CONTENTS

Introduction Teachers Notes Cast of Characters Film/Book Synopsis About the Author Lesson 1 Storyboarding (symbolism, imagery and visualisation) Lesson 2 Casting (character, names and identity) Lesson 3 Poster/Advertisement Design (key ideas, phrases, images) Lesson 4 Past and Present (flashbacks and the interweaving of stories) Lesson 5 Perspective and Racism (writing an imaginary diary entry) Lesson 6 From Page to Screen (writing a screenplay from the book and performing it) Lesson 7 The Pitch (presentation of ideas, genre) Lesson 8 Selling the Film (marketing proposal, press release, ICT research) Lesson 9 Reviews (comparing film and book) Lesson 10 Fun Quiz - website Further Information

INTRODUCTION
Camp Green Lake is a camp for bad boys. If you take a bad boy and make him dig a hole every day in the hot sun, it will turn him into a good boy. That was what some people thought. (p.5) Holes is the uplifting story of Stanley Yelnats (played by newcomer Shia LaBeouf), a boy dogged by family bad luck and innocent of the crime that has caused him to be sent to a juvenile correctional facility. Is it just bad luck? Or could it be fate? Holes has been adapted from the book by award-winning Louis Sachar (one of the BBCs The Big Read Top 100), and has quickly taken its place amongst the classics of childrens fiction. Interweaving two stories from the past, brought together and resolved by Stanley in the present, Holes is a faithful and satisfying adaptation of a touching and funny book. This study guide is for teachers and students, and concentrates on the many layered themes of the story, looking at the film and book in conjunction, and considers the process of adaptation of one medium to another.

pictured on right: Stanley Yelnats 2003 Walden Media, LLC

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TEACHERS NOTES
KS3 Framework references are listed below and are specifically Year 8 teaching objectives, but the tasks can be easily adapted to suit different year groups and abilities across the key stage. This digital resource is primarily for English/Media studies, although there are many elements that can be taught in other lessons (see Further Information, p. 21). The initial lessons assume that students will be reading the book alongside the set tasks: chapter coverage is indicated at the beginning of each lesson, where appropriate. Teachers are left to their own discretion with regard to structuring reading time to coincide with the tasks. By the end of lesson 6 the reading of Holes should be complete; for lesson 9, students should have seen the film in advance. No time frame has been provided for lessons as tasks have been grouped by theme to accommodate differing lesson and reading times. Most tasks are designed to be group activities, but may be adapted.

National Curriculum/Framework for Teaching English References Lesson 1: Storyboarding (symbolism, imagery and visualisation)
Word: W9 Specialist vocabulary; W11 figurative language Reading: R5 trace the development of themes Writing: W8 develop an imaginative treatment; W10 organise and present information Speaking and Listening: SL11 recognise and build on other peoples contributions

Lesson 2: Casting (character, names and identity)

Sentence: S9 Adapt stylistic conventions Reading: R12 Independent reading; R5 Developing themes; R8 Meaning and media Writing: W8 Developing an imaginative treatment; W10 Organising and presenting information Speaking and Listening: L10 Using talk; S15 Drama in role; S4 Provide and explanation or commentary

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Lesson 3: Poster/Advertisement Design (key ideas, phrases, images)

Word: W11 figurative language; W12 formality and word choice Sentence: S9 adapting a stylistic convention Reading: R1 combining information Writing: W7 experiment with different language choices; W10 organise and present information Speaking and Listening: SL10 use talk to question, hypothesise, speculate, evaluate, solve problems

Lesson 4: Past and Present (flashbacks and the interweaving of stories)

Reading: R14 recognise the conventions of some common literary forms Writing: W10 organise and present information This lesson also addresses aspects of numeracy

Lesson 5: Perspective and Racism (writing an imaginary diary entry)

Sentence: S1 combine clauses; S2 sentence structures; S3 punctuation; S4 tenses Reading: R6 recognise bias and objectivity; R15 texts and their times Writing: W2 re-read work and revise; W6 figurative language; W7 language choice

Lesson 6: From Page to Screen (writing a screenplay from the book and performing it)
Reading: R5 development of themes; R6 recognise bias and objectivity Writing: W8 imaginative treatment Speaking and Listening: D16 collaborate in, and evaluate, the presentation of dramatic performances

