Holes Writing Workshop Educator's Guide - Walden Media

1 SIGOURNEYWEAVERSIGOURNEYWEAVERPATRICIAAR QUETTEJONVOIGHTJONVOIGHTPATRICIAARQUETTE TIM BLAKENELSONTIM BLAKENELSONW riting WorkshopEducator sGuideNOVEMBER 13, 2003A EVENTDear Teacher,Thank you for participating in the HolesWriting Workshop . Your class will have theunique opportunity to become part of a virtual classroom that connects thousands of students across the nation. We hope this interactive experience will inspire yourstudents to embrace the Writing process and motivate them to become better writers. The HolesWriting Workshop Educator s Guide includes: An easy three-step approach to prepare for the Workshop An agenda A pre- Workshop lesson plan and student handouts Valuable Writing resources Details on the follow-up Writing contestThese materials will help you prepare for this event and will hopefully make thisexperience truly enjoyable and edifying for your would appreciate any suggestions or comments you might have on the HolesWriting Workshop and on the accompanying educational materials after attending the event.

2 Please email us at wishes, Walden MediaIMPORTANT DATESO ctober 30th-November 12th:Step 1: PreparationNovember 13th:Step 2: HolesWriting WorkshopNovember 14th-December 4th:Step 3: HolesFictional-Memoir Writing ContestDecember 5th:Submission deadline for Writing contestJanuary 15, 2004:Winners announcedCONTENTSW riting Workshop AgendaUseful ReferencesStep 1: PreparationStep 2: Writing WorkshopStep 3: Plan, Draft, Revise, Edit & PublishFictional-Memoir Writing Contest Submission InformationStudent Handout:Zero The Hero, Trout The Lout Character StudyStudent Handout:Turn & Talk WorksheetStudent Handout:HolesFictional-Memoir Writing ContestStudent Handout:Peer Revising2233456789 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSCREATED BY THE Walden Media EDUCATION GROUPB arbara Byrne, , Jean Kwon, , Randy Testa, SPECIALIST CONSULTANTSJo-Ann Rogers, Literacy SpecialistTaft Middle School, Brighton, MABoston Public SchoolsElizabeth Hale, Literacy SpecialistThomas Kenny School, Dorchester, MABoston Public SchoolsWRITING AND TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST REVIEWERSS usan BeecherSecondary Languages Arts and Reading SpecialistOrange County, Florida Public SchoolsChristopher Dede, E.

3 Wirth Professor in Learning TechnologiesHarvard Graduate School of EducationJudith Moore Kelly, DirectorDC Area Writing ProjectHoward UniversityNational Writing ProjectUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeley, CASpecial thanks to: Walden Media Micheal Flaherty, Karin LeMaire Crounse,Erin Mackey, Deborah Kovacs, Chip Flaherty, ChipTerry, and Dennis Rice. Regal Cinemedia Raymond C. Nutt, Dan Diamond,Lutrell Golden, Timm Walsh, Amy Donovan, SandraPrice, Krista Gumm, Kelly Morrison, and Lauren Guide may be reproduced for educational purposesonly. Cover art reprinted courtesy of Buena VistaHome Entertainment, Inc. 2003 Buena Vista HomeEntertainment, Inc. and Walden Media , LLC. All rightsreserved. Stills, text, and design 2003 WaldenMedia, LLC. Walden Media , Reel Thinking and theirrespective logos are trademarks of Walden Media ,LLC.

4 All rights reserved. 1 National EducationStandardsThe HolesWriting Workshop and itsextended activities correlate to thefollowing NCTE/IRA Standards: Standard 4: Communication SkillsStudents adjust their use of spoken,written, and visual language ( ,conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes. Standard 5: Communication StrategiesStudents employ a wide range ofstrategies as they write and usedifferent Writing process elementsappropriately to communicatewith different audiences for a variety of purposes. Standard 6: Applying KnowledgeStudents apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions ( , spelling andpunctuation), Media techniques,figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discussprint and non-print Workshop AGENDAT hursday, November 13, 20031.

