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    Island of the Blue Dolphins - Literature Kit Gr. 5-6
    Island of the Blue Dolphins - Literature Kit Gr. 5-6
    Island of the Blue Dolphins - Literature Kit Gr. 5-6
    Ebook122 pages58 minutes

    Island of the Blue Dolphins - Literature Kit Gr. 5-6

    By Marie-Helen Goyetche

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    Get a detailed account of what it takes to survive alone on a dangerous island with this tale based on a true story. Add variety and differentiation with true or false, multiple choice and short answer questions. Put events in order as they occurred between the Aleuts and Karana's tribe. Brainstorm what Karana could have done in preparation for the Aleut's departure. Study vocabulary words found in the reading by using a dictionary to match words to their synonyms. Identify which character did the provided actions. Create a menu using only food that Karana has available on the island. Imagine what it's like to live alone for 18 years and write Karana a letter of encouragement. Aligned to your State Standards, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included.

    About the Novel:
    The classic story, Island of the Blue Dolphins, is based on the true story of a woman marooned on San Nicholas Island during the early 1800s. Karana, her family and her people are living on the island when the Aleuts (Russians) arrive to hunt the sea otters. The Aleuts kill the natives leaving Karana and her brother Ramo stranded on the island. Soon after, wild dogs kill Ramo, and Karana is left to struggle on her own. For eighteen years she lives to survive the weather, the animals, the Aleuts and the loneliness. This story is about a strong and courageous woman who proved that with determination, nothing is insurmountable.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCCP Interactive
    Release dateJan 12, 2007
    ISBN9781553198772
    Island of the Blue Dolphins - Literature Kit Gr. 5-6

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    Reviews for Island of the Blue Dolphins - Literature Kit Gr. 5-6

    4/5

    2,909 ratings131 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Island of the Blue Dolphins is about a young girl who is faced with the challenge of surviving on an island after the Aleut hunters killed many men in their tribe. This causes the other people on her island to leave in search of a new beginning. Karana finds herself to be strong and capable of surviving many situations. As time passes she becomes the caretaker of many animals on the island. This companionship makes being alone somewhat more bareable.
    • 5/5
      This was the first book that I ever really loved. I first read it when I was about 10 or 11, and I fell in love with Scott O'Dell's writing, getting my hands on any of his books that I could find at my elementary school library. It really made me into a reader. But I hadn't read it in about a decade, and I was curious how well it would hold up to my adult mind.

      IT WAS EVEN BETTER!!!

      I originally rated this 4 stars, rather arbitrarily, but this reread proved that this is truly an amazing piece of historical fiction, especially for children. Even for its time, it does a great job at portraying Native American peoples in a humanizing light, as well as young girls (which is amazing, because Scott O'Dell was clearly a white adult male).

