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Holes: An Interdisciplinary Movie Guide for Middle Grades

Created by: Ashley Waldroup, Walter Holleman, Seth Moody, and Zac Mennona

RE 3070: Media for Young People Spring 2015

Dr. Redmond Appalachian State University

Introduction:

Holes (2003) is a live-action comedy/drama film based on the book Holes by Louis Sachar. The movie focuses on cursed teen Stanley Yelnats as he is sent to a labor camp for juvenile delinquents after a misunderstanding with the police. The movie appeals to a broad audience, but emphasizes adolescent struggles, such as identity development. This movie guide is designed to teach elements of Science, Social Studies, and English Language Arts by using key scenes from the movie in relation to Common Core State Standards and the developmental dimensions of young adolescence as described in “This We Believe” (2010).

Using this Guide:

Holes is an engaging and enjoyable film that has appeal to 8th grade students while also being

relevant to several areas of the North Carolina Essential Standards and National Common Core

State Standards (CCSS). This movie guide is targets several core subjects. This include Science,

Social Studies, and English Language Arts. These three content areas are explored equally and

contain activities that encourage higher level thinking. Each subject’s activities closely align with

North Carolina Essential Standards and Common Core State Standards. For example, CCSS.ELA-

LITERACY.L.8.5.A, which states that students must be able to interpret figures of speech in

context, is covered as students are instructed to examine the literary devices in the song

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featured in Activity 1under the English Language Arts portion of the guide. In addition to

addressing the standards, this movie guide also takes the developmental dimensions of young

adolescence described in the National Middle School Association’s publication This We Believe

into account. This movie was chosen based on the connections it has to these developmental

dimensions. It acknowledges the fact that young adolescents are developing a moral

understanding of the world and are searching for approval from peers. In turn, the activities in

this movie guide also speak to these developmental dimensions with activities that speak to

their growing curiosity and social awareness by encouraging young teens to look at the living

situations of others and researching high-interest topics. Also, this movie guide serves to

promote appropriate use of film in the classroom, as outlined by David Considine’s article Focus

on Film: Learning through the Movies. Instead of watching the entire film at once, the teacher

of each of the three subjects is instructed to use only small clips from Holes as a platform for

the topics being discussed. Before each clip is played, students are provided with previewing

questions and points to consider as they view the clip. This technique is based on a concept

called AIME, which was developed by Gavriel Salomon (1984). AIME stands for the Amount of

Invested Mental Energy/Effort and has been proved to mentally engage students while they are

viewing a piece of media. AIME promotes higher student expectations, memory, and

comprehension as they watch a film clip. Finally, it is the goal of this movie guide to teach

students three different subjects in such a way that they are relevant to middle school

students. Using the movie Holes, educators are able to accomplish this while also speaking to

student interests.

About Holes:

Title: Holes (2003)

Director: Andrew Davis

Awards: California on Locations Award (2002 & 2003), Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award

(2004), Yearly PG Rated Film - Ranked 8th (2003)

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Holes is a family-friendly comedy/drama that is based the book Holes (1988) by Louis Sachar.

The movie focuses on young Stanley Yelnats IV, who comes from a family in which each of the

men are cursed by bad luck. Many years ago, Madame Zeroni cursed the Yelnats family after

Stanley Yelnats I broke a promise he made to her. Stanley IV’s bad luck begins when he is

wrongly convicted of stealing a pair of tennis shoes and is sent to Camp Green Lake, which

requires juvenile delinquents to dig holes in the middle of a desert as punishment.

While at the camp, Stanley meets a wide variety of unruly boys who eventually accept him into

the group and give him the nickname Caveman. Stanley also meets a younger, orphaned boy

named Hector “Zero” Zeroni, who is ironically the distant grandson of Madame Zeroni. Stanley

and Zero develop relationship similar to that of brothers and Stanley even teaches him how to

read.