Lesson 7: The Pitch (presentation of ideas, genre)

Writing: W8 imaginative treatment; W10 organise and present information; W13 present a case persuasively Speaking and Listening: S3 formal presentation; S4 commentary; L6 own skills as listeners; G9 group talk

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Lesson 8: Selling the Film (marketing proposal, press release, ICT research)
Sentence: S8 use of stylistic conventions; S9 adapting stylistic conventions Reading: R1 combine information; R2 independent research Writing: W5 commentary and description in narrative; W13 present a case persuasively

Lesson 9: Reviews (comparing film and book)

Sentence: S8 stylistic conventions Reading: R1 combine information; R3 make notes; R5 trace the development of themes; R6 recognise bias and objectivity; R8 how meanings change when presented in different forms Writing: R18 write a critical review Speaking and Listening: L7 listen for a specific purpose

For all lessons

Visit: www.filmeducation.org and www.holes.com

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CAST OF CHARACTERS
The Warden........................................Sigourney Weaver Mr Sir.................................................. Jon Voight Dr Pendanski......................................Tim Blake Nelson Stanley (Caveman).............................Shia LaBeouf Zero (Hector)...................................... Khleo Thomas Squid (Alan)....................................... Jake M Smith Armpit (Theodore).............................. Byron Cotton X-Ray (Rex)....................................... Brenden Jefferson Magnet (Jose).................................... Miguel Castro Zigzag (Ricky).................................... Max Kasch Stanleys Mother.................................Siobhan Fallon Hogan Stanleys Father..................................Henry Winkler Clyde Sweetfeet Livingston.............. Rick Fox Madame Zeroni.................................. Eartha Kitt Elya Yelnats........................................Damien Luvara Kissin Kate Barlow.............................Patricia Arquette Sam.................................................... Dul Hill Trout Walker....................................... Scott Plank

pictured on left: Mr Sir, The Warden, Dr Pendanski; right: The Camp Green Lake Gang 2003 Walden Media, LLC

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FILM/BOOK SYNOPSIS
Stanley, an unlucky and bullied boy, is sent to a juvenile correctional facility at Camp Green Lake, deep in the Texas desert, when he is convicted of stealing a pair of sneakers belonging to Clyde Sweetfeet Livingston. On arrival he realises that this is no ordinary camp: here the boys must dig one hole per day, five feet across and five feet down in the blistering heat, with little water. The other boys, with their strange nicknames, are not initially friendly, but he becomes a part of their group, forming a special friendship with the quiet Zero. Stanley soon begins to wonder exactly why they are digging the holes in the bed of the dried-up lake especially as the Warden is uncommonly interested in anything that they find. Does it have anything to do with the outlaw Kissin Kate Barlow, who robbed Stanleys great-grandfather one hundred years ago? Can he escape from his inherited bad luck? After Zero runs away, Stanley must rescue his friend, solve the mystery and break the curse, once and for all. Locations: Early C19th, Latvia Late C19th, Green Lake, Texas Present day, Camp Green Lake

pictured on left and right: Stanley and Zero 2003 Walden Media, LLC

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Louis Sachar, author and screenwriter of the film and book, was born in New York in 1954. As a full-time writer, Louiss work-day routine includes shutting himself away in his study where he writes for two hours daily, with his dogs for company. Louis says that ...writing is a kind of self-hypnosis... (from www.kidsreads.com): he writes and re-writes his novels, and does not talk about his work in progress, even to his wife and daughter. He had his first childrens book published, Sideways Stories from Wayside School whilst he was still at college. After graduating as a lawyer, he continued to write fiction and eventually gave up practicing law to concentrate on his writing. He began writing the Marvin Redpost series when his daughter was four, which is why Marvin has a four-year-old sister. Louis wrote the screenplay for the film, as the director (Andrew Davis) was keen to make a faithful rendition of the book, and capture the special mix of comedy, mystery and sense of purpose that Louis conveys in Holes. He says that he had a wonderful experience making the film, and got to see the process from the beginning. He was most impressed with the amount of hard work that goes into film production: All you ever hear about movies is the glamour, hype, and stardom, but what I never realised is how hard everybody works. A lot of the movie was filmed in 100-degree heat. And members of the production company dug 450 holes in the Mojave Desert in California. (p. 13, The Holes Story: A Conversation with Louis Sachar by Kate Davis, Read Magazine, Vol. 52, No. 9, December 20, 2002) Louis has a small part in the film: watch out for his appearance.
pictured from left to right: Andrew Davis, Louis Sachar 2003 Walden Media, LLC