5 Welcome to the Writing Workshop :Moderated by Willow Bay2. Digging the First hole : Creating Memorable Characters:Willow Bay introduces Holesauthorand screenwriter Louis Sachar and Holesdirector Andrew Davis, who will discuss character Video clip:D-Tent Boys Screen Test4. Turn & Talk #1:The moderator will prompt students to turn to their neighbors and discuss the first Turn & Talktopic: Write down one characteristic of each of the boys shown in the video clip. See the Turn & Talk Poll:The moderator will prompt students to applaud for their favorite D-Tent character. Poll results will berevealed at the end of the event. 6. Video clip:Digging the First Hole7. You re to Dig One hole Every day: Write! Write! Write!:Louis Sachar and Andrew Davis discusswriting and peer Video clip:Bully9.

6 Turn & Talk #2:The moderator will prompt students to turn to their neighbors and discuss the second Turn &Talk topic: Write down three of the Writing tips that Louis Sachar and Andrew Davis discussed. See the Turn &Talk Fictional-Memoir Writing Contest:Louis Sachar introduces this follow-up Writing questions from students will be asked throughout the Workshop . See the question submission flyerfor more details on how your students can participate!Duration: 85 minutes 2003 Walden Media , REFERENCESC heck out these useful references for further information on Writing : BOOKSC alkins, Lucy McCormick. The Art of Teaching Writing .(Portsmouth: Heinemann,1995). This book will inspire teachers and parents to writeand read with children. Graves, Donald H. Writing : Teachers & Children at Work,20th Anniversary Edition.

7 (Exeter: Heinemann, 2003). This is the 20th anniversary edition of a book that is aclassic. See also Graves web site: Meyer, Verne, Patrick Sebranek, Dave Kemper, andChris Krenzke (illustrator). Write Source 2000: A Guideto Writing , Thinking and Learning.(Boston: GreatSource Education Group, 1999). This book is a great resource for teachers and studentson the conventions of Writing and the Writing process. National Writing Project and Carl Nagin. BecauseWriting Matters: Improving Student Writing in OurSchools. (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2003). This book addresses ways to teach Writing effectivelyand provides step-by-step recommendations for creating successful Writing programs in schools. Weber, Chris. Publishing with Students: A ComprehensiveGuide.(Portsmouth: Heinemann, 2002).This book provides helpful ways to motivate studentsto write by empowering them via publishing.

8 See alsoWeber s web WEB SITESN ational Assessment of Educational Progress. TheNation s Report Card: 2002 Assessment Results on Writing . Read the results of the 2002 nationalassessment on Writing : Writing Project The mission of the National Writing Project is to improvethe teaching of Writing and to improve learning in thenation s schools. HOLESIS ALSO AVAILABLE ON DVD AND 1: PREPARATIONO bjectives: To introduce the book Holesto students To investigate character traitsTeacher prep (Ideally to be completed at least one week prior to the Workshop )1. Read Holesaloud with your class. Direct students attention to chapters 5 and 9, which describe the D-Tent Discuss the characters in Holes . Focus on the variouspersonalities of the D-Tent Turn & Talk moments will take place during the Writing Workshop .

9 Students will be asked to turn totheir neighbors and discuss a question posed to themon their Turn & Talk Worksheet and reiterated on the theatre screen. To familiarize your students withthese interactive learning opportunities, use the following prompt:a. Prompt: Can you think of at least three adjectivesthat describe Stanley s character? Take a momentto think about your adjectives and write them down. Then turn to the person sitting next to youand share your thoughts. Discuss quietly. You havetwo Review the Turn & Talk Worksheet to prepare yourself and your students for completing theseexercises during the Use the lesson, Zero The Hero, Trout The Lout Character Study, found in the back of this Guide to examine the character traits of the D-Tent boys. a. Copy the worksheet chart onto the blackboard andfill it in with the students.

10 Use Trout Walker as an Instruct students to think about the character ofTrout Walker. Then work toward the topic of char-acter traits. Start with a problem or idea, and thendiscover the solution or answers along the in the story do these character traits revealthemselves?5. Go over the agenda of the HolesWriting Workshopwith your students. STEP 2: HOLESWRITING WORKSHOPO bjectives: To acquire Writing and revising tips from an award-winning author and director To practice critical listening and viewing skills To practice note takingTeacher prep (To be completed the day before the HolesWriting Workshop ) 1. Ask your class what they hope to take away from this event. What do they hope to learn ( Writing tips,examples of revising, etc.)? Write their responses on the Review the student-prep steps below with your Make copies of the HolesWriting Workshop Turn & Talk Worksheet to bring to the theatre.