Holes
Chapter 10 — Teaching Companion
Louis Sachar · Trailblazers 4th–6th
Coaching, not a script — and not an answer key: every question here has more than one defensible answer.
This chapter's big question
Stanley hides his fossil from the other boys, then hands it to Mr. Pendanski. Whom did he have more reason to trust?
The tension Stanley fears the boys will take his find, yet the counselor he trusts laughs it off and hands it back, while the boys take it and pass it around with interest.
Today's focus
Notice whom Stanley hides his fossil from, whom he shows it to, and what each of them does with it.
Two core ideas
- Stanley hopes his fossil will earn a day off, and he is afraid the other boys will take it.
- Mr. Pendanski says the Warden is not interested, and the boys pass the fossil around and look at it with interest.
The shape at a glance
Stanley wakes sore and starts his second hole, learning small ways to make the work hurt less. He finds a stone with a fish in it, hides it, and shows it to Mr. Pendanski at the water truck. Mr. Pendanski says the Warden is not interested in fossils, and the chapter ends with the boys passing the rock around.
A way in
Start with the moment Stanley hands Mr. Pendanski the rock instead of his canteen. Ask the student what Stanley hoped for.
Lesson plan
Retell The student tells the chapter back in order: the second morning, the fish in the rock, the line at the truck, Mr. Pendanski's answer, and the boys passing the fossil around.
Imitate the author After copying the passage, the student writes two sentences in the same pattern: one that begins with a guess about something found, and one that makes the guess clearer.
Debate Take sides on the big question: whom did Stanley have more reason to trust, the boys or Mr. Pendanski? Each side must use one quote from the chapter.
Purpose Close by asking why an author might let a boy find something wonderful and then let the grown-ups say they do not want it.
Easier Read the water-truck scene aloud together and talk through discussion questions 2 and 3 only.
On level Talk through all five discussion questions, then have the student write one critical-thinking answer with two pieces of evidence from the chapter.
Harder Ask the student to find one more place where Stanley expects one thing and gets another, and to add it to a critical-thinking answer.
Discussion
- Stanley thinks the second hole will “take a miracle,” and then finds a fish in a rock. What does the word miracle mean to him?Theme
What it asks It asks what Stanley means by a miracle: a rescue from the work, or something larger than that.
One reading
A miracle is a rescue: a way out of the digging for the day.
It would take a miracle.
If the Warden liked it, he would get the rest of the day off.
Another reading
A miracle is a small wonder: a fish where there was a lake, found in the dirt by a boy who was about to give up.
He thought he could see the shape of a fish, fossilized in it.
it was still hard to believe that this dry wasteland was once full of water
Listen for
- Says what Stanley hopes the find will do for him.
- Separates the find itself from what he wants it to bring.
If stuck
- What does Stanley say will take a miracle?
- What does he remember Mr. Sir and Mr. Pendanski telling him?
- What does Stanley think about the fish before he thinks about the day off?
A strong answer At first the miracle means getting through a hole he doubts he can finish. When he finds the fish, he links it to the day off the Warden might give him, so the miracle is a rescue. But the chapter also shows him looking at a fish where a lake used to be, which is a small wonder in itself. A strong answer says which meaning is stronger for Stanley and why.
- Mr. Pendanski had said a good find might earn a day off. Did Stanley have the right to expect one?Moral reasoning
What it asks It asks the student to weigh a promise that was not quite a promise, and whether a fair rule was kept.
One reading
Yes: he did what he was told and reported something interesting.
If he dug up anything interesting, he should report it to one of them.
“You know, you said if I found something interesting, the Warden would give me the day off.”
Another reading
No: the day off depended on the Warden, not on Mr. Pendanski or on Stanley.
If the Warden liked it, he would get the rest of the day off.
“Sorry, Stanley. The Warden isn’t interested in fossils.”
Listen for
- Says what the counselors told Stanley and who gets to decide.
- Gives a reason for the right to expect or not.
If stuck
- What were Stanley and the other boys told to do with an interesting find?
- Who decides about the rest of the day?
- What does Mr. Pendanski say when Stanley asks?
A strong answer Stanley did what he was told: he found something and reported it. But the day off depended on whether the Warden liked it, and Mr. Pendanski says the Warden is not interested in fossils, so what Stanley was promised was only a chance. A strong answer picks a side and says what a fair rule would sound like.
- Mr. Pendanski says “Interesting,” then asks for Stanley's canteen. How does that “Interesting” sound to you?Tone
What it asks It asks the student to hear the one-word answer and decide if it is kind, polite, bored or something else.
One reading
It is polite and a little kind: he looks twice and gives the rock back.
Mr. Pendanski looked at it again.
Mr. Pendanski laughed as he gave the fossil back to Stanley.
Another reading
It is a brush-off: he moves on to the canteen right away.
“Interesting,” said Mr. Pendanski. “Let me have your canteen.”
“What for?”
Listen for
- Says what the word and the next sentence do together.
- Notices what Mr. Pendanski does with his hands.
If stuck
- What does Mr. Pendanski ask for right after he says the word?
- What does he do with the rock?
- How would the word sound if he said it slowly?
A strong answer Mr. Pendanski looks at the fossil twice, says it is interesting and returns it, which is polite. But he asks for the canteen straight away and answers Stanley's question about the day off with “What for?”, so the word can sound like a brush-off. A strong answer says what it hears and points to the words around the word.
- The boys always line up in the same order, and Stanley takes the back. What do you think the line tells us about the group?Inference
What it asks It asks what a fixed line shows about how the boys get along, and what Stanley's place in it shows about him.
