Holes Lesson 16: Racial Segregation - Lesson Plan

In Lesson 16 of the 'Holes' novel study, the learning objective is to delve into the historical and social context of the story, with a specific focus on racial segregation in 19th Century America. The lesson aims to enhance the students' understanding of the setting and themes within the narrative by exploring this pertinent issue. To achieve this, students will engage in a research task culminating in the creation of a PowerPoint presentation, thus assessing their progress in grasping the social and historical backdrop of the novel.

The lesson is structured to cater to different learning needs and outcomes. Students are expected to gain a basic understanding of the story's context, with the opportunity to secure a more robust comprehension or even gain deeper insights into the social and historical underpinnings of the narrative. Differentiation is facilitated through the editing of PowerPoint materials, varying levels of scaffolding, and balancing teacher guidance with independent learning. The lesson begins with a collaborative starter activity where students discuss the concept of racial segregation. The main teaching activity involves a 40-minute task where pupils use ICT or library resources to create a fact file or multimedia presentation. An extension activity encourages them to refine their presentations by enhancing the layout and employing emotive language for greater impact. The lesson concludes with students saving their work and being assigned the completion of their presentations as homework, incorporating peer and self-assessment methods.