Holes Lesson 14: Kissin' Kate Barlow - Lesson Plan

In Lesson 14 of the 'Holes' novel study, the learning objective is to delve into Louis Sachar's portrayal of the character Kissin' Kate Barlow. The lesson aims to build students' knowledge and understanding of this character through a combination of reading, discussion, the creation of a spider diagram, and a written task. Progress will be assessed by evaluating the students' participation in the discussion, the detail and accuracy of their spider diagrams, and the quality of their written work.

The expected outcomes of the lesson are tiered to cater for different levels of understanding. All students must gain a basic understanding of how Sachar presents Kate Barlow, while they should aim for a secure understanding. The more advanced goal is for students to gain deeper insights into the character's portrayal. To accommodate diverse learning needs, the lesson plan provides differentiation opportunities, such as editing the PowerPoint, adjusting scaffolding, and balancing teacher guidance with independent learning. The starter activity involves reading up to the end of Chapter 26 and discussing the characters, themes, and main events collaboratively. During the main teaching activity, the teacher will guide students in creating mind maps about Kate Barlow and then facilitate a writing task where students compose a paragraph about her. An extension question prompts students to consider why Louis Sachar included Kate Barlow's story in the novel. The lesson concludes with a plenary session for feedback and peer and self-assessment, ensuring constructive criticism and reflection on the learning outcomes.