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Fifth Grade Summer Reading Assignment
Dear Fifth Grade Students,
For the first part of your summer reading assignment you will be required to read
Holes, by Louis Sachar. Holes is an exciting novel about a boy named Stanley
Yelnats who is sent to Camp Green Lake as punishment for a crime he didn't
commit.
As you read Holes you will be required to complete a variety of activities. Itwill be
easier to complete these activities as you are reading the novel instead of waiting
until after you finish reading. I highly recommend that you look through the
activities before you start reading the book. If you are familiar with the questions
that you are being asked beforehand, it is much easier to find the answers as you are
reading!
Many of the activities in this packet will require you to write a short answer
response. These responses will help you get ready for the responses you will have to
write this year in 5th grade. In 5th grade we use an R2D2 strategy when answering
short response questions. These R2D2 responses require you to go back into the
story and find details (evidence) in order to support your answer! This is a major
skill that we will be working on this year!
R: Restate or recall the question and RESPOND to the question being asked
2D: Give two details or examples from the text that support your response to the
question
2: "together"- write a concluding sentence that wraps up your response.
Example: What is the theme of the story "The Recital"?
The theme in the story, The Recital. is persistence pays off Kara practiced
her piano piece over and over again until she was able to master it!
According to the story, "Kara thought about giving up and switching to an
easier piece, but instead she decid ed to double her practice time."In
conclusion, the theme of The Recital is persistence pays off
If you need additional room for any of the responses, feel free to write your answers
on loose-leaf and attach them to the packet. Just make sure that you label the looseleaf pages by putting the activity number at the top of the page.
You will also read two informational texts about deserts. After reading each article,
you will have a few short answer questions to complete. When we return to school
in September, we will have discussions about the book and articles and write our
first essay of the year!
Please try your best on all of the activities in the packet. This entire packet should
come with you on the first day of school and will be handed in during your ELA
class.
Happy Reading!
I hope you have a wonderful summer!
Activity #1: Character Chart
Directions: To help you keep track of all the characters in Holes, use the book to complete the
chart below. Step #1: Under "character" write any of the character's nicknames. Step #2:
Under "Three Facts or Characteristics" make a list of three traits or events that involved this
character.
Character traits are words that describe the character's personality. Character traits are often
shown with descriptive adjectives, like patient, unfaithful, jealous, loyal, caring, or friendly.
When listing traits that describe each character, make sure that you also include a detail or
example that helps us understand why that character has that particular trait.
I encourage you to keep going back to this chart to add more details about each character as you
are reading the book.
Character Name
Stanley Yelnats
Zero
X-Ray
Three Facts or Characteristics
Squid
Magnet
Armpit
Zigzag
Warden
Kate Barlow
Elya Yelnats
Madame Zeroni
Mr. Sir
Mr. Pendanski
Clyde Livingston
Activity #2: Setting
The setting of a story is defined as where and when the story takes place.
The novel Holes takes place at a boys detention center, Camp Green Lake. Describe why the
name "Camp Green Lake" is misleading?
When does Holes take place? Does the time period change throughout the book?
Activity #3: Point of View
A story can be very different depending on the type of point of view it is being told in.
• If a character in the story is telling the story, the author is using first person point
of view. When the author uses this point of view, they use words such as "I" or
"we". In first person point of view, we only know what ONE character is thinking
• If none of the characters in the story are telling the story, and the narrator is
someone outside of the story, the author is using third person point of view. There
are three types:
- if the narrator only knows one characters thoughts and feelings, it is thirdperson limited point of view
- if the narrator knows more than one characters thoughts and feelings, it is
third person omniscient point of view
- if the narrator does not know any of the characters thoughts and feelings, it
is third person objective point of view.
The overall story of Holes is told from a third-person omniscient point of view because the
narrator is able to move back and forth between what is going on at Camp Green Lake and what
went on 110 years ago. However, within specific chapters the author uses a different point of
view.
He stayed in the tent to write the letter so Squid and the other boys wouldn't makefun of him
for writing to his mother ...
He stopped writing as Zero walked into the tent, then returned to his letter. He didn't care what
Zero thought. Zero was a nobody ... (page 81)
What point of view is being used in this passage? How do you know?
Activity #4: Conflict
The conflict is defined as the problem the protagonist, or main character, is facing in the story.
In Holes, Stanley is facing a major conflict. Describe the major problem or conflict that Stanley
is facing? (Hint: Where is Stanley and why is he there?)
Who does Stanley blame for his and his family's problems? Why?
Activity #5: Climax
The climax is the point in the story where all the events and actions come together and
something has to be done about the problem to resolve it.
How is the curse lifted off Stanley's family?
Activity #6: Resolution
The resolution of a story is when the problem the protagonist is facing is solved. The resolution
typically occurs at the end of a story.
