Ms. Roque’s Class

Island of the Blue DolphinsReading Response Journal

Table of Contents

Vocabulary Words…………………………………………………………………..…….p. 2

Chapter 1-5 Questions…………………………………………………………………..p. 3

Chapter 6-10 Questions…………………………………………………………………p. 5

Aleut Numbers………………………………………………………………………………p. 7

Chapter 11-18 Questions………………………………………………………….……p. 8

Chapter 19-22 Questions……………………………………………………………….p. 10

Karana & Tutok……………………………………………………………………………..p. 12

Picture This!....................................................................................p. 13

Chapter 23-29 Questions………………………………………………………….……p. 14

Despair……………………………………………………………………………………….…p. 16

Figurative Language………………………………………………………………….…..p. 17

1

Ms. Roque’s Class

Island of the Blue Dolphins: Vocabulary

Chapter 1-4ravine leaguescormorantskelppelt

Chapter 5-8snared forlornscurryingabalonebeckoned

Chapter 9-11brackishcrevicesstuntedomensmother

Chapter 12-15pursuer

matted

Chapter 16-19preymuzzlessinew leeches

Chapter 20-23oblongslungpeered

Chapter 24-29swoopfledglingsexcavationshobblequiver

2

Ms. Roque’s Class

Island of the Blue Dolphins: Chapters 1-51. Who is telling the story? How do you imagine her? What is she like?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

2. When and where did the story take place?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

3. Who is on the ship? Why has it come?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

4. Who are Ulape and Ramo?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

5. Who is Chief Chowig? Why is Karana surprised that he gives his name to the Aleut stranger?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

6. What happened the last time the Aleuts came to hunt?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

7. How did the island get its name?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

8. What do Karana’s people refuse to share with the Aleuts? Do you think they should share?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

9. What agreement has Chief Chowig and Captain Orlov reached? How long do the Aleuts stay?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

3

Ms. Roque’s Class

10. What happens when the Aleuts break their agreement?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

11. How many of the islanders do the Aleuts kill? How many men remain?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

12. Who is Kimki?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

13. How do the roles of women change after so many men die? How do the men feel about that?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

14. How can you tell the people were depressed? Why?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

4

Ms. Roque’s Class

Island of the Blue Dolphins: Chapters 6-101. Where does Kimki go? Is he successful?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

2. What does Karana put in the baskets she decides to take on the ship?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

3. Why can’t the ship wait for Ramo?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

4. Why does Karana jump off the ship? Would you have done that?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

5. How does Ramo die? How does Karana plan to get revenge?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

6. Why does Karana decide never to live in the village again? What happens to the houses there?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

7. Once the village is gone, what does Karana do about shelter?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

8. Why does Karana need weapons? Why doesn’t she make them at first?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

9. What does Karana hope to find in the chest left by the Aleuts? What is in the chest? How can you tell

that the Aleuts were planning to deceive Karana’s people?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

5

Ms. Roque’s Class

10. What does Karana finally use to make weapons?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

11. What does Karana eat?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

12. How does Karana feel when the winter comes? Why?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

13. Why does Karana set out in a canoe? Why does she return?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

6

Ms. Roque’s Class

Island of the Blue Dolphins: Aleut NumbersIn Island of the Blue Dolphins, Russian hunters reach the island in their red-sailed ships for the purpose of hunting the abundant sea otter. These people are constantly referred to in the book as Aleut. The Aleut people are related to the Eskimo people both racially and through their language. They live along the south and west coasts of Alaska. Aleut means “brother of the sea otter.” They were once a numerous people but today there are only about 8,000 Aleuts left in Alaska.

Use your knowledge of math to find the Aleut words below for the numbers one through ten. Use the clues to write the Aleut word beside the number at the bottom of the page. Look in the parentheses after the word to find out how to pronounce the word in Aleut.

Clues

CANG (chang) is an odd number between 3 and 7. 2 X CANG = ATIQ (at eek) 3 X (438-437) = QANKUDIDIM (kan koo dee deem) 14 – 5 = SICING (see ching) ATUNG (at oong) X ATUNG = 36 ALAK (ah lock) / ALAK = 4 2 X ALAK = SICIN (see cheen) (CANG + SICING) / ALAK = ULLUNG (oo! Long) 72 / 9 = QAMCING (kam sing) AGACA (ah gaw cha) + 9 = ATIQ

Answers1.__________ 6.__________

2.__________ 7.__________

3.__________ 8.__________

4.__________ 9.__________

5.__________ 10._________

7

Ms. Roque’s Class

Island of the Blue Dolphins: Chapters 11-181. Where does Karana decide to build a house? How?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

2. What does Karana use the whale bones for? What else might she have tried using?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

3. What was the legend about Tumaiyowit and Mukat?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

4. How does Karana make utensils?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

5. How does Karana cook seeds and roots?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

6. What does Karana use the bodies of the little dried fish for?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

7. Why does Karana want to kill a sea elephant?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

8. How does Karana hurt her leg?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

9. Why doesn’t Karana kill the big gray dog? What does she do instead?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

8

Ms. Roque’s Class

10. How does Karana get what she needs for her spear points?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

11. What does Karana name the dog? Why?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

12. How and why does Karana work on the canoe?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

13. Why does Karana consider the cave a “great discovery”?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

14. What does Karana plan to catch in the water with the spear? Why?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

15. Why does Rontu leave Karana? What happens to him and to the pack?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

