Title: Holes

Topic: Schema/fiction

Subject/Course: Language Arts

Grade(s): 3-5
Designer(s): M. Dungey, K. Scerra

Stage 1 Desired Results

Established Goal(s)

Enhance students' response to literature (fiction) by activating schema.

Understanding(s) Students will understand that
Essential Questions(s)

not all summer camps are the same;

What do you know about summer camp?

students' background experiences influence their

concept of summer camp;

How are sumer camps the same and how are they
different?

good readers make meaningful connections to their

lives while they are reading.
Students will know that

personal connections from text to self/text/world can

be demonstrated and that activating their schema
increases reading comprehension and enjoyment.

Students will be able to

compare and contrast text and personal information;

identify and organize related objects.

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence

Performance Task(s) Summary in G.R.A.S.P.S. form

The student will compare and contrast summer camp experiences by relating the text to self/text/world using
personal schema. With the class and teacher, s/he will complete a KWL chart and and help to create an artifact
box of camp related items.
Key Criteria:

The student will demonstrate meaningful connections to the text by accurately completing the KWL chart and
naming and verbally describing the artifacts.
Other Evidence:

OE

The student will read Holes by Louis Sachar and participate meaningfully in class discussion.

Stage 3 Learning Plan

Learning Activities Consider the W.H.E.R.E.T.O. elements.

To activate schema, sing a few camp songs around a "fire" (use recorded music, or perhaps someone plays a
guitar) or eat s'mores (microwave version).
To continue making connections before reading the book: The teacher should supply a collection of traditional
camp-related items to help students make connections to summer camp. Ask guiding questions to establish
vocabulary and functions of items. Class discussion should revolve around these kinds of questions: What do
you know about summer camp? Have you ever been? What was it like? Would you like to go to camp? Why
or why not? Use the KWL chart (what do I Know, what do I Want to know, what did I Learn?) to fill in the first
two (K and W) columns.
While reading the book: Read the first few chapters aloud. Model the Think Aloud strategy by asking
questions such as: How are your perceptions of summer camp the same or different as the descriptions in this
story? Students should identify at least three examples of differences and the teacher will write them in the L

column of the KWL chart.

After reading the book: Complete the KWL chart. Small groups of students will create their own camp artifact
boxes with found or made items, relevant to the camp in the book, and explain the connections of the items to
the camp. Each student should contribute at least two items to the group box. The explanations should include
the name and function of each object.
Follow-up activity suggestion: Students could design/build their own summer camp and create a flier (possibly
using technology) to advertise it. This would require a mini lesson on the purpose and effectiveness of
advertising.
Some material adapted from:
http://www.hpedsb.on.ca/smood/teachers/unlock/connections.html