up on loose Vocab 198-233 Make sure Vocabulary review
ends RA 198-233 everyone for whole book
Begin project understands book
reports
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Unit Tests
Key:
NFRA = Nonfiction Reading Assignment
RA = Reading Assignment
WA = Writing Assignment
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STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS
Short Answer Study Questions - Holes
PART ONE
Pages 3-20
1. What is the first revelation of the book? (Hint: it comes in the first sentence.)
2. What is the worst thing that can happen to a person at Camp Green Lake?
3. Who gets sent to Camp Green Lake?
4. Who supposedly is to blame for Stanley’s bad luck in being convicted of a crime?
5. Who put a curse on the Yelnats family?
6. What is especially unusual about Stanley Yelnats’ name?
7. Who supposedly robbed the stagecoach of the first Stanley Yelnats?
8. Who at the camp has a tattoo of a rattlesnake on his arm?
9. How is Stanley told to remember the name of his counselor?
10. Why does the counselor say Zero is called “Zero”?
Pages 21-40
1. Why didn’t Stanley like taking a shower at the camp?
2. What was Clyde Livingston’s nickname?
3. What was Stanley’s excuse when he was accused of stealing the sneakers?
4. What did Mr. Pendanski say was the reason the boys were digging holes?
5. Who was Myra Menke?
6. What did Myra’s father want in exchange for his daughter?
7. What promise did Stanley’s great-great-grandfather make to Madame Zeroni?
8. What was the song Madame Zeroni wanted to hear?
9. How did Myra want to choose a husband?
10. What was the most important thing about Sarah Miller?
Pages 41-58
1. What color are the eyes of a yellow-spotted lizard?
2. What did the sign on the camp’s rec room say?
3. When Stanley first wrote a letter to his mother, what did he tell her about the camp?
4. What did Stanley first find that he thought might be of interest to the Warden?
5. Why was Stanley glad that the other boys called him “Caveman”?
6. What was the boys’ nickname for Mr. Pendanski?
Pages 59-79
1. What was the second thing that Stanley found in a hole?
2. Who did Stanley bring the gold tube to?
3. What color was the Warden’s hair?
4. How did the Warden know all of the boys’ nicknames?
5. What was Stanley’s big revelation about the purpose of the digging?
6. What was Stanley’s father trying to invent?
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Short Answer Study Questions - Holes - page 2
Pages 80-100
1. What did each boy do when he finished digging his hole?
2. What was Stanley’s big revelation about Zero?
3. What did Zero ask Stanley to do for him?
4. What was Mr. Sir’s favorite expression?
5. Who stole Mr. Sir’s sunflower seeds?
6. What did the Warden say was the special ingredient in her red nail polish?
7. What did the Warden do to Mr. Sir in Stanley’s presence?
8. Who dug Stanley’s hole for him after the sunflower seed incident?
9. What did Stanley suddenly realize about the gold tube he found?
Pages 101-123
1. What special prize did Miss Katherine Barlow win every Fourth of July?
2. What was Miss Barlow’s profession in Greek Lake?
3. What did Miss Barlow say when “Trout” Walker invited her to go out in his boat?
4. What did Mr. Sir do to “get back at” Stanley?
5. What special remedy did Sam offer to the people of Green Lake?
6. How did Miss Barlow get Sam to stay near the schoolhouse?
7. Why did the townspeople get so upset when Miss Barlow and Sam kissed?
8. What ultimately happened to Sam?
9. What was Zero’s real name?
10. How did Miss Barlow die?
PART TWO AND PART THREE

Pages 127-144
1. What did Stanley think he saw in the rock formation on the mountain peak?
2. What is Stanley’s great-grandfather reputed to have said after Kate Barlow robbed him and left
him stranded in the desert?
3. What did Zero do in exchange for Stanley’s teaching him to read and write?
4. Why did Stanley hit Zigzag?
5. Who attacked Zigzag when he started to beat Stanley?
6. How did the Warden respond to Zero’s helping Stanley to dig his holes?
7. What did Zero say when the Warden made her announcement about digging and teaching?
8. What did Zero do when Mr. Pendanski handed him the shovel?
9. What did Zero do after he attacked Mr. Pendanski?
10. What did the Warden, Mr. Pendanski, and Mr. Sir do to cover up Zero’s absence?
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Pages 145-159
1. What most troubled Stanley’s conscience after Zero disappeared?
2. Whenever Stanley thought it was too late to go after Zero, what else would he think?
3. How did Stanley escape from the camp to go after Zero?
4. How much water was in Stanley’s canteen when he escaped?
5. What object did Stanley find?
6. Who was hiding under the Mary Lou?
7. What was the “sploosh” that Zero had been drinking?
Pages 160-181
1. Where were Stanley and Zero headed?
2. Who was the original Mary Lou?
3. What worried Stanley most about the possibility of his dying?
4. What signal do Stanley and Zero give each other several times?
5. What was making Zero sick on the climb to Big Thumb?
6. When Stanley dug for water, what did he find?
7. What did Zero confess to Stanley?
8. What three things had Stanley done for Zero when he sang to him?
9. What did Mrs. Tennyson of Green Lake believe cured her daughter Becca?
Pages 182-197
1. What did Zero and Stanley eat to stay alive?
2. After Zero stole the sneakers and wore them for a while, what did he do with them?
3. How did Zero finally get arrested?
4. What finally made Stanley feel happiness?
5. After the feeling of happiness passed, what did Stanley feel?
6. What did Zero reminisce about on the climb down the mountain?
7. When Zero and Stanley got back to Camp Green Lake, what did they do?
Pages 198-233
1. What did Stanley hope to find in the hole that he and Zero searched?
2. How did Zero and Stanley get food and fresh water from the camp?
3. What did Zero and Stanley find in the hole?
4. What happened to spoil their enjoyment of finding the suitcase?
5. What was discovered on the suitcase as Zero held it?
6. While waiting for the lizards to strike, what did the Warden say she would tell the Attorney
General?
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7. What did Stanley try to think about to keep his mind off the lizards?
8. How were Stanley and Zero finally rescued?
9. What was written on the metal suitcase?
10. Why did Stanley’s lawyer say she couldn’t help Zero?
11. Why did the lawyer finally say she would help Zero?
12. How did Stanley’s lawyer get involved with his case?
13. Who believes that there never was a curse?
14. But what happened the day after Stanley carried Zero up the mountain?
15. What will become of Camp Green Lake?
16. What jewels were in the suitcase Stanley and Zero found?
17. What else was in the suitcase?
18. Approximately how much money did Stanley and Zero each receive?
19. Who was featured on the commercial during the Super Bowl break?
20. What was the name of Stanley’s father’s invention to cure bad smelling feet?
21. Who was at the Yelnats’ party with Zero?
22. What did Zero’s mother sing to her son?
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Key: Short Answer Study Questions - Holes
PART ONE
Pages 3-20
The first revelation is that there is no lake at Camp Green Lake.
The worst thing that can happen is to be bitten by a yellow-spotted lizard.

Bad boys get sent to Camp Green Lake.
Stanley’s no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather is to blame.

A one-legged Gypsy named Madame Zeroni put the curse on the family.

His name is spelled the same frontward and backward.

Kissin’ Kate Barlow was said to have robbed his stagecoach.

Mr. Sir has a tattoo of a rattlesnake on his arm.

He is told to remember “pen, dance, key” (Pendanski).

He says that it’s because Zero has nothing inside his head.
Pages 21-40
He didn’t like taking a shower because there was only cold water.

His nickname was “Sweet Feet.”
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Short Answer Key - Holes - page 2
He said the sneakers had fallen from the sky and one hit him on the head.
He said they were digging holes to build character.

She was the girl that Stanley’s great-great-grandfather was in love with.

He wanted the fattest pit that could be offered.

He said he would carry her up the mountain, drink from the stream, and sing the song to her.

The song was the pig lullaby (“If only, if only...”).

She wanted to choose the man who picked a number closest to hers between one and ten.
She could think for herself.
Pages 41-58
The lizard’s eyes are red.

The sign said, “Wreck Room.”
He told her everything was okay, just as if he were at a real camp.
He found a fossil.
He was glad because the nickname meant that the boys had accepted him.
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They nicknamed him “Mom.”
Pages 59-79
Stanley found a gold tube engraved with a heart and the letters “KB.”

He brought the tube to X-Ray.

The Warden’s hair was red.

They thought she spied on them through tiny microphones and cameras.
He realized that the boys weren’t digging to build character but to find something.

He was trying to invent a way to recycle old sneakers.
Pages 80-100
He spat in it.

Stanley learned that Zero couldn’t read.

Zero asked Stanley to teach him to read and write.

He said that Camp Green Lake wasn’t a Girl Scout camp.

Magnet stole the seeds.
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She said it was rattlesnake venom.

She struck him in the face with her long fingernails.
Zero dug the hole.
He realized that it was half of a lipstick container.
Pages 101-123
She won a prize for her spiced peaches.
2. What was Miss Barlow’s profession in Green Lake?

She was the town’s only schoolteacher.
She said, “no.”

He poured his water onto the ground instead of into his canteen.
He offered them onions and products made of onions.
She found repair jobs for him to do.
They got upset because Miss Barlow was white and Sam was black.

He was shot and killed in the water.

It was Hector Zeroni.
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She was bitten by a lizard and died laughing.

Pages 127-144
He thought he saw a giant fist, with the thumb sticking straight up.
He supposedly said, “I found refuge on God’s thumb.”
Zero dug some of Stanley’s hole for him each day.

He hit Zigzag because Mr. Pendanski told him to.

Zero attacked Zigzag.
She said everyone had to dig his own hole and the reading lessons had to stop.
7. What did Zero say when the Warden made her announcement about digging and teaching?
He said he refused to dig another hole.
He hit Mr. Pendanski across the face when the shovel’s blade.

He ran away.
They had all records of Zero’s presence destroyed.
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Pages 145-159
Stanley was worried that Zero was still alive and was searching for water.
Stanley would think, “But what if it wasn’t too late?”

Stanley stole the water truck, wrecked it, and then simply ran.

There was no water in his canteen at all.

He found Sam’s boat, “Mary Lou.”
6. Who was hiding under the boat?

Zero was hiding under the boat.

It was hundred-year-old peach nectar.
Pages 160-181
They were headed toward Big Thumb.

It was Sam’s donkey.

He worried that his parents would never know what had happened to him.
They give the “thumbs-up” sign.

The hundred-year-old nectar (“sploosh”) was making him sick.
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He found an onion.

Zero admitted that he had stolen Clyde Livingston’s shoes.
Stanley had carried Zero up the mountain, drank the water with him, and sung to him.
She thought Sam’s onion tonic saved her daughter.
Pages 182-197
They ate onions from the meadow.
He put them on top of a parked car.

He got caught stealing a new pair of sneakers from a store.

He finally liked himself.

He felt scared.
He reminisced about the bits and pieces he remembered about his childhood and his mother.
They got into adjacent holes and waited for the camp to fall asleep.
Pages 198-233
He hoped to find Kate Barlow’s hidden treasure.
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Zero went inside and got them.

They found a kind of metal suitcase.

The Warden, Mr. Pendanski, and Mr. Sir discovered them.

A bunch of lizards were on the suitcase.
General?
The Warden said they would make up a story about Stanley’s running away, falling in a hole,
and being struck by lizards. She said they wouldn’t even need a story about Zero because he
didn’t exist.
He thought about childhood scenes and about his mother.

Stanley’s lawyer and the Texas Attorney General showed up.

The name “Stanley Yelnats” was written on the suitcase.
She said she couldn’t help Zero because she had no court order to do so.
She said she would help Zero because there were no records to show why he was incarcerated
or for how long.
She got involved because, as a patent attorney, she was helping Stanley’s father with his new
product.
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Stanley’s mother believes that there never was a curse.
Stanley’s father invented his cure for foot odor.

In a few years it will become a Girl Scout camp.
The suitcase held jewels of poor quality, worth no more than twenty thousand dollars.

The suitcase held stock certificates, deeds of trust, and promissory notes.
Stanley and Zero each received a little less than a million dollars.
Clyde “Sweet Feet” Livingston was featured on the commercial.
The product was called “Sploosh.”

Zero’s mother was at the party.

She sang the lullaby, “If only, if only...”
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Multiple Choice Questions - Holes
PART ONE
Pages 3-20
a. Nobody but Stanley is staying at the camp.
b. There are girls at the camp.
c. There is no lake at Camp Green Lake.
d. The Warden is a man.
a. To have to go to see the Warden
b. To have to dig two holes a day
c. To be bitten by a yellow-spotted lizard
d. To have all shower privileges taken away

a. Pretty girls
b. Bad boys
c. Basketball players
d. Boys whose parents don’t like them
a. His mother
b. His father
c. His great-grandfather’s friend
d. His no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather

a. Mr. Pendanski
b. The Warden
c. A one-legged gypsy named Madame Zeroni
d. Clyde Livingston

a. It is spelled the same frontward and backward.
b. It has the same number of letters in his first and last names.
c. It is an alias for his real name, Igor Barkov.
d. Mr. Sir’s brother-in-law has the same name..
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Multiple Choice Quizzes - Holes 3-20 Continued

a. Mr. Pendanski’s best friend
b. Sam the Onion Man
c. Kissin’ Kate Barlow
d. A one-legged Gypsy

a. Mr. Pendanski
b. The Warden
c. Magnet
d. Mr. Sir

a. Memorize it every day.
b. Remember that it sounds kind of Polish.
c. Remember “pen, dance, key.”
d. Write it down.

a. Because it rhymes with mirror
b. Because he failed math in school
c. Because Zero has nothing inside his head
d. Because he is a criminal, a zero
29
Multiple Choice Quizzes - Holes
Pages 21-40
a. Because the other boys teased him about being too clean
b. Because the water got too hot
c. Because there was no soap available
d. Because there was only cold water

a. His nickname was “Tall Boy.”
b. His nickname was “Clydo the Great.”
c. His nickname was “Livingston’s Living.”
d. His nickname was “Sweet Feet.”
a. He said his mother bought them for him.
b. He said someone gave them to him on the street.
c. He said the sneakers had fallen from the sky and one hit him on the head.
d. He said that he blacked out and couldn’t remember where the sneakers came from.
a. To have a place to bury the lizards
b. To build character
c. To make the Warden smile
d. To get an extra shower in the evening

a. Stanley’s girlfriend from back home
b. Madame Zeroni’s close friend
c. The girl that Stanley’s great-great-grandfather was in love with
d. Stanley’s mother’s best friend

a. Five hundred dollars
b. The fattest pig that could be offered
c. A smart donkey
d. A person who would sing to him
30

a. That he would never forget her
b. That he would always be faithful to her
c. That he would carry her up the mountain, drink from the stream, and sing the song to her
d. That he would climb all the way up the mountain to see if there was any water there

a. The song was the pig lullaby (“If only, if only...”).
b. The song was a popular love song.
c. The song was one that she had written (“If you care, if you care...).
d. The song was one that her great-grandfather had taught her.

a. She wanted to pick the best singer.
b. She wanted to pick the best dancer.
c. She wanted to pick the smartest man.
d. She wanted to pick the man who chose a number closest to hers between one and ten.
a. She was very beautiful.
b. She could think for herself.
c. She had a lovely name.
d. She was very rich.
31
Pages 41-58
a. Brown
b. Red
c. Blue
d. Hazel

a. “Come in and relax”
b. “Wreck Room”
c. “Rec Room inside”
d. “For boys only”
a. He said he was scared to death at the camp.
b. He said he really liked the counselors.
c. He told her everything was okay, just as if he were at a real camp.
d. He told her that the other boys all said hello.
a. A pretty pendant
b. Some pink nail polish
c. A fossil
d. Money
a. Because the name made him feel strong
b. Because he felt like he lived in a cave
c. Because the nickname meant that the boys had accepted him
d. Because it was better than being called “Barf Bag”

a. “Zigzag”
b. “Pretend Warden”
c. “Mom”
d. “Dad”
32
Pages 59-79
a. A bag full of sunflower seeds
b. A bunch of old dollar bills
c. A gold tube engraved with a heart and the letters “KB”
d. A canteen filled with water

a. Mr. Sir
b. The Warden
c. X-Ray
d. Zero

a. Black
b. Brown
c. Red
d. Gray

a. She memorized them.
b. She had them all written down in a notebook.
c. The boys thought she spied on them through tiny microphones and cameras.
d. She had a chart posted on her wall with all of their nicknames on it.
a. It actually was kind of fun.
b. It built character in him.
c. It was easy after a while.
d. The boys weren’t digging to build character but to find something.

a. A new way to feed pigs
b. A way to recycle old sneakers
c. A way to transport pigs to market safely
d. A way to recycle newspapers
33
Pages 80-100
a. He screamed.
b. He spat in it.
c. He called the Warden to see it.
d. He said a dirty word under his breath.

a. He really was dumb.
b. He couldn’t read.
c. He should have been sent home months ago.
d. His mother had been looking for him for months.

a. To help him to escape
b. To help him to kill the warden
c. To help him to find his mother
d. To teach him to read and write

a. He said that the boys were losers.
b. He said that Camp Greek Lake wasn’t a Girl Scout camp.
c. He said that the boys were building character every day.
d. He said that he hated the Warden.

a. Mr. Pendanski
b. Stanley
c. Zero
d. Magnet
a. Rattlesnake venom
b. Varnish
c. Red food coloring
d. Lizard blood
34

a. She said a nasty word.
b. She struck him in the face with her long fingernails.
c. She fired him.
d. She said he wasn’t as smart as Mr. Pendanski.
a. Mr. Pendanski
b. Magnet
c. Zero
d. All of the boys together
a. It was very pretty.
b. It didn’t look like a fossil.
c. It was half of a lipstick container.
d. It probably wasn’t worth much to the Warden.
35
Pages 101-123
a. A special flag
b. A huge onion
c. A prize for her spiced peaches
d. A prize for being the prettiest woman in town
2. What was Miss Barlow’s profession in Green Lake?

a. She was a dancer.
b. She was the town’s only schoolteacher.
c. She was a professional thief.
d. She was a fortune teller.
a. She said, “Thanks anyway, Mister.”
b. She said, “I think not.”
c. She said, “no.”
d. She said, “sure.”

a. He spit at him.
b. He wrote a note home to his mother.
c. He poured his water onto the ground instead of into his canteen.
d. He drank all of Stanley’s water.
a. Cold compresses
b. Onions and products made of onions
c. Peach juice
d. Special water
a. She read stories to him.
b. She found repair jobs for him to do.
c. She offered to kiss him.
d. She let him tutor some students.
36
a. Because now she would get all of the onion products
b. Because the women were jealous of her
c. Because he was too young for her
d. Because she was white and Sam was black

a. He left town very angry with everyone.
b. He decided to marry Miss Barlow.
c. He decided to become a schoolteacher.
d. He was shot and killed in the water.

