Comprehension Strategy: Flashback Connections

Purpose: Help students make connections between the main plot of the story and the
flashbacks within it.

Objective: When given a connections organizer, students will use details from the story to show
text connections with 100% accuracy.

Use: Chapter 40 in Holes

Materials: Connections graphic organizers


Directions:
1. Before reading chapter 40, pass out the connections graphic organizers to
each student.

2. Go over the following directions with students:
By now, youve probably noticed that the flashbacks in this story
connect to the main plot in many ways. This chapter makes a lot of clear
connections between the two, all in one chapter.
As you read the chapter, you will use your graphic organizer to keep
track of these connections. Take a look at the example on your sheet.
The Mary Lou is the boat where Stanley and Zero found the Sploosh,
and it connects to the flashbacks because Mary Lou is the name of Sams
donkey.
On your graphic organizer, find four more ways to connect flashbacks to
the main plot. They dont all have to be from this chapter. You can use
any flashback or any plot point you want. This chapter is a good one for
inspiration, though!

3. Allow class time for students to read chapter 40 and complete their
organizers. Check them for completion.

4. Wrap-Up: Ask students to share some of their connections. For extension,
ask them to predict how they think other information from a flashback
might be used in the remaining section of the book.




































Mary Lou is
Sams donkey.















The Mary Lou
is the name of
the boat
where Stanley
and Zero
found Sploosh
in the desert.





Flashback Connections
Directions: In the blue squares, list items from flashbacks. In the red squares, write
about how those items connect to Stanleys story.