Holes · Garden Heights Academy
Part 3
for Holes · Part 3 · Chapters 15–21 · Book Part One: “You Are Entering Camp Green Lake”
a novel by Louis Sachar
This workbook is built on a solid pedagogical foundation, effectively integrating content and language learning based on the CLIL framework (Content and Language Integrated Learning), elevated by our unique 5th C — Connection — and an integrated Standardized Test section that weaves every SAT & TOEFL question type right into the novel, so learners build real test skills easily, naturally, and with fun.
💭 Before You Read · Just for Fun
No right or wrong answers — just think or chat about it: Have you ever taken the blame for someone else to protect them? And have you ever taught someone a skill, or been taught one, as part of a trade? What did each of you gain from the deal?
What Happens in Part 3
Stanley grows stronger and tougher at the camp. When Magnet steals Mr. Sir’s whole sack of sunflower seeds and it spills into Stanley’s hole, Stanley takes the blame to protect the others. Hauled before the Warden, he learns she does not care about the seeds at all — only whether he found anything valuable. When Mr. Sir complains, the Warden coolly scratches him with her rattlesnake-venom nail polish, showing how dangerous she is. Meanwhile, Zero offers to dig part of Stanley’s hole each day in exchange for reading lessons — and turns out to be a quick, clever learner.
What We Will Learn
| Literary Element | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Characterization | Revealing what characters are like through their actions — including the Warden’s cruelty |
| Conflict | A struggle a character faces — here, against the camp’s unfairness |
| Theme | A big idea that runs through the story — friendship and the power of reading |
Chapter Summary
| Chapter | Key Events |
|---|---|
| Ch.15 | Getting Stronger — Stanley is fitter and faster now and no longer dreads each day quite so much |
| Ch.16 | Sticky Fingers — Magnet steals Mr. Sir’s whole sack of sunflower seeds and passes it around |
| Ch.17 | The Spilled Sack — the sack ends up with Stanley and spills into his hole; Stanley takes the blame to protect the others |
| Ch.18 | Before the Warden — Mr. Sir drags Stanley to the Warden, but she only cares whether he found anything valuable |
| Ch.19 | The Nail Polish — when Mr. Sir complains, the Warden scratches his face with her rattlesnake-venom nail polish |
| Ch.20 | Zero’s Offer — Zero offers to dig part of Stanley’s hole each day if Stanley will teach him to read |
| Ch.21 | Reading Lessons — Stanley teaches Zero letters and words; Zero proves a quick learner, especially at maths |
Copyright Notice
Independent study guide by Garden Heights Academy. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Louis Sachar or the publisher. No text from the novel is reproduced. Students should read the original book.
Part 1
Vocabulary
Study 10 key words from Chapters 15–21, then answer each question.
Knowledge Bank · Environmental Science in Lizard Senses
Environmental Science · Lizard SensesBackground · Culture One of the boys, Zero, has never been taught to read . Around the world, millions of children miss school because of poverty or having no home, and never learn this basic skill. Sachar makes Zero brilliant at maths but unable to read, showing that being unschooled is not the same as being unintelligent — and that a true friend, like Stanley, helps by teaching. Background · The Desert & Its Science Sam sells onions and swears they cure almost anything. Real onions are a genuine folk antiseptic, rich in sulfur compounds that fight bacteria, and tough plants that hoard water and energy underground — which is why they grow where little else can, and why they later help keep the boys alive. Researchers connect lizard senses to camouflage by naming measurable changes. Comparing venom across lizard senses sites makes the explanation testable. The key principle is camouflage.
ⓘ Vocabulary words are selected to help you understand and complete this workbook. Some may not appear verbatim in the novel.
endurev.Ch.15
To suffer something hard patiently
“Stanley learned to endure the long, hot days.”
sturdyadj.Ch.15
Strong and not easily hurt or broken
“His arms had grown sturdy from digging.”
pilferv.Ch.16
To steal small things
“Magnet could pilfer almost anything with his quick fingers.”
reluctantadj.Ch.17
Unwilling; hesitating to act
“Stanley was reluctant to get the others in trouble.”
venomousadj.Ch.19
Full of poison; also very spiteful
“Her venomous nail polish could sting like a snakebite.”
wincev.Ch.19
To flinch or make a face from pain
“Mr. Sir winced as the scratch began to burn.”
illiterateadj.Ch.20
Unable to read or write
“Zero had grown up illiterate, with no one to teach him.”
bargainn.Ch.20
A deal in which each side gives something
“They struck a fair bargain: lessons for digging.”
diligentadj.Ch.21
Hard-working and careful
“Zero was a diligent student who never gave up.”
humiliatev.Ch.18
To make someone feel deeply ashamed
“Mr. Pendanski liked to humiliate Zero in front of the others.”
1Stanley has grown strong and is not easily hurt now. He has become —Ch.15
2To “endure” hardship means to give up at once.Ch.15
3Magnet steals small things with his quick fingers. To steal small things is to —Ch.16
4Fill in each blank with the correct word.Ch.17–20
Word choices:reluctantsturdybargainwince- some words will not be used
Stanley was to blame the others.