a. Zero Yelnats
b. Hector Zeroni
c. Hector Yelnats
d. Zero Barlow

a. Her boat sank.
b. She shot herself.
c. She was killed by Sam.
d. She was bitten by a lizard and died laughing.
37
Pages 127-144
a. His mother’s face
b. A giant fist, with the thumb sticking straight up
c. Zero’s face
d. His great-great-grandfather’s pig
a. “Oh, gosh, I’ve lost everything!”
b. “I’ll get you back after I climb the mountain.”
c. “I’ll never trust a woman again.”
d. “I found refuge on God’s thumb.”
a. Zero recommended Stanley to all of the other boys who couldn’t read and write.
b. Zero said nice things about Stanley to the Warden.
c. Zero dug some of Stanley’s holes for him each day.
d. Zero promised to write a note to Stanley’s parents.

a. Because he was angry with him
b. Because Mr. Pendanski told him to
c. Because he had a hidden violent temper
d. Because Mr. Sir was watching

a. Magnet
b. Mr. Pendanski
c. Armpit
d. Zero
a. She thought it was a good idea.
b. She wished she had thought of it.
c. She denied both boys their dinner that night.
d. She said everyone had to dig his own hole and the reading lessons had to stop.
38
7. What did Zero do when the Warden made her announcement about digging and teaching?
a. Zero cursed at her.
b. Zero threatened to run away.
c. Zero cried.
d. Zero refused to dig another hole.
a. He hit Mr. Pendanski across the face with the shovel’s blade.
b. He spit at the Warden.
c. He threw the shovel at Stanley.
d. He cried.

a. He sat down and sobbed.
b. He went after the Warden with the shovel.
c. He ran away.
d. He apologized.
a. They laughed.
b. They had all records of Zero’s presence destroyed.
c. They went looking for him.
d. They got very frightened because the authorities might come to the camp.
39
Pages 145-159
a. That Zero might hate him
b. That Zero might blame him for his problems
c. That Zero was still alive and was searching for water
d. That Zero might have learned to read better if he hadn’t been digging holes for Stanley.
a. He would think he himself would have gotten caught if he had gone after Zero.
b. He would think that finding Zero was really the responsibility of the Warden.
c. He would think, “But what if it wasn’t too late?”
d. He would be glad that he himself hadn’t tried to escape.

a. He stole the water truck, wrecked it, and then simply ran.
b. He ran as fast as he could go.
c. He pretended to go inside the camp and instead ran off.
d. He kicked Mr. Sir and Mr. Pendanski and then ran off.

a. Only about enough for a day or two
b. Just a little bit
c. None
d. Enough for at least a week

a. Another huge fossil
b. Sam’s boat, “Mary Lou.”
c. Another lipstick tube
d. A boat with the name “Kate” on it
6. Who was hiding under the “Mary Lou”?

a. Mr. Pendanski
b. Magnet
c. Zigzag
d. Zero

a. Hundred-year-old onion juice
b. Old dirty water
c. Hundred-year-old peach nectar
d. Carrot juice
40
Pages 160-181
a. Toward Big Thumb
b. Home to their families
c. Back to the camp
d. To a place where no one could ever find them

a. Stanley’s great-great-grandfather’s first love
b. Myra Menke’s best friend
c. Kate Barlow’s mother
d. Sam’s donkey

a. He didn’t know where he would be buried.
b. He worried that his parents would never know what happened to him.
c. He worried that he would be buried in the hole containing the treasure.
d. He worried that Zero would have to dig the hole for him.
a. A silly grin
b. The “V” for victory sign
c. The “thumbs-up” sign
d. A word in Morse Code

a. The hundred-year-old nectar (“sploosh”)
b. Anxiety over what he had done back at the camp
c. Worry that Stanley would die
d. His conscience

a. More sploosh
b. A onion
c. Sunflower seeds
d. Another lipstick tube
41

a. Zero said that he really could read and write.
b. Zero admitted that he had stolen Clyde Livingston’s shoes.
c. Zero said that he had never really liked Stanley.
d. Zero said that Armpit was really his brother.
a. Carried him up the mountain, drank the water with him, and sung to him
b. Taught him to read, to write, and to do math better
c. Taught him how to recognize his own name, how to write it, and how to pronounce it
correctly
d. How to dig holes, how to control his temper, and how to read and write
a. Flu shots
b. The town doctor
c. Sam’s onion tonic
d. Lots of peach nectar
42
Pages 182-197
a. Fish from a stream
b. Sunflower seeds
c. Peaches
d. Onions from the meadow
a. He put them on top of a parked car.
b. He gave them to an old homeless person.
c. He returned them to the shelter.
d. He threw them away in a dumpster.

a. He tried to retrieve the sneakers from the trash.
b. Someone told a police officer that they saw Zero with the shoes.
c. He got caught stealing a new pair of sneakers from a store.
d. He turned himself in to the police.

a. He felt good about rescuing Zero.
b. He finally had plenty to eat.
c. He finally liked himself.
d. Zero made him laugh at a really funny joke.

a. He felt silly about being so happy.
b. He felt very confused about where he and Zero were.
c. He felt lucky.
d. He felt scared.
a. About bits and pieces he remembered from his childhood and about his mother
b. About how silly it was to believe in a curse
c. About his special days at Camp Green Lake
d. About how he had attended a baseball game with his father
a. They shouted for someone to come out and see them.
b. They hollered for Mr. Sir to come outside.
c. They threatened to kill the Warden.
d. They got into adjacent holes and waited for the camp to fall asleep.
43
Pages 198-233
a. Another fossil
b. A prettier lipstick tube
c. Kate Barlow’s hidden treasure
d. More onions
a. They forced Magnet to bring some food and water outside.
b. Stanley went inside and found them.
c. Mr. Pendanski brought some outside for them.
d. Zero went inside and got them.

a. Onions
b. Peaches
c. Sunflower seeds
d. A kind of metal suitcase

a. The suitcase turned out to be empty.
b. Mr. Warden, Mr. Pendanski, and Mr. Sir discovered them.
c. Zigzag and Armpit came outside and stole the suitcase.
d. Stanley got cold feet and decided to put the suitcase back in the hole.

a. Zero’s name
b. The Warden’s name: Mrs. Walker
c. A bunch of lizards
d. A big hole
General?
a. She said they would claim neither Stanley nor Zero had ever been at the camp.
b. She said they would make up a story about Stanley’s running away, falling in a hole, and
being struck by lizards. They wouldn’t even need a story about Zero because he didn’t
exist.
c. She said they would claim that both Stanley and Zero were mentally ill.
d. She said they would claim that the boys had stolen the suitcase from her room.
44
a. About childhood scenes and about his mother
b. About his first big baseball game
c. About how he wouldn’t have to take any more cold showers
d. About how he used to be bullied in school

a. Stanley’s parents showed up.
b. Zero’s mother sent a telegram asking for information.
c. Mr. Pendanski decided to help them to escape.
d. Stanley’s lawyer and the Texas Attorney General showed up.

a. The Warden’s name
b. Zero’s mother’s maiden name
c. The name “Stanley Yelnats”
d. “Property of Camp Green Lake”
a. Because Zero actually committed a crime
b. Because Zero’s parents hadn’t come forward to help
c. Because Zero couldn’t read and write
d. Because she had no court order to do so
a. Because she felt sorry for him
b. Because the Attorney General authorized her to do so
c. Because there were no records to show why he was incarcerated or for how long
d. Because she was afraid to leave him behind
a. She knew a court reporter who told her about his case.
b. As a patent attorney, she was helping Stanley’s father with his new product.
c. She had investigated Camp Green Lake years before and had decided to check on
incarcerated boys to see how they were being treated now.
d. She got involved at the request of the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
45

a. The Warden
b. Zero
c. Stanley’s mother
d. Stanley’s lawyer
a. Stanley’s father invented his cure for foot odor.
b. Clyde Livingston invited Stanley to a big baseball game.
c. Stanley’s lawyer saw Clyde Livingston on a television commercial.
d. A pig was seen in the Yelnats’ back yard.

a. It will be closed and bulldozed.
b. It will be used as a place for rookie baseball players to train.
c. It will be used as a minimum security prison for men.
d. It will become a Girl Scout camp.
a. Jewels of poor quality, worth no more than twenty thousand dollars
b. Many uncut diamonds
c. Emeralds
d. Rubies

a. Many hundred dollar bills
b. Letters
c. A confession from Kate Barlow
d. Stock certificates, deeds of trust, and promissory notes
a. About fifty thousand dollars
b. Nearly seventy-five thousand dollars
c. Only about thirty thousand dollars
d. A little less than a million dollars
46
a. A black man advertising onions
b. A pretty woman demonstrating ways to cook peaches
c. Clyde “Sweet Feet” Livingston
d. Stanley’s lawyer
a. “Sweet Feet”
b. “Peachy Smell”
c. “Sploosh”
d. “Zero’s Revenge”

a. His father
b. His newly-appointed lawyer
c. His half-brother
d. His mother

a. A pop tune that Zero especially liked
b. A song that Stanley wrote for her
c. The lullaby, “If only, if only...”
d. A song about a boy wrongly sent to a camp for bad boys
47
Key - Multiple Choice Quizzes
Holes
PART ONE
Pages 3-20 Pages 21-40 Pages 41-58 Pages 59-79
1. c 1. d 1. b 1. c
2. c 2. d 2. b 2. c
3. b 3. c 3. c 3. c
4. d 4. b 4. c 4. c
5. c 5. c 5. c 5. d
6. c 6. b 6. c 6. b
7. d 7. c
8. c 8. a
9. c 9. d
10. b
Pages 80-100 Pages 101-103

1. b 1. c
2. b 2. b
3. d 3. c
4. b 4. c
5. d 5. b
6. a 6. b
7. b 7. d
8. c 8. d
9. c 9. b
10. d

1. b 1. c 1. a 1. d
2. d 2. c 2. d 2. a
3. c 3. a 3. b 3. c
4. b 4. c 4. c 4. c
5. d 5. b 5. a 5. d
6. d 6. d 6. b 6. a
7. d 7. c 7. b 7. d
8. a 8. a
9. c 9. c
10. b
48
Key to Multiple Choice Quizzes - Holes - page 2
Pages 198-233
1. c
2. d
3. d
4. b
5. c
6. b
7. a
8. d
9. c
10. d
11. c
12. b
13. c
14. a
15. d
16. a
17. d
18. d
19. c
20. c
21. d
22. c
49
PRE-READING VOCABULARY
WORKSHEETS
Vocabulary - Holes
PART ONE
Pages 3-20: Part I: Using Prior Knowledge and Contextual Clues. Below are the sentences in which the
vocabulary words appear in the text. Read the sentence. Use any clues you can find in the sentence
combined with your prior knowledge, and write what you think the underlined words mean.
1. Now it is just a dry, flat wasteland.
2. During the summer the daytime temperature hovers around ninety-five degrees in the shade–if
you can find any shade.
3. Here’s a good rule to remember about rattlesnakes and scorpions: If you don’t bother them,
they won’t bother you.
4. The bus wasn’t air-conditioned, and the hot, heavy air was almost as stifling as the handcuffs.
5. Mrs. Bell wrote the ratio on the board, 3:1, unaware of how much embarrassment she had
caused both of them.
6. Supposedly, he had a great-great-grandfather who had stolen a pig from a one-legged Gypsy,
and she put a curse on him and all his descendants.
7. Stanley’s father was smart and had a lot of perseverance.
8. The land was barren and desolate.
Part II: Determining the Meaning

Match the vocabulary words to their dictionary definitions.
___ 1. wasteland A. dreary, unfit for habitation or use

___ 2. hovers B. spider-like, definitely venomous
___ 3. scorpion C. opposite of ancestors
___ 4. stifling D. not giving up
___ 5. ratio E. uncultivated or desolate country
___ 6. descendants F. relation between two things
___ 7. perseverance G. floats or is suspended in air
___ 8. desolate H. smothering, suffocating
53
Vocabulary - Holes - page 2
Pages 21-40: Part I: Using Prior Knowledge and Contextual Clues. Below are sentences in which the
1. Because of the scarcity of water, each camper was only allowed a four-minute shower.
2. Back at school, a bully named Derrick Dunne used to torment Stanley.
3. By the time Stanley retrieved it, he had missed the bus and had to walk home.
4. Maybe he was in a hurry to bring the shoes to his father, or maybe he was trying to run away
from his miserable and humiliating day at school.
5. The judge called Stanley’s crime despicable.
6. He wondered if he had a defective shovel.
7. Madame Zeroni warned that if he failed to do this, he and his descendants would be doomed for
all of eternity.
8. “That’s preposterous !” exclaimed Igor, expelling saliva as he spoke.

___ 9. scarcity A. absurd, ridiculous

___10. torment B. being disgraced
___11. retrieved C. condemned to severe penalty
___12. humiliating D. vile, awful
___13. despicable E. shortage
___14. defective F. great pain or anguish
___15. doomed G. flawed, subnormal
___16. preposterous H. got back, regained
54
1. A lot of people don’t believe in curses.
2. The water ran out under the walls and evaporated quickly in the sun.
3. Even the people looked broken, with their worn-out bodies sprawled over the various chairs
and sofas.
4. Stanley slipped it back into the stationery box.
5. He looked at the barren land all around him.
6. Stanley saw his fossil being passed around.
7. “It’s pig latin for Rex [X-Ray]....”

___17. curses A. converted or changed into a vapor

___18. evaporated B. sterile, dull, unfruitful
___19. sprawled C. remnant or trace of an organism of a past geological age (skeleton or
leap imprint) embedded in the earth’s crust
___20. stationery D. jargon formed by putting first consonant at the end of a word and
adding a syllable (igpay atinlay for pig latin)
___21. barren E. appeals for evil or injury to befall someone or something
___22. pig latin F. spread out in straggling or disordered fashion
___23. fossil G. writing paper and envelopes
Note: According to the dictionary, pig Latin should be spelled with a capital L.
55
1. He felt something hard and metallic.
2. He looked again at the design engraved into the flat bottom of the tube.
3. He could explain the situation to the Warden, and the Warden might make up an excuse for
giving him the day off, so X-Ray wouldn’t suspect.
4. They were only visible for a short while and would soon disappear behind the haze of heat and
dirt.
5. She gently shook the canteen, letting the water swish inside the plastic container.
6. Zero will dig it out of the hole, and Caveman will carefully shovel it into a wheelbarrow.
7. It seemed so familiar, but he just couldn’t place it.
8. Stanley was amazed.

___24. metallic A. filled with surprise, astonished

___25. engraved B. often encountered, known
___26. suspect C. to move with a whistle or hiss
___27. haze D. vehicle with handles, used to convey loads by hand
___28. swish E. like or containing a metal
___29. wheelbarrow F. carved, cut, etched into something
___30. familiar G. have doubts about, distrust
___31. amazed H. atmospheric moisture, dust, vapor, suspended in air
56
1. If he jerked too quickly, he felt a throbbing pain above his neck where Zigzag’s shovel had hit
him.
2. His muscles had strengthened, and his hands were tough and callused.
3. And as the truck bounced along the dirt, he was able to appreciate the air blowing through the
open window onto his hot and sweaty face.
4. Stanley wondered if this was how a condemned man felt on his way to the electric
chair–appreciating all of the good things in life for the last time.
5. He felt nothing but dread now.
6. “Do you want to know my secret ingredient?”
7. “Rattlesnake venom.”
8. His body writhed in agony.

___32. throbbing A. twisted, squirmed

___33. callused B. found guilty
___34. appreciate C. poisonous secretion of an animal, such as a spider or a snake
___35. condemned D. beating rapidly or violently; pounding
___36. dread E. having thickening and hardness of a layer of skin
___37. ingredient F. in terror of, anticipated with fear, alarm, reluctance
___38. venom G. value
___39. writhed H. something that is an element, a part, of
57
Pages 101-123: Part I: Using Prior Knowledge and Contextual Clues. Below are sentences in which
the vocabulary words appear in the text. Read the sentence. Use any clues you can find in the sentence
1. A special prize was given every year to Miss Katherine Barlow for her fabulous spiced
peaches.
2. It made a horrible loud noise and spewed ugly black smoke over the beautiful lake.
3. No one even dared to look at his grotesque face.
4. Stanley stared at the dark spot on the ground, which quickly shrank before his eyes.
5. They would get regular medicine from Doc Hawthorn and onion concoctions from Sam.
6. “Just calm your pretty self down a second,” the sheriff said in a slow drawl.
7. She ran down to the lakefront, where Sam was hitching Mary Lou to the onion cart.
8. “You’ve got exactly ten seconds to tell me where you’ve hidden your loot,” said Trout.

___40. fabulous A. outlandish, bizarre

___41. spewed B. got smaller
___42. grotesque C. speech characterized by lengthened, drawn-out vowels
___43. shrank D. forced out
___44. concoctions E. stolen goods
___45. drawl F. hooking to, connecting
___46. hitching G. barely believable, astonishing
___47. loot H. preparations made by mixing ingredients
58

1. The only time they were visible was just at sunup, before the air became hazy.
2. But the image of the fist and thumb remained in Stanley’s head.
3. He always felt awkward while Zero was digging his hole, unsure of what to do with himself.
4. Stanley made a feeble attempt to punch Zigzag, then he felt a flurry of fists against his head and
neck.
5. If Mr. Pendanski only thought about it, he’d realize it was very logical for Zero to think that the
letter “h” made the “ch” sound.
6. “He can’t go anywhere. The last thing we need is an investigation.”
7. And even if they did find refuge on Big Thumb, he thought, they’d still have to come back here,
eventually.
8. For some reason his great-grandfather had felt the urge to climb to the top of that mountain.

___48. visible A. protection or shelter

___49. image B. systematic examination
___50. awkward C. lacking strength
___51. feeble D. clumsy, unskillful
___52. logical E. able to be seen
___53. investigation F. reproduction of the form of someone or something
___54. refuge G. consistent in reasoning
___55. urge H. force moving one to do something
59
1. The next morning, out on the lake, Stanley listened as Mr. Sir told Twitch the
requirements for his hole: “...as wide and as deep as your shovel.”
2. He lay on the dirt staring at the truck, which stuck lopsided into the ground.
3. The encounter with the lizards had made him very cautious.
4. It was a mirage caused by the shimmering waves of heat rising off the dry ground.
5. But he could make it to the mysterious object.
6. There were enough cracks and holes in the bottom of the boat, now the roof, to provide light
and ventilation.
7. It was a warm, bubbly, mushy nectar, sweet and tangy.
8. It felt like heaven as it flowed over his dry mouth and down his parched throat.

___56. requirements A. something illusory, deceptive

___57. lopsided B. not fully understood
___58. cautious C. careful
___59. mirage D. delicious, invigorating drink
___60. mysterious E. heavier, larger on one side than on the other
___61. ventilation F. very dry
___62. nectar G. necessary things
___63. parched H. admitting fresh air to replace stale air
60
Vocabulary - Holes- page 9
1. He was weak and exhausted, yet as bad as he felt, he knew that Zero felt ten times worse.
2. He was able to lift Zero high enough for him to grab the protruding slab of rock.
3. When they reached flat ground, Stanley looked up to see the sun, a fiery ball balancing on top
of Big Thumb.
4. As the ground flattened, a huge stone precipice rose up ahead of him, just barely visible in the
moonlight.
5. Zero’s head knocked against the back of his shoulder as he fell and tumbled into a small muddy
gully.
6. Using both hands, he dug a hole in the soggy soil.
7. It took a moment for Stanley to comprehend.
8. Zero was delirious.

