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Holes: an Interdisciplinary Movie Guide for Middle Grades Created Page | 1 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 Page | 2 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) Page | 3 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. Page | 4 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. 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 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. Page | 5 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. 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. 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. Page | 6 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) Page | 7 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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