Island of the Blue Dolphins
Bibliography
O’Dell, Scott. Island of the Blue Dolphins. New York: Yearling, 1987. Print.
O’Dell, Scott. Island of the Blue Dolphins. New York: Yearling, 1987. Print.
Target Audience
5th Grade
5th Grade
Academic Vocabulary
ravine- a small, deep, narrow valley
Aleuts- hunters from Russia
leagues- any of various units of distance from about 2.4 to 4.6 statute miles
harbor- a part of the ocean, a lake, etc., that is next to land and that is protected and deep enough to provide safety for ships
sinew- strong tissue that connects muscle to bone
abalones- a type of shellfish that is eaten as food and that has a shell that is lined with a hard white material (called mother-of-pearl)
ravine- a small, deep, narrow valley
Aleuts- hunters from Russia
leagues- any of various units of distance from about 2.4 to 4.6 statute miles
harbor- a part of the ocean, a lake, etc., that is next to land and that is protected and deep enough to provide safety for ships
sinew- strong tissue that connects muscle to bone
abalones- a type of shellfish that is eaten as food and that has a shell that is lined with a hard white material (called mother-of-pearl)
Genre
Historical Fiction
Historical Fiction
Summary
The Island of the Blue Dolphins is a story based on the experiences of a young girl who lived alone on an island off the California coast during the mid 1800’s. Karana’s village fled their home island to avoid groups of hunters who had killed many of their people in prior visits. At first Karana was accompanied by her brother, Ramo, but he was killed by a pack of wild dogs.
Karana tried to escape the island at first, but was forced to sail back when her canoe started to leak. She build a fence and house out of whalebone and sticks, made friends with a dog, and was able to use her skills to survive for many years.
The Island of the Blue Dolphins is a story based on the experiences of a young girl who lived alone on an island off the California coast during the mid 1800’s. Karana’s village fled their home island to avoid groups of hunters who had killed many of their people in prior visits. At first Karana was accompanied by her brother, Ramo, but he was killed by a pack of wild dogs.
Karana tried to escape the island at first, but was forced to sail back when her canoe started to leak. She build a fence and house out of whalebone and sticks, made friends with a dog, and was able to use her skills to survive for many years.
Literary Concepts
Literary Conflict
Literary Conflict
Activity
Students will write about how they would survive if they were the last person living in an area.
Students will write about how they would survive if they were the last person living in an area.
Assessment
Rubrics would be used to determine how well the students wrote about their imaginary experiences as the last person on earth.
Rubrics would be used to determine how well the students wrote about their imaginary experiences as the last person on earth.
Integration
Math: How would you keep track of time?
Science: Students can learn about animals who live in that area of the Pacific.
Math: How would you keep track of time?
Science: Students can learn about animals who live in that area of the Pacific.