___64. exhausted A. mentally confused

___65. protruding B. extremely steep or overhanging mass of rock
___66. fiery C. very tired, weary
___67. precipice D. deep ditch cut in the earth by running water
___68. gully E. saturated, soaked with moisture
___69. soggy F. very hot
___70. comprehend G. sticking, jutting out
___71. delirious H. understand
61
1. Zero’s condition continued to improve.
2. It was like a giant sundial.
3. But Stanley’s trial kept getting delayed because of baseball.
4. It would mean living the rest of his life as a fugitive.
5. Instead he tried to recapture the feelings he’d had the night before–the inexplicable feeling of
happiness, the sense of destiny.
6. The onions had protected them, like Styrofoam packing material.
7. He waited until he was certain the last of the campers had finished for the day.
8. They climbed down into adjacent holes, and waited for the camp to fall asleep.

___72. improve A. put off until another time

___73. sundial B. not able to be explained or interpreted
___74. delayed C. get better
___75. fugitive D. instrument that indicates local solar time
___76. inexplicable E. kept safe, guarded
___77. protected F. sure
___78. certain G. close together, next to
___79. adjacent H. person running away from the law
62
1. As his tunnel grew deeper and wider–and more precarious–Stanley was able to feel latches on
one end of the box, and then a leather handle.
2. He did not flinch.
3. “How do I know it’s legitimate? The boys in my custody have proven themselves dangerous
to society. Am I supposed to just turn them loose any time someone hands me a piece of
paper?”
4. “He is no longer under your jurisdiction,” said Stanley’s lawyer.
5. “He was obviously incarcerated for a reason.”
6. Stanley’s mother insists that there never was a curse.
7. But those changes are subtle and hard to measure.
8. Even the contents of the suitcase turned out to be somewhat tedious.

___80. precarious A. shut in, confined, usually in jail

___81. flinch B. dangerously lacking in security or stability
___82. legitimate C. tiresome, wearisome
___83. jurisdiction D. so slight as to be difficult to distinguish
___84. incarcerated E. refuses to yield
___85. insists F. draw away from something surprising or painful
___86. subtle G. lawful, legal
___87. tedious H. area of authority or control
63
Key: Vocabulary Worksheets - Holes
PART ONE
1. e 9. e 17. e 24. e
2. g 10. f 18. a 25. f
3. b 11. h 19. f 26. g
4. h 12. b 20. g 27. h
5. f 13. d 21. b 28. c
6. c 14. g 22. d 29. d
7. d 15. c 23. c 30. b
8. a 16. a 31. a
Pages 80-100 Pages 101-123

32. d 40. g
33. e 41. d
34. g 42. a
35. b 43. b
36. f 44. h
37. h 45. c
38. c 46. f
39. a 47. e

48. e 56. g 64. c 72. c
49. f 57. e 65. g 73. d
50. d 58. c 66. f 74. a
51. c 59. a 67. b 75. h
52. g 60. b 68. d 76. b
53. b 61. h 69. e 77. e
54. a 62. d 70. h 78. f
55. h 63. f 71. a 79. g
Pages 198-233
80. b 84. a
81. f 85. e
82. g 86. d
83. h 87. c
64
DAILY LESSONS
Lesson One
Objectives
1. To introduce the unit on Holes
2. To distribute books and other related materials (study guides, reading assignments, etc.)
3. To prepare students to discover the concept of aloneness via a bulletin board activity
4. To prepare a bulletin board activity demonstrating aloneness
Activity #1
Explain briefly to the students why you have chosen Holes as a book for them to read. Try to make
them understand why you think they will enjoy and learn from the book and the characters and
experiences in it.
Activity #2
Distribute the materials students will use in this unit. Explain in detail how students are to use the
materials.
Study Guides Students should read the study guide questions for each reading assignment before
beginning the assignment to get a feel for what events and ideas are important in the section they are
about to read. After reading the section, students will (as a class or individually) answer the questions to
review the important events and ideas from that section of the book. Students should keep the study
guides as study materials for the unit test.
Vocabulary As they are reading a section of the text, students will do vocabulary work related to the
section they are reading. If they hunt for the vocabulary words as they read, students should be able to
figure out the contextual meaning of the words. Following the completion of the reading of the book,
there will be a vocabulary review of all the words used in the vocabulary assignments. Students should
keep their vocabulary work as study materials for the unit test.
Reading Assignment Sheet You need to fill in the reading assignment sheet to let students know when
their reading has to be completed. You can either write the assignment on a side chalk board or bulletin
board and leave it there for students to see each day, or you can make copies for each student to have.
In any case, advise students to become very familiar with the reading assignments so they know what is
expected of them.
Extra Activities Center The Unit Resource portion of this unit contains suggestions for a library of related
books and articles in your classroom as well as crossword and word search puzzles. Make a center in
your room where you will keep these materials for students to use. (Bring the books and articles in from
the library and keep several copies of the puzzles on hand.) Explain to students that these materials are
available for their use when they finish reading assignments or other class work early.
67
Lesson #1 - Holes - page 2
Nonfiction Assignment Sheet Explain to students that they each are to read at least one nonfiction piece
from the in-class library or elsewhere at some time during the unit. They might want to take a book out
of the school library (if such books are available for circulation), use a book in the school library, use a
book in a local community library, or refer to books that they already have in their homes. Students will
fill out a nonfiction assignment sheet after completing the reading to help you evaluate their reading
experiences and to help the students to think about and evaluate their own reading.
Books Each school has its own rules and regulations regarding student use of school books. Advise
students of the procedures that are usual for your school.
Activity #3
Ask students to think of a time when they felt completely alone. For the next class meeting, they may
present a hand-drawn picture of how they felt when alone, bring a cut-out picture from a magazine or
newspaper which depicts how they felt, or present a poem or a couple of paragraphs explaining their
aloneness. The point is not to create great works of art but instead to get students to thinking of
aloneness as Stanley Yelnats, the hero of Holes experiences it. If you get some interesting expressions,
you might like to post them on the bulletin board–with or without names. If you don’t get pictures or
writing appropriate to put on the bulletin board, you might bring in a few pictures yourself.
Activity #4
You will want to set the bulletin board up in such a way that students will have occasion to look at it
each day that they are reading the novel.
68
Nonfiction Assignment Sheet - Holes
(To be completed after reading the required nonfiction article)
Name ____________________________ Date _____________ Class _______________
Title of Nonfiction Read ____________________________________________________
Author ___________________________ Publication Date _________________________
I. Factual Summary: Write a short summary of the piece you read.
II. Vocabulary:
1. Which vocabulary words were difficult?
2. What did you do to help yourself understand the words?
III. Interpretation: What was the main point the author wanted you to get from reading his or her
work?
IV. Criticism:
1. Which points of the piece did you agree with or find easy to believe? Why?
2. Which points did you disagree with or find hard to believe? Why?
V. Personal Response:
1. What do you think about this piece of writing overall?
2. How does this piece help you better understand the book, Holes?
69
Oral Reading Evaluation - Holes
Name ______________________________ Class ______________ Date ____________
SKILL EXCELLENT GOOD AVERAGE FAIR POOR
Fluency 5 4 3 2 1
Clarity 5 4 3 2 1
Audibility 5 4 3 2 1
Pronunciation 5 4 3 2 1
___________ 5 4 3 2 1
___________ 5 4 3 2 1
Total __________________ Grade _________________
Comments:
70
Lesson Two
Objectives
1. To preview the study questions for PART ONE: pp 3-20
2. To familiarize students with the vocabulary for pp 3-20
Activity #1
Preview the study questions and have students look over the vocabulary words for pp 3-20 of Holes.
If students do not finish this assignment during the class period, they should complete it, including the
vocabulary worksheets, prior to the next class meeting.
Activity #2
Spend a brief time making sure that students have become familiar with the vocabulary words for pp 3-
20.
71
Lesson Three
Objectives
1. To begin consideration and discussion of one theme in Holes, namely life as a physical and
spiritual wasteland
2. To read pp 3-20 aloud as a class
3. To give students practice reading orally
4. To evaluate students’ oral reading
5. To preview the study questions for pp 21-40
6. To do the pre-reading vocabulary work for pp 21-40
Activity #1
You might begin by discussing the idea of a wasteland as a barren, desolate, and forlorn piece of
country. Then try to get the students to extend their idea of a wasteland to life. What kind of life would
resemble a physical wasteland? What kind of person would be living in a wasteland of the mind and
soul? If one is living in a physical and/or spiritual wasteland, is it possible for that person to find a way
out, to grow internally? If students grasp the idea of the wasteland theme, they will be better able to
consider Stanley’s life and predicament.
Activity #2
Have students read pp 3-20 out loud in class. You probably know the best way to choose readers from
your class: pick students at random, ask for volunteers, or use whatever other method works best for
your group. If you have not yet completed an oral reading evaluation for your students this marking
period, this would be a good opportunity to do so. A form is included with this unit for your
convenience. It probably is a good idea to share with students ahead of time the ways in which you are
evaluating their reading skills. Try to make time to share your evaluations with students.
There should be enough time to complete all of the reading. However, if students do not complete
reading through pp 3-20 in class, they should do so prior to your next class meeting.
Activity #3
Begin previewing the study questions and doing the pre-reading vocabulary work for pp 21-40.
If you run out of time for the study questions and vocabulary work, tell students that they should have
completed these tasks prior to the next class meeting.
Activity #4
Spend just a minute or two calling students’ attention to the bulletin board materials that stress Stanley’s
continuing sense of aloneness, alienation, and desolation.
72
Lesson Four
Objectives
1. To recap the study questions and vocabulary from the last class
2. To review the main events and ideas from pp 3-20
3. To read pp 21-40 in class
4. To do an in-class activity defining what makes a good counselor
Activity #1
Spend just enough time on the study questions and vocabulary to assure that students are understanding
the assignment and to prepare them for the reading in class.
Activity #2
Briefly review the main events and ideas from pp 3-20. Continue to examine the ideas of the wasteland
and aloneness. In addition to any vocabulary words, you might ask students to pick out words in the
text that stress the ideas of the wasteland and aloneness.
Activity #3
Have students read pp 21-40 of Holes out loud in class. Use the method of selecting student readers
that works best for you. Continue the oral reading evaluations. Continue to share your evaluations with
students, especially if students need a lot of improvement or if they demonstrate dramatic improvement.
Activity #4
Spend a little time with students talking about what makes a good counselor. What kind of person
would students be likely to trust, listen to, and confide in? Ask students to write down at least three
words each to describe a good counselor. Then spend a short time in class allowing students to explain
and defend their word choices. If time permits, ask students if Mr. Pendanski seems to be a good
counselor–based on pp 3-40. Do his personality and actions match their choices of words?
73
Lesson Five
Objectives
1. To review the main events and ideas from pp 21-40
2. To do study questions for pp 41-58
3. To do vocabulary work for pp 41-58
4. To assign the reading for pp 41-58
Activity #1
Briefly review the main events and ideas from pp 21-40. Try to be sure that students are following the
author’s back-and-forth movements from Stanley’s present-day life at the camp to the lives of his
ancestors. Ask if students have any questions about what is going on in the plot at this point.
Activity #2
Do the preview work for pp 41-58: study questions and vocabulary.
Activity #3
Assign pp 41-58 to be read at home.
74
Lesson Six
Objective
To give students the opportunity to write to inform/explain
Activity #1
Have students complete Writing Assignment #1 (Writing to Inform/Explain). The directions for the
assignment follow.
(Note for the teacher: Depending on which grade level you are teaching, this assignment, with its
wasteland point of view, might be difficult for some students to grasp. Thus, the assignment has been
clearly broken into three parts which should direct the student’s understanding as well as make for easy
organization. Also, while it is obvious that having the students read each other’s rough drafts will
perhaps help students to increase their own store of examples, it should also further increase all students’
understanding of what is going on in the book so far.
Try to get the students’ compositions back to them as soon as you can so that they can receive pointers
on their writing. They will be writing another composition–this time at home–for Lesson Ten.
75
Witing Assignment #1 - Holes
(Writing to Inform/Explain)
PROMPT
In just twenty pages of Holes, Louis Sachar has made it clear that Stanley Yelnats is existing in a
wasteland. So far, we might examine this wasteland in terms of the physical environment of Camp
Green Lake, the people at the camp, and Stanley’s life situation/culture (everything that made up his life
prior to his going to the camp).
Your assignment is to write a composition to explain to the reader that Stanley is, in fact, existing in a
wasteland. Although you should talk about each of the aspects of the wasteland (physical environment,
people at the camp, and Stanley’s life situation), you may introduce them in any order. Just be sure to
give examples supporting each aspect and showing that Stanley is existing in a wasteland. It might help
to pretend that your reader has not read the first twenty pages. Your job is to demonstrate to the reader
that Stanley’s world–in pp 3-20--is a wasteland.
PREWRITING
Begin by quickly re-reading the first twenty pages of the book. Make some notes as you re-read.
Think about what it would be like to be Stanley, about how he feels about his parents, his home life, the
events that have taken him to the camp, and about the people he encounters at the camp. And think
about the camp itself (what it looks and feels like).
DRAFTING
Write an introductory paragraph designed to catch the reader’s attention and to state your composition’s
main point: that Stanley Yelnats is existing in a wasteland. Write at least one paragraph discussing each
aspect of the wasteland: one for physical environment, one for people at camp, and one for Stanley’s life
situation. Make sure that you give sufficient examples and that you are not simply quoting from the
book. Write a concluding summary paragraph.
PROMPT
When you finish the rough draft of your paper, ask a student who sits near you to read it and to see if
your main point is clearly expressed and supported by good examples. Then the student should tell you
what he or she liked best about your work, which parts were difficult to understand, and ways in which
your work could be improved. Re-read your paper considering your critic’s comments and make the
corrections you think are necessary.
PROOFREADING
Do a final proofreading of your paper, double-checking your grammar, spelling, organization, and the
clarity of your ideas.
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Writing Evaluation Form - Holes
Name _____________________________________ Date __________________
Writing Assignment _________________________ Grade _________________
Circle One for each item:
Topic interest excellent good fair poor
Overall organization excellent good fair poor
Clarity of expression excellent good fair poor
Grammar excellent good fair poor
Spelling excellent good fair poor
Punctuation excellent good fair poor
Strengths
Weaknesses
Comments/Suggestions
77
Lesson Seven
Objectives
1. To review pp 41-58
2. To have students write one paragraph about a single main point in pp 41-58
3. To do the preview work for pp 59-79: study questions and vocabulary
Activity #1
Review with students the main events of pp 41-58.
Activity #2
Have the students write one paragraph about a main point in pp 41-58, which they now have read and
reviewed. The objects of writing the paragraph are to keep the students writing and to further clarify
their understanding of the pages they have read. Some points that they might consider–if they don’t
easily come up with points themselves–are Stanley’s being given a nickname, his letter to his mother, his
fantasizing about the bully Derrick Dunne, the fossil Stanley finds, Mr. Pendanski’s style of counseling,
and the danger of the lizards at the camp.
Activity #3
This time you might have the students work in small groups to do the preview work for pp 59-79. If
time permits, you might want to circulate among the groups to be sure that most of the students are
participating.
78
Lesson Eight
Objectives
1. To read pp 59-79 in class
2. Discuss in class what Stanley learns about holes in terms of his overall growth
3. Do the preview work for pp 80-100: study questions and vocabulary
4. Assign pp 80-100 to be read at home
Activity #1
In order to vary the class readings, you might try going student by student, having each read one
sentence from Holes. Thus, a student would read, “All too soon Stanley was back out on the lake,
sticking his shovel into the dirt.” Then the second student would read, “X-Ray was right: the third hole
was the hardest.” The next student would read, “So was the fourth hole.” And so on until the class
collectively has read pp 59-79. If you choose this method of reading out loud, you might also encourage
the students to read with real feeling: thus, “And the sixth, and the...” would be read with a kind of
despairing drudgery.
If you prefer simply to have students read out loud as you have done in earlier activities, that’s fine too.
Do what seems best for your students. Sometimes some variety will help to keep students’ attention
focused better.
Activity #2
Try to get students to see what Stanley learns about holes in terms of his overall growth. Throughout pp
59-79, Stanley begins to have revelations about what is going on around him. He starts to reason things
out, to make a little sense of what is happening. He gives the gold tube to X-Ray, encourages X-Ray to
use the find to get a whole day off from digging, finds out that the Warden is a woman who knows a lot
about all the boys, sees how much authority the Warden has, questions the other boys’ view of how the
Warden spies on them, learns a little about Zero’s background, etc. Perhaps his biggest revelation is the
reason the boys are made to dig holes: “One thing was certain: They weren’t just digging to ‘build
character.’ They were definitely looking for something.” Have a discussion with students focusing on
what Stanley is learning at Camp Green Lake.
Activity #3
If time permits, do the preview work for pp 80-100 in class. If time is short, ask students to complete
the preview work at home and to bring it to the next class.
Activity #4
Assign pp 80-100 to be read at home. From time to time, you might encourage students to read out
loud at home, either for themselves or to a friend, a sibling, a parent, or whomever. As you know, some
students learn best when they simply read and think about the written word whereas others learn best
when they hear the words read out loud.
79
Lesson Nine
Objectives
1. To make sure that students are keeping up
3. To discuss with students complexity of character development
4. To prepare students for the nonfiction reading assignment
Activity #1
See if students have questions about the preview work they are doing in and out of class. Take a few
minutes for responses if necessary. Try to be sure that all students are understanding the book. This is a
good time to note any students who aren’t doing their work on a regular basis and to try to get them on
track.
You may be collecting these preview exercises: if so, be sure that they are returned to students promptly
for study purposes.
Activity #2
Review pp 80-100 that students have read at home.
Activity #3
Discuss, through the information that comes out from the beginning of the book through page 100, the
complexity of Zero’s character development.
Activity #4
Spend some time discussing the purposes and topics of the nonfiction reading assignment. Some
purposes for doing the nonfiction reading are to enhance the students’ knowledge, to supplement what
they are learning through reading Holes, to encourage them to read on their own, and to make the book
even more relevant to real life.
80
Topics to Choose for Nonfiction Reading Assignment - Holes
You may choose any of the following topics for your Nonfiction Reading Assignment. All of the topics
are based in some way on Holes. If you wish to read about some other topics, you must clear it with
your teacher before you begin the assignment.
1. Juvenile detention facilities

(what they were like in the past, how they are in more modern times, what their purpose is,
whether or not they serve a purpose, what they are like in other countries, etc.)
2. Learning to read
(how many people in this country can read and write, how the US reading/writing rate compares
to that in other countries, how reading and writing are taught in school, how students’ reading
and writing abilities are evaluated, the pleasures and/or agonies of reading during leisure time,
etc.)
3. Counseling
(how counselors relate to students, what makes a good counselor, what students want in a
counselor, how counseling programs fit into school curriculums, etc.)
4. Reptiles and insects

