ISLAND of the BLUE DOLPHINS

BY Scott O’Dell

How will Karana meet the physical challenges that face her?

SURVIVAL

SURVIVAL

SURVIVAL

SURVIVAL

How Do People Survive in the Wilderness?

Video: ISLAND of the BLUE DOLPHINS

Island of the Blue Dolphins Movie Trailer - YouTube.url

• Takes place in the past: ______________________

• Often full of adventure:_______________

• Some parts are real, some parts are made up!

GENRE: Historical Fiction

TRUE FACTS BEHIND THE STORY

• In 1853, a lone woman was rescued from the San Nicolas Island, off the coast of Southern California. The rest of her tribe had already been evacuated eighteen earlier. Therefore, she lived alone on the island for a long time with her own language and inventive way of life and survival skills.

Continuation of the history behind the story…

• After she was rescued, she could not share her story with anyone because nobody spoke her language. Luckily, a priest could figure out somewhat of what she was saying through her gestures.

• Shortly after her rescue, she because ill and died. From this bit of history, Author Scott O’Dell imagines a life for her and wrote “Island of the Blue Dolphin.” The first publication came out in 1960.

The Island of the Blue Dolphins' Awards• :

• John Newbery Medal. 1961 • Lewis Carroll Shelf Award. 1961 • Southern California Council on Literature for Children and Young People

Notable Book. 1961 • Pomona Friends of the Library. 1961 • International Board on Books for Young People Honor List. 1962 • William Allen White Children's Book Award. 1963 • Federal Republic of Germany Jugendbuchpreis. 1963 • Rupert Hughes Award. • Nene Award. 1964 • George C. Stone Center for Children's Books. 1971 • Children's Literature Association: "10 Best American Children's Books of

the Past 200 Years." 1976 • Omar's Book Award. 1985 • School Library Journal, Books That Shaped The Century. 2000

CONCEPT WEB

ISLAND SURVIVAL-

PACIFIC COAST SURVIVAL

Story Words

• A. gnawed- ______________ away.• B. headland- a narrow ridge of __________ _____________

jutting out above the water.• C. kelp- another name for ______________.• D. Lair- a secret hiding spot or ___________ of a wild

animal.• E. ravine- a deep, narrow, ____________ eroded by running

water.• F. shellfish- a water animal with a ____________.• G. sinew- a _____________; it works with your muscles to

help you move.

FOUR-COLUMN-CHART

Word Synonym Antonym Sentence

Headland

Ravine

Shellfish

Gnawed

Kelp

Sinew

Lair

FREE WRITE: Write a story using all seven vocabulary words. Highlight each word as you use it.

RAVINE

LAIRSHELLFISH

HEADLAND GNAWED

KELP

SINEW

SETTING; answers where and when

• As you read the story, listen for sight and sound words, SENSORY WORDS, that will

help you to visualize the setting. Fill in the web with sensory words then

determine the setting; where and when.

Setting:Where:When:

Setting:Where:When:

THEME: The message or lesson of a story• Themes are not often directly stated in a story.• After reading the story, you can do several things to figure out the theme.• Check out the title. Sometimes it tells you a lot about the theme.• Notice repeating patterns and symbols. Sometimes these lead you to the

theme.• What allusions are made throughout the story?• What are the details and particulars in the story? • Remember that theme, plot, and structure are inseparable, all helping to

inform and reflect back on each other. Also, be aware that a theme we determine from a story never completely explains the story. It is simply one of the elements that make up the whole.

• Look at and think about the climax in the story and how the protagonist reacted to it,

• Think about the communication between characters because this can help to determine the theme.

Theme- the life lesson or message in a story or passage

• Fill in the blanks to help you find the golden treasure in the story:MAIN PROBLEM IN THE STORY:

HOW THE PROTAGONIST REACTED TO THE PROBLEM:

What was the outcome?

What could the theme be?

MAIN PROBLEM IN THE STORY:

HOW THE PROTAGONIST REACTED TO THE PROBLEM:

What was the outcome?

What could the theme be?

Possible themes:

Triple Venn Diagram

• Illustrate Karana’s house. Write a caption using details and evidence from the story that prove your visualizations. Include page numbers.

Shelter: bungalow, cabin, cave, cottage, hideout, hut, lair, lean to, nest, roost, shanty, shelter

C.C.QUEST:

• POV:________________________________ • Why do you think the author chose to tell the

story this way? _______________________• What information is unknown to us because it

is told from this POV? ___________________• _____________________________________

C.C.QUEST:

• Write the theme in sentence form and provide evidence from the story to support this:_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Formal Retelling

• Retell the “Island of the Blue Dolphins.” Start by filling in the plot diagram.

conflict

Write the formal retelling in three paragraphs.

• In the beginning of “Island of the Blue Dolphins,” • [exposition only]___________________________________________________________________________________________________

• ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• As the story continues,• [rising action, conflict, climax/turning point]_______________________________________________________________________________

• ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• As the story winds down, • [resolution]• _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• What information would be in Karana’s journal?

• What perspective would it be written in?• Would she need transitions in her informal

journal writing?• Is journal writing for any particular audience?• Journals record personal thoughts, wishes and

day-to-day activities.

Informal Journal, Logbook, or Diary writing

Day 1

10 years later

After the story