Anything typed in blue and underlined is a hyperlink. You can click on it and it will take you to a webpage or document.
Island of the blue dolphins
By Scott o’Dell
AR Level: 5.4
Preparing your
notebook
ISBN-13: 978-0547328614
1. Number the pages of your notebook (front and back) up to page 7. It’s usually a good idea to skip the first page. It
gets so much wear and tear, it frequently tears out.
2. Page 1 will be the title page. Label it Island of the Blue Dolphins and draw a picture to go along with it.
3. The narrator describes the physical setting in detail throughout the book. If you purchased your own copy, every
time the setting is described, underline it or mark it in some way. If you are borrowing a book, use post-it notes or
take notes in your notebook. Be sure to write down the page numbers so you can find it later to create your own
map of the island on page 2.
4. Tape or glue a map of the Channel Islands on page 3.
5. Pages 5 will be your table of contents. Label the top of the page and as you add notes, complete activities, and
answer questions, add the page titles and numbers to your table of contents.
6. As you read you’ll notice the narrator frequently mentions animals. Keep a list of all the animals mentioned in the
story on page 6. Mark the page with a post-it note to find it easily later.
7. Go to the back of your notebook and count inward 5 pages. This will be your glossary. Add
words you find on the driftwood (like the piece in the right corner of this page) on
ily
o eas
t
m
each page to your glossary and look up the definitions—include
ry.co
tiona
c
i
rds.
d
.
y wo
ww
r
w
a
s
e
them too. Mark the page with a post-it note so you can
s
glo
pag
your
k the
o
r
t
a
s
m
n
io
easily find it later.
Book
efinit
ord d
the w
up
look
ISLAND OFTHE BLUE DOLPHINS
Chapter
1
1. Who is the narrator? How old is the narrator?
2. What is the setting of the story? What is the name of the village?
3. This visitors come in a red ship with red sails. Why do you think the author chose
this color? What do you think of when you think of red?
Parley means to speak, usually a
conference between enemies under
a truce.
4. Where are the Aleutian Islands from where the Russians
came? (Click on the name to the right of the map)
5. If you were in charge of the island, would you accept Captain Orlov’s offer? Why? Why
not?
6. The Aleuts were hunting sea otters. How are sea otters
unique among animals?
your
o
t
led
ncea
o
c
e and
n
i
v
a
r
Add
ary.
gloss
ISLAND OFTHE BLUE DOLPHINS
Become a National Parks Junior Webranger. Write down your
username and password on the inside cover of your notebook. Log in to
your ranger station and complete the following activity:
See what life was like in Alaska for the Aleuts who came with
Captain Orlov.
>Click on Find Activities! at the left of the screen
>Click on History
>Choose Arctic Artifacts
ISLAND OFTHE BLUE DOLPHINs
Santa Cruz island
flipped over.
The island described by
Scott O’Dell.
The island where the real
Lone Woman lived.
The map on the right shows what the land under the ocean looks
like. The brown parts are land. The darker the color, the deeper
the water is in that particular part of the ocean. Can you see the
islands? This type of map is called a topographical relief map.
ISLAND OFTHE BLUE DOLPHINs
Chapters
2&3
1. Use Karana’s descriptions to draw the island on
page 2 of your notebook.
2. Why did the chief warn the villagers not to visit
the Aleut camp?
3. What good fortune came to the villagers?
4. Why did Karana become angry when she saw
hunters?
San Nicolas Island where the real “Lone Woman” lived.
5. For a long time, scientists thought sea otters were
extinct because they were hunted so much. Check
out this website for more info about the otters and
what happened to them. Where did they find sea
otters?
6. Why were the villagers concerned when they knew the Aleuts would soon leave the island?
7. Karana tells distances in leagues. Look up “league” and see how far it is in miles. Add it to your glossary.
n
icing, strew
jo
e
r
,
ly
g
in
r
A dd s p a
ur glossary.
o
y
to
lt
e
p
d
an
Don’t forget to add to your list of
animals on page 6.
ISLAND OFTHE BLUE DOLPHINs
1.
