Holes · Garden Heights Academy
Part 4
for Holes · Part 4 · Chapters 22–28 · 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: Sometimes a story reaches far into the past to explain the present. Do you think something unfair that happened long ago can still affect people today? And have you ever seen someone kind and patient finally pushed too far?
What Happens in Part 4
A long flashback tells the tragic story of Green Lake 110 years ago, when it was a real lake. The beloved teacher Miss Katherine Barlow falls in love with Sam the onion man, but the town cannot accept a Black man and a white woman together. They burn the school and kill Sam. Heartbroken, Katherine becomes the outlaw Kissin’ Kate Barlow, robs Stanley’s great-grandfather, and buries her treasure — and the rain stops forever. Back in the present, jealousy and Mr. Pendanski’s cruelty push Zero to snap and run away into the desert.
What We Will Learn
| Literary Element | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Flashback | A scene that jumps back to an earlier time — here, Green Lake 110 years ago |
| Theme | A big idea — injustice and how cruelty harms a whole community |
| Conflict | A struggle — against an unjust society, and Zero against the camp |
Chapter Summary
| Chapter | Key Events |
|---|---|
| Ch.22 | Green Lake Long Ago — a flashback: 110 years earlier, Green Lake was the largest lake in Texas, and Miss Katherine Barlow was the town’s loved teacher |
| Ch.23 | Sam the Onion Man — Sam, a kind Black man, sells onions and can ‘fix’ anything; he and Miss Katherine fall in love |
| Ch.24 | A Forbidden Love — the town turns violent because a Black man and a white woman cannot be together; the school is burned and Sam is killed |
| Ch.25 | Kissin’ Kate Barlow — heartbroken, Katherine becomes a feared outlaw; the rain stops and the lake begins to dry up |
| Ch.26 | The Buried Loot — Kate robs Stanley’s great-grandfather, the first Stanley Yelnats, and buries her treasure at Green Lake |
| Ch.27 | Back at Camp — in the present, the reading deal angers the other boys, and Mr. Pendanski cruelly humiliates Zero |
| Ch.28 | Zero Runs Away — pushed too far, Zero hits Mr. Pendanski with a shovel and runs off alone into the empty desert |
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 22–28, then answer each question.
Knowledge Bank · Environmental Science in Onion Biology
Environmental Science · Onion BiologyBackground · History In the story’s past, the town turns violently against Sam , a Black man, simply for being close to a white schoolteacher. This reflects a real and shameful part of American history: for many years, unjust segregation laws and racist violence punished Black people for things that were never crimes. Sachar weaves this real injustice into the “curse” that haunts the desert. Background · The Desert & Its Science Deserts often form where mountains block moist air, leaving a dry ‘rain shadow’ behind them. The fist-shaped peak the characters call God’s Thumb catches what little rain falls, showing how a single high landform can hold water and life in an otherwise bone-dry basin. Researchers connect onion biology to bulbs by naming measurable changes. Comparing dormancy across onion biology sites makes the explanation testable. Researchers connect onion biology to bulbs by naming measurable changes. Comparing dormancy across onion biology sites makes the explanation testable. The key principle is dormancy.
ⓘ Vocabulary words are selected to help you understand and complete this workbook. Some may not appear verbatim in the novel.
prejudicen.Ch.24
An unfair, hostile opinion about people, often because of race
“The town’s prejudice would not allow Sam and Katherine to be together.”
outlawn.Ch.25
A criminal on the run from the law
“Katherine became the most feared outlaw in Texas.”
heartbrokenadj.Ch.25
Crushed by terrible grief
“Heartbroken, she could no longer bear to teach.”
vowv.Ch.25
To make a serious promise
“She made a silent vow of revenge.”
droughtn.Ch.25
A long period with no rain at all
“A drought began that would last more than a hundred years.”
notoriousadj.Ch.25
Famous for something bad
“Kissin’ Kate Barlow was notorious across the West.”
lootn.Ch.26
Stolen money or goods
“She buried her loot somewhere beneath the lake.”
tauntv.Ch.27
To tease cruelly in order to provoke someone
“Mr. Pendanski liked to taunt Zero about being stupid.”
fleev.Ch.28
To run away from danger
“Zero decided to flee into the open desert.”
desperateadj.Ch.28
Driven to act recklessly by great need or fear
“A desperate Zero swung the shovel and ran.”
1The town’s unfair hatred of Sam because of his race is called —Ch.24
2An “outlaw” is a law-abiding citizen.Ch.25
3After Sam is killed, Katherine is crushed by grief. She is —Ch.25
4Fill in each blank with the correct word.Ch.25
Word choices:droughtvowlootoutlaw- some words will not be used
After Sam’s death the rain stops and a long begins.
Kate becomes a feared .