16. What two “new friends” does Karana make? How?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

17. Describe the clothes Karana makes for those times when she feels like being “dressed up.”

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

9

Ms. Roque’s Class

Island of the Blue Dolphins: Chapters 19-221. What happens when Karana fights the devilfish? Why doesn’t she try to spear the two other devilfish

she sees later that summer?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

2. How does Karana protect the abalone meat from the birds?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

3. Why does Karana kill the ten cormorants?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

4. What does Karana find in Black Cave? How does that make her feel?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

5. About how old is Karana when the Aleuts come again? What does she do when she sees them arrive?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

6. Why is Karana more afraid of the girl than the men?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

7. How does the Aleut girl treat Karana? How does Karana feel towards her at first?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

8. What present does the girl leave for Karana?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

9. What does Karana make for Tutok?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

10

Ms. Roque’s Class

10. How do Karana and Tutok spend their time together?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

11. How does Karana feel when the Aleuts finally leave?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

11

Ms. Roque’s Class

Island of the Blue Dolphins: Karana & TutokDirections: Complete the Venn diagram by supplying words or phrases that describe Tutok.

Directions: Using the information in the Venn diagram, write a paragraph (5-8 sentences) in which you compare and contrast the two girls.

12

Ms. Roque’s Class

Island of the Blue Dolphins: Picture This!In chapter 19, Karana finally locates the giant devilfish which she has been pursuing for its delicate meat. The author describes how she and Rontu found it while on the reef. As luck would have it, the devilfish was out of the cave and in shallow, clear water. The author adds more vivid description by writing that Karana “…could plainly see his eyed. They were the size of small stones and stood out from his head, with black rims and gold centers and in the centers a black spot, like the eyes of a spirit I had once seen…” This description and others like it depict the fight that the devilfish has with Karana and her faithful dog, Rontu.

Activity: The author’s publisher has decided to illustrate the fight scene from Chapter 19. Your task is to illustrate this scene.

13

Ms. Roque’s Class

Island of the Blue Dolphins: Chapters 23-291. Who is Mon-a-nee?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

2. Why does Karana look for stones the same color as the stones in the necklace Tutok gave her?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

3. Karana imagines her sister smiling at Karana’s children “…so different from the ones I always wished to

have…” What “children” does Karana have?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

4. Why does Karana call Mon-a-nee (a male), a “mother”?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

5. Karana stops killing most animals. Which ones? Why?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

6. How does Karana keep track of time at first? Why does she stop?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

7. How does Rontu die? How does Karana end up with his son?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

8. What is the earthquake like? How does it make Karana feel? How does it make her life harder?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

9. How does Karana react when she sees a ship unlike the Aleut boat? Why don’t the men find her?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

14

Ms. Roque’s Class

10. How long is it before another boat comes?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

11. Why has the boat come? What does Karana do when the men ask where the otters are?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

12. How do the men treat Karana?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

13. How do you imagine her to look as the ship takes her away? Which of her “friends” and possessions

does she have with her?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

15

Ms. Roque’s Class

Island of the Blue Dolphins: DespairThe chapters in this section have revealed several tragedies for Karana. The tidal waves hit the island with surprising force. When they receded they took everything she had prepared for the upcoming winter with them. Almost before Karana realized that she might not survive the winter without her boat, an earthquake hit the island. She had experienced two catastrophes in such a short time. No doubt her feeling of despair was mounting.

Perhaps more upsetting to Karana was the reappearance of the white men. Unsure of their intentions and mindful of her past experiences with these intruders, Karana’s emotions were laced with confusion and further despair. We are shown how she retreated to her house on the headland like a frightened animal. She told of how she crouched in fear with her “heart beating fast.” Finally, she made a decision. She put on her otter cape and her prized cormorant skirt and necklace that her only friend, Tutok, had given her and headed down toward the ship and the white men. Her thoughts were filled with memories of her life on the headland, but those thoughts were replaced by an overwhelming desire to be where people lived, to hear their voices and their laughter.”

Imagine how great her despair was at that moment, to see the ship and her hopes sailing away. At this point, she must have wondered if she would ever hear happy voices again.

The author, however, did not dwell on this. He simply described her standing in the rain with the wind driving against her face as she watched the ship fade from sight.

Activity: Write a paragraph (5-8 sentences) describing what might have been going through Karana’s troubled mind at this point in the story. Illustrate this with a picture that reinforces the desolation that Karana must have felt as she stood alone on the beach.

16

Ms. Roque’s Class

Island of the Blue Dolphins: Figurative Language

Directions: Authors sometimes use figurative language to make descriptions more vivid for readers. Similes are comparisons using the words “like” or “as.”

Below are a few examples of figurative language used by Scott O’Dell in Island of the Blue Dolphins.

a) Analyze each by telling what two things are being compared and how they are alike.

b) Write your own simile to suggest a similar quality in a different way.

1. “In the morning when he crawls out of his tent he sits on a rock and combs until the beard shines like a cormorant’s wing,” Ramo said.

a) ___________ is like____________ because both

__________________________________________________________

b) …until the beard shines like___________________________________

2. “I have never seen the ocean so calm and the sky looks like a blue shell.”a) ___________ is like____________ because both

__________________________________________________________

b) …the sky looks like___________________________________________

3. “…the sun [was] so hot that the sea was like the sun itself.”a) ___________ is like____________ because both

__________________________________________________________

b) …the sea was like____________________________________________

17