Chapters
4&5
What caused a fight between the Aleuts and the villagers?
2. What happened to Chief Chowig? What did Karana say was
the reason for this?
3. Karana harvests abalone for food and tools. What is
abalone?
4. She prefers red abalone. Why are they called red
abalone?
5. Much of the time spent is in hunting and gathering food.
Why? How is that different from today?
6. Why was life not so peaceful at Ghalas-at after the Aleuts
went away?
7. Karana says, “So hard did the women work that we really fared better than
before when the hunting was done by the men.” Why do you think this happened?
What would make them work so
hard? Why didn’t the men
Add pursue, fo
wl, and shirkers
to
usually work as hard as the
your glossary.
women are now?
ISLAND OFTHE BLUE DOLPHINs
Chapters
6&7
1. The people measure time by the sun and moon. When Karana says Kimki was gone
“one moon,” how long do you think that is? Go to this site and see if you’re correct.
2. Who is Matasaip?
3. What happened to Kimki?
4. Why do you think Ulape drew a blue mark on her face?
5. Why did Karana jump off the ship into the water?
6. What do you think will happen to Ramo and Karana?
This is someone’s first
attempt at making a
yucca fiber skirt. I’m
guessing Karana was
much more skilled so
her skirt was even
more impressive.
to
rlorn
o
f
d
n
ain, a
v
,
e
le
out, f
t
s
d
Ad
sary.
s
o
l
g
your
ISLAND OFTHE BLUE DOLPHINs
1.
Why did Ramo not want the ship to come back for them?
2.
Describe the “rites of manhood.” Do we have rites of manhood
now? What are boys expected to do or know how to do?
3.
Why was Karana afraid when
Ramo went alone to get the
canoes?
4.
Why did she decide not to go
after him?
Chapter
8
Slunk is the past tense of slink. It
means to move about slowly and
usually in shame.
Watch this video to see how a spit
is formed. It’s on Youtube, so be
sure to ask your parent’s
permission first.
This is an image of Chumash people and their canoe.
They lived on the mainland near Karana’s island.
This is an example of a
seaweed basket. Karana
and Ramo would not have
taken the time to add
shells to theirs.
your
o
t
h
c
t
d swi
n
a
,
r
i
la
ged,
r
o
g
Add
ary.
gloss
ISLAND OFTHE BLUE DOLPHINs
Chapter
9
1. Why do you think Karana set her village on fire?
2. Why did Karana sleep on a high rock?
3. Why do you think she threw the jewels away instead of keeping them?
4. It was against the law of the tribe
for women to make weapons. What
did she think might happen to her if
she made weapons? (List four
things)
5. What things do we commonly
say girls can’t or shouldn’t do now?
Why do you think people
believe this?
s
evice
r
c
d
an
new,
i
s
,
e
orbad
f
d
d
A
.
ssa r y
o
l
g
r
you
Sunset over the Channel Islands.
to
ISLAND OFTHE BLUE DOLPHINs
Karana had to make all of her tools and weapons from items she
could find. See how tools have changed.
Log in to your ranger station at the National Park Service
Webranger site
>Click on the Find Activities! tab on the left
>Click on History
>Choose Yesterday and Today
Chapter
10
ISLAND OFTHE BLUE DOLPHINs
1. Why did Karana decide to leave the island?
2. What did she use as a guide to find her
way to the east country where Kimki had
gone? (Name two things.)
ling
knee
A dd
ary.
gloss
3. Why did she decide to turn back to the island?
4. What good fortune did she have that helped her to get back home?
5. How did Karana feel
when she finally reached
the island?
Read about how people from long
ago found their way when they
were out in the open ocean.
and
yo u r
o
t
k
dus
ISLAND OFTHE BLUE DOLPHINs
Karana and her people could not have survived without the
creatures of the sea. Find out more.
Log in to your ranger station at the National Park Service
Webranger site
>Click on the Find Activities! tab on the left
>Click on Nature
>Choose the Ocean Life Matching Game
Then,
>Click on Science
>Choose Exploring Tidepools
ISLAND OFTHE BLUE DOLPHINs
Chapters
11 & 12
1. Karana had to build a house since she had burned all the houses in the village.
Give three reasons why she decided to build her house on the headlands.