(reptiles and/or insects found in desert surroundings, the relative danger of reptiles and insects
(lizards, spiders, scorpions, etc.), “good” reptiles and insects, etc.
5. The desert
(deserts in this country and/or in other countries, how to survive in the desert, desert areas
where modern development has taken place, etc.)
6. Girl Scouts
(Girl Scout camps of the past and/or present, the Girl Scout movement in the US, how scouting
has changed for girls, etc.)
7. Curses
(do people really believe in curses, is it possible for put a curse on someone, curses of the past,
etc.)
8. Gypsies
(can Gypsies really foretell the future, what Gypsies exist in this country today, what Gypsy life is
like, etc.)
81
Nonfiction Reading Topics - Holes - page 2
9. Parent/Child relationships
(parent/child relationships at various ages, relationships between parents and children in
other cultures, etc.)
10. Lullabies and nursery rhymes

(lullabies and/or nursery rhymes of the past, do children today learn lullabies and nursery rhymes,
if not what do they learn instead, etc.)
82
Lesson Ten
Objectives
1. To give students further time to discuss and begin research on the Nonfiction Reading
Assignment
2. To give students the opportunity to write–at home this time–to express a personal opinion
3. To do the preview work in class for pp 101-123: short answer and vocabulary
4. To assign pp 101-123 to be read at home
Activity #1
If time allows, have students announce to the class what they intend to do for their Nonfiction Reading
Assignment. Also, if students wish to write on topics not on the list (or even topics on the list that you
feel will be inappropriate for specific students), this might be a good time to have students discuss their
choices individually with you. Give students time to do some further reading for the assignment.
Activity #2
Make the personal opinion writing assignment. This should be a relatively easy assignment since it
involves only an understanding of what students have read and their personal thoughts about themselves
and how they want to be seen and understood. The directions for the assignment follow.
Activity #3
Do the preview work in class for pp 101-123.
Activity #4
Assign pp 101-123 to be read at home.
83
Writing Assignment #2
(Writing to Express a Personal Opinion)
PROMPT
In the reading you have done so far in Holes, you have come upon many nicknames and people’s
attitudes toward them: “Barf Bag,” “Kissin’Kate Barlow,” “Caveman,” “Mom,” “Zero,” “X-Ray,”
“Magnet,” “the Warden,” and “Trout”–to name some. It seems that nearly everyone has a nickname at
some time in his or her life. Some of the nicknames are positive and some are not. Some serve well at a
particular time but would be inappropriate at another. Some make the people called by nicknames feel
good about themselves; some make the people feel bad. Some nicknames are simply shortened real
names or variants of real names: some examples are Bill or Willy for William, Betty or Liz for Elizabeth,
Bob or Rob for Robert, Katie for Kathleen, Tommy for Thomas, Dick for Richard.
The question is, what would you like your nickname to be and why? Or, if you already have a
nickname, how do you feel about it? If you have a nickname and don’t like it, explain why you don’t
like it and tell what nickname you would like to have. If you have a nickname and like it a lot, explain
why. If you don’t want to share a current nickname in this piece of writing, just go back to the question
of what you would like your nickname to be.
PREWRITING
Decide how you want to approach this assignment. Choose one option. Once you have chosen your
point of view, figure out ways to explain it. Whichever option you pick, you should have lots of specific
reasons why you feel the way you do.
DRAFTING
Write an introductory paragraph introducing the idea of nicknames in general and ending with a specific
statement about the writing option you have chosen. Try to state your opinion and give three reasons to
back it up. Then write at least one paragraph explaining and supporting each of your reasons. It is
always good to give specific examples. Also, it is sometimes useful to use humor if you possibly can.
And, finally, write a concluding paragraph in which you summarize what you have said in your essay.
PROMPT
When you finish the draft of your paper, ask someone to read it and see if your main point is clearly and
convincingly expressed and supported by good examples. Your reader may be a friend, classmate,
family member, or anyone else who might be a good reviewer. After reading your rough draft, he or she
should tell you what he or she liked best about your work, which parts were difficult to understand, and
ways in which your work could be improved. Reread your paper considering your critic’s comments
and make the corrections you think are necessary.
PROOFREADING
Do a final proofreading of your paper, double-checking your grammar, spelling, and organization.
84
Lesson Eleven
Objectives
1. To discuss briefly pp 101-123 (the end of PART ONE)
2. To set parameters for the Project
3. To do the preview work for pp 127-144
Activity #1
Discuss briefly pp 101-123, which mark the end of PART ONE. Try to be sure that students notice the
unraveling of the plot concerning the real names and identities of Zero (Hector Zeroni) and Linda Miller
(Linda Walker) and the information about Katherine Barlow’s famous peaches and Sam’s magically
curative onions.
Activity #2
Introduce Project Juvenile Detention Centers to your students (details on the next page). Remember
that this is an optional project. If you choose not to include it in your planning, you might instead assign
the students to do one of the following: write a “real” letter from Stanley to his parents telling the truth
about what is happening at Camp Green Lake; write a newspaper article, including headline, that
exposes what is happening at the camp; pick their favorite (or least favorite) character in the book so far
and write a composition that describes that character and explains why they chose him or her.
Activity #3
Do the preview work for pp 127-144: short answer and vocabulary.
85
Project Juvenile Detention Centers
Objectives
Project Juvenile Detention Centers is a total class project for use in conjunction with the book Holes by
Louis Sachar. Since one of the main ideas in the book deals with the problems faced by a group of boys
as they try to cope in a juvenile detention camp, this is a good opportunity to acquaint students with the
resources and facilities for juvenile delinquents in your state. Today we hear about juvenile crime on
television and in newspapers a lot. Murder is no longer a crime committed only by mature adults; very
young children have been accused of killing people. But this project is concerned with so-called lesser
crimes, such as incorrigibility, theft, vandalism, etc. The project is a way to make your students aware
of the fact that more and more young people are being detained because of their crimes, to learn more
about the needs of these young people, and to research what their state offers in the way of juvenile
detention centers.
Students may use books to find useful information, or they may use the Internet if they have easy access
to computers. If possible, students may even choose to interview police authorities in your town to find
out firsthand how your area treats juvenile offenders.
A suggestion: Try to monitor the way in which your students respond to information they acquire. Some
of the information they encounter may discuss very serious juvenile crime and very serious outcomes. If
you think it prudent, you may even want to send a brief letter home to the students’ families to let them
know that your class is engaging in this project.
THE PROJECT
This project is separate from the rest of the unit on Holes, so you can either use it while you are reading
and reviewing the book or as a separate mini-unit after you have completed the unit tests for Holes.
Also, having it as a separate project enables you to either eliminate it or to use it, without disturbing the
flow of the unit as a whole. If you choose not to use it, you may want to substitute a less complicated
alternative project, a few of which are suggested under Activity #2 for Lesson Nine.
Assignment #1
Your local television station or newspaper should have some reports/articles on juvenile delinquency,
youthful offenders, and juvenile detention centers in yours and other states. News magazines often
contain articles as well. And, of course, you yourself might use the Internet if computer availability is not
a problem. At any rate, find several reports/articles on juvenile crime and show them to your students.
Try to present the situation of juvenile crime as clearly and truthfully as possible. Use the reports and
articles as a springboard for a discussion of juvenile crime and the problems it poses to society.
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Project Juvenile Detention - Holes - page 2
Assignment #2
As a class, write a letter to your police authorities inviting a representative to come to your class to
discuss juvenile crime from their point of view. Even if juvenile crime is not a huge problem in your
community, you can be sure that authorities have plans of action in place given all of the serious crimes
that have taken place across the country in the last few years. Send the letter and then make any
necessary follow-up phone calls to make arrangements for the visit.
Activity #3
After students have the information you gather on juvenile crime, send them to the library to do some
research. If extensive information is not available in your school library, students may need to visit a
community library. They might also find information in recently published encyclopedias and various
magazines. However they secure the materials, each student should be able to read and summarize at
least two articles on the topic. Hint: They might want to research the average age of juvenile offenders;
whether or not gender plays a role in juvenile crime; what kind of facilities are available; what those
facilities offer in terms of medical, mental, and educational services and how they foster social,
emotional, intellectual, and physical development; and how the facilities deal with security, safety,
supervision, training of staff, and physical accommodations; whether or not stays in juvenile detention
centers contribute to the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders or not, etc.
Assignment #4
After students have done their research, have them give brief oral reports about the articles they have
read so that all students are exposed to the wealth of information that has been collectively read.
Assignment #5
Host the person who was invited to class in Assignment #2. This assignment should be done prior to
undertaking Assignment #6.
Assignment #6
Divide students into groups of five or six. Explain that their job is to make a list of at least three
important aspects of detaining juvenile offenders and to brainstorm ways that those aspects might be
addressed.
Students might focus, for example, on how to make a facility secure without making it be just like a
prison; how to get the juveniles to interact with each other in ways that will help them to adjust better
when they are released; how to offer counseling that will help offenders to adjust emotionally; etc.
Appropriate class time will need to be spent on this brainstorming.
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Project Juvenile Detention - Holes - page 3
After the brainstorming has been done, have each student focus on one aspect that seems to him or her
to be most important. Then students should suggest ways in which they might address that aspect in a
productive way: letter writing, personally volunteering, writing a newspaper article, having speakers talk
at local schools, other educational campaigns, etc. Although the students need not actually send the
letters or articles, personally volunteer, engage speakers, or mount other educational campaigns, they
should be able to suggest clearly how such things would be done.
Assignment #7
After the project is finished, have a short wrap-up to allow students to discuss the value of the project
overall. Try to get students to articulate what they learned from participating in the project. Have the
students write a few sentences explaining what the project meant to them.
(All written materials generated by the project should be turned in to you on a date that you specify.)
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Lesson Twelve
Objectives
1. To read pp 127-144 in class and to evaluate student reading
2. To review the main ideas, events, and characterizations in pp 3-144 of Holes
3. To have students exercise their critical thinking skills.
Activity #1
Choose students to read out loud pp 127-144. Use the evaluation forms if you choose to do so.
Activity #2
Review with students the main ideas, events, and characterizations in pp 3-144 of Holes.
(The first two objectives in Lesson Twelve should be achieved easily and rather quickly. This is a good
time to be sure that all students are keeping up with the story line, main ideas, and characterizations in
the book.)
Activity #3
Choose some questions from the Extra Discussion Questions/Writing Assignments which seem most
appropriate for your students. A class discussion of these questions is most effective if students have
been given the opportunity to formulate answers to the questions prior to the discussion. To this end,
you may either have all the students formulate answers to all the questions you choose, divide your class
into groups and assign one or more questions to each group, or you could assign one question to each
student in your class. The option you choose will make a difference in the amount of class time needed
for this activity.
After students have had ample time to formulate answers to the questions, begin your class discussion of
the questions and the ideas presented by them. Be sure students take notes during the discussion so they
have information to study for the unit test.
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Extra Discussion Questions/Writing Assignments - Holes
Interpretive
1. From whose point of view is Holes told? How might the story be different if Stanley himself
were narrating it? What if it were told from Zero’s point of view? The Warden’s?
2. How is irony used in Holes? The first ironic information we are given is that Camp Green Lake
is not a camp, is not green, and does not have a lake. What effect is achieved by calling the
place Camp Green Lake? What other irony is introduced in the novel?
3. Try to analyze the character of Stanley Yelnats. What is he like at the beginning of the story?
How does his character change as the story progresses? What details about Stanley does
Sachar give the reader?
4. What are the main conflicts in the novel and how are they resolved?
5. The end of the novel is filled with suspense. How does Sachar build suspense?
6. Is the outcome of the book surprising? Is it easy or hard to figure out ahead of time how the
book will end?
Critical
7. Why did Sachar call the book Holes? Is the novel really about holes? What kind of holes
might Sachar be thinking of besides the physical holes the boys are forced to dig?
8. Stanley is described as a victim from the beginning of the book. How does his victimization
color the reader’s view of him?
9. Compare and contrast Mr. Pendanski and Mr. Sir. Are they more often alike or different?
10. Think about Sachar’s writing style. How does the simplicity of his writing contribute to the
reader’s enjoyment and understanding of the novel?
11. What is the most important theme in the novel? Some possibilities are aloneness, courage,
growth, maturity, friendship, desperation, and loyalty.
12. How would Stanley’s life have been different had he not gone out after Zero?
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Extra Discussion - Holes - page 2
Critical/Personal Response
13. Do you think that the action in Holes could actually take place today?
14. If you were Stanley, would you have decided to help Zero?
15. Which character in the novel did you find most believable? Tell why.
Personal Response
16. With which character in Holes do you most identify? Tell why.
17. Which character in Holes is the kindest? the strongest? the weakest? the most admirable?
the most likeable? Explain your choice.
18. What would you do if you were placed in Stanley’s position? Explain in detail.
19. Which character in the book would you choose as a friend? Tell why.
20. Is Holes a good novel, in your opinion? Explain why or why not.
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Extra Discussion - Holes - page 3
Quotations and Interesting Parts of the Novel

21. Stanley Yelnats was given a choice. The judge said, “You may go to jail, or you may go to
Camp Green Lake.”
Stanley was from a poor family. He had never been to camp before.
22. But perhaps that was part of the curse as well. If Stanley and his father weren’t always so
hopeful, then it wouldn’t hurt so much every time their hopes were crushed.
23. “You thirsty?” asked Mr. Sir.

“Yes, Mr. Sir,” Stanley said gratefully.
“Well, you better get used to it. You’re going to be thirsty for the next eighteen months.”
24. “I see you’re looking at my gun. Don’t worry. I’m not going to shoot you.” He tapped his
holster. “This is for yellow-spotted lizards. I wouldn’t waste a bullet on you.”
25. “You’re not looking for anything. You’re digging to build character. It’s just if you find
anything, the Warden would like to know about it.”
26. “Vacancies don’t last long at Camp Green Lake.”
27. “You’re all special in your own way,” he said. “You’ve all got something to offer...Even you
Zero. You’re not completely worthless.”
28. Kate Barlow died laughing.
29. He heard the sound of approaching cars.

Mr. Sir and the Warden heard it as well.
“You think it’s them?” asked the Warden.
“It ain’t Girl Scouts selling cookies,” said Mr. Sir.
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Lesson Thirteen
Objectives
1. To assign the preview work for pp 145-159 to be done at home
3. To do a role-playing exercise
Activity #1
Assign the preview work for pp 145-159: short answer and vocabulary
Activity #2
Assign pp 145-159.
Activity #3
The role-playing exercise is designed to help the students to understand the characters in Holes better
by envisioning them in different contexts. Except for making the assignments in Activities #1 and #2, try
to put aside one entire class to achieve Objective 3. What you are going to do is ask some of your
students to do some role playing in front of the rest of the class. Because not everyone will have the
opportunity to play a role in class, the other students will learn from observing. Both actors and
observers should be encouraged to think about how the characters are going to act in each scenario.
You will be the best judge of which students can be relied on to carry out the assignment with a
reasonable degree of understanding and comfort.
Don’t worry that you don’t have enough time to accommodate this kind of role playing. Its object is not
to rehearse or spend a lot of time preparing for the role playing. It is, instead, to think through very
quickly how a character will act based on which students already know about him or her.
This activity will work best if you try to prepare the students to have a good time doing it. Make sure
they realize that there is no totally right or totally wrong way to do the activity. Instead, they should listen
closely to the scenarios that you lay out, think very quickly about how each assigned character would
react to each, and then pretend to be that character to the best of their ability.
Choose the scenarios that you think your students will best understand. You may do only one of the
scenarios or all three. If you want, you can even makeup new scenarios, with or without your students’
help. Again, there is no right or wrong here. You are just moving the characters around a little bit in
order to let students look at them a little differently and understand them a little bit better.
Read the scenario. Give students three to five minutes to prepare, and then give them five minutes to act
out the scenario. The ONLY requirement is that students try as hard as possible to keep the character
as he or she behaved in the pages assigned so far in Holes.
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Lesson Thirteen - Holes - page 2
Scenario #1 The Warden and Stanley

The Warden has invited Stanley to come to her room. She proposes that she will have him released
back into the custody of his parents if he will spy on the other boys and report back to her on their
conversations and actions for the next month. Stanley doesn’t want to take part in deception against the
other boys, but he is extremely anxious to get out of Camp Green Lake. Have the Warden make her
proposal and have Stanley respond. Have counter-responses for as long as time allows.
Scenario #2 Stanley and his mother

The Warden has decided that it would be good for camp image to allow each boy to make a phone call
to his parents. Naturally, because she knows she now has the boys totally under her control and in fear
of her, she expects them to say what will make Camp Green Lake sound like a real camp. She tells the
boys that she will be listening in on their calls and will punish boys who do not paint a good picture of
their time at Camp Green Lake. Have Stanley phone his mother and have the two of them
discuss Camp Green Lake and Stanley’s stay there.
Scenario #3 Katherine Barlow and the sheriff

The sheriff tells Katherine Barlow that he will allow Sam to leave Green Lake peacefully if she will agree
to lecture her all-white students on the evils of black people. Obviously Katherine doesn’t want to do
what the sheriff wants, nor does she believe that black people are evil, but she does understand that the
sheriff’s suggestion is a way of saving both herself and Sam. Have the sheriff make his suggestion
and have Katherine respond. Have counter-responses for as long as time allows.
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Lesson Fourteen
Objectives
2. To do the preview work for pp 160-181
3. To read pp 160-181 in class.
4. To have students give oral reports on the nonfiction reading assignment
Activity #1
Briefly review pp 145-159.
Activity #2
Do the preview work for pp 160-181 as a class: short answer and vocabulary
Activity #3
Read pp 160-181 in class.
Activity #4
Allow students to give brief oral reports on their nonfiction reading.
Lesson Fifteen
Objectives
1. To continue oral reports on nonfiction reading assignment
Activity #1
Allow students to continue to give brief oral reports on their nonfiction reading.
Activity #2
Review the main events, ideas, and characterizations in pp 160-181.
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Lesson Sixteen
Objective
1. To do the preview work on pp 182-197
2. To catch up on loose ends
Activity #1
Do the preview work on pp 182-197: short answer and vocabulary
Activity #2
Catch up on any loose ends. Think about whether or not you need to give a quiz, answer students’
questions, follow up on any leftover odds and ends from previous lessons, etc.
Lesson Seventeen
Objectives
1. To read pp 182-197
2. To do the preview work on pp 198-225
4. To give students the opportunity to report on their projects
Activity #1
Have students read pp 182-197 out loud.
Activity #2
Do the preview work on pp 198-225 as a class: short answer and vocabulary.
Activity #4
Assign pp 198-225 to be read at home. Remind students of the benefits of their reading out loud to
someone at home.
Activity #5
Have students report on their projects. Because of time restraints, students should be encouraged to be
brief–a few minutes per students will have to suffice.
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Lesson Eighteen
Objectives
1. To continue to give students the opportunity to report on their projects
2. To make sure that students have understood the book, Holes
Activity #1
Have students continue to report briefly on their projects.
Activity #2
Ask a few questions to be sure that students have understood the main events, ideas, and
characterizations of the book.
Lesson Nineteen
Objective
1. To continue to give students the opportunity to report on their projects
2. To do a vocabulary review for the whole book
Activity #1
Continue with the reports on the class project.
Activity #2
Because the vocabulary in Holes is not, overall, highly challenging, your students may or may not need a
lengthy review before the unit tests. However you choose to review, you may want to pick one or more
of the vocabulary review activities listed on the next page and spend the rest of the class period as
directed in the activity. Some additional materials for these review activities are located in the
Vocabulary Resource Materials at the end of this unit.
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Vocabulary Review Activities
1. Divide your class into two teams and have an old-fashioned spelling or definition bee.
2. Give each of your students (or students in groups of two, three, or four) a Vocabulary Word
Search Puzzle based on Holes. The person or group to find all of the vocabulary words in the
puzzle first wins.
3. Give students a Holes Vocabulary Word Search Puzzle without the word list. The person or
group to find the most vocabulary words in the puzzle wins.
4. Use a Holes Vocabulary Crossword Puzzle. Put a puzzle onto a transparency on the overhead
projector so everyone can see it and do the puzzle together as a class.
5. Give students a Holes Vocabulary Matching Worksheet to do.
6. Divide your class into two teams. Use Holes vocabulary words with their letters jumbled as a
word list. Student 1 from Team A faces off against Student 1 from Team B. You write the first
jumbled word on the board. The first student (1A or 1B) to unscramble the word wins the
chance for his or her team to score points. If 1A wins the jumble, go to 2A and give him or her
a definition. He or she must give you the correct spelling of the vocabulary word which fits that
definition. If he or she does, Team A scores a point, and you give 3A a definition for which you
expect a correctly spelled matching vocabulary word. Continue giving Team A definitions until
some team member makes an incorrect response. An incorrect response sends the game back
to the jumbled-word face-off, this time with students 2A and 2B. Instead of repeating giving
definitions to the first few students of each team, continue with the student after the one who
gave the last incorrect response on the team. For example, if Team B wins the jumbled-word
face-off and student 5B gave the last incorrect answer for Team B, you would start this round of
definition questions with student 6B and so on. The team with the most points wins!
7. Have students write a story in which they correctly use as many vocabulary words as possible.
Have students read their compositions orally. Post the most original compositions on your
bulletin board.
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Lesson Twenty
Objective
To give students the opportunity to write to persuade
Activity #1
Have students complete Writing Assignment #3 (Writing to Persuade). You may use the directions that
follow in this unit.
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Writing Assignment #3 - Holes
(Writing to Persuade)
PROMPT
Now that you have finished reading and discussing Holes in its entirety, you have no doubt formed some
opinions about it. What you are going to do now is to write to persuade. In order to do that, you need
to choose an argument to make. Pick one of the following topics. You will be arguing strongly pro or
con that:
1. Stanley Yelnats is a very believable (or unbelievable) character.

