Island of the Blue Dolphins

By Scott O’Dell

Chapter 28 - 29

Before you read the chapters:

Before you begin reading the novel’s final chapter, would you read another novel by the author, Scott
O’Dell (i.e. The Black Pearl)? Why or why not?
I think I would read another novel by the author, Scott O’Dell, because I liked a lot the book
„Island of the Blue Dolphins” and the adventure of Karana. It showed me a lot about how is hard to
live alone on the island. It is hard physical and moral. Also I liked the vocabulary which is quiet
hard, but understandable. In my opinion this book is amazing and I would read another one!

Vocabulary:
Choose a word from the list to complete each definition:
anchor trousers seams ancestors hasten
planks thereabouts wreckage ornament unsettled
1. A house builder will usually use a number of planks in
such a project.
2. To hasten means to hurry.
3. The joints of a canoe refer to its seams.
4. A ship cast upon the rocks leaves behind a wreckage.
5. If someone has an unsettled feeling, that person is
probably feeling out of sorts.
6. A person’s grandparents would be included in a list of that
person’s ancestors.
7. A device used to make sure that a ship doesn’t drift away
is an anchor.
8. An attractive adornment is an ornament.
9. Thereabouts indicates about or near that place or time.
10. Some people refer to a pair of pants as trousers.
 Questions
1. After the tsunami and earthquake, what did Karana
consider her biggest loss?
She lost all the food and weapons which were stored in the cave, as well as the canoe she had been
working on and those hidden under the south cliffs.
2. Why was it important that Karana build another canoe?
It was important to build another canoe for gathering shellfish and to go where she wanted.
3. What had the great storm washed ashore which really
helped her in building another canoe?
Another help was that the great waves had washed ashore long strings of black pitch, which was
often difficult to find on the island and which Karana needed.
4. When Karana spotted the ship in Chapter 28, how did she
know it was not a ship of the Aleuts?
She could see that it did not have the red, beaked prow of the Aleuts. Nor did it look like the white
men’s ship, which she clearly remembered.
b. What caused her to miss being rescued by this ship?
Karana thought that if the men who sailed it had come to catch otter and if they were hunters, she
must hide before they saw her. All it caused her to miss being rescued by this ship.
5. Write a brief synopsis of how Karana came to be rescued.
In the deep shadows cast by the clouds, Karana saw something else. Forgetting that she was
carrying a load of seaweed, she threw up her arms. A sail, a ship, was there on the sea, half-way
between the horizon and the shore. She crouched on the headland and wondered. The ship moved
slowly between the black rocks and into Coral Cove. She could see the men now and they were not
Aleuts. The men came to the island, but didn’t see Karana, because she was hiding and then the men
left. After two more springs had gone, the ship came again and Karana decided to go on this ship
with white men and left the island. In that way Karana was rescued.
6. The climax of a story occurs when the main problem of
the story is solved. When does the climax of this novel occur?
In my opinion the climax of this novel occur when Karana was left alone on the island with her
younger brother Ramo.
7. What had happened to the ship that took the other people
from Karana’s island many years before? What does the novel
tell us about the fate of the passengers?
When she came to Mission Santa Barbara and met Father Gonzales, she learned from him that this
ship had sunk in a great storm soon after it reached his country and that on the whole ocean
thereabouts there was no other. For this reason the white men had not come back for Karana.
8. Describe your feelings about this novel. What was one
thing you really enjoyed, and something you think that the
author might have improved?
 I really enjoyed reading this novel and there are some interesting moments which I would like
to share as the friendship of Karana and Rontu, the creativity of Karana during her survival on island,
the Karana’s kindness for the animals, but I think that author might have let the Rontu live all the
novel and to have a happy ending together with Karana. Also I think that the author could let the
ship, that took the other people from Karana’s island many years before, not to sank.
 Extension Activity

A. Create a book cover for Island of the Blue Dolphins . Be sure to include the title,
author, and a picture that will make other students want to read the novel.

Island of the
Blue Dolphins
By Scott O’Dell
B. Storyboard
A storyboard is a series of pictures that tell the main events of a story. A storyboard can tell the story of only
one scene – or the entire novel.

Complete the storyboard below illustrating your favorite scene from Island of the
Blue Dolphins. You may wish to practice your drawings on a separate piece of paper.
1 2

3 4

5 6

Rontu!

C. Lights, Camera, Action!

Island of the Blue Dolphins was made into a movie in 1964. It starred Celia Kaye as Karana and featured the
famous actor, George Kennedy as the Aleut ship captain.

Complete either Part A or B.

