A Hole Lot of Trouble
WCATY Co-op Grades 5 & 6
2006
Have you ever written a letter of protest? Perhaps you stood up for something you believed in,
even if no one else would offer to help. In this class we will delve into several novels; each
featuring a young adult who attempts (and perhaps succeeds!) to challenge adult authority. We
will spend time analyzing various types of activism portrayed within the novels and additional
supplemental readings. We will also dig deep into family and school relationships; deciphering
how bending the rules can affect those relationships. As the title of the course suggests, the class
will also ponder the significance of holes, or rather digging deep, in each of the novels. Each
student will be responsible for completing the assigned readings and coursework as well as
participating in weekly discussions.
Required reading:
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Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
Holes by Louis Sachar
Flush by Carl Hiaasen
The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place by E.L. Konigsburg
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Additional websites and handouts as necessary
Required Assignments Summary:
 All students will be required to read the required novels as well as any extra
handouts. Literature should be read thoroughly enough to be able to participate in
class discussions and assignments.
 All students will participate in class discussions online and at the Face 2 Face
meetings.
 Students should work independently as needed to complete assignments.
 All students will be held responsible for their writing assignments and group
assignments as given at F2F meetings.
Curriculum Standards/Skill Emphasis:
 Read, interpret and analyze required novels
 Create own portfolio of original writing following specific writing styles and
techniques
 Plan, revise and edit in order to publish clear and effective writing
 Organize and evaluate group work
 Feel comfortable in an online classroom setting—responding and analyzing
classmates’ work
Week 1: Mullet Fingers-Friend or Foe?
Introductions
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Name, age and school
Last book read
Favorite character in a book
What are you looking forward to doing in this class?
Thought provoker: Is it possible to stand up to someone without being rude? Should
students be able to “talk back” to teachers?
Write a few paragraphs telling us about a person of authority that you admire and why.
Do you admire them because they are strict disciplinarians or because they respect their role of
authority? How does this person do their job (whatever type of job that may be!) and maintain
control over situations? Do teens respond better to strict rules or more flexibility? How does this
person interact with teens?
Begin reading Hoot
First F2F:
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Ice breakers/introductions
Rules/regulations
Computer use
PMs/emails
Responding to posts
Cut and pasting vs. attachments
Examples of peer responses
Persuasive piece
Hamburger model
Movie-analyze scenes
Discuss Hoot and any questions
Week 2: Save the Owls, Bury the Buttermilks!
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Continue reading Hoot
Answer questions regarding reading online
Thought provoker: Should animals have the same rights as humans?
Explore the websites on burrowing owls:
www.floridaconservation.org/viewing/species/
burrowingowl.html
www.kidsplanet.org/factsheets/burrowingowl.html
Writing a letter to the editor telling the viewpoint of Mother Paula’s Pancake House
Week 3: Digging to Build Character
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Finish reading Hoot and begin reading Holes
Answer reading questions, finish work from Week 2 (Thanksgiving break)
Week 4: Onions! Hot, Sweet Onions!
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Continue reading Holes
Vocab. questions
How are teens treated by adults in Holes compared to what you read in Hoot?
How is humor used in both books?
Research juvenile detention centers in WI. What is the purpose of these centers? Are
they considered effective at rehabilitating juveniles? Why or why not? How does Camp Green
Lake compare to the centers you read about? What parts are realistic? What characteristics are
similar?
Thought provoker: The boys at Camp Green Lake are thrown together in a strict
environment. How do they develop friendships and how are these relationships different from
cliques on the ‘outside’? What role do the nicknames play? What would your nickname be at
Camp Green Lake?
Week 5: Sweet Feet
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Finish reading Holes and begin reading The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
How is Stanley considered to be a hero? How does he compare to Roy (main character
in Hoot)? Explain how what challenges they both faced in order to right a wrong.
Story behind CGL—what aspects of the legend of Katherine Barlow make it
believable? Rewrite the legend from Trout Walker’s point of view. How did he feel when he saw
Katherine kissing Sam? Why did he treat her so poorly if he liked her? 3-5 paragraphs
Thought provoker: What is art? Should art be public or private?
Second F2F:
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Discuss deviations in the movie version of Holes vs. the novel
Movie clips from Holes
Group time: discuss character differences in novels
o How each author depicts the same style of character
Role playing & posters for Holes and Hoot
Getting points across without resorting to disrespect
Week 6: Who do you believe?
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Continue reading The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
Margaret Rose seems to be difficult and consistently struggles with the authority figures
in the book. What can you assume about her ‘real’ personality in the first part of the novel?
Are Margaret’s uncles too lenient with her? Do they foster her independence or hinder it?
How does the author use foreshadowing to give us clues about what might happen to the
towers?
Thought provoker: Do you consider the towers to be art? What is your favorite piece of
art?
Week 7: Almost There!
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Finish reading The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place and begin reading Flush
How did the Meadowlarks end up helping Margaret? Why is it significant to the towers
and to Margaret personally that they came to help?
Compare and contrast the books so far. How do each of the main characters fight for
their cause? Is one version better than another? If Margaret, Stanley and Roy got together, what
might they talk about?
Thought provoker: Should social cliques be allowed in schools?
Week 8: All You Have to do is Flush!
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Finish Flush and begin The Giver
Noah’s dad (Paine) is willing to sacrifice just about anything for a cause. How does this
affect Paine’s relationship with his family? How does Noah change roles within the family
dynamic when his dad is in jail?
Thought provoker: What role does violence play in the novels we’ve read? Does
violence ever help a situation? What are the different types of violence in each of the books?
Week 9: Swimming in Sewage
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Finish Flush if necessary and finish The Giver—answer questions as posted
Thought provoker: How would you feel if you were given the life assignment of Giver?
Rewrite the ending to 1 of the 4 novels. What if it wasn’t a happy ending? Each of the
stories has a bully—how would they have told the end of the story? 5 paragraphs—peer edit—
bring to F2F
Third F2F:
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Review novels
Discuss The Giver
Comprehensive character analysis from all novels
Games
Check out the website for the National Marine Sanctuary:
www.sanctuaries.nos.noaa.gov
o Pretend that you work for a travel agency looking to bring tourists to the Key
West Sanctuary. Design a poster describing what wildlife a person might
encounter on their visit. Make sure to use plenty of details, pictures and vibrant
language.
Rewrite the ending to 1 of our 5 novels. Peer revision in class.
Wrap up-return papers etc.