2. The ending of the book is very believable (or unbelievable).
3. The book is filled with too many coincidences.
4. The many coincidences in Holes made the book fun to read.
5. Holes is (or is not) suitable for a reader at my age level.
6. Holes is a book about personal success (or personal failure).
PREWRITING
Choose your topic and decide how you want to argue your issue. Make sure that you choose a point of
view that you believe in. By brainstorming, make a list of all of the reasons you believe as you do. Then
try to combine any of the reasons into groups of reasons. Then choose your three strongest points.
DRAFTING
Write an introductory paragraph in which you state as firmly as possible your argument. After reading
your introductory paragraph, a reader should know exactly where you stand on the issue being
discussed. Then write one paragraph explaining each of your reasons. Make sure that you have
explained your reasons thoroughly enough that you don’t leave lots of questions in the mind of the read.
Write as forcefully as possible throughout. And finally, write a concluding paragraph in which you
summarize your main points and conclude your argument.
PROMPT
When you finish the rough draft of your paper, ask a student who sits near you to read it. You want to
know if you have argued your point well, not whether the other student necessarily agrees with your
point. After reading your rough draft, he or she should tell you what he or she liked best about your
work, which parts were difficult to understand, and ways in which your work could be improved.
Reread your paper considering your critic’s comments and make the corrections you think are
necessary.
PROOFREADING
Do a final proofreading of your paper, double-checking your grammar, spelling, organization, and the
clarity of your ideas.
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UNIT TESTS
Lesson Twenty-One
Objective
To test the students’ understanding of the main ideas and themes in Holes.
Activity #1
Distribute the unit tests. Go over the instructions in detail and allow the students the entire class
period to complete the exam.
Activity #2
Collect all test papers and assigned books prior to the end of the class period.
NOTES ABOUT THE UNIT TESTS IN THIS UNIT:

There are 5 different unit tests which follow.
There are two short answer tests which are based primarily on facts from the novel. The answer
key short answer unit test 1 follows the student test. The answer key for short answer test 2 follows the
student short answer unit test 2.
There is one advanced short answer unit test. It is based on the extra discussion questions and
quotations. Use the matching key for short answer unit test 2 to check the matching section of the
advanced short answer unit test. There is no key for the short answer questions and quotations. The
answers will be based on the discussions you have had during class.
There are two multiple choice unit tests. Following the two unit tests, you will find an answer
sheet on which students should mark their answers. The same answer sheet should be used for both
tests; however, students’ answers will be different for each test. Following the students’ answer sheet
for the multiple choice tests, you will find your answer key.
The short answer tests have a vocabulary section. You should choose 10 of the vocabulary
words from this unit, read them orally and have the students write them down. Then, either have
students write a definition or use the words in sentences.
Use these words for the vocabulary section of the advanced short answer test:
wasteland subtle ventilation
perseverance inexplicable comprehend
despicable venom fugitive
incarcerated grotesque legitimate
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Short Answer Unit Test #1 - Holes
I. Matching/Identify
“Mom” A. Stanley’s great-great-grandfather
Elya B. Stanley’s family
Yelnats C. One-legged gypsy
Katherine Barlow D. Sam’s donkey
“Sweet Feet” E. Stanley’s counselor
The original Mary Lou F. School teacher turned robber
Katherine Barlow G. Clyde Livingston’s nickname
Madame Zeroni H. Mr. Pendanski’s nickname
II. Short Answer

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Short Answer Unit Test #1 - Holes - page 2
III. Essay
What does Stanley learn at Camp Green Lake about personal courage and accountability?
Explain in detail using examples from the novel.
105
IV. Vocabulary
Listen to the vocabulary words and spell them. After you have spelled all the words,
go back and write down the definitions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
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Key - Short Answer Unit Test #1 - Holes
H “Mom” A. Stanley’s great-great-grandfather
A Elya B. Stanley’s family
B Yelnats C. One-legged gypsy
E Katherine Barlow D. Sam’s donkey
G “Sweet Feet” E. Stanley’s counselor
D The original Mary Lou F. School teacher turned robber
F Katherine Barlow G. Clyde Livingston’s nickname
C Madame Zeroni H. Mr. Pendanski’s nickname
II. Short Answer

Stanley’s no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather is to blame.

His name is spelled the same frontward and backward.
He said they were digging holes to build character.
He was glad because the nickname meant that the boys had accepted him.

Stanley learned that Zero couldn’t read.
She said it was rattlesnake venom.
He offered them onions and products made of onions.
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Key - Short Answer Unit Test #1 - Holes - page 2
He thought he saw a giant fist, with the thumb sticking straight up.

They ate onions from the meadow.

In a few years it will become a Girl Scout camp.
III. Essay
What does Stanley learn at Camp Green Lake about personal courage and accountability?
Explain in detail using examples from the novel.
IV. Vocabulary
Choose 10 vocabulary words to dictate to the students. Write them here if you wish.
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Short Answer Unit Test #2 - Holes
_____ Yelnats A. School teacher turned robber
_____ Madame Zeroni B. Mr. Pendanski’s nickname
_____ Mr. Pendanski C. Stanley’s family
_____ “Sweet Feet” D. One-legged gypsy
_____ “Mom” E. Stanley’s great-great-grandfather
_____ Original Mary Lou F. Stanley’s counselor
_____ Elya G. Clyde Livingston’s nickname
_____ Katherine Barlow H. Sam’s the Onion Man’s donkey
II. Short Answer

109
III. Quotations: Identify the speaker and briefly explain the significance of the quotes.
Choices of speakers:
Hector Zeroni’s mother Sam the Onion Man Katherine Barlow
Mr. Sir Mr. Pendanski Madame Zeroni
Zero The Warden The Sheriff
2. “They all have nicknames,” explained ______________. “However, I prefer to use the names
their parents gave them–the names that society will recognize them by when they return to
become useful and hardworking members of society.”
4. “I want you to carry me up the mountain. I want to drink from the stream, and I want you to
sing the song to me.”
5. “You’re all special in your own way,” he said. “You’ve all got something to offer. You have to
think about what you want to do, then do it. Even you Zero. You’re not completely worthless.”
110
6. “If you must know,” said ___________, “I liked it better when you smoked.”
7. “I can fix that.”
8. “Well, then you’ll have to hang me, too,” said ___________. “Because I kissed him back.”
9. “I don’t know what happened to my mother,” _________ said. “She left and never came
back.”
10. “If only, if only, the moon speaks no reply;

Reflecting the sun and all that’s gone by.
Be strong my weary wolf, turn around boldly.
Fly high, my baby bird,
My angel, my only.”
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IV. Vocabulary
Listen to the vocabulary words and spell them. After you have spelled all the words,
go back and write down the definitions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
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Key - Short Answer Unit Test #2 - Holes
C Yelnats A. School teacher turned robber
D Madame Zeroni B. Mr. Pendanski’s nickname
F Mr. Pendanski C. Stanley’s family
G “Sweet Feet” D. One-legged gypsy
B “Mom” E. Stanley’s great-great-grandfather
H Original Mary Lou F. Stanley’s counselor
E Elya G. Clyde Livingston’s nickname
A Katherine Barlow H. Sam’s the Onion Man’s donkey
II. Short Answer

A one-legged gypsy named Madame Zeroni put the curse on the family.

Kissin’ Kate Barlow was said to have robbed his stagecoach.

He was trying to invent a way to recycle old sneakers.

He said that Camp Green Lake wasn’t a Girl Scout camp.
She won a prize for her spiced peaches.
Zero dug some of Stanley’s holes for him each day.

It was hundred-year-old peach nectar.
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Key - Short Answer Unit Test #2 - Holes - page 2

Stanley’s lawyer and the Texas Attorney General showed up.
Stanley and Zero each received a little less than a million dollars.
The product was called “Sploosh.”
III. Quotations: Identify the speaker and briefly explain the significance of the quotes.
Hector Zeroni’s mother Sam the Onion Man Katherine Barlow
Mr. Sir Mr. Pendanski Madame Zeroni
Zero The Warden The Sheriff
Mr. Sir
Mr. Pendanski
Mr. Pendanski
Madame Zeroni
5. “You’re all special in your own way,” he said. “You’ve all got something to offer. You have to
think about what you want to do, then do it. Even you Zero. You’re not completely worthless.”
Mr. Pendanski
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Key- Short Answer Unit Test #2 - Holes - page 3
The Warden

Sam the Onion Man
Katherine Barlow
back.”
Zero

Zero’s mother
IV. Vocabulary
Choose ten vocabulary words to dictate to your students. Write them here if you wish.
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Advanced Short Answer Unit Test - Holes
_____ Yelnats A. School teacher turned robber
_____ Madame Zeroni B. Mr. Pendanski’s nickname
_____ Mr. Pendanski C. Stanley’s family
_____ “Sweet Feet” D. One-legged gypsy
_____ “Mom” E. Stanley’s great-great-grandfather
_____ Original Mary Lou F. Stanley’s counselor
_____ Elya G. Clyde Livingston’s nickname
_____ Katherine Barlow H. Sam’s the Onion Man’s donkey
II. Short Answer
1. Why did Sachar call the book Holes? Is the novel really about holes? What kind of holes
might Sachar be thinking of besides the physical holes the boys are forced to dig?
2. Stanley is described as a victim from the beginning of the book. How does his victimization
color the reader’s view of him?
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Advanced Short Answer Unit Test - Holes - page 2
3. Compare and contrast Mr. Pendanski and Mr. Sir? Are they more often alike or different?
4. Think about Sachar’s writing style. How does the simplicity of his writing contribute to the
reader’s enjoyment and understanding of the novel?
5. What is the most important theme in the novel? Some possibilities are aloneness, courage,
growth, maturity, friendship, desperation, and loyalty.
6. How would Stanley’s life have been different had he not gone out after Zero?
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III. Quotations: Explain the importance and meaning of the following quotations.
1. Stanley Yelnats was given a choice. The judge said, “You may go to jail, or you may go to
Camp Green Lake.” Stanley was from a poor family...had never been to camp before.
2.. But perhaps that was part of the curse as well. If Stanley and his father weren’t always so
hopeful, then it wouldn’t hurt so much every time their hopes were crushed.
3. “You thirsty?” asked Mr. Sir.

“Yes, Mr. Sir,” Stanley said gratefully.
“Well, you better get used to it. You’re going to be thirsty for the next eighteen months.”
6. “Vacancies don’t last long at Camp Green Lake.”
7. “You’re all special in your own way,” he said. “You’ve all got something to offer...Even you
Zero. You’re not completely worthless.”
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IV. Vocabulary
Listen to the vocabulary words and write them down. After you have written down all of the
words, write a paragraph in which you use all the words. The paragraph must in some way
relate to Holes,
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Key - Advanced Short Answer Test - Holes
Matching/Identify answers can be found in Key: Short Answer Unit Test #2
Short Answers are subjective.
Explanations of Quotations are also subjective.
Vocabulary definitions may be found in other keys; the students’ paragraphs are subjective.
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Unit Test - Holes
Multiple Choice - Matching #1
I. Matching
_____ 1. Yelnats A. School teacher turned robber
_____ 2. Madame Zeroni B. Mr. Pendanski’s nickname
_____ 3. Mr. Pendanski C. Stanley’s family
_____ 4. “Sweet Feet” D. One-legged gypsy
_____ 5. “Mom” E. Stanley’s great-great-grandfather
_____ 6. Original Mary Lou F. Stanley’s counselor
_____ 7. Elya G. Clyde Livingston’s nickname
_____ 8. Katherine Barlow H. Sam’s the Onion Man’s donkey
II. Multiple Choice
a. His mother
b. His father
c. His great-grandfather’s friend

a. It is spelled the same frontward and backward.
b. It has the same number of letters in his first and last names.
c. It is an alias for his real name, Igor Barkov.
d. Mr. Sir’s brother-in-law has the same name.
a. To have a place to bury the lizards
b. To build character
c. To make the Warden smile
d. To get an extra shower in the evening
121
Multiple Choice Unit Test #1 - Holes - page 2
a. Because the name made him feel strong
b. Because he felt like he lived in a cave
c. Because the nickname meant that the boys had accepted him
d. Because it was better than being called “Barf Bag”

a. He really was dumb.
b. He couldn’t read.
c. He should have been sent home months ago.
d. His mother had been looking for him for months.
a. Rattlesnake venom
b. Varnish
c. Red food coloring
d. Lizard blood
a. Cold compresses
b. Onions and products made of onions
c. Peach juice
d. Special water
a. His mother’s face
b. A giant fist, with the thumb sticking straight up
c. Zero’s face
d. His great-great-grandfather’s pig

a. Fish from a stream
b. Sunflower seeds
c. Peaches
d. Onions from the meadow

a. It will be closed and bulldozed.
b. It will be used as a place for rookie baseball players to train.
c. It will be used as a minimum security prison for men.
d. It will become a Girl Scout camp.
122
III. Essay - pick one of two choices:

A. Discuss which character in Holes you believe Louis Sachar likes best and explain through
specific details why you made this choice.
OR
B. Discuss which character in Holes you believe would be most successful in getting ahead in
today’s world. Explain through specific details why you made this choice.
123
IV. Vocabulary (Matching)
1. wasteland A. spread out in straggling or disordered fashion

2. perseverance B. dangerously lacking in security or stability
3. humiliating C. area of authority or control
4. preposterous D. carved, cut, etched into something
5. sprawled E. not giving up
6. barren F. not able to be explained or interpreted
7. dread G. uncultivated or desolate country
8. writhed H. sticking, jutting out
9. concoctions I. being disgraced
10. loot J. absurd, ridiculous
11. feeble K. heavier, larger on one side than on the other
12. precarious L. something illusory, deceptive
13. refuge M. sterile, dull, unfruitful
14. engraved N. twisted, squirmed
15. lopsided O. in terror of, anticipated with fear, alarm, reluctance
16. mirage P. preparations made by mixing ingredients
17. protruding Q. stolen goods
18. comprehend R. protection or shelter
19. inexplicable S. lacking strength
20. jurisdiction T. understand
124
Unit Test - Holes
Multiple Choice - Matching #2
I. Matching
_____ 1. Elya A. School teacher turned robber
_____ 2. Mr. Pendanski B. Mr. Pendanski’s nickname
_____ 3. Katherine Barlow C. Stanley’s family
_____ 4. Madame Zeroni D. One-legged gypsy
_____ 5. “Mom” E. Stanley’s great-great-grandfather
_____ 6. “Sweet Feet” F. Stanley’s counselor
_____ 7. Original Mary Lou G. Clyde Livingston’s nickname
_____ 8. Yelnats H. Sam’s the Onion Man’s donkey
II. Multiple Choice

a. Mr. Pendanski
b. The Warden
c. A one-legged gypsy named Madame Zeroni

a. Mr. Pendanski’s best friend
b. Sam the Onion Man
c. Kissin’ Kate Barlow
d. A one-legged gypsy

a. A new way to feed pigs
b. A way to recycle old sneakers
c. A way to transport pigs to market safely
d. A way to recycle newspapers
125
Multiple Choice Test #2 - Holes - page 2

a. He said that the boys were losers.
b. He said that Camp Green Lake wasn’t a Girl Scout camp.
c. He said that the boys were building character every day.
d. He said that he hated the Warden.
a. A special flag
b. A huge onion
c. A prize for her special peaches
d. A prize for being the prettiest woman in town
a. Zero recommended Stanley to all of the other boys who couldn’t read and write.
b. Zero said nice things about Stanley to the Warden.
c. Zero dug some of Stanley’s holes for him each day.
d. Zero promised to write a note to Stanley’s parents.

a. Hundred-year-old onion juice
b. Old dirty water
c. Hundred-year-old peach nectar
d. Carrot juice

a. Stanley’s parents showed up.
b. Zero’s mother sent a telegram asking for information.
c. Mr. Pendanski decided to help them escape.
d. Stanley’s lawyer and the Texas Attorney General showed up.
a. About fifty thousand dollars
b. Nearly seventy-five thousand dollars
c. Only about thirty thousand dollars
d. A little less than a million dollars
a. “Sweet Feet”
b. “Peachy Smell”
c. “Sploosh”
d. “Zero’s Revenge”
126
III. Quotations: Identify the speaker
(A) Hector Zeroni’s mother (D) Sam the Onion Man (G) Katherine Barlow
(B) Mr. Sir (E) Mr. Pendanski (H) Madame Zeroni
(C) Zero (F) The Warden (I) The Sheriff
back.”