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LESSON 1: STORYBOARDING
(symbolism, imagery and visualisation)
Coverage: chs 1-7
Read these initial chapters of Holes and discuss the themes and imagery that become apparent in the first part of the book, for example how is Camp Green Lake described and why is this at odds with its name? Now read the following information about storyboarding and complete the task.

Storyboarding
Storyboarding is a process of visualising written text, with technical camera details added, to allow a director to convey his intentions on how he would like to film a particular scene. It looks rather like a comic-strip. Some of the technical information will refer to action, camera direction and lighting. Angles G straight-on angle G high angle (the camera looking down on its subject) G low angle (the camera looking up at its subject)

STORYBOARD What you can see What you can hear

Think about the affect that using these differently will have on the shot (will it emphasise the vulnerability of the subject if the camera is at a high angle looking down?) Level G level camera shot (where the horizon is horizontal) G tilting G panning
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Height of the Camera This will determine the perspective of the audience, so that if the point of view were that of a child, the cameras height would be close to the ground. Camera Distance from Subject G extreme long shot (for framing landscapes) G long shot (the character is at a distance, their whole body is in view) G mid shot (the character is shown from the knees/waist up, or full body if sitting) G close-up (shows character s head and shoulders, used to show character s facial expression) G extreme close-up (shows part of the face, lips to eyes, to convey emotion) G over the shoulder shot (view taken from over the shoulder of character, to show what he/she is seeing) G point-of-view shot (from character s pov) G two shot (shows two characters)

task
Now that you are familiar with the storyboarding process, turn to chapter 10 of Holes and storyboard the section beginning As long as the sun wasnt out yet (p.49 Bloomsbury 2000) to Hed found his miracle (p. 50). When you read each sentence try to capture what you see in your head; pick out the adjectives (descriptive words) and any descriptive sentences: think how you can show your imagination in pictures.

Visit: www.filmeducation.org and www.holes.com

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LESSON 2: CASTING
(character, names and identity)
Coverage: chs 8-17
Why are names so important in the story? All of the boys have unusual nicknames: X-Ray, Magnet, Armpit etc. Why do their nicknames suit each character? Why is it important that Stanleys name is a palindrome (a word that is spelt the same backwards as it is forwards)? Do you think Caveman is an appropriate name for Stanley?

task Link the actual name of the boy, his nickname and a personality trait that he possesses.
Find textual evidence (quote page numbers) to support your reasons.

Alan Theodore Rex Magnet unpredictable Zigzag Jose Ricky steals things poor eyesight Armpit
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Squid mean smelly

X-Ray

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task In groups, imagine that one of you is a character from Holes, the rest of the group will ask
your character questions and you must answer in character. (Note to teachers: you may feel that you are best able to fill this role, perhaps taking the persona of one of the adults in the story, Mr Sir or Pendanski?)

task
You are the casting agent for the production company that is to make Holes into a movie. Make suggestions for possible actors for each role, allowing for appearance, voice, demeanour and behaviour. Now write an advertisement for the role to be placed in an industry magazine.

Visit: www.filmeducation.org and www.holes.com

pictured on left: Mr Sir, right: The Camp Green Lake Gang 2003 Walden Media, LLC

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LESSON 3: POSTER/ADVERTISEMENT DESIGN

(key ideas, phrases, images)

task
Design a poster for Holes: make a list of the key elements of the story (e.g. digging holes, buried treasure, an ancient family curse) and pick a striking image from the film. What do you want to convey to the audience? How will you entice people to come and see the movie? Think about the kind of language used in movie advertising. Things to include: G title G stars G tag-line G credits - the name of your production company (Walden Media and Buena Vista International (UK) Limited), website address etc. G release date Often the tag-line of the film is as important as the image on the poster, as its object is to condense the essence of the film in one memorable phrase (for example: Men in Black 2 - Same Planet; New Scum or Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers - A new power is rising). Make up your own tag-line, perhaps using a quote from the book.