2. What did Karana use to build a fence and why did she build the fence before
she built the house?
3. What are sai-sai? What did Karana use them for? Watch this video to see
what the fish are usually called and learn about their strange mating habit.
4. Why did she want to kill a male sea elephant (Northern Elephant
Seal)? After reading about them, what do you think they look like?
Search the web for images of elephant seals. Is this what you imagined
from O’Dell’s description? How does your imagined picture of an elephant
seal differ from the real one? How much can a male elephant seal weigh? (Be
sure to scroll down and listen to what an elephant seal sounds like!)
5. Read over the description of Karana’s new house and
en
d om
n
a
,
fence carefully, then draw a picture to show
ng
afeni
e
d
,
h
what it looks like based upon the
ackis
r
b
d
Ad
sary.
s
o
l
g
ur
description in the book.
to yo
ISLAND OFTHE BLUE DOLPHINs
1. How did Karana hurt her leg?
2. What happened when Karana went to the ravine to get
water?
3. Why did she spend six days in the cave?
4. Why did she decide to make the cave another
house?
5.
What did Karana find when she returned to the place
where the sea elephants lived?
Chapters
13 & 14
be to
o
l
d
n
sh, a
a
g
,
ng
llowi
e
b
Add
.
ssa r y
o
l
g
r
you
ISLAND OFTHE BLUE DOLPHINs
Karana stays in the cave her ancestors once used. She describes
how her ancestors “cut figures in the stone” sides of the cave.
Carved drawings are known as petroglyphs. Other Native
Americans left behind petroglyphs too.
Log in to your ranger station at the National Park Service
Webranger site
>Click on the Find Activities! tab on the left
> Click on History
>Choose Stories from the Past
ISLAND OFTHE BLUE DOLPHINs
Chapter
15
1. Where had the yellow-eyed dog come from?
2. How did Karana get the dogs to come out of the cave?
3. What did she do when she found the wounded dog?
4. Why do you think Karana “did not send the arrow”?
5. What did Karana do when she left the house at dawn and what did she find when she
returned each day?
6. What did Karana decide to name the dog and what does the name mean?
your
o
t
d
nawe
g
d
an
rcass
a
c
Add
ary.
gloss
ISLAND OFTHE BLUE DOLPHINs
1. Why did Karana want to make her
canoe smaller? How did she do it?
Chapters
16 & 17
Add planks, barbed, and foreleg to
your glossary.
2. What kept Karana from being lonely?
3. Why did Karana think that finding the sea cave was a great discovery?
4. Read the description of the devil fish
and draw a picture to match the
description.
5. Karana could have killed the
attackers, but she decided not to help
Rontu. Why? What would you have
done?
6. What did Rontu do after the battle
was over? What do you think that
action means?
ISLAND OFTHE BLUE DOLPHINs
Chapters
18 & 19
1. Where did Karana get the birds that became her friends? What did she name them?
2. Why did she cut the tips of their wings?
3. What did Karana use to make her clothes (skirt, belt, sandals, and in her hair)?
4. Nature has given all animals a natural defense. How does the devil fish protect itself
from attackers?
5. Go to this site to learn more about octopuses. Draw a picture of one and write down
something you learned about them.
6. How does the
devil fish swim?
The devilfish Karana kills is
actually an octopus. She said Rontu
was injured by the octopus’s beak. At
left is a photo of an octopus beak. Ouch!
Add
flailin
g, st
your
alk, a
gloss
nd le
ary.
eche
s
to
Chapters
20 & 21
ISLAND OFTHE BLUE DOLPHINs
1. What are cormorants? Why did Karana kill them? List two facts about cormorants.
2. What did Karana discover in the cave that made her afraid?
3. Why did she move everything from her house to the cave at the ravine?
4. Karana wanted to make it look as if no one had lived in her house for a long time. Why
do you think she did this?
5. What did Karana find when she returned to the cave?
6. What do you think will happen next?
ldom
e
s
d
Ad
ary.
gloss
your
o
t
awled
r
p
s
and
ISLAND OFTHE BLUE DOLPHINs
1.
