Island of the Blue Dolphins
Historical fiction is a combination of
imagination and fact, with fictional
characters and plot placed in a factual
historical setting.
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Karana is an Indian girl stranded alone on
an island. While waiting years for a ship to
come near and rescue her, she finds
inventive ways of living on an island
inhabited by wild dogs. She makes a cave
house, creates her own tools, finds food,
and survives many years on her own.
Theme and Setting
• The theme is the underlying meaning
of a story.
• The theme is often not stated. You can
figure out a theme when you have
finished reading from events and other
evidence in the story.
• The setting is where and when the story
takes place. Writers use details, such
as sights and sounds, to describe it.
Words to Know
• gnawed bitten or worn away
• headland narrow ridge of high land
jutting out into water; promontory
• kelp any of various large, tough,
brown seaweeds
• lair den or resting place of a wild
animal
Words to Know
• ravine a long, deep, narrow valley
eroded by running water
• shellfish a water animal with a shell.
Oysters, clams, crabs, and lobsters are
shellfish.
• sinew tendon
Guided Reading Questions
• Reread p. 75. Describe the setting of
this historical fiction story.
• How was the spring Karana visited
near the dog's lair different from the
spring near the headland?
• Based on pp. 74–75, what do you
think the big idea, or theme, for the
story will be?
Guided Reading Questions
• How would you describe the way
Karana approached the job of finding
a place to build her hut? Tell about a
time you wish you had acted in a
similar way.
• What do the images and sensory
words on p. 78, paragraph 2, suggest
about what kind of day it was for
Karana?
Guided Reading Questions
• Have students use a dictionary
to determine the meaning of
omen on p. 78, paragraph 2.
• What does the strong fence around
Karana's house show about her
situation?
• Read paragraph 6 on p. 81 and
visualize Karana's shelter. Describe
what you see.
Guided Reading Questions
• What are the things that Karana has done
•
•
•
so far to survive in this setting?
How were Karana's cooking utensils
made?
What has Karana accomplished by the end
of the selection?
Compare and contrast another selection
you've read where the main character had
to overcome many difficult obstacles.
Describe similarities and differences.
Daily Fix-It
• Marge like to read adventur
stories.
• She readed a book set in
spain.
Daily Fix-It
• Mr. Jones is a expert on
Native american history.
• Him gived a talk about the
Cherokee to our class.
Daily Fix-It
• If you go to south Dakota.
You should see the
Badlands.
• Thay look like a sene from
another planet.
Daily Fix-It
• Natives on the cost hunted,
and fished at sea.
• They lived near the water.
Because it was their
source of food?
Daily Fix-It
• After white settlers took
there land many Native
Americans lived on
reservations.
• With little land, it was
dificult to hunt with bow
and arow.
Writing Prompt
• Write a letter to someone telling him or
her about your vacation. Describe the
place using specific details. Use transitions
to show clearly when things happened or
where things are located.
Resources
• Eduscapes
• LifeStreamCenter
• Glencoe Study Guide
• Teacher CyberGuide