Visit: www.filmeducation.org and www.holes.com

pictured on top and middle: Stanley and Zero; bottom: Stanley 2003 Walden Media, LLC

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LESSON 4: PAST AND PRESENT

(flashbacks and the interweaving of stories)
Coverage: chs 18-28
Holes has three stories interwoven: Elya Yelnats, Stanleys no-good-dirty-rotten-pigstealing-great-great-grandfather, who is cursed by the gipsy; the story of Kissin Kate Barlow, a school teacher who became an outlaw; and Stanleys imprisonment at Camp Green Lake. Why does the novel switch between the stories? What do you think are the connections between them? How do we know that the time and location have changed? In film, this convention is called flashback. Can you think of examples of films where this has been used? How did the director convey to the audience that the setting had changed? Was the lighting or mood different? Is the past filmed in black and white? What affect did it have on the film as a whole?

task
Make a timeline of the three different storylines, plotting the events on a chart and making a note of where (and when) they cross over. Using flashback affects the order in which the story is told; why do you think Louis Sachar wrote Holes in this way?

Visit: www.filmeducation.org and www.holes.com

pictured: Stanley and Zero 2003 Walden Media, LLC

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LESSON 5: PERSPECTIVE AND RACISM

(writing an imaginary diary entry)

Coverage: chs 29-39

When asked how he creates believable characters, Louis Sachar replied: I put myself in their situation. I try to figure out what Stanley would be thinking. You always have to imagine what your character would be feeling and thinking, to see yourself as the character. (p. 15, The Holes Story: A Conversation with Louis Sachar by Kate Davis, Read Magazine, Vol. 52, No. 9, December 20, 2002)

sk taRead chapters 25 and 26 carefully. Imagine that you are Katherine Barlow and write a
diary entry for her the day after she killed the sheriff, explaining her actions and describing her feelings. Think about her relationship with Sam and the townspeoples reactions to it and the consequences for the town after Sam is killed.

task EXTENSION TASK:

Imagine that you are a director and have been asked to guest direct an additional scene that will be included on the DVD release. In the scene serene teacher Katherine Barlow (played by Patricia Arquette) transforms herself into outlaw Kissin Kate Barlow. Write down instructions for her to follow whilst she acts out the scene. How she should act angry, upset, determined and why? What is her motivation? Remember to include how she should use props, like her new outlaw clothes, during the scene . Would she treat them gently, as she would a silk dress?
pictured: Mr Sir 2003 Walden Media, LLC

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LESSON 6: FROM PAGE TO SCREEN

(writing a screenplay from the book and performing it)
Coverage: chs 40-50

task Pick a chapter from the book that you think is particularly dramatic. Turn the prose into
a screenplay (this will include dialogue and direction). How will you convey what is going on without the presence of a narrator? How much dialogue does the scene need? Do you need to add more or change anything from the book? Remember to include any particular directional instructions such as camera angles and lighting (remembering the techniques you used for storyboarding). As you will be performing this scene, take into account any props you may need. Think of any instructions you would give an actor who is using your screenplay (what are the characters feelings at this moment in time?).

task
Now perform your scene in front of another group. Discuss how you could have done it differently and whether or not you captured the meaning and emotional impact of the scene as it is described in the novel.

Visit: www.filmeducation.org and www.holes.com

pictured: Stanley 2003 Walden Media, LLC

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LESSON 7: THE PITCH

(presentation of ideas, genre)

task
Now that you have finished reading Holes you should have a good idea of the type (or genre) of book that it is. How would you describe it? Is it an adventure story? A comedy? Or a mixture of several different genres? Think back to Lesson 3 when you designed a poster for the film version of the book; what were the key words you used to describe the story on the poster? The original title of the book was Wrong Time, Wrong Place, Wrong Kid. Why do you think it was renamed Holes? Is this a better title? Can you think of a better one?

