Providing Evidence from the Text
Now comes the tricky part!
in order to do well in your response to text, you need to provide examples or evidence from the text, to support your argument. For example...
If you were describing how Stanley Yelnats friendships with others changed throughout the story and how Stanley went from looking after his own needs first (remember he had been badly bullied at school and was desperately trying to keep a low profile to avoid further harassment), to putting others needs before his own; then you might start with the following quotation to support your argument, then find another example that demonstrates the 'change'.
After digging all day, he didn't have the strength to try to teach Zero to read and write. He needed to save his energy for the people who counted.
"You don't have to teach me to write," said Zero. "Just to read. I don't have anybody to write to."
"Sorry," Stanley said again.
"His muscles and hands weren't the only parts of his body that had toughened over the past several weeks. His heart had hardened as well" (p.36).
However, as the story progresses Stanley soon begins to realize that the only way he was going to survive Camp Green Lake, was if he developed allies with the other boys. His opportunity to instill trust among Magnet, Armpit, Zig Zag and co, came when he took the blame for stealing Mr Sir's sunflower seeds.
He went over to his hole, and to his surprise it was nearly finished. He stared at it, amazed. It didn't make sense. Or perhaps it did. He smiled.
"Since he had taken the blame for the sunflower seeds, he realized, the other boys had dug his hole for him" (p.42).
"Hey, thanks," he said.
"Don't look at me," said X-Ray.
Confused, Stanley looked around— from Magnet, to Armpit, to Zigzag, to Squid. None of them took credit for it. Then he turned to Zero, who had been quietly digging in his hole since Stanley's return. Zero's hole was smaller than all the others.
Whilst Stanley was gratified and relieved to see that Zero had finished digging his hole, it also made him feel a bit embarrassed that he had refused to help Zero learn to read and write. His excuse that he needed his 'strength for people who counted', suddenly sounded quite hollow! So...
"I'll try to teach you to read if you want," Stanley offered.
"I don't know if I know how to teach, but I'm not that worn-out today, since you dug a lot of my hole" (p.43).
A big smile spread across Zero's face.
True friendship was born in this moment, but Stanley also came to respect Zero in another way. As he was teaching Zero how to remember/write the alphabet...he discovered that Zero was a mathematical wiz!
"You can teach me ten letters a day," suggested Zero. "Five capitals and five smalls. After five days I'll know them all. Except on the last day I'll have to do twelve. Six capitals and six smalls."
Again Stanley stared at him, amazed that he was able to figure all that out.
"Okay," Stanley agreed.
As Zero was printing his B's, Stanley asked him how he figured out it would take five days. "Did you multiply? Did you divide?"
"That's just what it is," Zero said.
"It's good math," said Stanley.
"I'm not stupid," Zero said. "I know everybody thinks I am. I just don't like answering their questions" (p.44).
As Stanley and Zero's friendship developed and a deeper level of trust was fostered between the boys, Zero confided in Stanley
"You know, that's not my real name," Zero said as they headed to the Wreck Room for dinner.
"Well, yeah," Stanley said, "I guess I knew that." He had never really been sure.
"Everyone's always called me Zero, even before I came here."
"Oh. Okay."
"My real name is Hector."
"Hector," Stanley repeated.
"Hector Zeroni" (p.53).
Now if you think back on the story, when Mr Pendanski explained to Stanley why everyone called Zero, 'Zero'...you realize that Mr Pendanski was a bully just like the boys who had tormented Stanley when he was at school.
"You know why his name's Zero?" asked Mr. Pendanski. "Because there's nothing inside his head" (p.8).
in order to do well in your response to text, you need to provide examples or evidence from the text, to support your argument. For example...
If you were describing how Stanley Yelnats friendships with others changed throughout the story and how Stanley went from looking after his own needs first (remember he had been badly bullied at school and was desperately trying to keep a low profile to avoid further harassment), to putting others needs before his own; then you might start with the following quotation to support your argument, then find another example that demonstrates the 'change'.
After digging all day, he didn't have the strength to try to teach Zero to read and write. He needed to save his energy for the people who counted.
"You don't have to teach me to write," said Zero. "Just to read. I don't have anybody to write to."
"Sorry," Stanley said again.
"His muscles and hands weren't the only parts of his body that had toughened over the past several weeks. His heart had hardened as well" (p.36).
However, as the story progresses Stanley soon begins to realize that the only way he was going to survive Camp Green Lake, was if he developed allies with the other boys. His opportunity to instill trust among Magnet, Armpit, Zig Zag and co, came when he took the blame for stealing Mr Sir's sunflower seeds.
He went over to his hole, and to his surprise it was nearly finished. He stared at it, amazed. It didn't make sense. Or perhaps it did. He smiled.