      It's compelling and action-packed, and extremely educational. I really felt for Karana as she lives abandoned on an island for the majority of her life, missing her family but feeling unable to leave her home. Making new friends and losing them. Growing and changing as a woman. It's short but it's excellent, and I highly suggest it.
    • 5/5
      Karana planned to leave the dolphin-shaped island with her family and tribe. However, when she sees her little brother left behind on the shore, her split-second decision changes the course of her life. As Karana and her brother struggle to survive alone, she must hunt, find shelter, and contend with nature. When her brother is tragically killed, Karana perseveres as she waits for the boat to return for her. As the seasons pass, Karana realizes that no one is coming for her and she must make a life for herself. Her courage and resourcefulness allows her to survive and, ultimately, to thrive.Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell is classified as children's literature, but I recommend it to all age groups. The story is entertaining and unique. O'Dell captured my imagination from the beginning of the story and carried it through until the end. What fascinated me the most is that the story is based on real-life happenings. I could identify with Karana and admired her throughout the story. A good read for children and adults, alike.
    • 4/5
      5569. Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O'Dell (read 14 Jul 2018) Every once in a while I read juvenile books which seem to me I should read. This book is a famed book which purports to tell the story of a girl who lived on San Nicolas Island, off the coast of California alone for 18 years ending in 1853. It seems quite improbable but depicts the girl as quite a resourceful girl, as she lived her Robinson Crusoe existence. It reads easily and I even found it a bit poignant,, particularly when her dog--which she had tamed from the feral state--dies. And the girl evolves,on her own, from a killer of animals to a more likeable persona. I have read less interesting juvenile books.
    • 4/5
      This 1960 novel of a girl who is left all alone on a smallish island when the rest of her people relocate elsewhere was, I think, already considered something of a classic when I first read it as a kid in the 1970s. I think I actually read it several times, but I remembered very little about it -- just enough for me to feel a sense of deja vu on re-reading it now.And I was surprised by how well it held up. Adult me wasn't quite as enthralled with the story as I think young me was, reading what was probably the first such survival tale I ever encountered, and I did find myself wishing, just a little, for a longer, more fleshed-out and detailed telling. But I can absolutely see why kid me found it compelling, and I still liked it and even, in the end, found it unexpectedly moving. Also, how glad am I that, in reviewing a book from 1960 about a girl from an indigenous society, I don't have to add comments like, "Well, you do have to keep in mind that it's a product of its time"? Very. Very glad.What I'm really wondering now, though, is how I ever managed to forget the fact that this was based on a true story, albeit one about which very few details are known. That really does add an extra layer of poignancy to the experience of reading it, I think. You can't help but wonder about the lost story of the poor woman (probably not a girl as young as the one in the novel) who actually lived this life, or one like it.
    • 4/5
      I first read this in 3rd or 4th grade, but I didn't remember most of what happened so I don't even count it as a reread. This is a classic book about Karana, a Native American girl who is left behind on an island off the California coast in the 1800s (what I didn't know was that it was based on a true story, which is pretty cool). She spends many years (mostly) alone, surviving on her own with the occasional animal and human companion. This is a very internal book, made up mostly of descriptions of Karana's thoughts and actions. It is beautifully written, and even though you get the sense that nothing bad will happen to her, the suspense is still present. Although, the ending seems a little more ambiguous now that I'm reading it as an adult...
    • 5/5
      liked it! Sad though in some places.
    • 4/5
      I liked it.
    • 3/5
      Kind of a downer.
    • 4/5
      In the Pacific, there is an island that looks like a big fish sunning itself in the sea. Around it blue dolphins swim, otters play, and sea birds abound. Karana is the Indian girl who lived alone for years on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. Hers is not only an unusual adventure of survival, but also a tale of natural beauty and personal discovery.
    • 1/5
      I had to read this as the summer read along with my incoming sixth grade students. I read it, but it was not as impactful as I hoped. I didn't get The Big Thrill that I'd anticipated. Actually, it was boring, and I'm struggling to see how my kids could develop some cool projects out of it, besides the usual diorama of the landscape, journal entries pretending to be the protagonist, etc. This book fits right in there with Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (The Yearling) and Jean Craighead George (The Talking Earth), and I don't see how the faraway life struggle against nature is relevant to today's kids anymore; it's as distant as Harry Potter's magical fantasies.