Warden Walker and Mr. Sir run the camp and are getting the boys to dig holes in order to look

for a treasure left by Kate Barlow in the late 1800s. Kate Barlow was a school teacher who

turned into an outlaw after her African-American lover, Sam, was murdered by white

townspeople. Warden Walker and Mr. Sir are extremely hard on the boys and drive Zero to run

away into the desert.

Character Profiles:

Stanley “Caveman” Yelnats IV (Shia LeBeouf) - Stanley is a misunderstood teen who

has been wrongly convicted of stealing a pair of shoes. As punishment, he was ordered

to attend a labor camp for juvenile delinquents where he is forced to dig holes. As the

awkward newcomer, Stanley is forced to assimilate with the other boys and befriends

young Zero. Stanley begins a journey to find himself as he strives to break an old family

curse and prove his innocence.

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Warden Walker (Sigourney Weaver) - Warden

Walker is the temperamental, vindictive owner of

Camp Green Lake. She inherited the land from her

grandfather. Warden Walker is on the hunt for

Kissing Kate Barlow’s treasure that was buried at

Hector “Zero” Zeroni (Khleo Thomas) - Zero is a troubled, orphaned youth who also ends up at the camp. Oftentimes, Zero feels left out because of his inability to read and his small, non-aggressive stature. Stanley begins to give him reading lessons and the two become great friends. Over the course of their friendship, Zero develops an increased self-confidence despite running away from the desert camp.

Marion “Mr. Sir” Sevillo (Jon Voight) - Mr. Sir

is one of the counselors at Camp Green Lake.

He is extremely hard on the boys and does not

allow them any slack. Prior to working at the

camp, Mr. Sir committed a crime and is a

runaway. He assumed the alias of Mr. Sir. in

order to deter the authorities and is also

assisting Warden Walker in the treasure hunt.

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Sam the Onion Man (Dulé Hill) - Sam is an African-American handyman in the town of Green Lake in the late 1800s. Sam met Miss Kate after agreeing to fix her school building for a few cans of peaches. The couple began a secret love affair because interracial dating was frowned upon during this time. Once their love was discovered, Sam was murdered by men in the town.

Miss Kate Barlow (Patricia Arquette) - The back story to Holes centers around Miss Kate, also referred to as Kissing Kate, Barlow and her love affair with African-American Sam in the late 1800s. Miss Kate was a school teacher in the town of Green Lake when she fell in love with Sam. After watching the white townsmen murder her lover, Miss Kate turned into a thieving outlaw and rebranded herself as Kissing Kate. She left a signature lipstick print on each of her victims.

Madame Zeroni (Eartha Kitt) - Madame Zeroni serves to tie the entire story together. She is the old relative of Hector Zeroni and loaned a pig to Stanley’s grandfather, Stanley Yelnats I. When Stanley I broke his promise concerning the pig, Madame Zeroni cursed the Yelnats family through instances of misfortune.

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Subject Area #1 - Science

NC Essential Standards for Science:

8.L.1.1

Summarize the basic characteristics of viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites relating to the spread, treatment and prevention

8.L.4.2

Explain the relationship between genetic variation and an organism’s ability to adapt to its environment

8.L.3.1

Explain how factors such as food, water, shelter and space affect populations in an ecosystems

8.E.1.1

Explain how the structure of the hydrosphere including:

-Water distribution on earth

-Local river basins and water availability

Activity #1: “Desertification and Camp Green Lake

Time Code/Duration: (28:11 - 29:25)

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Key Questions:

● How is Green Lake altered? ● What can humans do to change or destabilize their environment? ● When an ecosystem changes, what happens to its native species? ● What can we do to become better stewards of our environment?

Teacher Notes:

● View introductory establishing shot of barren Green Lake and compare with Green Lake of the past. Use this scene as a hook to begin talk on the degradation of dry land into arid land and how water distribution creates or destroys watersheds.

