Holes

Author: Louis Sachar

Publisher/Date: Frances Foster Books, 1998

ISBN: 0-440-41480-6

Grade Levels Recommended for Use: 6-8

Brief Summary: Stanley Yelnats is sent to a horrible correctional camp in the Texas desert where he finds his first real friend, a treasure, and a new sense of himself.

Topics: ratio, proportion, data collection, percent

Suggested Activities:

1. Compose several configurations of ratios using spiders, and lizards and have students solve. For example: If you have spiders to lizards at the ratio below and have 12 lizards, how many spiders do you have?

2. Hand each student a bag with 20 M&Ms. Students will sort and classify by color. They will then record data on a simple chart, with colors down the left hand side. Students will then use data to figure ratios. Have students pair up and combine data and refigure ratios. Have team do the same. Next create a chart for the entire class and refigure the ratios.

3. Have students research to find out why there was a period of years that no Red M&Ms were made. When did they start including red M&Ms in the packages again?

4. Nerf Ball Toss: You will need a Nerf ball and 20 index cards that have been labeled 1-20. Students will take turns drawing a card, and shooting the Nerf ball into a basket (or box) the number of items indicated on the card. Other students will record ratios. Example: if a student draws the #20 and only makes 10 of the shots, the ratios is 10:20, or ½, or 50 percent. Play may continue until all students have had a turn.