One reading
The line shows a pecking order, where each boy has a place and X-Ray is first.
They always lined up in the same order, Stanley realized, no matter who got there first.
X-Ray was always at the front of the line.
Another reading
The line is a habit that keeps things peaceful, so nobody needs to push.
Then came Armpit, Squid, Zigzag, Magnet, and Zero.
Stanley got in line behind Zero.
Listen for
- Says what the order means to the boys.
- Notices why Stanley is glad to be at the back.
If stuck
- Who is always first in the line?
- What does the chapter say about getting there first?
- Why is Stanley glad to be last?
A strong answer The boys line up the same way every time, whoever arrives first, so the order is settled and X-Ray's place at the front is part of it. That can show who counts for most among them, or it can simply be a habit that keeps them from arguing. Stanley slips in at the back and is glad, so the line also shows he is still new. A strong answer says what the order shows and cites it.
- The chapter ends with the boys passing the fossil around and Armpit saying “look at the little fishy.” Why might the author stop there?Author's choice
What it asks It asks why the author closes on the boys with the rock instead of Stanley's reaction, and what is left for the reader to decide.
One reading
It ends on a warmer note after Mr. Pendanski's answer, since the boys show some interest.
“See, look at the little fishy,” said Armpit.
“Cool,” said Zigzag.
Another reading
It leaves things open: the rock is out of Stanley's hands and one boy cannot see the fish at all.
Stanley saw his fossil being passed around.
“I don’t see nothing,” said X-Ray.
Listen for
- Says what the last lines add after Mr. Pendanski's answer.
- Notices that the chapter does not say what happens next.
If stuck
- Who has the fossil in the last lines?
- What does X-Ray say?
- What does the chapter leave out about what Stanley does?
A strong answer The boys give the fossil more attention than the counselor did, and Armpit even helps X-Ray find the fish, so the ending feels warmer. But the rock has left Stanley's hands, and the chapter stops before we learn what happens. A strong answer says what the ending makes the reader feel and points to a line.
Critical thinking
- Stanley's second hole goes a little better than his first. Using two pieces of evidence, explain what he has learned since yesterday.
What it asks It asks the student to find what Stanley has learned in a day, and to see whether it is about the work or about the camp.
One reading
He has learned better ways to dig and to spare his body.
He stepped on the shovel blade, and pushed on the very back of the shaft with the base of his thumb.
As he dug, he was careful to dump the dirt far away from the hole.
Another reading
He has learned how to look after himself at the camp, with his water and his find.
He’d learned to wait until he saw the truck, before drinking the last drop.
He tossed the rock, face down, beside his dirt pile, as if it had no special value.
Listen for
- Two separate pieces of evidence, not one told twice.
- A reason that says what the learning shows about Stanley.
If stuck
- How does Stanley use the shovel differently this morning?
- Where does Stanley put the dirt this time?
- What does he do with the water in his canteen?
A strong answer Stanley has learned how to dig: he pushes on the back of the shaft with the base of his thumb and dumps the dirt far from the hole. He has also learned how to look after himself: he waits for the truck before drinking the last drop and hides his find. A strong answer uses two pieces of evidence and says which kind of learning matters more to a boy at this camp.
- When Stanley finds the fish, he looks at the land around him. Using two pieces of evidence, explain whether his view of the land changes.
What it asks It asks whether the fish makes Stanley see the lake bed differently, or only as a way to a day off.
One reading
It changes: he stops seeing only a wasteland and sees a place that once held water and life.
He looked at the barren land all around him.
it was still hard to believe that this dry wasteland was once full of water
Another reading
It does not change much: his next thought is about the day off.
Then he remembered what Mr. Sir and Mr. Pendanski had both said.
He’d found his miracle.
Listen for
- Two separate pieces of evidence, not one told twice.
- Says what Stanley thinks first and what he thinks next.
If stuck
- What does Stanley say it is hard to believe?
- What does he think of right after he looks at the land?
- Can a person change his view and still think of his own needs?
A strong answer For a moment Stanley sees the lake bed as something more than a wasteland, because he finds it hard to believe it was once full of water. But his very next thoughts go to what Mr. Sir and Mr. Pendanski said and to his miracle, so his view of the land may not change much. A strong answer says how much the fish changes his view and uses two pieces of evidence.
- Magnet takes the rock while Stanley keeps staring at Mr. Pendanski. Using two pieces of evidence, explain what Stanley might be feeling.
What it asks It asks the student to guess at Stanley's feeling from what he does and says, since the chapter does not name it.
One reading
He is disappointed and cannot believe the answer, so he waits for Mr. Pendanski to change it.
“So do I get the rest of the day off?”
Stanley continued to stare at Mr. Pendanski.
Another reading
He is upset that his find has been taken and turned into a joke.
Mr. Pendanski laughed as he gave the fossil back to Stanley.
Stanley saw his fossil being passed around.
Listen for
- Two separate pieces of evidence, not one told twice.
- Says that the chapter does not name the feeling.
If stuck
- What had Stanley hoped to get for the fossil?
- What does Mr. Pendanski do when he gives it back?
- What does Stanley do while the boys look at the rock?
A strong answer Stanley had hoped the fossil would earn him the day off, and when Mr. Pendanski laughs and gives it back he keeps staring, so disappointment seems likely. He may also be unhappy to see his find passed from hand to hand. The chapter does not say what he feels, so a strong answer guesses from what he does and says, and uses two pieces of evidence.