● Introduce examples of real desertification using online resources. One article by National Geographic contains numerous pictures of bodies of water such as the Colorado River and Ariel Sea as they evaporate and leave desert behind them. Source:http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/photos/rivers-run-dry/#/freshwater-rivers-colorado-1_45140_600x450.jpg

● Desertification results from human activity that alters natural water cycles within the hydrosphere. We will be focusing on desertification effects on the water cycle and natural consequences for both indigenous species and for us.

● Students can be invited to explore National Geographic’s resources on freshwater -- including an interactive map that displays how we use water. Did you know it takes 55 gallons of water for us to produce 1 cup of milk? How do you think this water is used?

Source: http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/photos/rivers-run-dry/#/freshwater-rivers-colorado-1_45140_600x450.jpg

How Do We Meet the Standard(s)?

Students will meet the standards by engaging in supplementary information through National Geographic and its integrated interactive activities that will establish knowledge of desertification and the breakdown of a watershed.

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Activity #2: “Foot Odor: What is Bacteria?”

Time Code/Duration: (2:57 - 4:04) and (1:28:04 - 1:28:56)

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Key Questions:

● What are the basic characteristics of bacteria? ● How do they interact with our world? ● In what ways do they help or harm people? ● Is Stanley Yelnats’ methods of removing shoe odor practical or scientifically sound?

Teacher Notes:

● Play scene of Stanley Yelnats’ house and various odor-eliminating experiments. Next, play scene at end of film showcasing how Stanley finds the “cure” to smelly shoes. Use this as a hook to introducing the discussion on bacteria.

● Students will learn the 3 different general shapes that bacteria can assume: coccus, bacillus, and spirilla. Brevibacterium is the common form of bacteria that causes the foot odor that Stanley’s dad is trying to cure.

● For the activity, students will collaborate in groups of four. They will be given a sheet of self-stick easel paper and tasked with drawing 2 different pictures: one is a picture of the three basic shapes of bacteria and the other will be a creative, yet scientifically proven solution to solving foot odor. Students will have pencils and colored markers at their disposal. After the students have finished the project, the posters will be stuck to the walls of the classroom as a visual reminder on the structure of bacteria.

● The objective of this activity is to make the self-discovery and expression of scientific knowledge easily obtainable by students. Although illustrating the three basic forms of bacteria will be straightforward, developing a scientifically viable way to kill bacteria will take creativity and research. To demonstrate mastery, the student team’s final poster must contain an accurate account of different basic forms of bacteria and a solution. These posters will be hung on the walls, so students are to take pride in their work.

How Do We Meet the Standard(s)?

Students will meet the standard by conducting independent and group research on the structure of bacteria. This will be reinforced with a product-based assessment: team-build posters that will be displayed in the classroom.

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Activity #3: “Yellow Spotted Lizards: A Guide to Desert Animals and Adaptability”

Time Code/Duration: (1:38:22 - 1:39:27)

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Key Questions:

● How can you tell that an animal is adapted for a particular environment? ● What is it about the Yellow Spotted Lizards appearance that informs you it is a desert

dweller? ● What genetic variations allow desert dwelling organisms to survive? ● How does adaptability create organisms that are suited to live in hostile environments?

Teacher Notes:

● Preface video clip by asking students what type of organisms they might expect to find in the desert.

● Play scene of Yellow Spotted Lizards hissing. This will be used to introduce the following activity.

● This activity is meant to provide students with an understanding of the role of venomous species within a desert ecosystem and how these species have adapted to survive in a desert environment.

● The teacher will pretend that the Yellow Spotted Lizard is a real reptile that students will research. First, ask students to begin researching the Yellow Spotted Lizard by answering questions as they relate to the acronym, REPTILE:

○ R - how does it Reproduce? ○ E - what is it’s natural Environment? ○ P - what sort of Predator is it? ○ T - does it have a unique Texture? What makes its skin unique? ○ I - what kind of shelter does it Inhabit? ○ L - how Large is it in length and width? ○ E - What natural Enemies does it have?

