Holes Chapter 6 Worksheet

Name:

Date:

📚 Part 1: Understand the Chapter

Learning intention: I can explain what happens in Chapter 6 and make and justify inferences about characters, themes, and ideas.

Curriculum alignment: NZ Te Mātaiaho English Year 7 reading — making and justifying inferences about characters, themes, and ideas (NZ-TMA-ENGLISH-Y7-7-reading-069-DOC151; NZ-TMA-ENGLISH-Y7-7-reading-073-DOC151).

Support tip: Read each question slowly. Underline key words and use brief notes before writing your answer.

1. Vocabulary matching: Match each word with its meaning. Write the correct letter beside each word.

a. curse ______

b. promise ______

c. outlaw ______

d. stranded ______

e. misfortune ______

A. A person who lives outside the law

B. Bad luck or an unlucky event

C. A strong statement that you will do something

D. Unable to leave or get help

E. A belief that someone will suffer repeated bad luck

2. What family story helps explain why Stanley thinks his family may be cursed?

3. Who was Elya Yelnats, and what did he want?

4. What did Madame Zeroni do for Elya?

5. What promise did Elya make, and how did he break it?

6. What happened to Stanley’s great-grandfather?

7. Who was Kissin’ Kate Barlow, according to the family history?

✏️ Part 2: Infer, Explain and Create

Remember: An inference is an idea you work out from clues. Include a detail from the chapter as evidence.

8. Do you think Elya understood the importance of his promise at the time? Explain your inference using evidence.

Sentence starter: I think Elya did / did not understand because ______________________________.

9. What might the family curse represent besides bad luck? Give one possible interpretation.

Sentence starter: The curse could represent ______________________________________________.

10. How does the story of Kissin’ Kate Barlow create a feeling of danger or mystery?

Challenge: Explain how the family story affects the reader’s expectations.

11. Short response: Is Stanley’s family truly cursed, or do the characters use the word “curse” to explain difficult events? Give your view and support it with one detail from the chapter.

Sentence starters: I believe ____________________. One detail that supports this is ____________________.

12. Creative task: Write a diary entry from Stanley’s great-grandfather’s point of view. Describe what happened, how he felt, and what he believed about the family’s bad luck.

Include: first-person language, a date, feelings, and at least one detail from the chapter.

Support prompt: “Today I cannot stop thinking about …”

Challenge: Show his feelings through actions and description rather than naming every feeling.

✅ Teacher Answer Guide

1. a–E; b–C; c–A; d–D; e–B.

2. Stanley’s family connects a series of unlucky events with Elya’s broken promise to Madame Zeroni. The family has called this pattern a curse.

3. Elya was Stanley’s ancestor. He wanted to marry the woman he loved and sought help to improve his chances.

4. Madame Zeroni gave Elya advice and a piglet, with instructions that connected the piglet’s growth to a promise.

5. Elya promised to carry Madame Zeroni up the mountain and sing to her. He left without keeping this promise.

6. Stanley’s great-grandfather experienced serious misfortune, including being robbed by Kissin’ Kate Barlow. The family linked this to the supposed curse.

7. Kissin’ Kate Barlow was an outlaw known for robbing people. Her story adds danger and mystery to Stanley’s family history.

8–10. Accept thoughtful inferences supported by relevant chapter details. Answers may differ if the reasoning is clear.

11. Accept either viewpoint. Strong answers explain whether the curse seems real or whether it is a way for the family to explain hardship, and include evidence.

12. Look for a believable first-person voice, accurate chapter details, feelings, and a clear diary structure. Spelling should not be the main focus when assessing ideas.