Later he and Zero made a fair .
5Something “venomous” is full of poison.Ch.19
6When the venom scratch burns, Mr. Sir flinches with pain. To flinch from pain is to —Ch.19
7Zero cannot read or write. He is —Ch.20
8A “bargain” is a deal in which each side gives something.Ch.20
9Fill in each blank with the correct word.Ch.18–21
Word choices:diligenthumiliateilliteratepilfer- some words will not be used
Zero is a learner.
Mr. Pendanski tries to him.
10To suffer the camp’s hard work patiently is to —Ch.15
Part 2
Comprehension
How well do you understand Chapters 15–21?
Knowledge Bank · Field Ecology in Lizard Senses
Field Ecology · Lizard SensesLanguage · Motif Spotlight Whenever the Yelnats family’s bad luck strikes, they blame it, half-joking, on a curse laid on a long-ago great-great-grandfather — and that curse comes back again and again through the book. A word or idea an author repeats until it gathers meaning is a motif . The curse motif does two clever jobs. It lets the family laugh off misfortune instead of despairing, and it stitches three time periods together, hinting that Stanley’s troubles today are tangled up with promises broken generations ago. Every time the curse is mentioned, the reader feels the past reaching into the present. Feel how a repeated phrase can make a story feel fated, as if events are bound by an old, unpaid debt. Watch for a line or idea that keeps returning in a book — the author is threading it through on purpose, and often the whole plot is secretly the story of that motif finally being resolved. The key principle is classification.
1Who steals Mr. Sir’s sack of sunflower seeds?Ch.16
2Stanley takes the blame for the spilled sunflower seeds to protect the other boys.Ch.17
3When Stanley is brought before the Warden, what does she actually care about?Ch.18
4The Warden scratches Mr. Sir with nail polish made with rattlesnake venom.Ch.19
5Put these Part 3 events in the correct order. Write 1–4 (1 = first).Ch.16–20
- The Warden scratches Mr. Sir with her venom nail polish.
- Zero offers to dig for Stanley in return for reading lessons.
- Magnet steals Mr. Sir’s sack of sunflower seeds.
- The sack spills into Stanley’s hole and Stanley takes the blame.
6What deal do Stanley and Zero make?Ch.20
7Zero already knows how to read very well.Ch.20
8What is Zero surprisingly good at?Ch.21
9The Warden is gentle and kind to the guards and the boys.Ch.19
10What does the Warden’s reaction to the seed theft reveal?Ch.18
Part 3
Literary Elements
Understanding HOW and WHY Sachar writes Chapters 15–21 the way he does.
Knowledge Bank · Literary Craft in Lizard Senses
Literary Craft · Lizard SensesAuthor’s Craft Sachar uses characterization (the venom nail polish reveals the Warden), conflict (Stanley against the camp’s unfairness), and theme (friendship as resistance). Learning to read matters because it gives Zero dignity in a system that has written him off. Background · Theme Beneath the camp’s cruelty, something good starts: Stanley and Zero begin to help each other. Sachar makes perseverance more than ‘trying hard’; it becomes the daily choice to keep your humanity in a place designed to humiliate you. A motif is a detail that returns with variation. Repetition invites comparison: what stays constant, what changes, and why the new context alters the detail’s emotional effect. In literary study, lizard senses can shape a lizard senses pattern without revealing its outcome. Details about camouflage and venom gain force through arrangement. In literary study, lizard senses can shape a lizard senses pattern without revealing its outcome. Details about camouflage and venom gain force through arrangement. The key principle is suspense.
📚 Literary Devices in This Part · definitions & examples
Characterization is revealing character through actions. The venom nail polish reveals the Warden’s cold cruelty in a single moment.Conflict is a struggle a character faces. Stanley struggles against the camp’s unfairness and the older boys’ jealousy.Theme is a big idea that runs through a story. Stanley teaching Zero to read points to ideas about friendship and the power of learning.
The questions below are mixed — not grouped by device. Decide which device each one is about.
1The Warden scratching Mr. Sir with venom shows how cold and dangerous she is. Revealing character through actions is called —Ch.19
2Conflict can be between a character and the unfair people or rules around them.Ch.17–21
3Fill in the blanks with the correct words.Ch.21
Word choices:themeidearhymefang- some words will not be used
A story’s big idea or message is its . Friendship and learning are each a big here.
4Stanley struggles against the camp’s unfairness and the boys’ jealousy. A struggle like this is called —Ch.17
5A theme is a big idea or message that runs through a story.Ch.20–21
6Fill in the blanks with the correct words.Ch.19
Word choices:characterizationcruelrhymevenom- some words will not be used
Revealing character through actions is . The Warden’s act shows exactly who she is.
7Stanley teaching Zero to read points to a big idea about friendship and learning. A story’s big idea is its —Ch.21
8A single cruel action can reveal a lot about a character.Ch.19
9Fill in the blanks with the correct words.Ch.17
Word choices:conflictstrugglerhymebargain- some words will not be used
A struggle a character faces is a . Stanley must against the camp’s unfairness.