"Since he had taken the blame for the sunflower seeds, he realized, the other boys had dug his hole for him" (p.42).
"Hey, thanks," he said.
"Don't look at me," said X-Ray.
Confused, Stanley looked around— from Magnet, to Armpit, to Zigzag, to Squid. None of them took credit for it. Then he turned to Zero, who had been quietly digging in his hole since Stanley's return. Zero's hole was smaller than all the others.
Whilst Stanley was gratified and relieved to see that Zero had finished digging his hole, it also made him feel a bit embarrassed that he had refused to help Zero learn to read and write. His excuse that he needed his 'strength for people who counted', suddenly sounded quite hollow! So...
"I'll try to teach you to read if you want," Stanley offered.
"I don't know if I know how to teach, but I'm not that worn-out today, since you dug a lot of my hole" (p.43).
A big smile spread across Zero's face.
True friendship was born in this moment, but Stanley also came to respect Zero in another way. As he was teaching Zero how to remember/write the alphabet...he discovered that Zero was a mathematical wiz!
"You can teach me ten letters a day," suggested Zero. "Five capitals and five smalls. After five days I'll know them all. Except on the last day I'll have to do twelve. Six capitals and six smalls."
Again Stanley stared at him, amazed that he was able to figure all that out.
"Okay," Stanley agreed.
As Zero was printing his B's, Stanley asked him how he figured out it would take five days. "Did you multiply? Did you divide?"
"That's just what it is," Zero said.
"It's good math," said Stanley.
"I'm not stupid," Zero said. "I know everybody thinks I am. I just don't like answering their questions" (p.44).
As Stanley and Zero's friendship developed and a deeper level of trust was fostered between the boys, Zero confided in Stanley
"You know, that's not my real name," Zero said as they headed to the Wreck Room for dinner.
"Well, yeah," Stanley said, "I guess I knew that." He had never really been sure.
"Everyone's always called me Zero, even before I came here."
"Oh. Okay."
"My real name is Hector."
"Hector," Stanley repeated.
"Hector Zeroni" (p.53).
Now if you think back on the story, when Mr Pendanski explained to Stanley why everyone called Zero, 'Zero'...you realize that Mr Pendanski was a bully just like the boys who had tormented Stanley when he was at school.
"You know why his name's Zero?" asked Mr. Pendanski. "Because there's nothing inside his head" (p.8).
Searching for Quotations Quickly!
OK...so I've shown you how to capture a quote using speech marks, together with the page number from the text. But how did I do it so quickly? Easy...
Open your PDF of Holes (see week 7 and the 'button' link for the URL) and simply use the search magnifying glass to look up key words.
For example, I typed in "hardened" and it came back with the highlighted line "His muscles and hands weren't the only parts of his body that had toughened over the past several weeks. His heart had hardened as well " (p.36).
Then I typed in "sunflower seeds" and it came back with "Since he had taken the blame for the sunflower seeds, he realized, the other boys had dug his hole for him." (p.42).
I also tried typing in "blame" and the search came back with "Since he had taken the blame for the sunflower seeds, he realized, the other boys had dug his hole for him." (p.42).
If you are looking for the quote about Stanley's math teacher, type in "ratios" and it will come back with
"Mrs Bell, taught ratios. As an example, she chose the heaviest kid in the class and the lightest kid
m the class, and had them weigh themselves. Stanley weighed three times as much as
the other boy Mrs. Bell wrote the ratio on the board, 3:1, unaware of how much
embarrassment she had caused both of them" (p.3).
Open your PDF of Holes (see week 7 and the 'button' link for the URL) and simply use the search magnifying glass to look up key words.
For example, I typed in "hardened" and it came back with the highlighted line "His muscles and hands weren't the only parts of his body that had toughened over the past several weeks. His heart had hardened as well " (p.36).
Then I typed in "sunflower seeds" and it came back with "Since he had taken the blame for the sunflower seeds, he realized, the other boys had dug his hole for him." (p.42).
I also tried typing in "blame" and the search came back with "Since he had taken the blame for the sunflower seeds, he realized, the other boys had dug his hole for him." (p.42).
If you are looking for the quote about Stanley's math teacher, type in "ratios" and it will come back with
"Mrs Bell, taught ratios. As an example, she chose the heaviest kid in the class and the lightest kid
m the class, and had them weigh themselves. Stanley weighed three times as much as
the other boy Mrs. Bell wrote the ratio on the board, 3:1, unaware of how much
embarrassment she had caused both of them" (p.3).
Hi guys...don't panic...I've written a very basic 'response to text' on Holes, which you are welcome to use as a means of guiding you with your own
a_basic_response_to_text_on_holes.pdf | |
File Size: | 241 kb |
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