Re-enacting *Holes*

Overview

This 25-minute drama session invites 10-11-year-old students to explore characterisation, empathy, and narrative through re-enacting selected scenes from Holes by Louis Sachar. The activities align with the IE Curriculum Drama Framework focusing on:

• Exploring and developing dramatic skills (Physical and vocal expression)
• Engaging creatively with texts
• Building collaborative skills and communication

This lesson accommodates a class of 24 students.

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Curriculum Links

Junior Cycle Key Skills:

• Managing myself
• Communicating
• Staying well

Junior Cycle Level 2 Learning Outcomes (Drama Strand):

• Express feelings, ideas, and character through drama
• Use body language, facial expressions and voice to communicate ideas
• Work collaboratively in creating and presenting drama

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Dramatise key scenes from Holes using voice, gesture, and posture to convey character emotions and motives.
• Demonstrate empathy by understanding characters’ feelings and motivations through role play.
• Collaborate effectively in small groups to create a dramatic improvisation.

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Materials

• Copies/excerpts of key scenes from Holes (e.g., Stanley’s arrival at Camp Green Lake, the friendship between Stanley and Zero)
• Open space for acting
• Optional: simple props/costumes (e.g., hats, scarves)

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Lesson Structure

1. Engage & Warm-up (5 minutes)

• Quick physical and vocal warm-up playing “Emotion Statues”: call out emotions (e.g., frustration, hope, fear) and students freeze in poses showing that emotion.
• Connect this to Holes by asking: “What emotions might Stanley feel on his first day at Camp Green Lake?”

2. Scene Exploration & Group Assignment (5 minutes)

• Divide class into 6 groups of 4 students.
• Assign each group a different short scene excerpt from Holes.
• Read scene aloud with class together, highlighting important emotions & actions.
• Discuss briefly what the character’s perspective and motive might be.

3. Rehearsal & Role Developments (10 minutes)

• Groups rehearse their scenes focusing on:
  • Physicality (how to use body posture to show emotion, e.g., shrinking when scared)
  • Voice (tone, volume to express mood or character)
  • Interaction with others (eye contact, timing)
• Circulate and prompt groups with questions: “How does your character feel here? How can you show that without words?”

4. Performances & Peer Feedback (5 minutes)

• Each group performs their scene to the class (approx. 2 minutes each).
• After each group performs:
  • Class gives one specific compliment on expression/communication.
  • Teacher highlights effective use of voice and body language.

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Differentiation

• Support students who find verbal expression challenging by encouraging exaggerated physical expression.
• More confident students can add improvised dialogue or sound effects to enrich scenes.

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Assessment & Reflection

• Formative: Teacher observes group collaboration, characterisation skills, and emotional expression during rehearsal and performances.
• Peer: Positive peer feedback validates student participation and creative risk-taking.
• Self-Reflection (if time permits): Students share one thing they enjoyed or found challenging in portraying their character.

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Extension Ideas

• Create a storyboard or comic strip of their scenes.
• Rewrite a scene from another character’s perspective and perform it next session.

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This lesson plan encourages active, imaginative engagement with text while equipping students with lasting drama skills fully aligned to the IE Curriculum. It balances structured learning with creative freedom to ‘live’ the story of Holes.