127
IV. Vocabulary (Matching)
1. feeble A. spread out in straggling or disordered fashion

2. lopsided B. dangerously lacking in security or stability
3. protruding C. area of authority or control
4. engraved D. carved, cut, etched into something
5. comprehend E. not giving up
6. barren F. not able to be explained or interpreted
7. precarious G. uncultivated or desolate country
8. inexplicable H. sticking, jutting out
9. jurisdiction I. being disgraced
10. loot J. absurd, ridiculous
11. wasteland K. heavier, larger on one side than on the other
12. humiliating L. something illusory, deceptive
13. refuge M. sterile, dull, unfruitful
14. preposterous N. twisted, squirmed
15. concoctions O. in terror of, anticipated with fear, alarm, reluctance
16. mirage P. preparations made by mixing ingredients
17. perseverance Q. stolen goods
18. sprawled R. protection or shelter
19. writhed S. lacking strength
20. dread T. understand
128
Answer Sheet- Holes
Multiple Choice Unit Tests
Quotations
Matching Multiple Choice (test #2) Vocabulary
1. _____ 1. _____ 1. _____ 1. _____ 11. _____
2. _____ 2. _____ 2. _____ 2. _____ 12. _____
3. _____ 3. _____ 3. _____ 3. _____ 13. _____
4. _____ 4. _____ 4. _____ 4. _____ 14. _____
5. _____ 5. _____ 5. _____ 5. _____ 15. _____
6. _____ 6. _____ 6. _____ 6. _____ 16. _____
7. _____ 7. _____ 7. _____ 7. _____ 17. _____
8. _____ 8. _____ 8. _____ 8. _____ 18. _____
9. _____ 9. _____ 9. _____ 19. _____
10. _____ 10. _____ 10. _____ 20. _____
Essay (test #1):
129
Answer Sheet Key - Holes
Multiple Choice Unit Tests
MC #1
Matching Multiple Choice Essay Vocabulary
1C 1d Subjective 1G 11 S
2D 2a 2E 12 B
3F 3b 3I 13 R
4G 4c 4J 14 D
5B 5b 5A 15 K
6H 6a 6 M 16 L
7E 7b 7O 17 H
8A 8b 8N 18 T
9d 9P 19 F
10 d 10 Q 20 C
MC #2
Matching Multiple Choice Quotations Vocabulary
1E 1c 1B 1S 11 G
2F 2c 2E 2K 12 I
3A 3b 3E 3H 13 R
4D 4b 4H 4D 14 J
5B 5c 5F 5T 15 P
6G 6c 6D 6 M 16 L
7H 7c 7G 7B 17 E
8C 8d 8C 8F 18 A
9d 9A 9C 19 N
10 c 10 Q 20 O
130
UNIT RESOURCE
MATERIALS
Bulletin Board Ideas - Holes
1. See the bulletin board activity in Lesson One.
2. Get students to cut out pictures from magazines and newspapers that show people together and
sharing and others that show aloneness. Stress that it is possible to feel very alone and still be
together with other people.
3. Do a bulletin board activity about jobs in the juvenile justice field.
4. Gather pictures featuring an older person and a younger one. Try to get students to articulate
what the relationship might be between the two. Is one perhaps serving in a mentor/counselor
role?
5. Get students to look for (or draw) pictures of someone who reminds them of Stanley Yelnats.
Tell them to be prepared to tell the class why the person in the pictures makes them think of
Stanley.
6. Get students to write and post on the board very brief advertising for Holes. They might just
want to write one- and two-liners.
7. Get students to write fan mail to Louis Sachar, and post the half dozen best results on the board.
8. Have students play a nickname game: each student posts on the board what he or she would
choose as a nickname. Let other classmates try to figure out which nickname goes with which
student. (Just be as sensitive as possible toward students who might find this activity
embarrassing and not want to engage in it.)
9. Have students write and post on the board some reviews of Holes. Allow them to be as honest
as they choose.
133
Extra Activities - Holes
One of the difficulties in teaching a novel is that not all students read at the same speed. One student
who likes to read may take the book home and finish it in a day or two. Sometimes a few students finish
the in-class assignments early. The problem, then, is finding suitable extra activities for students.
One thing that helps is to keep a little library in the classroom. For this unit on Holes, you might check
out from the school library other books by Louis Sachar. A biography of the author would be
interesting for some students. You may include other related books and articles that focus on some
aspect of juvenile detention, friendship, personal courage, intrigue–whatever you and your students find
interesting in light of your reading of Holes.
Other things you may keep on hand are puzzles. Some puzzles relating directly to Holes follow this
page in your LitPlan.
Some students may like to draw, to sing, to dance, to paint, or participate in some other artistic
endeavor. You might devise a contest or allow some extra-credit grade for your more artistic students.
Note, too, that whatever students present might be used as bulletin board materials in the future. Check
to see if students prefer to keep their artistic work; many will be persuaded to participate because they
like the “immortality” they will achieve with future classes of students who use their classroom.
The pages which follow contain games, puzzles, and worksheets. The keys, when appropriate,
immediately follow the puzzle or worksheet. There are two main groups of activities: one group for the
unit; that is, generally relating to the Holes text, and another group of activities related strictly to
vocabulary.
Directions for the games, puzzles, and worksheets are self-explanatory. The object here is to provide
you with extra materials you may use in any way you choose.
134
More Activities - Holes
1. Have students write an epilogue to Holes, in which Stanley leaves Camp Green Lake but Zero
has to stay behind.
2. Have students think about what Camp Green Lake would be like if all of the “inmates” there
were girls. Have them describe the girls and their possible nicknames.
3. Have students do a brief writeup on what each of the camp’s “inmates” might be doing
professionally as adults.
4. Have students write brief newspaper accounts about what Stanley’s lawyer and the Texas
Attorney General found at Camp Green Lake. Who might be interviewed for such a story?
What might they say?
5. Have students brainstorm in groups about an alternative title for the novel. What might it be
called if it weren’t called Holes? Get the students to explain why they would choose the other
title.
6. If you have students who are artistically talented, you might have them write a short musical
piece, write a song, or choreograph a dance sequence based on one episode/aspect of Holes.
The artistic rendering could then be performed for the whole class.
7. Have students write “customer reviews” like the ones that appear on web sites for book sellers.
The reviews need only be a paragraph or so long.
8. Have students discuss and then write briefly about what they would do were they to find a
million dollars. What would they do with that much money?
9. Have students brainstorm about alternative nicknames for the characters in Holes. They should
be able to tell why they chose the alternatives.
10. Have students write brief obituaries, one for Katherine Barlow and one for Sam the Onion Man.
135
Holes Word List
No.Word Clue/Definition
1. BARLOW Katherine's last name
2. BASEBALL Game Clyde Livingston played
3. BOAT Zero hid under it.
4. CAVEMAN Stanley's nickname
5. DONKEY Original Mary Lou was Sam's ___.
6. ELYA Stanley's great-great-grandfather
7. FEET Sweet ___; Clyde's nickname
8. GREEN Camp ___ Lake
9. GYPSY A one-legged one put a curse on the family
10. HECTOR Zero's real name
11. HOLES Title of the book
12. JEWELS These were in the suitcase Stanley & Zero found.
13. LAUGHING Miss Barlow was doing this when she died.
14. LIPSTICK Stanley found a ___ tube in the hole he dug.
15. LIZARDS Dangerous, yellow-spotted ones inhabited the area.
16. LOU Sam's boat: Mary ___
17. MOM Mr. Pendanski's nickname
18. ONIONS Sam offered these as a remedy.
19. ONLY Lullaby: If ___; if ___.
20. PEACHES Katherine made these.
21. PENDANSKI Name of the counselor
22. READ What Zero could not do
23. RED Color of Warden's hair and nails
24. SACHAR Author
25. SEEDS Mr. Sir ate sunflower ___.
26. SHOVEL Digging utensil
27. SIR He referred to a Girl Scout camp: Mr. ___
28. SPAT What each boy did when he finished digging his hole
29. SPLOOSH Zero drank it.
30. TEACHER Katherine Barlow's original profession
31. THUMBS Signal Stanley & Zero gave: ___ up
32. VENOM Ingredient in Warden's nail polish
33. WARDEN Woman who ran the camp
34. WATER Kind of truck Stanley stole and wrecked
35. WRECK Sign on the rec room door: ____ Room
36. YELNATS Stanley's last name
37. ZERO He escaped from the camp before Stanley did.
38. ZERONI Madame who was a one-legged Gypsy
39. ZIGZAG Zero attacked him when he started to beat Stanley.
136
WORD SEARCH - Holes
P M S B O N I O N S S Z I G Z A G L L Q
E C F A R K G H V L E X S Z Q R R A I V
N G L S L Q X C E S L S X F Q J M U P N
D R Q E F J N W K P O H B X G N D G S L
A B Y B B J E C R L H Q W P F R T H T D
N M B A M J Z Z N R C S K Q Y W X I I W
S B G L Q P X R T M F B V H P Z W N C H
K M R L F T R S F C K L M Y C H G G K K
I T H S V B R J Z H X H B W N K T W C H
D Y K R K S T Y N D B M H H J D N G R M
K F C B R P C H V C Q P F X P J H Y N S
D D Z K B X E L C S L W S T B W E H K Y
C W L T S B R A R N A V L M S L M P M C
D N A W F H W Y C J P C G Y N M G V C B
A W K R N J O J G H K R H A L Y B D A Q
E Y L E D D L V R W E I T A S A B N V T
R E H C A E T S E E D S Y P R O T C E H
K E G K M H N L E L O L Y L A A E F M R
B J D O U H Y V N Z N G O T P D E P A L
H D N M K A Y R Z O K W L S C T F Q N M
V E B W A T E R E P E J O S P L O O S H
V S B P V L X S R B Y N U G F R G L R H
L I Z A R D S T O Z E R O N I M O M L B
BARLOW GYPSY MOM SEEDS WARDEN
BASEBALL HECTOR ONIONS SHOVEL WATER
BOAT HOLES ONLY SIR WRECK
CAVEMAN JEWELS PEACHES SPAT YELNATS
DONKEY LAUGHING PENDANSKI SPLOOSH ZERO
ELYA LIPSTICK READ TEACHER ZERONI
FEET LIZARDS RED THUMBS ZIGZAG
GREEN LOU SACHAR VENOM
137
WORD SEARCH ANSWER KEY - Holes
P B O N I O N S S Z I G Z A G L L
E A L E A I
N S E L U P
D E W O G S
A B E H H T
N A J I I
S L N C
K L G K
I
P Y
E S E
W S A A L
D A W H C C N C
A R O G H R H A Y B A
E E D V R E I T A S A B V
R E H C A E T S E E D S Y P R O T C E H
E K M H N L E L O L Y L A A E M
D O U Y N N G O T P E A
N M A Z O K W L S F N
E B W A T E R E E O S P L O O S H
V S R Y U
L I Z A R D S O Z E R O N I M O M
BARLOW GYPSY MOM SEEDS WARDEN
BASEBALL HECTOR ONIONS SHOVEL WATER
BOAT HOLES ONLY SIR WRECK
CAVEMAN JEWELS PEACHES SPAT YELNATS
DONKEY LAUGHING PENDANSKI SPLOOSH ZERO
ELYA LIPSTICK READ TEACHER ZERONI
FEET LIZARDS RED THUMBS ZIGZAG
GREEN LOU SACHAR VENOM
138
CROSSWORD - Holes
2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
10
11 12
13
14
15
16 17 18
19 20
21
22
23
Across Down
2. A one-legged one put a curse on the family 1. Sweet ___; Clyde's nickname
5. Mr. Sir ate sunflower ___. 3. He referred to a Girl Scout camp: Mr. ___
7. Dangerous, yellow-spotted ones inhabited the 4. Stanley's great-great-grandfather
area. 5. Digging utensil
10. Lullaby: If ___; if ___. 6. Title of the book
11. Stanley's nickname 8. He escaped from the camp before Stanley did.
13. Zero hid under it. 9. Author
15. What each boy did when he finished digging his 10. Sam offered these as a remedy.
hole 12. Mr. Pendanski's nickname
16. These were in the suitcase Stanley & Zero 13. Game Clyde Livingston played
found. 14. Original Mary Lou was Sam's ___.
19. Katherine's last name 17. Kind of truck Stanley stole and wrecked
21. Signal Stanley & Zero gave: ___ up 18. Sam's boat: Mary ___
22. Stanley's last name 20. What Zero could not do
23. Camp ___ Lake
139
CROSSWORD ANSWER KEY - Holes
1
F
2 3
G Y P S Y E
4 5 6
E I S E E D S H
7 8 9
L I Z A R D S H T O
10
Y E A O O N L Y
11 12
A R C A V E M A N E
13
B O A T H E O I S
14
D A A L M O
15
O S P A T R N
16 17 18
N E J E W E L S
19 20
K B A R L O W A O
21
E A E T H U M B S
22
Y E L N A T S E
23
L D G R E E N
Across Down
2. A one-legged one put a curse on the family 1. Sweet ___; Clyde's nickname
5. Mr. Sir ate sunflower ___. 3. He referred to a Girl Scout camp: Mr. ___
7. Dangerous, yellow-spotted ones inhabited the 4. Stanley's great-great-grandfather
area. 5. Digging utensil
10. Lullaby: If ___; if ___. 6. Title of the book
11. Stanley's nickname 8. He escaped from the camp before Stanley did.
13. Zero hid under it. 9. Author
15. What each boy did when he finished digging his 10. Sam offered these as a remedy.
hole 12. Mr. Pendanski's nickname
16. These were in the suitcase Stanley & Zero 13. Game Clyde Livingston played
found. 14. Original Mary Lou was Sam's ___.
19. Katherine's last name 17. Kind of truck Stanley stole and wrecked
21. Signal Stanley & Zero gave: ___ up 18. Sam's boat: Mary ___
22. Stanley's last name 20. What Zero could not do
23. Camp ___ Lake
140
MATCHING 1 - Holes
___ 1. VENOM A. Sam's boat: Mary ___

___ 2. HOLES B. Madame who was a one-legged Gypsy
___ 3. SHOVEL C. Game Clyde Livingston played
___ 4. LAUGHING D. Stanley's last name
___ 5. BARLOW E. Digging utensil
___ 6. BASEBALL F. Katherine Barlow's original profession
___ 7. BOAT G. Title of the book
___ 8. SEEDS H. Sam offered these as a remedy.
___ 9. READ I. Sign on the rec room door: ____ Room
___10. PEACHES J. Ingredient in Warden's nail polish
___11. WATER K. Zero attacked him when he started to beat Stanley.
___12. TEACHER L. He referred to a Girl Scout camp: Mr. ___
___13. ONIONS M. What Zero could not do
___14. PENDANSKI N. Miss Barlow was doing this when she died.
___15. ZERONI O. Zero hid under it.
___16. ZIGZAG P. A one-legged one put a curse on the family
___17. DONKEY Q. Name of the counselor
___18. WARDEN R. Mr. Sir ate sunflower ___.
___19. HECTOR S. Zero's real name
___20. LOU T. Katherine's last name
___21. GYPSY U. Color of Warden's hair and nails
___22. YELNATS V. Original Mary Lou was Sam's ___.
___23. SIR W.Kind of truck Stanley stole and wrecked
___24. WRECK X. Katherine made these.
___25. RED Y. Woman who ran the camp
141
MATCHING 1 ANSWER KEY- Holes
J - 1. VENOM A. Sam's boat: Mary ___