5Someone “notorious” is famous for something bad.Ch.25
6The stolen money and goods Kate buries are her —Ch.26
7Mr. Pendanski cruelly teases Zero to provoke him. To tease cruelly is to —Ch.27
8To “flee” means to run away from danger.Ch.28
9Fill in each blank with the correct word.Ch.25–28
Word choices:vowdesperateprejudicetaunt- some words will not be used
Kate made a silent of revenge.
Years later, a Zero runs away.
10A long period with no rain at all is a —Ch.25
Part 2
Comprehension
How well do you understand Chapters 22–28?
Knowledge Bank · Field Ecology in Onion Biology
Field Ecology · Onion BiologyLanguage · Parallel-Structure Spotlight Part-way through, Sachar leaves Stanley and tells a story from 110 years earlier — the tragic love of Miss Katherine and Sam the onion man. The book is built from three time periods laid alongside each other, and this is parallel structure : separate stories arranged so they echo and rhyme. A broken promise in the oldest story, a curse in the middle one, and Stanley’s ordeal today are all secretly the same story, playing out again and again. Sachar trusts the reader to hold all three threads and feel them slowly braid together. Feel the pleasure as details from the past suddenly explain the present — the onions, the mountain, the name Zeroni. Watch for a book that keeps jumping in time: the author is almost never wandering: they are building a pattern, and half the joy is discovering how the far-apart pieces were one design all along. The key principle is causation.
1What was Green Lake like 110 years ago?Ch.22
2Sam the onion man is known for saying ‘I can fix that.’Ch.23
3Why does the town turn violent against Sam and Katherine?Ch.24
4After Sam is killed, it never rains on Green Lake again.Ch.25
5Put these Part 4 events in the correct order. Write 1–4 (1 = first).Ch.22–28
- Kate robs Stanley’s great-grandfather and buries her loot.
- In the present, Zero hits Mr. Pendanski and runs away.
- The town kills Sam, and Katherine becomes Kissin’ Kate Barlow.
- Miss Katherine Barlow and Sam the onion man fall in love.
6What does Katherine become after Sam’s death?Ch.25
7Whom does Kate Barlow rob?Ch.26
8The reading deal makes the other D-tent boys jealous and resentful.Ch.27
9Why does Zero finally run away?Ch.28
10Zero runs away into a safe, comfortable town.Ch.28
Part 3
Literary Elements
Understanding HOW and WHY Sachar writes Chapters 22–28 the way he does.
Knowledge Bank · Literary Craft in Onion Biology
Literary Craft · Onion BiologyAuthor’s Craft Sachar uses a long flashback (the Kate Barlow story), a powerful theme (injustice poisons everything), and conflict (racist violence in the past, Zero against the camp in the present). The timelines rhyme: people with power decide who counts and who does not. Craft Spotlight · Motifs That Stitch the Eras Together Sachar links his timelines with images that keep returning. Onions (Sam’s remedy) and Kate Barlow’s spiced peaches reappear across a hundred years, and the mountain shaped like a giant fist — ‘God’s thumb’ — rescues a Yelnats twice, generations apart. The murder of Sam is planted here as an injustice whose consequences reverberate forward until someone finally sets them right. When an image or a wrong keeps coming back, that is a motif doing the work of holding the eras together. Parallel plots place events from different times beside one another. Their similarities create pattern, while their differences prevent readers from assuming history repeats in exactly one way. The key principle is symbolism.
📚 Literary Devices in This Part · definitions & examples
Flashback is a scene that jumps back to an earlier time. The Kate Barlow story is a long flashback that explains the lake’s past.Theme is a big idea. Here, the idea is that injustice and cruelty poison a whole community.Conflict is a struggle. Here it is a struggle against an unjust society, and Zero’s struggle against the camp.
The questions below are mixed — not grouped by device. Decide which device each one is about.
1The story of Green Lake and Kate Barlow jumps back 110 years. A scene set in the past is called a —Ch.22
2One theme of Holes is that cruelty and injustice can poison an entire community.Ch.24
3Fill in the blanks with the correct words.Ch.24
Word choices:conflictsocietyrhymevow- some words will not be used
A struggle against an unfair . It is a kind of .
4Sam’s unjust death and the lake drying up point to a big idea about injustice. A story’s big idea is its —Ch.24–25
5A conflict can be a character struggling against an unfair society.Ch.24
6Fill in the blanks with the correct words.Ch.22
Word choices:flashbackpastrhymeloot- some words will not be used
A scene set in an earlier time is called a . It tells events from the .
7The town’s hatred and Zero’s mistreatment are both struggles against unfair people. Such a struggle is a —Ch.24–28
8Sachar uses a flashback to explain how Green Lake dried up and who buried the treasure.Ch.22–26
9Fill in the blanks with the correct words.Ch.24
Word choices:themeidearhymeonion- some words will not be used
A story’s big idea is its . Injustice is one big Sachar explores.