● As students will soon find out, the Yellow Spotted Lizard is fictitious. However, there are plenty of other arid-dwelling reptiles that the YSL is based off of.

● Although the Yellow Spotted Lizard is fictional, species like the Gila Monster are very much real. Horned lizards are a genus that the Yellow Spotted Lizard is based off of. Bearded dragons painted with children’s paint were used in the movie to represent the Yellow Spotted Lizard.

● Have students create a PowerPoint or Prezi presentation of 7 slides that answer the REPTILE questions with any desert reptile of their choosing. Have students work together in groups of 3-4.

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How Do We Meet the Standard(s)?

Students will learn about genetic variation and environmental adaptability through independent research using online sources of a reptile. Then, students will create a PowerPoint Presentation that showcases the information they had acquired on their reptile. The impact of the distribution of natural resources will be discussed in class conversation on animal adaptability. This lesson builds on previous knowledge and could be suitable following the lesson on desertification.

Subject Area #2 - Social Studies (Walter)

NC Essential Standards:

ES.SS.8.E.1.3

Explain how quality of life is impacted by personal financial choices (e.g. credit, savings, investing, borrowing and giving).

ES.SS.8.G.1.3

Explain how human and environmental interaction affected quality of life and settlement patterns in North Carolina and the United States(e.g.environmental disasters, infrastructure development, coastal restoration and alternative

sources of energy).

ES.SS.8.C&G.1.4

Analyze access to democratic rights and freedoms among various groups in North Carolina and the United States (e.g. enslaved people, women, wage earners, landless farmers, American Indians, African Americans and other ethnic groups)

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How Standards Are Met:

In the ‘Contextual Indicators’ activity, students will use clips from the film Holes to indicate lifestyle in relations to life-choices. They should cognitively digest the clip and be able to identify the correlation between the Yelnats living conditions and the occupation/choices of the family members.

Also during ‘Contextual Indicators,’ the class will view clips that demonstrate poor treatment of the prison campers. This will open up discussions about the rights of imprisoned people, and whether or not if they have them or deserve them. Furthermore, we can then explore the rights our students should be aware of and practice in the case of contact with law (right to remain silent, right to refuse search, etc.)

Finally, in ‘Environmental Change and Our Role,’ the class will view clips of very different climates in the same geographic area. As a class, we will compare and contrast the differing climates, define the terms desertification and climate change, and explore humanities role in causation and prevention of environment change.

Source:(Link)http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/docs/acre/standards/new-standards/social-studies/8.pdf

Activity #1: Contextual Indicators (Clip Viewing/Think-Pair-Share)

Assess Prior Knowledge:

• Can anyone describe what poverty is? • In you had no money, what would you do for fun? (it has to be free)

Teacher Notes:

Use clips [Yelnats’ Apartment Clip (0:02:40-0:03:03)] of the Yelnats’ life and apartment to indicate what kind of economic standing do they live in and what illustrates their socioeconomic status to the viewer.

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Things to look and listen for during the clip:

• What does Stanley’s dad (Stanley Yelnats III) do for a living? • Based on the clip, describe the Yelnats family’s apartment.

o Does it look like they live comfortably? o Are their possessions in good shape? Is the apartment clean? o Where does Stanley’s grandfather sleep?

• In the clip, what was Stanley’s grandfather talking about when he told Stanley that he doesn’t have to say anything? (Miranda Rights and how they came to be)

Also, view clips of camp life and the treatment of delinquents (specifically when Mr.Sir denies water to campers) and discuss rights and treatment of people and prisoners. Do the delinquent’s punishments fit their crimes? Empty Canteen Clip (1:01:40-1:02:14)

Guided Thought:

• What do you know about the justice system? How about the treatment of prisoners? • In the previous clip, what was Stanley’s grandfather talking about when he told Stanley

that he doesn’t have to say anything? (Miranda Rights and how they came to be) • In regards to the clip where Mr. Sir denies Stanley water, how did this clip make you

feel? o Stanley is being punished for a crime he “committed,” but does this mean that

the way he is treated just? Does the punishment fit the crime? Why or why not?