task To get a movie made the writer or director will need the backing of a producer to
provide the finances needed to put the project into production. Sometimes the producer is part of a studio: in the case of Holes, the studio that produced it was Disney. The initial meeting between the people with the idea for the film and the potential backers is called a pitch. Now imagine that you have the idea to turn Holes the book into Holes the film; you must now sell your idea to the producer as concisely as you can. You do not have long, as the producer is a busy person and has many people to see. In pairs, come up with a short presentation (no longer than three minutes) in which you describe the essential elements of the book (the synopsis), why it is a story worth telling and who the audience might be. Remember that the film must have the potential to make money, and therefore must appeal to a large audience. (Note to teachers: it may be worth showing the clip from The Player (1992: Dir. Robert Altman, Certificate 15) where the writer describes his script in terms of other films. Remember to point out that this is satire!) You could use your poster design and your storyboard as part of your presentation if you wish. Now present your pitch to the rest of the class. Afterwards discuss what makes a good pitch. Are the types of words used very memorable? Or, are the images more important?

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LESSON 8: SELLING THE FILM

(marketing proposal, press release, ICT research)

sk taHoles the movie has been made: imagine that you are part of the post-production team
that must sell the movie to the prospective audience. Think of the different ways in which you find out about a movie before it is released: television, the internet, poster campaigns, interviews in magazines etc. Now brainstorm all of the possible media outlets you will have to target to ensure as many people as possible know about your film. (Remember that the film came from a popular book, so you should publicise that as well, with a tie-in edition etc.) Its UK release date is scheduled for October 24, 2003. Why do you think this date was picked? What other films are being released around this time? (Visit www.launchingfilms.co.uk)

sk taNow consider who you will be targeting in your publicity campaign: who is your target
audience? Why? How will you reach this audience through the media? For this task you will need internet access. Online, research all the different kinds of advertising you can find relating to the film/book of Holes (visit www.holes.com). Can you think of something that does not appear to have been done?

sk taEXTENSION TASK:
Often the first, or most memorable time we hear about a film is through a trailer. Design a trailer for Holes, detailing which scenes from the film you would use and why; write the script for a voice-over and describe the kind of music you would use (if any). Remember to include all the information that the audience will need and will encourage them to see the film. A trailer is a taster of a movie, so you should not reveal too many things about the plot; tease your audience by giving them small pieces of information and make them want to find out more. Visit: www.filmeducation.org and www.holes.com 17

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LESSON 9: REVIEWS
(comparing film and book)
Coverage: Book and film

task Now watch the film. Make notes on anything that is different from the book. Is it better
or worse? Why? Did the film live up to your expectations? Write a review for your school newspaper, comparing the two. Point out the differences between them and evaluate the success the film had in bringing the issues and themes of the book to light. Did the actors do justice to Sachars characters? Were there any scenes in the film that you thought were particularly well done? Did the film adaptation make you consider the book any differently? Finally, give the film a star rating.

Visit: www.filmeducation.org and www.holes.com 18

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LESSON 10: FUN QUIZ

For the interactive quiz to test your knowledge of Holes click here on the link to:

www.filmeducation.org

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FURTHER INFORMATION
Cross Curricular Topics
PSE There are many issues in Holes that can be discussed in PSE lessons: G G G G G punishment and juvenile delinquency illiteracy racism bullying homelessness

www.channel4.com/learning has good resources for PSE lessons, especially for lawrelated subjects. History In History lessons, Holes could be used as a springboard for exploring aspects of slavery and the Wild West. www.espresso.co.uk www.civilrightsmuseum.org http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award97/codhtml/hawphome.html Geography Holes is set in the arid Texas desert. Check out the following websites for more information: www.netstate.com/states/intro/tx_intro.htm www.texas.gov Science For information about desert life try: www.cdri.org www.brainpop.com/science/ecology/desert/index.weml www.eduscapes.com/nature/lizard/ www.ub.ntnu.no/scorpion-files/ www.42explore.com/snake2.htm
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Information on onions can be found at: www.magicvalleygrowers.com/history.html www.sunspiced.com/ohistory.html Information on inventions: www.howthingswork.com www.greatachievements.org/ ICT and Media www.holes.com www.walden.com www.kidsreads.com www.filmeducation.org Related Holes Publications Holes: The Official Movie Scrapbook, Kovacs and LeMaire, (New York: Barnes and Noble Books, 2003)

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