G - 2. HOLES B. Madame who was a one-legged Gypsy
E - 3. SHOVEL C. Game Clyde Livingston played
N - 4. LAUGHING D. Stanley's last name
T - 5. BARLOW E. Digging utensil
C - 6. BASEBALL F. Katherine Barlow's original profession
O - 7. BOAT G. Title of the book
R - 8. SEEDS H. Sam offered these as a remedy.
M -9. READ I. Sign on the rec room door: ____ Room
X -10. PEACHES J. Ingredient in Warden's nail polish
W -11. WATER K. Zero attacked him when he started to beat Stanley.
F - 12. TEACHER L. He referred to a Girl Scout camp: Mr. ___
H -13. ONIONS M. What Zero could not do
Q -14. PENDANSKI N. Miss Barlow was doing this when she died.
B -15. ZERONI O. Zero hid under it.
K -16. ZIGZAG P. A one-legged one put a curse on the family
V -17. DONKEY Q. Name of the counselor
Y -18. WARDEN R. Mr. Sir ate sunflower ___.
S - 19. HECTOR S. Zero's real name
A -20. LOU T. Katherine's last name
P - 21. GYPSY U. Color of Warden's hair and nails
D -22. YELNATS V. Original Mary Lou was Sam's ___.
L - 23. SIR W.Kind of truck Stanley stole and wrecked
I - 24. WRECK X. Katherine made these.
U -25. RED Y. Woman who ran the camp
142
MATCHING 2 - Holes
___ 1. BASEBALL A. What each boy did when he finished digging his hole
___ 2. ZERO B. Madame who was a one-legged Gypsy
___ 3. FEET C. Sam offered these as a remedy.
___ 4. ONLY D. Name of the counselor
___ 5. WARDEN E. Sign on the rec room door: ____ Room
___ 6. SPAT F. Katherine made these.
___ 7. PEACHES G. Lullaby: If ___; if ___.
___ 8. CAVEMAN H. Miss Barlow was doing this when she died.
___ 9. PENDANSKI I. Color of Warden's hair and nails
___10. LAUGHING J. He referred to a Girl Scout camp: Mr. ___
___11. RED K. Sam's boat: Mary ___
___12. LOU L. Kind of truck Stanley stole and wrecked
___13. ELYA M. Signal Stanley & Zero gave: ___ up
___14. WRECK N. What Zero could not do
___15. ONIONS O. Title of the book
___16. THUMBS P. Game Clyde Livingston played
___17. ZERONI Q. Stanley found a ___ tube in the hole he dug.
___18. WATER R. Woman who ran the camp
___19. READ S. Katherine's last name
___20. BARLOW T. Sweet ___; Clyde's nickname
___21. HOLES U. He escaped from the camp before Stanley did.
___22. SEEDS V. Stanley's nickname
___23. LIZARDS W.Mr. Sir ate sunflower ___.
___24. LIPSTICK X. Dangerous, yellow-spotted ones inhabited the area.
___25. SIR Y. Stanley's great-great-grandfather
143
MATCHING 2 ANSWER KEY- Holes
P - 1. BASEBALL A. What each boy did when he finished digging his hole
U - 2. ZERO B. Madame who was a one-legged Gypsy
T - 3. FEET C. Sam offered these as a remedy.
G - 4. ONLY D. Name of the counselor
R - 5. WARDEN E. Sign on the rec room door: ____ Room
A - 6. SPAT F. Katherine made these.
F - 7. PEACHES G. Lullaby: If ___; if ___.
V - 8. CAVEMAN H. Miss Barlow was doing this when she died.
D - 9. PENDANSKI I. Color of Warden's hair and nails
H -10. LAUGHING J. He referred to a Girl Scout camp: Mr. ___
I - 11. RED K. Sam's boat: Mary ___
K -12. LOU L. Kind of truck Stanley stole and wrecked
Y -13. ELYA M. Signal Stanley & Zero gave: ___ up
E - 14. WRECK N. What Zero could not do
C -15. ONIONS O. Title of the book
M -16. THUMBS P. Game Clyde Livingston played
B -17. ZERONI Q. Stanley found a ___ tube in the hole he dug.
L - 18. WATER R. Woman who ran the camp
N -19. READ S. Katherine's last name
S - 20. BARLOW T. Sweet ___; Clyde's nickname
O -21. HOLES U. He escaped from the camp before Stanley did.
W -22. SEEDS V. Stanley's nickname
X -23. LIZARDS W.Mr. Sir ate sunflower ___.
Q -24. LIPSTICK X. Dangerous, yellow-spotted ones inhabited the area.
J - 25. SIR Y. Stanley's great-great-grandfather
144
JUGGLE LETTER 1 - Holes
1. TPAS = 1. ________________________
What each boy did when he finished digging his hole
2. EVACMNA = 2. ________________________
Stanley's nickname
3. ISR = 3. ________________________
He referred to a Girl Scout camp: Mr. ___
4. DRNWEA = 4. ________________________
Woman who ran the camp
5. DSLRIAZ = 5. ________________________
Dangerous, yellow-spotted ones inhabited the area.
6. SLOSOPH = 6. ________________________
Zero drank it.
7. DSESE = 7. ________________________
Mr. Sir ate sunflower ___.
8. PYSGY = 8. ________________________
A one-legged one put a curse on the family
9. REIZNO = 9. ________________________
Madame who was a one-legged Gypsy
10. AEDR =10. ________________________
What Zero could not do
11. EVNMO =11. ________________________
Ingredient in Warden's nail polish
12. ERD =12. ________________________
Color of Warden's hair and nails
13. BOAT =13. ________________________
Zero hid under it.
14. EKWRC =14. ________________________
Sign on the rec room door: ____ Room
15. CARSAH =15. ________________________
Author
145
16. UGHNILGA =16. ________________________
Miss Barlow was doing this when she died.
17. OYLN =17. ________________________
Lullaby: If ___; if ___.
18. HESVLO =18. ________________________
Digging utensil
19. RLOBAW =19. ________________________
Katherine's last name
20. HESOL =20. ________________________
Title of the book
146
JUGGLE LETTER 1 ANSWER KEY - Holes
1. TPAS = 1. SPAT
What each boy did when he finished digging his hole
2. EVACMNA = 2. CAVEMAN
Stanley's nickname
3. ISR = 3. SIR
He referred to a Girl Scout camp: Mr. ___
4. DRNWEA = 4. WARDEN
Woman who ran the camp
5. DSLRIAZ = 5. LIZARDS
Dangerous, yellow-spotted ones inhabited the area.
6. SLOSOPH = 6. SPLOOSH
Zero drank it.
7. DSESE = 7. SEEDS
Mr. Sir ate sunflower ___.
8. PYSGY = 8. GYPSY
A one-legged one put a curse on the family
9. REIZNO = 9. ZERONI
Madame who was a one-legged Gypsy
10. AEDR =10. READ
What Zero could not do
11. EVNMO =11. VENOM
Ingredient in Warden's nail polish
12. ERD =12. RED
Color of Warden's hair and nails
13. BOAT =13. BOAT
Zero hid under it.
14. EKWRC =14. WRECK
Sign on the rec room door: ____ Room
15. CARSAH =15. SACHAR
Author
147
16. UGHNILGA =16. LAUGHING
Miss Barlow was doing this when she died.
17. OYLN =17. ONLY
Lullaby: If ___; if ___.
18. HESVLO =18. SHOVEL
Digging utensil
19. RLOBAW =19. BARLOW
Katherine's last name
20. HESOL =20. HOLES
Title of the book
148
JUGGLE LETTER 2 - Holes
1. HCEASPE = 1. ________________________
Katherine made these.
2. LYEA = 2. ________________________
Stanley's great-great-grandfather
3. TEEF = 3. ________________________
Sweet ___; Clyde's nickname
4. AREWT = 4. ________________________
Kind of truck Stanley stole and wrecked
5. ONOINS = 5. ________________________
Sam offered these as a remedy.
6. ORZE = 6. ________________________
He escaped from the camp before Stanley did.
7. EEHATCR = 7. ________________________
Katherine Barlow's original profession
8. LBSLEAAB = 8. ________________________
Game Clyde Livingston played
9. NDEANKSPI = 9. ________________________
Name of the counselor
10. GIGZZA =10. ________________________
Zero attacked him when he started to beat Stanley.
11. EEWJLS =11. ________________________
These were in the suitcase Stanley & Zero found.
12. YKODEN =12. ________________________
Original Mary Lou was Sam's ___.
13. OMM =13. ________________________
Mr. Pendanski's nickname
14. OCRHET =14. ________________________
Zero's real name
15. EERGN =15. ________________________
Camp ___ Lake
149
16. AYSLTEN =16. ________________________
Stanley's last name
17. SHBMUT =17. ________________________
Signal Stanley & Zero gave: ___ up
18. UOL =18. ________________________
Sam's boat: Mary ___
19. ICLKSTPI =19. ________________________
Stanley found a ___ tube in the hole he dug.
150
JUGGLE LETTER 2 ANSWER KEY - Holes
1. HCEASPE = 1. PEACHES
Katherine made these.
2. LYEA = 2. ELYA
Stanley's great-great-grandfather
3. TEEF = 3. FEET
Sweet ___; Clyde's nickname
4. AREWT = 4. WATER
Kind of truck Stanley stole and wrecked
5. ONOINS = 5. ONIONS
Sam offered these as a remedy.
6. ORZE = 6. ZERO
He escaped from the camp before Stanley did.
7. EEHATCR = 7. TEACHER
Katherine Barlow's original profession
8. LBSLEAAB = 8. BASEBALL
Game Clyde Livingston played
9. NDEANKSPI = 9. PENDANSKI
Name of the counselor
10. GIGZZA =10. ZIGZAG
Zero attacked him when he started to beat Stanley.
11. EEWJLS =11. JEWELS
These were in the suitcase Stanley & Zero found.
12. YKODEN =12. DONKEY
Original Mary Lou was Sam's ___.
13. OMM =13. MOM
Mr. Pendanski's nickname
14. OCRHET =14. HECTOR
Zero's real name
15. EERGN =15. GREEN
Camp ___ Lake
151
16. AYSLTEN =16. YELNATS
Stanley's last name
17. SHBMUT =17. THUMBS
Signal Stanley & Zero gave: ___ up
18. UOL =18. LOU
Sam's boat: Mary ___
19. ICLKSTPI =19. LIPSTICK
Stanley found a ___ tube in the hole he dug.
152
VOCABULARY RESOURCE
MATERIALS
Holes Vocabulary Word List
1. GROTESQUE Outlandish; bizarre
2. TEDIOUS Tiresome; wearisome
3. PROTECTED Keep safe; guarded
4. AWKWARD Clumsy; unskillful
5. TORMENT Great pain or anguish
6. DEFECTIVE Flawed; doesn't work right
7. FUGITIVE Person running away from the law
8. RATIO Relation between two things
9. HOVER Floating or suspended in air
10. GULLY Deep ditch cut in the earth by running water
11. THROBBING Beating rapidly or violently; pounding
12. VISIBLE Able to be seen
13. SPEWED Forced out
14. PREPOSTEROUS Absurd; ridiculous
15. FAMILIAR Often encountered; known
16. WASTELAND Uncultivated or desolate country
17. FEEBLE Lacking strength
18. FLINCH Draw away from something surprising or painful
19. EXHAUSTED Very tired; weary
20. DELIRIOUS Mentally confused
21. DRAWL Speech characterized by lengthened, drawn-out vowels
22. NECTAR Delicious, invigorating drink
23. INVESTIGATION Systematic examination
24. DESPICABLE Vile; awful
25. SUBTLE So slight as to be difficult to distinguish
26. EVAPORATED Changed to vapor
27. URGE Force moving one to do something
28. HUMILIATING Embarrassing; being disgraced
29. SUSPECT Have doubts about; distrust
30. PARCHED Very dry
31. RETRIEVED Got back; regained
32. CAUTIOUS Careful
33. REQUIREMENTS Necessary things
34. SCARCITY Shortage
35. FABULOUS Barely believable; astonishing; amazing
36. CERTAIN Sure
37. DESCENDANTS Individuals from which others come; opposite of
ancestors
38. IMAGE Reproduction of the form of something or someone
39. CALLUSED Having a thickening and hardness of skin
40. VENTILATION Admitting fresh air to replace stale air
41. AMAZED Filled with surprise; astonished
155
Holes Vocabulary Word List Continued
42. PRECARIOUS Dangerously lacking in security or stability
43. SWISH Move with a whistle or hiss
44. LEGITIMATE Lawful; legal
45. LOGICAL Consistent in reasoning
46. ENGRAVED Carved, cut, or etched into something
47. DESOLATE Dreary; unfit for habitation or use
48. REFUGE Place of protection or shelter
49. MIRAGE An illusion; something deceptive
50. CONDEMNED Found guilty
51. SOGGY Soaked with moisture
52. STIFLING Smothering; suffocating
53. LOOT Stolen goods
54. DOOMED Condemned to a severe penalty
55. LOPSIDED Heavier or larger on one side than the other
56. APPRECIATE Value
57. PIG Jargon formed by putting first consonant at the end of a
word and adding a syllable: ___ Latin
58. INCARCERATED Shut in; confined--usually in jail
59. MYSTERIOUS Not fully understood
60. INEXPLICABLE Not able to be explained or interpreted
61. VENOM Poisonous secretion of an animal, such as a spider or
snake
62. PROTRUDING Sticking out; jutting out
63. HAZE Moisture, dust, or vapor suspended in the air
64. FOSSIL Skeleton or imprint of an organism in a rock
65. METALLIC Like or containing a metal
66. DREAD Anticipate with fear, alarm, or reluctance
67. IMPROVE Get better
68. JURISDICTION Area of authority or control
69. HITCHING Hooking to; connecting
70. SCORPION Spider-like animal with a venomous tail
71. FIERY Very hot; like fire
72. WRITHED Twisted; squirmed
73. BARREN Sterile; dull; unfruitful
74. SPRAWLED Spread out in straggling or disorderly fashion
75. WHEELBARROW Vehicle with handles & a wheel used to convey loads by
hand
76. SUNDIAL Instrument that indicates local solar time
77. SHRANK Got smaller
78. STATIONERY Writing paper and envelopes
79. DELAYED Put off until another time
80. PERSEVERANCE Not giving up
156
Holes Vocabulary Word List Continued
81. PRECIPICE Extremely steep or overhanging mass of rock
82. INSISTS Refuses to yield
83. ADJACENT Close together; next to
84. INGREDIENT Something that is an element; a part of
85. COMPREHEND Understand
86. CURSES Appeals for evil or injury to befall someone or
something
87. CONCOCTIONS Preparations made by mixing ingredients
157
VOCABULARY WORD SEARCH - Holes
K N F H D D E S U L L A C S W I S H A D
V E O D R E F F A M I L I A R X B K M F
Z C S C A S S Z N Y F P K C U M S D A R
X T S M W P H S A X W M R B L T N B Z B
R A I S L I S D P Y Y E V O N D I T E S
E R L D C C J V I G Z W H E T R C O D J
L O G I C A L E G A R I M A G E G R U K
B R S D C B R O H I B E P E P A C A N S
I V W E Y L S C T F R C T S T D P T L C
S S N R R E C H I I S A U R C A L I E S
I T E L B E E F U T L S H S I D L O Y D
V I R W R D H Q S O Y O U C E E V L O Q
F F R T P Z E I S Y V O P L X N V C I T
P L A G C R S E L C L E W S E M D E Y C
L I B M R N D L S U U A N X I E E K D Y
N N M E I O U R B U R R H O L D W Y R J
Y G V P Y G T A E P B A S I M N E S A D
L O D B R R F E S F U T R E R O P D W P
H D E M O O D C S S U I L X S C S H K W
F U G I T I V E T Q O G N E Z F F N W N
E V I T C E F E D U U T E D I O U S A D
S H R A N K D C S W H E E L B A R R O W
P R E C A R I O U S C O R P I O N N B L
ADJACENT DREAD LOGICAL SHRANK

AMAZED EXHAUSTED LOOT SOGGY
AWKWARD FABULOUS LOPSIDED SPEWED
BARREN FAMILIAR METALLIC SPRAWLED
CALLUSED FEEBLE MIRAGE STIFLING
CAUTIOUS FIERY NECTAR SUBTLE
CERTAIN FOSSIL PIG SUSPECT
CONDEMNED FUGITIVE PRECARIOUS SWISH
CURSES GROTESQUE PROTECTED TEDIOUS
DEFECTIVE GULLY RATIO URGE
DELIRIOUS HAZE REFUGE VENOM
DESOLATE HOVER REQUIREMENTS VISIBLE
DESPICABLE IMAGE RETRIEVED WHEELBARROW
DOOMED IMPROVE SCARCITY WRITHED
DRAWL INSISTS SCORPION
158
VOCABULARY WORD SEARCH ANSWER KEY - Holes
N F D D E S U L L A C S W I S H A
E O R E F A M I L I A R M
C S A S P U S A
T S W P A R T Z
A I S L I D P Y E O N D I T E
E R L C C J I G Z W E T R C O D
L O G I C A L E G A R I M A G E G R U
B C B R O H I E E P A C A S
I E Y L S C T R T S T D T
S S N R E C H I I S A U R A L I E
I T E L B E E F U T L S S I D L O D
V I R R D Q S O Y O U E E L O
F F R T E I S Y V O P L N V I T
L A G R S E L C L E W S E M D E C
I B R N D L S U U A N X I E E D
N N M E I O U R B U R R H O L D W R
G V P G T A E P B A S I M N E A
O R F E S F U T R E O P D W
H D E M O O D S S U I L S C S K
F U G I T I V E T Q O G E W
E V I T C E F E D U U T E D I O U S A
S H R A N K D S W H E E L B A R R O W
P R E C A R I O U S C O R P I O N
ADJACENT DREAD LOGICAL SHRANK

AMAZED EXHAUSTED LOOT SOGGY
AWKWARD FABULOUS LOPSIDED SPEWED
BARREN FAMILIAR METALLIC SPRAWLED
CALLUSED FEEBLE MIRAGE STIFLING
CAUTIOUS FIERY NECTAR SUBTLE
CERTAIN FOSSIL PIG SUSPECT
CONDEMNED FUGITIVE PRECARIOUS SWISH
CURSES GROTESQUE PROTECTED TEDIOUS
DEFECTIVE GULLY RATIO URGE
DELIRIOUS HAZE REFUGE VENOM
DESOLATE HOVER REQUIREMENTS VISIBLE
DESPICABLE IMAGE RETRIEVED WHEELBARROW
DOOMED IMPROVE SCARCITY WRITHED
DRAWL INSISTS SCORPION
159
VOCABULARY CROSSWORD - Holes
2 3
4 5 6 7
10 11
12 13 14
15 16
17
18 19
20
Across Down
4. Floating or suspended in air 1. Place of protection or shelter
6. Relation between two things 2. Force moving one to do something
8. Deep ditch cut in the earth by running water 3. Able to be seen
9. Reproduction of the form of something or 5. Poisonous secretion of an animal, such as a
someone spider or snake
10. Often encountered; known 7. Clumsy; unskillful
12. Great pain or anguish 10. Person running away from the law
15. Outlandish; bizarre 11. Refuses to yield
17. Jargon formed by putting first consonant at the 12. Tiresome; wearisome
end of a word and adding a syllable: ___ Latin 13. Delicious, invigorating drink
18. Move with a whistle or hiss 14. Consistent in reasoning
19. So slight as to be difficult to distinguish 16. Forced out
20. Have doubts about; distrust
.
160
VOCABULARY CROSSWORD ANSWER KEY - Holes
1
R
2 3
U V E
4 5 6 7
H O V E R R A T I O F
8
E G U L L Y W S U
9
N E K I M A G E
O W B E
10 11
F A M I L I A R A L
12 13 14
U N T O R M E N T L
15 16
G R O T E S Q U E D E S O
17
I I D C P I G
18 19
T S W I S H I S U B T L E I
I T O A W C
V S U R E A
20
E S U S P E C T D L
Across Down
4. Floating or suspended in air 1. Place of protection or shelter
6. Relation between two things 2. Force moving one to do something
8. Deep ditch cut in the earth by running water 3. Able to be seen
9. Reproduction of the form of something or 5. Poisonous secretion of an animal, such as a
someone spider or snake
10. Often encountered; known 7. Clumsy; unskillful
12. Great pain or anguish 10. Person running away from the law
15. Outlandish; bizarre 11. Refuses to yield
17. Jargon formed by putting first consonant at the 12. Tiresome; wearisome
end of a word and adding a syllable: ___ Latin 13. Delicious, invigorating drink
18. Move with a whistle or hiss 14. Consistent in reasoning
19. So slight as to be difficult to distinguish 16. Forced out
20. Have doubts about; distrust
.
161
VOCABULARY MATCHING 1 - Holes
___ 1. RETRIEVED A. Not able to be explained or interpreted

___ 2. HAZE B. Shortage
___ 3. DESPICABLE C. Value
___ 4. REFUGE D. Not giving up
___ 5. NECTAR E. Great pain or anguish
___ 6. REQUIREMENTS F. Sure
___ 7. TORMENT G. Extremely steep or overhanging mass of rock
___ 8. INEXPLICABLE H. Changed to vapor
___ 9. VENTILATION I. Admitting fresh air to replace stale air
___10. PERSEVERANCE J. Place of protection or shelter
___11. LOOT K. Stolen goods
___12. FEEBLE L. Carved, cut, or etched into something
___13. ENGRAVED M. Anticipate with fear, alarm, or reluctance
___14. BARREN N. Lacking strength
___15. PRECIPICE O. Have doubts about; distrust
___16. INGREDIENT P. Mentally confused
___17. DELIRIOUS Q. Sterile; dull; unfruitful
___18. APPRECIATE R. Got back; regained
___19. CURSES S. Moisture, dust, or vapor suspended in the air
___20. SUSPECT T. Vile; awful
___21. EVAPORATED U. Delicious, invigorating drink
___22. SCARCITY V. Dangerously lacking in security or stability
___23. PRECARIOUS W.Necessary things
___24. CERTAIN X. Something that is an element; a part of
___25. DREAD Y. Appeals for evil or injury to befall someone or something
162
VOCABULARY MATCHING 1 ANSWER KEY - Holes
R - 1. RETRIEVED A. Not able to be explained or interpreted

S - 2. HAZE B. Shortage
T - 3. DESPICABLE C. Value
J - 4. REFUGE D. Not giving up
U - 5. NECTAR E. Great pain or anguish
W -6. REQUIREMENTS F. Sure
E - 7. TORMENT G. Extremely steep or overhanging mass of rock
A - 8. INEXPLICABLE H. Changed to vapor
I - 9. VENTILATION I. Admitting fresh air to replace stale air
D -10. PERSEVERANCE J. Place of protection or shelter
K -11. LOOT K. Stolen goods
N -12. FEEBLE L. Carved, cut, or etched into something
L - 13. ENGRAVED M. Anticipate with fear, alarm, or reluctance
Q -14. BARREN N. Lacking strength
G -15. PRECIPICE O. Have doubts about; distrust
X -16. INGREDIENT P. Mentally confused
P - 17. DELIRIOUS Q. Sterile; dull; unfruitful
C -18. APPRECIATE R. Got back; regained
Y -19. CURSES S. Moisture, dust, or vapor suspended in the air
O -20. SUSPECT T. Vile; awful
H -21. EVAPORATED U. Delicious, invigorating drink
B -22. SCARCITY V. Dangerously lacking in security or stability
V -23. PRECARIOUS W.Necessary things
F - 24. CERTAIN X. Something that is an element; a part of
M -25. DREAD Y. Appeals for evil or injury to befall someone or something
163
VOCABULARY MATCHING 2 - Holes
___ 1. URGE A. Admitting fresh air to replace stale air

