BEFORE YOU DIG IN
HOLES PRE-ACTIVITY
BLURP OF THE
NOVEL
Holes follows Stanley Yelnats, a boy who seems to be cursed with bad luck. After
being wrongfully accused of stealing a pair of shoes, Stanley is sent to a
mysterious camp called Camp Green Lake, which is not a traditional camp with
fun activities, but a place where boys are forced to dig holes every day. The story
is full of twists, exploring themes like justice, fate, friendship, and family. Stanley’s
journey at the camp uncovers strange connections between his family’s history
and the mysterious events happening at the camp.
CHARACTER
GLIMPSE
Stanley Yelnats: The main character of
Holes. Stanley is an awkward and shy
boy who is sent to Camp Green Lake,
even though he didn't commit the crime
he's accused of. He is determined to
survive the harsh conditions of the camp
and, as the story unfolds, he discovers
his family’s history and its connection to
the camp.
CHARACTER
GLIMPSE
Zero (Hector Zeroni): A quiet,
lonely boy at the camp who is often
bullied but becomes an important
ally to Stanley. Zero is much more
capable than people realize, and his
relationship with Stanley plays a
key role in the story.
CHARACTER
GLIMPSE
Mr. Sir: One of the camp's staff
members who runs the camp’s
operations. He is tough and harsh,
and his interactions with the boys
show how difficult life at Camp
Green Lake is.
CHARACTER
GLIMPSE
The Warden: The
mysterious and
intimidating figure who
oversees the camp. Her
role and motivations
become clearer as the
story progresses.
ACTIVITY 1
Quick Write (5-7 sentences)
Based on the description and characters, write your thoughts on the following
questions:
1.What do you think the "holes" symbolize? Why might digging holes be a key part of
the story?
Answer: I think that “holes” sybolizes that the stories in our lives. Like digging holes, we can also dig holes in our
body. Digging holes in our body lets us uncover things that we may not know. Some of this things are things that
we may not understand
Digging holes is a key part of the story because I think that Stanley Yelnats, followed by the generation of
Yelnats have been doing that. In my thinking, I think that they have been uncovering mysteries of their lives. In
addition, it might also be that there’s something special underneath that Mr. Sir wants them to find
ACTIVITY 1
Quick Write (5-7 sentences)
Based on the description and characters, write your thoughts on the following
questions:
2.Why do you think the author included the idea of a family history being connected to
the camp? Answer:
I think the author included this because he and his family
experienced “ holes” in his life before. It could be that the
author’s figured something in their lives that they may not know.
This could also relate to Stanley Yelnats experience.
ACTIVITY 1
Quick Write (5-7 sentences)
Based on the description and characters, write your thoughts on the following
questions:
3.What do you predict will happen at the camp? Who might be the main character,
and what kind of challenges could they face?
Answer: I think that at the camp, Stanley Yelnats will discover something shocking
underneath. I also think that Stanley Yelnats and Zero is the main character. This is
because that Zero is an ally to Stanley, most probably becoming his best friend. The
challenges that they might face is digging holes because digging holes is a lot of work
ACTIVITY 2
Vocabulary Exploration
Here are some terms that might come up in the story. Look them up and write a short
definition for each one (you can use an online dictionary):
Fate
what happens to a particular person or thing,
Curse
a calling for harm or injury to come to someone
Justice
giving each person what he or she deserves
Mystery
something that baffles our understanding and cannot be explained
Camp (specifically juvenile camps or camps like the one in the novel)
A place for punishment for people to learn their mistakes
ACTIVITY 3
Personal Connection
Imagine you were sent to a camp like the one in Holes, without knowing why or what you’d be
doing. Write a short paragraph answering these questions:
How would you feel arriving at the camp? (Describe using 3 different appropriate emojis)
Answer
One day, my parents were sending me to a camp. I was extremely happy and excited! I
couldn’t wait any longer! In 30 minutes times, I reached at the camp. When I hopped
out of the camp, I took a look at the camp. It looked weirdly stranged; there was a
dried-up lake. Strangely, everyone was digging holes. Now, my hopes were vanished into
thin air
😲😕🙄
ACTIVITY 3
Personal Connection
Imagine you were sent to a camp like the one in Holes, without knowing why or what
you’d be doing. Write a short paragraph answering these questions:
What kind of thoughts might go through your head if you were told to dig holes
every day? (Give 2 thoughts)
Why am I doing this? It would feel pointless to just dig holes the
whole day. Wait, what if there’s something hidden in these holes.
Could it be a treasure that contains something special?
ACTIVITY 3
Personal Connection
Imagine you were sent to a camp like the one in Holes, without knowing why or what
you’d be doing. Write a short paragraph answering these questions:
What would you do to stay strong or survive in a situation like this? (Explain in 1
sentence)
Answer
In this situation, I would honestly pray and encourage myself
ACTIVITY 4
If You Could Dig A Hole...
Imagine you could dig a hole like the characters in Holes, but instead of finding
something related to the camp, you find something magical, strange, or funny.
Describe what you’d find at the bottom of your hole.
You must:
Draw it: Create a quick sketch or illustration of your magical or strange discovery.
ACTIVITY 4
1.Sketch it in your long book titled “If I could dig a hole... I’d want to find””
2.Take a photo of it and upload it here.
On a new page in your book,
1. Write today’s day & date.
2. The title “ If I could dig a hole.... I’d want to
find”
3. Sketch your work (Be creative & make it
vibrant)
REMINDER
TURN IN YOUR WORK ON
GOOGLE CLASSROOM BY THE
END OF THE LESSON
BY 3.30PM, 5TH FEBRUARY 2025
Thank You
