Holes Novel Study

11-13 yrs old

Art and Design

Reading and Writing

Technology

Students collaborate in groups of 3-4 to create their interpretation of Camp Green Lake as described in the novel.

Submitted By: Robert LeBreton

December 17, 2018

Lesson Plan
My Notes

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Skills

Collaboration
Creativity

External References

Holes novel by Louis Sachar

Novel

Supporting Files

Task 1 Assessment

Self Assessment

Task 2 Assessment

Peer Assessment

Learning Objectives

Students will work cooperatively in a group during Minecraft: Education Edition lessons.
Students will construct a detailed 3D representation of a setting described in a novel.
Students will reference the text when adding detail to the 3D world they create.

Guiding Ideas

This lesson was created for a class of Year 6 students. The vast majority were familiar, and many very skilled, with Minecraft but they had never used it in the educational context.

Guiding questions for the teacher:

How well do my students search for detail in the text
What do my students understand about the setting for the novel?
Can my students use a program they associate with fun and leisure in a creative but learning focused task?

Guiding questions for the students:

What does Camp Green Lake look like?
What details can I find in the novel that I can add to my world?
How can I use Minecraft to create my vision of the world I read about in the novel?

Student Activities

Task 1: Establish the Camp

Aim: to recreate Camp Green Lake as described in chapters 4 and 5 and developed throughout the novel.

Making a plan

Students choose to be in groups 3 or 4
Group makes a list of buildings and structures that need to be in their world
Create a plan of implementation
Sketch their intended layout of the camp so all members agree on what it will look like • Allocate building jobs to team members.

Creating the world

One student creates world using “Block of Grass” template.
Worlds are created as “Creative” and “Peaceful”.
Students come into world using the server host’s IP address and work together to create Camp Green Lake

Task 1 Assessment

Students show the class around their Camp Green Lake world highlighting the structures they have built and the details they have added based on their understanding of the novel.
Teacher assessment against the Learning Objectives.
Students self-assess and reflect on their own and the group’s performance using the attached worksheet.

Task 2: Beyond Camp Green Lake (Continuation Task)

Students extend their world beyond the camp and add elements introduced later in the book.

Sam's boat – “Mary Lou”
“God's Thumb”
Mountains
Water and weeds
White cliffs
Holes
Water Truck

Students are challenged to introduce a game play element by hiding the items Stanley dropped on the way to “God’s Thumb; the shovel, the glass jars and the burlap sack

Students share their work with the class to and are encouraged to offer constructive, critical feedback to each other.

Students reflect on the success of the tasks and the skills and understandings gained.

Performance Expectations

Students:

Create and interactive in their Minecraft world in a respectful and collaborative manner.
Accurately create a detailed world using information from the novel.
Plan their work, negotiate and assign tasks and monitor progress throughout the tasks.
Use time effectively to maximise the amount of building they achieve in the allocated time.
Reflect on their learning and the effectiveness and cohesion of their group.