    • 5/5
      this book is amazing i love it soo much and even though i don't usually like sad books this one was really good
    • 4/5
      My mom made me read this book in the 8th grade. At first I fought the Idea. When i finally got into the book I loved it. In the Pacific, there is an island that looks like a big fish sunning itself in the sea. Around it blue dolphins swim, otters play, and sea birds abound. Karana is the Indian girl who lived alone for years on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. Hers is not only an unusual adventure of survival, but also a tale of natural beauty and personal discovery.
    • 4/5
      this book is very venturous. its about a girl who had to go against her tradition her tradition to survive. her tradition was that women couldn't go to war and couldn't make weapons. her brother was eaten by a wild dogs. she lived on an island by herself for the rest of her life well most of her life . she was a brave girl she could make good weapons even though she was a girl and she had good aim shooting the wild dogs with her bow and arrow. when the Russians and her dad and the tribe went to war a lot of people died including the Russians that's y she had to do what she had to do
    • 5/5
      a beautiful book that demonstrates sacrifice and courage
    • 2/5
      I read this to my daughter to completion, so I added it to my collection, though I would never have chosen to read it myself. This is book is supposed to be a classic, but I did not find it interesting. But I'm sure that's just me -- I'm not into survival stories like Hatchet and White Fang. In this case, it's a native girl who was left behind on an island when everyone else fled to somewhere more mainland. She builds shelters, finds water, harvests fish and seafood, makes friends with the wildlife, all typical survival stuff.My problem is that it doesn't really build toward something. There's no rising action. There's a teensy amount of dialogue. The action is frontloaded to the beginning. And at some point, you wonder why this story is important (and you don't find out until the end that it's because this was a true story -- hence the dullness).
    • 5/5
      This is one of my very favorite books as I was growing up. I read it several times, imagining myself as Karana, living alone on an island. I loved it!
    • 5/5
      This is a really great book. Karana, the main character, is going to leave the Island of the Blue Dolphins with the rest of her family, but her brother is left behind and she swims back to take care of him. Then, her brother is killed by wolves, and she swears revenge on them. Later, she changes her mind when the leader makes friends with her and follows her everywhere. The wolf and Karana have many wonderful adventures together, including trying to go to the island that her family went to. Then, when the old leader dies, his son takes his place in Karana's hut. Together, they are rescued by some Englishmen, and they are brought back to the mainland (the U.S.A.) I recommend this book to girls who like adventures.
    • 4/5
      I appreciated this reader's edition and learning "the rest of the story." I found the Introduction a little long and dry, though the information was valuable. After reading the two chapters excised from the original book, I am glad they were omitted from a book intended for young adult readers. The two essays at the conclusion of the book were enlightening
    • 3/5
      A great classic.
    • 4/5
      Island of the Blue Dolphins is about a Native American girl named Karana who is left abandoned on an island after her tribe was attacked by Aleutian hunters. She fights to survive by herself, feeling so alone and far away from her people. I would use this book in an ELA or social studies classroom. For instruction, I would use this book to introduce my students to the cruelty Native Americans faced (along with many other minority groups). This book also teaches great lessons about perseverance and strength in times where it would be easier to just give up.
    • 2/5
      Karana is twelve years old when her people leave their island, but circumstances leave her behind. Her story of years of survival on her own unfolds in Island of the Blue Dolphins by author Scott O'Dell.After recently reading and becoming engrossed in Sing Down the Moon by the same author, I decided to revisit this Newbery Medal-winning children's classic based on true events. I remember listening to the reading of it back when I was eleven or so, but the author's writing style didn't do much for me back then.So I tried again, curious to see if adulthood would give me a new appreciation for this book. As I read, it reminded me of the movie Cast Away at times, what with a lone human being fending for herself on an island: building shelter, hunting and gathering food, facing the elements and hostile wild animals, etc. And some parts here and there moved me, particularly near the beginning.On the whole, though, this still wasn't the most interesting book for me. Lots of solitude, very little dialogue, and although the heroine is a brave, self-reliant girl-turned-woman, I wouldn't have stuck with this understated account about living in nature if I didn't know it would be a quick read.Still, because I have enjoyed one book by this author, I plan on trying at least one more.