Why do you think Karana decided to speak to Tutok?
2.
Why did Tutok give Karana a gift? Why did Karana work so hard
to make a gift for Tutok? Why do you think this was so
important?
3.
What did Karana do with the otter the Aleuts left behind?
4.
What did she name her new friend?
5.
Why didn’t Mon-a-nee leave the small pool?
6.
Reread the last paragraph in chapter 22. Why do you
think the island suddenly seemed very quiet?
epro
Add r
ac
Chapters
22 & 23
s
r glos
u
o
y
h to
ary.
ISLAND OFTHE BLUE DOLPHINs
1.
Who made up Karana’s new family?
2.
Why did Karana change the
otter’s name to Won-a-nee?
Chapters
24 & 25
3. What made her decide never to kill another animal?
4.Why did the herd of otters leave
Coral Cove in the summertime?
5.How did Karana keep account of the
days and years that she lived on the
island alone?
6.Rontu went off and did not return.
Where did Karana find him and in
what condition?
7.Learn more about sea otters.
nd
ng a
i
l
g
d
fle
Add
sary.
s
o
l
g
ur
to yo
le
hobb
ISLAND OFTHE BLUE DOLPHINs
A tsunami really was recorded
in this area in the 1850s!
1. What are snares
and why did
Karana make
them?
2.
What did she name her new dog and
what does that name mean?
3.
How did Karana shield her eyes from the hot
sun? The glasses below work on the same
principle.
4.
What happened when she went to sleep under
her canoe?
5.
How did Karana escape the tidal wave? Go to
this page and read about earthquakes and
tsunamis. Scroll to the bottom to see video of a
real tsunami!
Add glim
pse to yo
ur glossa
ry.
Cha
pte
r 27
Chapters
26 & 27
has
“Lik
lots
e tw
of e
o gi
xam
ants
ples
“ Th
the
of p
e to
y
e r so
cras
n gu
nific
es o
he d
atio
fw
“…t
a
g
a
ater
n:
he o
inst
islan
cea
licke
eac
n
h
d as
d in
w
othe
to a
if it as sm
r” (
l
o
l th
pa g
we r
oth
For
e
e 16
e ve
an d
c
a de
r
e
8).
ry t
vice
yell
own
finit
s
o
i
r
…
w
e
i
e
o
” (p
d” (
n
the xamp
ag e
pag an d it
le o of per
link
e
l
168)
a
so n i
f pe
169)
y ag
ed p
.
fica
.
rson
a
ag e
i
nst
ifica tion,
an d
the
clic
tio
use
it in n or ch k on t
he
oo
a pa
ragr se one word.
a ph
from Writ
.
the e your
list
on
ISLAND OFTHE BLUE DOLPHINs
1.
What did Karana lose from the great waves?
2.
Where did she get wood to build a new canoe?
3.
What do you think Karana was thinking about when she was
deciding whether or not to hide?
4.
The men made a new garment for Karana to wear. Why?
5.
The man in the gray robe wore an ornament around his neck. Who
was this man and what do you think this ornament was?
6.
There really was a “Lone Woman of San Nicholas.”
๏
See what she looked like here
๏
Read more about her here.
๏
Listen to one of the songs she sang here.
๏
What do you think happened to the Lone Woman of San
Nicholas’s family? What evidence did you find in the stories of
her that support your guess?
your
o
t
s
r
rouse
t
d
n
a
sture
e
g
Add
ary.
gloss
Chapters
28 & 29
ISLAND OFTHE BLUE DOLPHINs
๏
Did you remember to keep adding animals to your list? How many animals do you
have listed?
๏
Want to know more about this story? Check out this amazing webquest to learn more
about the book and the real story of the “Lone Woman of San Nicholas.”
๏
Want to know more about tide pools? Learn more about this fragile
ecosystem.
๏
Watch videos and learn about some of the
animals Karana lives with, befriends, and
survives upon.
๏
Even more information about the animals can
be found at the Sea World/Busch Gardens
site.
Channel Island fox
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