The Island of the Blue Dolphins is a beautiful story that offers students opportunities to create and learn.
The Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell was published in 1960 and won the 1961 Newberry Award for children's literature. It is based on the true story of Juana Maria, a Nicoleño Indian woman who lived alone on San Nicolas, one of California's Channel Islands, for 18 years. O'Dell changed the woman's name to Karana and imagined much of her tale. Still, it is a rich story of relationships and survival that lends itself well to cross-curriculum projects, for individuals and groups.
Writing
Island of the Blue Dolphins lends itself naturally to a number of writing projects. Students imagine themselves in the place of Karana, her brother Ramo, Tutok, the dogs Rontu and Rontu-Aru or any of the other characters, and write journal entries in that character's voice--or as themselves. Through an essay, short story, journal entry or poetry, they can explore the bond between animals and humans, feelings of abandonment and loss, tentative friendship, and the experience of being alone among strangers. You can also divide the class into small groups and have each responsible for writing a vignette or screenplay of an important scene, which they will act out (and possibly be filmed) before the class. To introduce students to literary criticism, have them study the criteria for the Newbery Award, and discuss how they believe the book meets (or doesn't meet) those guidelines. Have them compare and contrast O'Dell's book with another Newbery winner, either from the same or another era. You can also divide the class into two groups, and ask them to pretend they are the Newbery Awards committee considering Island of the Blue Dolphins and another book. Hold a debate in which each group must defend its choice, then have the class vote on whose arguments were most persuasive.
History
Ask your students to research the true story behind Island of the Blue Dolphins. What did O'Dell change? What facts remain the same? Why? Have students read Theodora Kroeber's fictionalized Ishi: Last of His Tribe, and compare and contrast Ishi and Juana Maria's experiences. Explore the history of California settlement, the Aluets or California's many Native American peoples, and have students prepare reports, posters and other projects to present to the class. You can also use Karana's story to initiate a discussion of the movement of peoples throughout the history of civilization. How does the repeated story of conqueror and conquered affect each side? What are the benefits? The damages? Are similar events happening today? Should they? Why or why not--and if not, how can they be stopped?
Art
Have students explore Karana's world through sketches and painting. They can paint scenes and characters from the book, or explore the book's emotional landscapes. Introduce the class to Native American art and crafts. Examine art from different American tribes. How are they similar, different, and why? Consider themes, materials, time period, colors and use. How (and why) does exposure to other cultures affect art?
Science
To survive, Karana must be able to interact successfully with nature. Explore her environment with your students. What kinds of animals does she encounter? What are their habits? How does she relate to them? Why does she relate differently to the feral dogs than she does to the "devil fish"? Discover mankind's long history with dogs; how is it similar or different to our relationships with other domesticated animals? How does Karana communicate with the dogs? Is it possible to truly communicate with animals? Students can explore these, or other topics, through reports, posters, presentations and experiments.
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