Discuss poverty and its effect on lifestyle and living conditions. Also, discuss the judicial process, rehabilitation/imprisonment, and the treatment of prisoners. Then explore for a correlation between poverty and crime.

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Teacher Notes:

Have students group up and collectively think during discussion (Each group will need several sticky notes)

Spark discussion and thought by asking and pushing for the expansion of responses. If the students have an answer, they should be able to explain why they believe in what they wrote.

On one sticky note, have the group come up with a collective answer for: What do you think about Stanley having to spend time at Greenlake, even though, he was innocent? Is this fair?

On another note, have the students answer whether or not it is just for juveniles to be forced to dig holes for punishment of their varying crimes. Also, answer the question, is criminal labor fair or justified? Why or Why not?

When the groups have finished writing, have them share what they thought and discuss the beliefs of the class. Be sure to be open to all viewpoints and beliefs.

Activity #2: Environmental Change and Our Role

Teacher Notes (after clip viewing):

On the board, create a Venn Diagram, Compare and contrast the climate and geography of Green Lake in the present and in the Sam and Kate flashbacks. Have the class define what happened to the area, and then identify the term as desertification. Speculate on what caused the intense climate change, and what role in the change did the citizens of Greenlake take.

[Lush temperate climate (0:29:07-0:29:35) desert climate (53:03-53:50)]

Effect of desertification in California in regards to the rest of the nation. How will the increasing drought in Southern California effect food and fruit production, and what impact will this have on American life?

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Resources and Visual Aid:

Attempts to Stop China’s Growing Desert

Growing California is Drying Up

Drought Affects California’s Fertile Farming

California Comparison

Key Questions:

• Why are so many people worried about California? What makes the state so important?

o Does it make anything important or special? • How will the drought in California affect life in other places? • What could people do to save the state from further drought? How can the state

help solve the water issue? • Explain China’s ‘Wall of Trees.’ Could this work in California’s creeping desert?

Why or why not?

Subject Area #3 - English Language Arts

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.1

Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.1.A

Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing

claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.

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CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.1.B

Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible

sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.8.5

Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in

word meanings.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.8.5.A

Interpret figures of speech (e.g. verbal irony, puns) in context.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.8.5.B

Use the relationship between particular words to better understand each of the words.

Source: http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/L/8/

How do we meet the Standard(s)?:

The first activity will have students show their understanding of the figurative language and figures of speech in the “If Only, If Only” song in the film. After identifying these literary devices, students will write a story that makes a personal connection to the key scene.

Activity #1: “If Only, if Only”

Timecode/Duration: (19:53-21:24~)

Lyrics:

"If only, if only," the woodpecker sighs, "The bark on the tree was just a little bit softer." While the wolf waits below, hungry and lonely, He cries to the moo-oo-oon, "If only, if only."

Source: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/holes/quotes.html

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Teacher Notes:

● This activity is to get students thinking about the meaning and construction of the song “If Only, If Only” sung by Madame Zeroni. In the clip, we see a flashback of Stanley Yelnats the 1st, asking Madame Zeroni how to care for the piglet so that it grew up strong. He is suppose to carry the pig up and down the mountain singing the song. Then when the piglet reaches adult size, he is suppose to carry Madame Zeroni up the mountain or else his family will be cursed “forever and eternity.”

● Have students watch the clip in its entirety paying close attention to the song ● After viewing, have the students identify the examples of figurative language, the

relationship between words, and word meanings. ● Using the examples found previously, have the students (in pairs or alone) interpret the

meaning of the lyrics ● Bring the class back to discuss both the examples of literary devices and symbolic

meanings they discovered while working with their peers ● From here, have the students write a short 1-2 paragraphs about an experience that

was particularly hard to go through, enough to wish that life was easier. It should also address what they wish could have happened to positively change the situation. This should be something they feel comfortable sharing with others. The students should not include their name on their own paper.

