3. Meet the Author - Louis Sachar Holes is an award winning book written by an author from Austin, Texas, Louis Sachar. Holes received the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature and the Newbery Medal. The popular book was turned into a movie. Mr. Sachar also wrote the screenplay for the Holes movie.

4. Meet Stanley Yelnats Stanley is a student, just like you! He is found guilty of a crime he did not commit. His bad luck can be traced back to an old family curse! Stanley is sent to a juvenile correctional facility in a West Texas desert as punishment for his crime. In this thematic unit you will find out more about Stanley, his friends, the curse, buried treasure, and the desert!

5. Making the “Hole” Connection Themes such as homelessness, bullying, and racism are explored in Holes. Holes also has real world connections to Texas history, math, and science. In science class, we will explore the harsh desert environment of West Texas. We will investigate the health hazards it presents to people living there.

6. Holes Science Topics Sunburns Onions Soil Composition Food Poisoning Shovels as Simple Machines

7. Major Holes Activities Decorating the 7th grade hallway as Camp Green Lake! Digging a hole on campus to examine soil composition! Guest speaker - Louis Sachar! Celebrating the end of the thematic unit by watching the movie Holes!