After the curse is lifted what do Stanley and Zero
How does this find change their lives?
find?
Please read the following informational articles about Deserts and answer the questions
that follow.
DESERT
LOCATION: Although few animals and plants are adapted to the extremely dry desert life, the desert is a vital
biome. The desert is important because it covers about a fifth of the earth's surface! There are both hot and cold
deserts. Antarctica is the largest desert in the world, while the Sahara in Africa is the largest of the hot deserts.
There are also deserts close to Santa Barbara, such as the Mojave the Colorado Desert, which encompass parts
of Southern California. In North America, there are four major hot, dry deserts, including the Mojave and the
Great Basin. Outside the U.S. hot, dry deserts are found in the Southern Asian realm, South and Central
America, Ethiopia and Australia.
Another type of desert is the coastal desert, for example, the Atacama Desert in Chile of South America. And
then there are cold deserts. That sounds pretty silly! Ifdeserts are supposed to be hot, how can there possibly be
a cold desert? Well these deserts are in places like Antarctica and Greenland where vegetation is sparse, just
like the more commonly known hot, dry deserts.
WEATHER: Weather is not the same in all deserts. The seasons in hot and dry deserts are usually very hot
during the summer and warm during the rest of the year. During winter these deserts get little rainfall. Rain is
often light, or in short concentrated bursts. Most of the time evaporation rates are faster than rainfall rates.
Sometimes the rain evaporates before even hitting the ground. This is the reason for the dry characteristic of this
type of desert. Coastal deserts are in moderately cool to warm areas. Coastal deserts usually have cool winters
followed by fairly long, warm summers. The temperature in the winters is generally 41°F (5°C) or below. In the
summer the weather heats up to between 55° and 75°F (12 and 24°C). Average rainfall is usually 3 - 5 inches (8
- 13 cm). The Atacama is the Earth's driest desert. In the Atacama 1 millimeter or more ofrain falls every 5 -20
years. Cold deserts have short, moist and moderately warm summers, and long cold winters like one could
expect in Antarctica. The winter temperature ranges from -5°F to -110°F (-20.5 to -79°C), and in the summer it
can be a nice, balmy, 32°F (0°C). The coldest day recorded in Antarctica was -l 13°F (-80.5°C)!
PLANTS: Deserts plants have many adaptations to survive in such a dry environment. They are good at storing
and finding water. Some plants have seeds that can stay dormant in the sand for a long time, until there is
enough rain for them to grow. In hot deserts, you'll often find Cacti. Cacti are great at storing water. With their
waxy coating, water can't escape and their spines protect them from being desert dinner. Their roots are shallow,
and widely spread so that any rain can be absorbed immediately! Some other plants you might find in the hot
desert are creosote bush, sagebrush, and ocotillo. Coastal deserts house a variety of plants. These plants must
adapt to minimal rainfall by having extensive root systems that come up to the surface to absorb any possible
rainfall, and go far down to absorb any water saturated in the ground. These plants also have very thick leaves
that can absorb and store water whenever it is available. The plants that live in coastal deserts include salt bush,
rice grass, black sage and chrysotharnnus. Plants can even live in cold deserts, but you won't find as many here
as in other types of deserts. Plants in cold deserts include algae, grasses, and plants with spiny thin leaves.
Usually these plants grow only in the summer.
ANIMALS: Deserts are a very important biome. No, not because of all the sand! Mostly because of all the
plants and animals that call the desert "home". Some animals that live in the hot desert are cold-blooded, like
snakes, insects, and lizards. Mammals that live in the desert are usually small, such as the kangaroo rat and kit
fox. Sometimes it's hard to survive in the desert. Some mice build their home out of fallen cactus spines to
protect themselves from predators like coyotes and hawks. In the Eritrean coastal desert in Djibouti, Africa,
animals like gazelles, skinks, geckos and dikdiks roam the desert. Fewer animals live in the cold desert. In
Antarctica, most of the animals live near the ocean shore. Because of their ice home, seals, penguins, and other
birds rely on fish, squid and other sea creatures for their food.
PEOPLE AND THE DESERT: People have a variety of uses for deserts. The desert is popular for tourism
and recreation. Often people visit to see the beautiful sand colors and rock formations. Many people enjoy
visiting the desert because it is a quiet place to get away from the business and noise of cities and spend time in
the open land. The desert offers many types of recreation, for example, rock climbing, hiking and dirt biking.
Mining, grazing, road building, and utility projects take place in the desert. Because of desert sensitivity, it is
important that desert uses be managed properly to protect the wildlife and habitat.