● After students write their short stories, have them switch their paper with a classmate a total of 3 times (is read by 3 people). Each person who reads someone else’s story should reinterpret what they’ve read and write it from a new perspective. At the end, return the papers to the original owners.

Key Questions:

Why do the film-makers use the woodpecker and wolf to convey the idea of adversity?

How do nursery rhymes help convey important life lessons?

List some examples of similes and idioms that are used commonly today.

What details can you give as to how the Yelnats family has been cursed?

Why should we have hope in difficult situations?

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Activity #2: “God’s Thumb”

Timecode/Duration: (1:17:33-1:27:57)

Teacher Notes:

● Throughout the movie, Stanley Yelnats the 3rd and Zero have been becoming great friends. Along the way we have observed both characters move from static to dynamic characters. In this scene, we see how Stanley wants to go back and “play it safe” but on their way back they see God’s thumb. They decide not to give up and give in to their old life but instead reach for something better.

● Show the clip and then introduce the activity. ● In this activity, we will be reinforcing static vs. dynamic characters as well as examining

perspectives. To start, have students work by themselves to find evidence from the clip and/or the novel. They should come up with an argument that either supports or contradicts that Stanley and Zeroni have changed over time.

● Have the class come together and share their evidence to support their claims. ● Examples of evidence: Stanley wanting to go back (static), madame zeroni reference

(dynamic), zero wanting to learn how to read (dynamic), etc. ● After the class has gathered all of their evidence, have them write a 3-4 paragraph mini -

paper from the perspective of either Stanley or Zero as an inner monologue using the clip. Elements to include are imagery (the desert for example), environmental conditions (hot, sweaty, frogs chirping), character descriptions (Stanley’s brown shaggy hair, red ball cap), as well as the evidence previously gathered, etc.

● The format should be as if you (the reader) were hearing the thoughts of the character, seeing what they saw, etc

● After writing their mini-papers, the students will have their work posted on the wall outside the classroom. Before this is done, students are encouraged to include a drawing to illustrate their paper’s content. Also, if they would like, they can combine their work with a partner who chose a different character. (i.e. If one person chose to write as Stanley, they can mesh their paper/picture with someone who chose Zero.

Key Questions:

What textual evidence can you give to support whether the characters are static or dynamic?

How strong is my evidence to support or contradict a claim?

How can you write in a showing voice versus a telling voice? What is the difference?

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How does writing in different perspectives allow us to understand one another better?

What images and words can you use to convey the central ideas?

Additional Resources to Consider:

● Holes by Louis Sachar (The Novel) ● http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ ● http://www.californiadrought.org/ ● http://abc7news.com/weather/ebmud-sounding-alarm-on-california-drought/553123/ ● https://youtu.be/azUsjQwF_UI ● https://youtu.be/w9RxnuBiFbg

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References:

Blank, L. D., Davis, A., Medavoy, M., Tucker-Davies, T. (Producers). Davis, A. (Director). (2003). Holes. United States: Walt Disney Pictures.

Considine, D. M., & Baker, F. (2006). Focus on Film: Learning through the Movies. National Middle School Association (NJ1), 10(2), 12-15.

Holes. (2015, January 1). Retrieved April 20, 2015, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0311289/

National Middle School Association. (2010). This we believe: Keys to educating young adolescents. Association for Middle Level Education.

Images:

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http://8fb80e.medialib.glogster.com/media/77ed146726809875f1cba4cf547a6e9b2f67785b5f75f4f52d798e1bdfa53819/hector-zeroni-aka-zero.jpg

http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20141214193011/holes/images/6/66/Warden_Box.png

http://static.fjcdn.com/comments/4618742+_17fee44b3f641fcded4936366d6ec393.jpg

http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/37100000/Kate-Barlow-holes-37164761-200-200.jpg

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http://i.ytimg.com/vi/DXu9yw0NVaU/movieposter.jpg