___ 2. REFUGE B. Preparations made by mixing ingredients
___ 3. LOPSIDED C. Sterile; dull; unfruitful
___ 4. JURISDICTION D. Place of protection or shelter
___ 5. FLINCH E. Consistent in reasoning
___ 6. SUBTLE F. Deep ditch cut in the earth by running water
___ 7. HUMILIATING G. Careful
___ 8. LOGICAL H. Smothering; suffocating
___ 9. CONCOCTIONS I. Very hot; like fire
___10. PREPOSTEROUS J. Shortage
___11. WHEELBARROW K. Absurd; ridiculous
___12. PRECIPICE L. Draw away from something surprising or painful
___13. PROTRUDING M. Force moving one to do something
___14. STIFLING N. Area of authority or control
___15. VENTILATION O. So slight as to be difficult to distinguish
___16. SOGGY P. Very tired; weary
___17. RATIO Q. Embarrassing; being disgraced
___18. FIERY R. Vehicle with handles & a wheel used to convey loads by
hand
___19. EXHAUSTED S. Heavier or larger on one side than the other
___20. SCARCITY T. Relation between two things
___21. DEFECTIVE U. Sticking out; jutting out
___22. GULLY V. Extremely steep or overhanging mass of rock
___23. FOSSIL W.Flawed; doesn't work right
___24. BARREN X. Skeleton or imprint of an organism in a rock
___25. CAUTIOUS Y. Soaked with moisture
164
VOCABULARY MATCHING 2 ANWER KEY - Holes
M -1. URGE A. Admitting fresh air to replace stale air

D - 2. REFUGE B. Preparations made by mixing ingredients
S - 3. LOPSIDED C. Sterile; dull; unfruitful
N - 4. JURISDICTION D. Place of protection or shelter
L - 5. FLINCH E. Consistent in reasoning
O - 6. SUBTLE F. Deep ditch cut in the earth by running water
Q - 7. HUMILIATING G. Careful
E - 8. LOGICAL H. Smothering; suffocating
B - 9. CONCOCTIONS I. Very hot; like fire
K -10. PREPOSTEROUS J. Shortage
R -11. WHEELBARROW K. Absurd; ridiculous
V -12. PRECIPICE L. Draw away from something surprising or painful
U -13. PROTRUDING M. Force moving one to do something
H -14. STIFLING N. Area of authority or control
A -15. VENTILATION O. So slight as to be difficult to distinguish
Y -16. SOGGY P. Very tired; weary
T - 17. RATIO Q. Embarrassing; being disgraced
I - 18. FIERY R. Vehicle with handles & a wheel used to convey loads by
hand
P - 19. EXHAUSTED S. Heavier or larger on one side than the other
J - 20. SCARCITY T. Relation between two things
W -21. DEFECTIVE U. Sticking out; jutting out
F - 22. GULLY V. Extremely steep or overhanging mass of rock
X -23. FOSSIL W.Flawed; doesn't work right
C -24. BARREN X. Skeleton or imprint of an organism in a rock
G -25. CAUTIOUS Y. Soaked with moisture
165
VOCABLUARY JUGGLE LETTER 1 - Holes
1. EGTIIDNREN = 1. ________________________
Something that is an element; a part of
2. AWKDWAR = 2. ________________________
Clumsy; unskillful
3. EILSPDDO = 3. ________________________
Heavier or larger on one side than the other
4. OCTIOCNSNCO = 4. ________________________
Preparations made by mixing ingredients
5. OUSTSIMYRE = 5. ________________________
Not fully understood
6. ALDRW = 6. ________________________
Speech characterized by lengthened, drawn-out vowels
7. MEITEILTGA = 7. ________________________
Lawful; legal
8. NREMOTT = 8. ________________________
Great pain or anguish
9. OICTUSUA = 9. ________________________
Careful
10. EEWDPS =10. ________________________
Forced out
11. ESSPURTROOEP =11. ________________________
Absurd; ridiculous
12. LCGOILA =12. ________________________
Consistent in reasoning
13. RMNECEDOHP =13. ________________________
Understand
14. BOUULAFS =14. ________________________
Barely believable; astonishing; amazing
15. LSIOSF =15. ________________________
Skeleton or imprint of an organism in a rock
166
16. UIDJNSICOIRT =16. ________________________
Area of authority or control
17. AELNASWDT =17. ________________________
Uncultivated or desolate country
18. LORDIIUES =18. ________________________
Mentally confused
19. EODMOD =19. ________________________
Condemned to a severe penalty
20. SOIDTUE =20. ________________________
Tiresome; wearisome
21. NJDECAAT =21. ________________________
Close together; next to
22. GRUE =22. ________________________
Force moving one to do something
23. AOVDERTPAE =23. ________________________
Changed to vapor
24. REUSSC =24. ________________________
Appeals for evil or injury to befall someone or something
25. MIEAG =25. ________________________
Reproduction of the form of something or someone
26. IRTUNRDGOP =26. ________________________
Sticking out; jutting out
27. CADEHRP =27. ________________________
Very dry
28. NEYOSRTIAT =28. ________________________
Writing paper and envelopes
29. EEEFLB =29. ________________________
Lacking strength
167
VOCABLUARY JUGGLE LETTER 1 ANSWER KEY - Holes
1. EGTIIDNREN = 1. INGREDIENT
Something that is an element; a part of
2. AWKDWAR = 2. AWKWARD
Clumsy; unskillful
3. EILSPDDO = 3. LOPSIDED
Heavier or larger on one side than the other
4. OCTIOCNSNCO = 4. CONCOCTIONS
Preparations made by mixing ingredients
5. OUSTSIMYRE = 5. MYSTERIOUS
Not fully understood
6. ALDRW = 6. DRAWL
Speech characterized by lengthened, drawn-out vowels
7. MEITEILTGA = 7. LEGITIMATE
Lawful; legal
8. NREMOTT = 8. TORMENT
Great pain or anguish
9. OICTUSUA = 9. CAUTIOUS
Careful
10. EEWDPS =10. SPEWED
Forced out
11. ESSPURTROOEP =11. PREPOSTEROUS
Absurd; ridiculous
12. LCGOILA =12. LOGICAL
Consistent in reasoning
13. RMNECEDOHP =13. COMPREHEND
Understand
14. BOUULAFS =14. FABULOUS
Barely believable; astonishing; amazing
15. LSIOSF =15. FOSSIL
Skeleton or imprint of an organism in a rock
168
16. UIDJNSICOIRT =16. JURISDICTION
Area of authority or control
17. AELNASWDT =17. WASTELAND
Uncultivated or desolate country
18. LORDIIUES =18. DELIRIOUS
Mentally confused
19. EODMOD =19. DOOMED
Condemned to a severe penalty
20. SOIDTUE =20. TEDIOUS
Tiresome; wearisome
21. NJDECAAT =21. ADJACENT
Close together; next to
22. GRUE =22. URGE
Force moving one to do something
23. AOVDERTPAE =23. EVAPORATED
Changed to vapor
24. REUSSC =24. CURSES
Appeals for evil or injury to befall someone or something
25. MIEAG =25. IMAGE
Reproduction of the form of something or someone
26. IRTUNRDGOP =26. PROTRUDING
Sticking out; jutting out
27. CADEHRP =27. PARCHED
Very dry
28. NEYOSRTIAT =28. STATIONERY
Writing paper and envelopes
29. EEEFLB =29. FEEBLE
Lacking strength
169
1. VSERCERAENEP = 1. ________________________
Not giving up
2. GIP = 2. ________________________
Jargon formed by putting first consonant at the end of a word and
adding a syllable: ___ Latin
3. ELPSWARD = 3. ________________________
Spread out in straggling or disorderly fashion
4. DSAUEXEHT = 4. ________________________
Very tired; weary
5. LBIESVI = 5. ________________________
Able to be seen
6. EATIRNC = 6. ________________________
Sure
7. CCIRAYTS = 7. ________________________
Shortage
8. OERCTPDET = 8. ________________________
Keep safe; guarded
9. LAXIIBPECLNE = 9. ________________________
Not able to be explained or interpreted
10. WSISH =10. ________________________
Move with a whistle or hiss
11. MPRVEIO =11. ________________________
Get better
12. IRUCREPOSA =12. ________________________
Dangerously lacking in security or stability
13. LAEDOEST =13. ________________________
Dreary; unfit for habitation or use
14. BNTHOIRGB =14. ________________________
Beating rapidly or violently; pounding
15. ITNHCIHG =15. ________________________
Hooking to; connecting
170
16. EVIONLTNIAT =16. ________________________
Admitting fresh air to replace stale air
17. RDEAVGEN =17. ________________________
Carved, cut, or etched into something
18. LTLIAECM =18. ________________________
Like or containing a metal
19. TUGVEFII =19. ________________________
Person running away from the law
20. ENRTCA =20. ________________________
Delicious, invigorating drink
21. NEMOV =21. ________________________
Poisonous secretion of an animal, such as a spider or snake
22. SNISTIS =22. ________________________
Refuses to yield
23. LYULG =23. ________________________
Deep ditch cut in the earth by running water
24. OLTO =24. ________________________
Stolen goods
25. EAYLDED =25. ________________________
Put off until another time
26. ZAHE =26. ________________________
Moisture, dust, or vapor suspended in the air
27. EVEDIRTER =27. ________________________
Got back; regained
28. HFINCL =28. ________________________
Draw away from something surprising or painful
29. EPEICRPCI =29. ________________________
Extremely steep or overhanging mass of rock
171
1. VSERCERAENEP = 1. PERSEVERANCE
Not giving up
2. GIP = 2. PIG
Jargon formed by putting first consonant at the end of a word and
adding a syllable: ___ Latin
3. ELPSWARD = 3. SPRAWLED
Spread out in straggling or disorderly fashion
4. DSAUEXEHT = 4. EXHAUSTED
Very tired; weary
5. LBIESVI = 5. VISIBLE
Able to be seen
6. EATIRNC = 6. CERTAIN
Sure
7. CCIRAYTS = 7. SCARCITY
Shortage
8. OERCTPDET = 8. PROTECTED
Keep safe; guarded
9. LAXIIBPECLNE = 9. INEXPLICABLE
Not able to be explained or interpreted
10. WSISH =10. SWISH
Move with a whistle or hiss
11. MPRVEIO =11. IMPROVE
Get better
12. IRUCREPOSA =12. PRECARIOUS
Dangerously lacking in security or stability
13. LAEDOEST =13. DESOLATE
Dreary; unfit for habitation or use
14. BNTHOIRGB =14. THROBBING
Beating rapidly or violently; pounding
15. ITNHCIHG =15. HITCHING
Hooking to; connecting
172
16. EVIONLTNIAT =16. VENTILATION
Admitting fresh air to replace stale air
17. RDEAVGEN =17. ENGRAVED
Carved, cut, or etched into something
18. LTLIAECM =18. METALLIC
Like or containing a metal
19. TUGVEFII =19. FUGITIVE
Person running away from the law
20. ENRTCA =20. NECTAR
Delicious, invigorating drink
21. NEMOV =21. VENOM
Poisonous secretion of an animal, such as a spider or snake
22. SNISTIS =22. INSISTS
Refuses to yield
23. LYULG =23. GULLY
Deep ditch cut in the earth by running water
24. OLTO =24. LOOT
Stolen goods
25. EAYLDED =25. DELAYED
Put off until another time
26. ZAHE =26. HAZE
Moisture, dust, or vapor suspended in the air
27. EVEDIRTER =27. RETRIEVED
Got back; regained
28. HFINCL =28. FLINCH
Draw away from something surprising or painful
29. EPEICRPCI =29. PRECIPICE
Extremely steep or overhanging mass of rock
173
1. IRAOT = 1. ________________________
Relation between two things
2. IBLEECPADS = 2. ________________________
Vile; awful
3. YIERF = 3. ________________________
Very hot; like fire
4. FLINGTSI = 4. ________________________
Smothering; suffocating
5. THGIANIIMLU = 5. ________________________
Embarrassing; being disgraced
6. NREABR = 6. ________________________
Sterile; dull; unfruitful
7. MIFARILA = 7. ________________________
Often encountered; known
8. ORWEAERHWBL = 8. ________________________
Vehicle with handles & a wheel used to convey loads by hand
9. ADEDR = 9. ________________________
Anticipate with fear, alarm, or reluctance
10. FEITVDECE =10. ________________________
Flawed; doesn't work right
11. TUBLES =11. ________________________
So slight as to be difficult to distinguish
12. UEDSLALC =12. ________________________
Having a thickening and hardness of skin
13. EUCPSST =13. ________________________
Have doubts about; distrust
14. AMZADE =14. ________________________
Filled with surprise; astonished
15. ONMCDEEND =15. ________________________
Found guilty
174
16. RITDEWH =16. ________________________
Twisted; squirmed
17. EUFEGR =17. ________________________
Place of protection or shelter
18. NUISLAD =18. ________________________
Instrument that indicates local solar time
19. RRQTMEEUINES =19. ________________________
Necessary things
20. PTIEEAACPR =20. ________________________
Value
21. OGYSG =21. ________________________
Soaked with moisture
22. HASNRK =22. ________________________
Got smaller
23. POICONSR =23. ________________________
Spider-like animal with a venomous tail
24. GRAIME =24. ________________________
An illusion; something deceptive
25. ITGOINITVSANE =25. ________________________
Systematic examination
26. ACARCNTDERIE =26. ________________________
Shut in; confined--usually in jail
27. ERHOV =27. ________________________
Floating or suspended in air
28. ANDSETNCDES =28. ________________________
Individuals from which others come; opposite of ancestors
29. OURGETEQS =29. ________________________
Outlandish; bizarre
175
1. IRAOT = 1. RATIO
Relation between two things
2. IBLEECPADS = 2. DESPICABLE
Vile; awful
3. YIERF = 3. FIERY
Very hot; like fire
4. FLINGTSI = 4. STIFLING
Smothering; suffocating
5. THGIANIIMLU = 5. HUMILIATING
Embarrassing; being disgraced
6. NREABR = 6. BARREN
Sterile; dull; unfruitful
7. MIFARILA = 7. FAMILIAR
Often encountered; known
8. ORWEAERHWBL = 8. WHEELBARROW
Vehicle with handles & a wheel used to convey loads by hand
9. ADEDR = 9. DREAD
Anticipate with fear, alarm, or reluctance
10. FEITVDECE =10. DEFECTIVE
Flawed; doesn't work right
11. TUBLES =11. SUBTLE
So slight as to be difficult to distinguish
12. UEDSLALC =12. CALLUSED
Having a thickening and hardness of skin
13. EUCPSST =13. SUSPECT
Have doubts about; distrust
14. AMZADE =14. AMAZED
Filled with surprise; astonished
15. ONMCDEEND =15. CONDEMNED
Found guilty
176
16. RITDEWH =16. WRITHED
Twisted; squirmed
17. EUFEGR =17. REFUGE
Place of protection or shelter
18. NUISLAD =18. SUNDIAL
Instrument that indicates local solar time
19. RRQTMEEUINES =19. REQUIREMENTS
Necessary things
20. PTIEEAACPR =20. APPRECIATE
Value
21. OGYSG =21. SOGGY
Soaked with moisture
22. HASNRK =22. SHRANK
Got smaller
23. POICONSR =23. SCORPION
Spider-like animal with a venomous tail
24. GRAIME =24. MIRAGE
An illusion; something deceptive
25. ITGOINITVSANE =25. INVESTIGATION
Systematic examination
26. ACARCNTDERIE =26. INCARCERATED
Shut in; confined--usually in jail
27. ERHOV =27. HOVER
Floating or suspended in air
28. ANDSETNCDES =28. DESCENDANTS
Individuals from which others come; opposite of ancestors
29. OURGETEQS =29. GROTESQUE
Outlandish; bizarre
177
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TEACHER’S PET PUBLICATIONS

LitPlan Teacher Pack™

Written by Marion B. Hoffman

© 2001 Teacher’s Pet Publications, Inc.

Copyright Teacher’s Pet Publications 2001

Only the student materials in this unit plan may be

Reading Assignment Sheet 10

Study Questions (Short Answer) 15

Quiz/Study Questions (Multiple Choice) 28

Pre-reading Vocabulary Worksheets 53

Lesson One (Introductory Lesson) 67

Nonfiction Assignment Sheet 69

Oral Reading Evaluation Form 70

Writing Assignment #3 100

Writing Evaluation Form 77

Vocabulary Review Activities 98

Extra Writing Assignments/Discussion ?s 90

Unit Tests 103

Unit Resource Materials 133

Vocabulary Resource Materials 155

9. The writing assignments in this unit are geared to several purposes:

Date Assigned Reading Assignment Completion Date

PART TWO AND PART THREE

3. Who gets sent to Camp Green Lake?

5. Who put a curse on the Yelnats family?

6. What is especially unusual about Stanley Yelnats’ name?

7. Who supposedly robbed the stagecoach of the first Stanley Yelnats?

8. Who at the camp has a tattoo of a rattlesnake on his arm?

9. How is Stanley told to remember the name of his counselor?

10. Why does the counselor say Zero is called “Zero”?

2. What was Clyde Livingston’s nickname?

5. Who was Myra Menke?

6. What did Myra’s father want in exchange for his daughter?

7. What promise did Stanley’s great-great-grandfather make to Madame Zeroni?

8. What was the song Madame Zeroni wanted to hear?

9. How did Myra want to choose a husband?

2. What did the sign on the camp’s rec room say?

6. What was the boys’ nickname for Mr. Pendanski?

2. Who did Stanley bring the gold tube to?

3. What color was the Warden’s hair?

4. How did the Warden know all of the boys’ nicknames?

6. What was Stanley’s father trying to invent?

2. What was Stanley’s big revelation about Zero?

3. What did Zero ask Stanley to do for him?

4. What was Mr. Sir’s favorite expression?

5. Who stole Mr. Sir’s sunflower seeds?

7. What did the Warden do to Mr. Sir in Stanley’s presence?

2. What was Miss Barlow’s profession in Green Lake?

4. What did Mr. Sir do to “get back at” Stanley?

8. What ultimately happened to Sam?

9. What was Zero’s real name?

10. How did Miss Barlow die?

PART TWO AND PART THREE

4. Why did Stanley hit Zigzag?

5. Who attacked Zigzag when he started to beat Stanley?

9. What did Zero do after he attacked Mr. Pendanski?

3. How did Stanley escape from the camp to go after Zero?

4. How much water was in Stanley’s canteen when he escaped?

5. What object did Stanley find?