10Stanley growing stronger, braver, and kinder over these chapters makes him a —Ch.15
Part 4
Think Deeper
Four deeper challenges — no single-word recall. Read, weigh the evidence, and reason it through.
Knowledge Bank · History & Ethics in Lizard Senses
History & Ethics · Lizard SensesAuthor’s Craft Zero is clever at maths but cannot read. As you answer, think about what Sachar is saying about children who are written off as ‘stupid’ when really they were never taught. History — Sam and segregation: Sam, a Black onion-seller in a turn-of-the-century Texas town, is forbidden to fix up the schoolhouse where the white children learn — the story’s clear window onto real racial segregation. Folklore — the healing onion: Onion cures are classic village folk medicine, the very kind of remedy the kindly Sam is built to represent. Fear often grows from a frightening label rather than measured danger. Responsible authorities compare injuries, habitat behavior, and expert identification before using wildlife to justify control. This context connects camouflage with venom as ethical evidence. Fear often grows from a frightening label rather than measured danger. Responsible authorities compare injuries, habitat behavior, and expert identification before using wildlife to justify control. This context connects camouflage with venom as ethical evidence. The key principle is caution.
1Claim: “Stanley shows real loyalty by protecting the other boys.” — choose the two details that best prove it.Claim & Evidence
2Shows Stanley’s friendship with Zero, or the Warden’s cruelty? Tap each item to send it left or right.Sort into two
◄ Friendship with ZeroThe Warden’s cruelty ►
3Match each cause to its result. For each cause, pick its result.Cause & Effect
Zero digs part of Stanley’s hole→
Magnet steals the seeds→
Stanley takes the blame→
The Warden wants results→
4Fill both blanks to complete the reasoning.Build the Argument
Stanley takes the blame for the seeds because , which shows that .
Part 5
Standardized Test · Factual, Negative Factual & Inference
Part 3 practices Factual and Negative Factual (NOT/EXCEPT) reading plus Inference — skills the SAT and TOEFL use to test careful reading. Read the passage (the highlighted words are tested below), then choose the answer best supported by the text.
Knowledge Bank · How the SAT & TOEFL Ask
Test Skills · Part 3This section adds a tricky exam favorite: the Negative Factual question (“all are true EXCEPT” or “which is NOT stated”). For those, check each choice against the text and pick the one that is not supported. You will also meet Factual Information, Inference, and Vocabulary-in-Context items.
Reading is not something the human brain is born knowing. Writing itself is only a few thousand years old — far too recent for our brains to have evolved a dedicated reading center of their own. Unlike speaking, which children acquire naturally, reading must be taught, letter by letter and sound by sound. For a beginner of any age, the first steps can feel immense, but progress comes with steady, deliberate practice. Scientists have found that learning to read actually reshapes the brain, building new links between the areas that handle sight and sound. This change is gradual: a learner who persists a little each day slowly turns strings of letters into words, and words into meaning — a genuinely complex skill.
Older beginners can succeed just as well as young ones. The benefits are distinct and lasting. A person who learns to read gains information, independence, and confidence. In a written world, this single skill quietly shapes a person’s work, health, and daily choices for a lifetime. Studies show that adults who endure the hard early stage rarely regret it; once gained, the skill does not fade, and it opens doors that had long stayed shut.
Original passage written for Garden Heights — not a quotation from the novel.
1As used in the passage, the word “acquire” most nearly means —SAT · Words in Context
2According to the passage, who can succeed at learning to read?TOEFL · Factual Information
3According to the passage, unlike speaking, reading —TOEFL · Factual Information
4As used in the passage, the word “persists” most nearly means —SAT · Words in Context
5According to the passage, all of the following are true EXCEPT —TOEFL · Negative Factual
6As used in the passage, the word “benefits” most nearly means —SAT · Words in Context
7According to the passage, learning to read changes the brain by —TOEFL · Factual Information
8The passage most strongly suggests that an adult who cannot read —SAT · Inference
9The passage most strongly suggests that learning to read is worth the effort because the skill —SAT · Inference
10Why does the passage mention “doors that had long stayed shut”?SAT · Inference
Part 6 · Optional
Creative Writing
A bonus challenge to practice your English.
About This Section
This writing task is optional and not part of your auto-graded score. Feedback checks length, spelling, and grammar only.
Writing Task — Part 3 “An Unfair Place”
Stanley takes the blame to protect his friends. Write about a time a character (real or imagined) did something kind or brave even though it cost them. Why did they do it? Write at least 40 words.
You can start with: “It would have been easier to stay silent, but instead I…”
0 / 40 words minimum
🗣 Teach It · Just for Fun (optional)
No right or wrong — close the screen and tell someone nearby what happened in this part. Can’t find anyone? Tell yourself out loud. The moment you teach it, you truly understand it.
🏆
Part 3 Complete!
You finished Chapters 15–21 of Holes.
Here are your auto-graded results:
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points out of 100