    • 4/5
      First Line: I remember the day the Aleut ship came to our island.I'm not quite sure how I missed this one growing up. With a 1960 copyright date, it was certainly around when I was young, but somehow it got lost in the shuffle, and I never read it. I've now corrected that oversight, and I'm glad I did.In the Pacific Ocean, there is an island that looks like a big fish sunning itself in the sea. Blue dolphins, sea elephants, birds, otters... wildlife is abundant there. When the strangers come in their red-sailed ship, Karana's father reluctantly gives them permission to fish and to hunt for otters in their waters, but their hunting comes to a bad end. Not long afterward, a ship comes for Karana's people, and they gather their belongings and climb aboard. When Karana sees that her little brother is left behind on the island, she jumps ship and swims back.Unfortunately Karana soon finds herself all alone on the island. She spends year after year there, but this isn't a tale merely of survival, it's a story of a girl who truly appreciates the natural world surrounding her. My eyes were riveted to the page as she built herself shelter, a canoe, fought off wild dogs, and explored the island. An author's note in the back told me that this story was based on fact, and that explanation made the book even more special.I can see why this book is a Newbery Medal winner. Island of the Blue Dolphins has a wonderful setting and a character into whom we can all project ourselves. It wasn't just Karana building a shelter or trying to outsmart the wild dogs-- I was, too. When I finished the last page, I had to sit quietly and let the sea breeze calm and the vision of a fish-shaped island sunning itself in the sea quietly fade away.
    • 3/5
      This is a really good book! If you have read it you should really check out the sequel to it. It's called ZIA. :)
    • 3/5
      When Karana is left behind with her brother on an island, they fight to survive. After her brother is killed by a pack of wild dogs, Karana must survive alone. She does her best to find food and fend off the wild dogs, as well as avoid enemy attacks. She almost escapes on a canoe, only to have her boat spring a leak. She barely makes it back to the island. This book is a good historical fiction to read and discuss with students. This is based on a true story and has rich vocabulary and ideas for students to experience.
    • 5/5
      This was one of my all time favorite novels as a child. I used to imagine the same thing happening to me (usually in a forest rather than an island, since that's where I lived). Read and reread.
    • 5/5
      Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell This is a chapter book, reading level 5.5. When a tribe of Indians who had lived for thousands of years on an island measuring just 3 miles by 9 miles leaves the island, one girl is left behind. This is the story of her life beginning before the white men came to fish for otters in 1602 to her rescue some 20 years later. There are facts known about this girl and many myths. The book attempts to tell her story as well as possible. Rich in descriptions, youngsters will imagine her life well and be interested in what becomes of her. Newbery winner.
    • 5/5
      The story is about a girl who stays behind on an island for her brother when her entire tribe leaves on a boat. She is left alone to survive and she thrives and protects herself. This story challenges social norms and gender roles in both her culture as well as my own.
    • 3/5
      I know that I read this as a kid, but I don't really remember liking it that much then. I liked it better this time.
    • 4/5
      Great book on survival. I think there are a lot of great themes embedded into the story and the reader can experience all the things the main character goes through.

    Book preview

    Island of the Blue Dolphins - Literature Kit Gr. 5-6 - Marie-Helen Goyetche

    A Literature Kit™ FOR

    Island of the Blue Dolphins

    By Scott O’Dell

    Written by Marie-Helen Goyetche

    GRADES 5 – 6

    Classroom Complete Press

    P.O. Box 19729

    San Diego, CA 92159

    Tel: 1-800-663-3609 | Fax: 1-800-663-3608

    Email: service@classroomcompletepress.com

    www.classroomcompletepress.com

    ISBN-13: 978-1-55319-341-8

    ISBN-10: 1-55319-341-5

    eISBN: 978-1-55319-877-2

    © 2008

    Permission to Reproduce

    Permission is granted to the individual teacher who purchases one copy of this book to reproduce the student activity material for use in his or her classroom only. Reproduction of these materials for colleagues, an entire school or school system, or for commercial sale is strictly prohibited

    . No part of this publication may be transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP) for our publishing activities. Printed in Canada. All rights reserved.

    Critical Thinking Skills

    Island of the Blue Dolphins

    Based on Bloom's Taxonomy

    Contents

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    Island of the Blue Dolphins

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