Taken from: http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/desert.html
1. Describe the two types of deserts.
2. How are plants able to survive in dry deserts?
3. Why do people go to deserts?
Desert Survival: 8 Simple Tips That Could Save Your Life
SEP 26, 2011 04:51 PM ET II BY DEREK MARKHAM
Do you have what it takes to survive in the desert in the event of an accident or emergency? Ifyou're thinking
of traveling anywhere among the vast arid stretches of our world, you may want to consider studying up on
some desert survival skills before you go. But you don't have to be a full-blown survival expert to stay alive in
the desert, as long as you can keep some important tips in mind.
While much of the survival mindset is the same no matter where you find yourself, survival in the desert is a
delicate balance between staying out of the heat of the day and staying warm during the cold nights, between
conserving the water you have and drinking enough of it to stay alive, and between stifling your feelings of
hunger and seeking out any source of food which will you keep you alive.
Here are 8 simple tips for surviving in the desert:
1. Keep a lid on it
It's been said that the biggest dangers in desert survival are exposure (to the sun during the day, and to the
cold during the night) and dehydration, and neither of these is to be taken lightly. One of the best defenses
against the sun is getting out of it, and barring that, to always having a big hat or other covering for your head
with you. Ifthe top of your head is exposed to the direct sun, or even indirect sun for long periods, your body
needs to work hard to keep itself cool, so the first rule in desert travel is covering up. Ifyou're caught without a
hat, use another article of clothing to wrap your head in, or if your skills are up to it, fashi on a 'hat' out of
appropriate materials at hand.
2. Get under cover
This goes hand in hand with the first tactic, covering your head, except this applies to the rest of your body as
well. Finding shade or constructing a shade shelter is one of the first priorities for desert survival, as keeping
out of the direct sun and not exerting yourself in the heat of the day will help to conserve water. The immediate
need will be for some temporary shade, and then when the sun starts to go down, you can construct a better
shelter. Depending on your location, there may be shade cast from small shrubs or cactus, or you may need to seek
a place which will shelter you from the sun for even a small part of the day -such as in a ravine or on the
north side of a rock outcropping. The general idea is to stay out of the dehydrating rays of the sun during the
day, and to travel or forage during the cooler hours of the morning or evening.
3. Don't drink the water
Actually, do drink the water, if you have it. Just don't guzzle it all at the first sign of thirst. A better tactic is to
ration it for yourself, taking smaller sips throughout the day. Assess your dehydration by the color of your urine
-if it's light-colored, you're probably OK, but if it it's dark, you need to drink some water. Ifyou do come
across water in the desert, use extreme caution before you start gulping it down -it may not be potable, and if
it's contaminated, you'll squander what meager water your body has stored the first time you vomit or have
diarrhea.
4. Stay hungry
The more you eat, the thirstier you'll get, so if you have food with you, take care to only nibble enough to keep
the hunger pains away and your energy up. Ifyou don't have water with you, you'll do much better to simply
not eat for now. Your body can survive much longer without food than it can without water, and the last thing
you want to do is increase your thirst.
5. Keep your cool
Panic is one of the most dangerous parts of any survival situation, so if you're able to calmly assess your
predicament and work out your next steps, you' 11 be able to head off a wild rush to get out of wherever you are
(and possibly into a much worse situation). Unless you know exactly where you are, you're probably much
better off staying put until you can either be rescued, or you have a better idea which direction to head (and
have assembled some protective sun gear to shade you during travel).
6. Make your mark
Ifyou have decided to make a move toward getting back to civilization, be sure to mark your original location
and direction of travel, using rocks, sticks, scratching it into the ground, etc., and if you have the means, leave a
message for anyone who might stumble across it. Before moving, take a sighting on a distant object in the
direction you're traveling, and use that landmark to keep you on track. Leave small rock cairns or arrows on the
ground at intervals, either for yourself to backtrack to, or for anyone who may come across your tracks and
could find you that way.
7. Keep your mouth shut
When moving about to find shelter or water, keep your energy expenditures as low as possible, to conserve both
what little moisture is in your body and what little food you may have eaten. Move slowly, try not to break a
sweat, and keep your mouth closed to slow the rate of dehydration from your breathing. Covering your mouth
with a bandanna or a piece of clothing will also help to slow the water loss.
8. Hunker down
Because daytime temperatures in the desert might fry you, by the time sunset rolls around, it's a huge relief. But
then comes the reality of nighttime in the desert. In many desert locations, once the heat of the day dissipates,
the temperature starts to drop, and drop, and drop, until you're now freezing. Shelter and warmth will go a long
way toward keeping your energy and spirits up in the desert wilderness, so finding a cozy spot to hunker do wn
before it gets cold is almost as important as finding a shady spot during the day.
Taken from: http://news.discovery.com/adventure/survival/desert-survival-8-simple-tips-that-could-save-yourlife.htm
1. Why is it important to cover your head in the desert?
2. Why is it not a good idea to eat a lot when you are out in the desert?
3. Why do you need a shelter at night when you're in the desert?