Novel Connections

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Island of the Blue Dolphins
by Scott O'Dell

summary : Karana and her brother are left stranded on the island of the blue dolphins while the shop carrying their people sails to the mainland. Eventually, Karana must learn to live alone and in harmony with the wildlife around her.
 
paperback book - ISBN: 0440439884 - retail: $6.50

audio cassette - ISBN: 0553474057 - retail $17.50

video - ASIN: 6300184277 - retail $13.99

audio download - $15.95 at http://www.audible.com
(prices from amazon.com)

cassette version from Recorded Books, LLC 1-800-638-1304

Teacher Note: While the novel is written in English, students often lose sight of the fact that the characters do not speak English. Help them keep this in mind as it will help them better understand certain portions of the novel and the rationale behind comments made by the characters. 

Novel Connections:

• Link to a Scott O'Dell teacher resource file
• Link to 5 internet adventures exploring the life of the California Indians, exploring animals indigenous to the Channel Islands, exploring California mission life, comparing Karana's survival to the Iditarod sled dog race (JASON XIII tie in), and exploring a biographical account of Karana's island life
• Link to a novel anticipation guide
• Link to a webquest where kids take on the role of newsreporters (One of Claudia's favorites!!!)
• Link to a 3-6 week "cruise" to the Island of the Blue Dolphins with comprehension questions, vocabulary, unit and spelling tests, a PowerPoint introduction, and project information
• Link to a thematic exploration of the Island of the Blue Dolphins where students must "find Karana", also includes the "real story of Karana", a Scott O'Dell link, link to sea life, and a link to San Nicolas Island (One of Claudia's favorites!!)
• Link to a site to learn about the time and place where Karana lived to better understand the novel you'll find introductory activities about the Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary, Chumash Indians, Miwok Indians of Yosemite, California Indian Tribes, and Old Mission, Santa Barbara
• Link to a summary of the novel, theme ideas, cross-curricular ideas, research assignments, and a link to author information
• Link to enrichment activities about inventions, animal perspective and internet resources
• Link to a Literary Explorer site where you will find an introduction, study questions, resources, and final project ideas
• Link to a site about the history of the novel and the author, writing projects, and themes
• Link to a 22 page pdf activity book/study guide
• Link to a site about cultures, growing up, life in the past, and nature/environments
• Link to information about the real Karana - the Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island from the SanDiego Museum of Man website
• Link to a webquest exploring Island of the Blue Dolphins and Zia as fact or fiction (one of Claudia's favorites!)
• Link to a readymade timeline of the novel's events
• Link to a site that uses the novel to introduce the kelp forest ecosystem
• Link to a pre-reading internet activity
• Link to an assignment sheet, internet vocabulary games, animal report, and chapter questions
• Link to a cooperative scrapbook project
• Link for ideas
• Link to a social studies theme unit
• Link to the Scott O'Dell website
• Links to 10 different units (scroll all the way down to "Island...")

Topics from the novel to use and possible extension activities . . . 

• The book is a wonderful source of figurative language examples - have the kids go on a simile or metaphor hunt using the book
• Form secret names in class and use them - discuss the importance of the secret names as noted in the novel; secret names are traditionally bad names, yet we only know Karana by her secret name, why is this?
• Create a map of the Pacific and the California coast including the placement of dolphin island.
• Create a map of dolphin island and what you think it looks like based on the descriptions given - include Coral Cove and other placed mentioned in the book
• Use information in the book to create work problems such as discovering the ages of Karana, Ulape, and Ramo
• Why do you suppose the Russians brought no females with them?
• White bass discovery is good fortune - why - research the significance
• Explore the themes of survival, personal discovery, and courage.
• At the end of chapter 3, Karana's father is making a new spear, why do you think he is doing this? What does he anticipate is going to happen?
• In chapter 4, the women hide among the bushes when the men head to the beach to confront the Russians, why?
• Karana notes that she is able to learn what people far away are discussing by watching their body language - discuss body language and what it reveals about people; she says she knows her dad is mad when he pulls his ear - share other examples or act them out and have classmates guess the meaning
• Do you really think that the chief's telling of his secret name is the reason for his death?
• Use the first paragraph of chapter 5 as the basis for  math problems for your students
• What is the length of time of one moon? one sun? Research historical methods of keeping track of time
• At the end of chapter 6, the people are fearful and happy of where they are going? Why is there such a discrepancy of emotions?
• In chapter 7, Karana packs her belongings to leave the island, why does she choose to take the things she does (pots, pans) if she is only 12 years old? What would you take if you were her?
• The men tell Karana that they cannot wait for Ramo nor return for him, and she makes a frightful decision rather quickly. . . what would you have done in Karana's shoes?
• Now that Karana and Ramo are on the island alone, stop and write your own adventure story using Imagination Express: Destination RainForest, or other  multimedia software
  How would you feel about being alone on the island? Do you think that feeling would fade after a while?
• Ramo becomes the "father of the house" at a very young age - this is the case in some families in today's society - research the rites of manhood in different cultures
• Ramo decides to change his name; if you could change your name, what would you change it to and why? Allow the kids to use their new name for  a day
• Discuss the laws of Ghalas-at regarding women making weapons - do you think that the law still applied since no one is there to know if she breaks the law? How does this relate to today's society with speeding and no one around? Similar to the age old question - if a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear it fall, does it make a sound?
• Karana decides to get off the island rather than stay with the wild dogs - what do you think is a better alternative sea or land?
• As she leaves in her canoe, Karana keeps her eyes on a star in the east "the star that does not move"  and the star that makes her feel less afraid - what star is this?
• Karana is so lonely that even the dolphins and other animals throughout the novel become her friends - have you ever felt this lonely? 
• Animal and human interdependence and relationships - especially in healing people
• How does Karana know how to interact with all of the animals she encounters - especially Rontu and Rontu-Aru? Are some people just natural animal friends?
• Herbal medicine - referenced in chapter 14
• Karana decides to build a house and considers many factors in building it including the location and the design - how would you have built your house - use materials given or found and create a mini version of your house
• Sign language and hand gestures in communication world
• List the various attitudes towards animals that people have in Island of  the Blue Dolphins. Arrange them in order of best to worst. What standards did you use to rate them? Why?
• Create your own ending to the story - be creative and use your best learning style - act it out, write a song, write a story, create a movie or multimedia presentation - the sky is the limit!
• To find out how Karana's story ends, read Zia
• Research the Lone Woman of San Nicolas to find out more about Karana (but not before you read Zia, if you plan to do so)

Vocabulary  Words and animals to consider while reading . . .