10The lake drying up and never returning works as a —Ch.25
Part 4
Think Deeper
Four deeper challenges — no single-word recall. Read, weigh the evidence, and reason it through.
Knowledge Bank · History & Ethics in Onion Biology
History & Ethics · Onion BiologyAuthor’s Craft Notice that the rain stops the very day Sam is murdered. As you answer, think about what Sachar is saying when the land itself seems to punish the town’s racism, cowardice, and refusal to protect innocent people. History — racial violence: Sam’s murder and the town’s ruin dramatize how real racist violence tore apart communities in the American South. Folklore — the cursed land: The drought that begins the day Sam is killed uses the old folktale logic that injustice can curse the very land. Food security depends on who stores supplies and who can reach them during shortage. A reserve may protect a community, yet unequal access makes survival a question of justice. This context connects bulbs with dormancy as ethical evidence. Food security depends on who stores supplies and who can reach them during shortage. A reserve may protect a community, yet unequal access makes survival a question of justice. This context connects bulbs with dormancy as ethical evidence. The key principle is integrity.
1Claim: “The past injustice at Green Lake set today’s events in motion.” — choose the two details that best prove it.Claim & Evidence
2The past (110 years ago), or the present-day camp? Tap each item to send it left or right.Sort into two
◄ The pastThe present-day camp ►
3Match each cause to its result. For each cause, pick its result.Cause & Effect
The town cannot accept Sam and Katherine→
Sam is murdered→
Kate robs and buries her treasure→
The lake dries up over time→
4Fill both blanks to complete the reasoning.Build the Argument
The flashback matters to the main story because , which shows that .
Part 5
Standardized Test · Inference & Author’s Purpose
Part 4 practices Inference and Author’s Purpose — reading between the lines and asking why a writer includes a detail, as the SAT and TOEFL do. 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 4This section leans on two higher-order skills: Inference (what must be true even if the text does not say it outright) and Text Structure & Purpose / Author’s Purpose (why a detail or example is included). You will also meet Vocabulary and Factual Information items. For purpose questions, ask: what point does this detail help the author make?
For thousands of years, people have valued the onion as far more than food. Ancient Egyptians thought its rings were a symbol of eternal life, and soldiers were given onions to keep them strong. Workers who built the great pyramids are said to have eaten onions and garlic by the basketful. Bundles of the plant were even placed in tombs, meant to feed the dead on the long journey beyond. Folk healers used the onion as a remedy, believing its sharp juice could help the body resist illness.
Modern science shows there was some truth to these beliefs. Onions contain compounds that can fight bacteria and reduce swelling, giving the body a small but beneficial boost. They are also abundant and easy to cultivate, which is why nearly every culture grows a distinct variety of its own. Onions even defend themselves. When you cut one, it releases a potent gas that stings the eyes and makes them water — a chemical trick that once helped deter hungry animals. So the same plant that can make you cry has, for centuries, helped people endure hard times and stay healthy.
Original passage written for Garden Heights — not a quotation from the novel.
1In the passage, the word “remedy” is closest in meaning to —TOEFL · Vocabulary
2According to the passage, ancient Egyptians thought an onion’s rings were a symbol of —TOEFL · Factual Information
3In the passage, the word “beneficial” is closest in meaning to —TOEFL · Vocabulary
4According to the passage, what does an onion release when it is cut?TOEFL · Factual Information
5The passage most strongly suggests that old folk beliefs about onions —SAT · Inference
6In the passage, the word “abundant” is closest in meaning to —TOEFL · Vocabulary
7Why does the author mention that cutting an onion stings the eyes?SAT · Text Structure & Purpose
8Insert Text (TOEFL). Look at the four squares [1]–[4] in the passage excerpt below. They show where the following sentence could be added:
“Their reputation as a healer, in other words, was not pure superstition.”
“Their reputation as a healer, in other words, was not pure superstition.”
[1] Modern science shows there was some truth to these beliefs. [2] Onions contain compounds that can fight bacteria and reduce swelling, giving the body a small but beneficial boost. [3] They are also abundant and easy to cultivate, which is why nearly every culture grows a distinct variety of its own. [4]
Where would the sentence fit best?TOEFL · Insert Text9The passage implies that onions are grown all over the world because —SAT · Inference
10The passage is organized mainly to —SAT · Text Structure & Purpose
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 4 “I Can Fix That”
Sam the onion man always said, ‘I can fix that.’ Write about the tragic story of Sam and Miss Katherine, and explain why the town’s prejudice was so wrong and harmful. Write at least 40 words.
You can start with: “Long ago, when Green Lake was still full of water, a kind man named Sam…”
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 4 Complete!
You finished Chapters 22–28 of Holes.
Here are your auto-graded results:
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points out of 100