Part A.
Find a copy of the video, Island of the Blue Dolphins and after viewing the film
write a review. This review can be posted on a website such as
www.amazon.com.

Your review should contain a brief synopsis of the movie (without giving away
the ending), and state your impression of the movie (positive and negative). You
may also wish to compare the movie with the novel – what was the same and
what changes were made by the producers. Your review should be at least a half-page in
length.

Part B.
You are the casting director for a project designed to put together an updated version of Island of the Blue
Dolphins. Who would you cast for the principal roles:

• Karana – Selena Gomez- I think this person looks like

Karana and she is young. Also she can sing and I think it is a big

opportunity

• Chief Chowig – Morgan Freeman – This person looks old

and he is pretty smart and I think he would look nice as a leader

of tribe

• Captain Orlov – Leonardo DiCaprio – this person is very

talented and in my thoughts I think it would be nice

• Ulape – Rihanna- She is not an actress, but she looks great

for this role by her brave and boldness.

• Ramo – Tom Holland- I think it would be nice, because

he is kind, but capricious. Also he looks young.

• Tutok – Ariana Grande- she is not an actress, but have

some experience, also she can sing. I choose her, because she is
young and very kind.

• Father Gonzales - Johnny Depp – An exceptional actor

and he will fit, in my opinion, the role.
You may wish to choose Hollywood actors for this task, or for some fun, limit your choices to people in
your school (teachers and students). Beside each selection write a brief explanation for your choice.
D. The Story Pyramid
The story pyramid gives the creator an opportunity to summarize points in a story using only a
certain number of words. By limiting your options in this way, it will give you the opportunity to
stretch your thinking because of the small number of words required at each level of the pyramid.
It is also a great opportunity to gather the most important information when writing a summary.

Write a story pyramid following these instructions.

Line 1: One word, stating the name of the main character (Karana)
Line 2: Two words, describing this character
Line 3: Three words, describing the setting at the beginning of chapter 28
Line 4: Four words, stating a problem faced in Chapters 28-29
Line 5: Five words, describing one event from these chapters
Line 6: Six words, describing a second event from these chapters
Line 7: Seven words, describing a third event from these chapters
Line 8: Eight words, describing another character from the novel

Karana
Brave Creative
Morning, among the rocks

Trust of Karana to white men

The white men came with ship to the island

The white men made for Karana a blue dress

The white men rescued Karana and they left the island

Rontu was a loyal and smart dog that was Karana’s friend

E. The Five W’s Chart

Choose a major event from these chapters and then complete the following chart with the important details.
What happened?

A sail, a ship, was there on the sea, half-way between the horizon and the shore. The
ship moved slowly between the black rocks and into Coral Cove. Karana could see the
men and they were not Aleuts. Karana can't catch them in time before they hop on their boat.
And she had to wait two springs, when another ship came.

Who was there?

There was white men and Karana.

Why did it happen?

It happened, because Karana wasn’t sure about why white men came to the
island.

When did it happen?

It happened after earthquake and storm.

Where did it happen?

It happened on the island near Coral Cove.

F. A News Report
Imagine you are a newspaper reporter at the time and place of Karana's
adventures. You are asked by your editor to write a short summary of these
events for your interested readers.
 Island of the Blue Dolphins begins with a young girl named Karana who is living
on the Island of the Blue Dolphins with her younger brother, Ramo, and sister,
Ulape. One day, a group of Russian hunters (Aleutians) land on the island to hunt
for otter. This is when the trouble really begins. The relationship between the
Aleuts and the island natives grows sour, and soon turns into a full-out argument.
In the final argument, Chief Chowig, Karana's father, faces off with Captain Orlov,
the leader of the Aleuts. A big fight follows, and 40 native islanders are left dead
– including Karana's dad. Sure enough, one day another ship full of white men
comes to take everyone away. In the rush to board the ship, Karana's brother,
Ramo, gets left behind and the ship starts to leave without him. Ever the
protective big sister, Karana jumps off the boat, into the ocean, to stay with Ramo
on the island. The two are left all alone on the Island of the Blue Dolphins.
 A pack of wild dogs attacks and kills Ramo. So now Karana is left all alone on
the island – and she vows revenge on the leader of the wild dog pack that killed
her little brother. First, Karana confronts the leader of the dog pack, whom she
almost kills. But because she's so kindhearted, she nurses the dog back to health
and the two become the best of friends. She names him Rontu. Next, Karana
makes some more animal friends. She tames some birds. She becomes friends
with an otter named Mon-a-nee. Eventually, the Aleutian hunters return to the
island. Karana hides from them in a cave, but ends up meeting an Aleutian girl
down by the spring where she gets her water. Aleuts leave and Karana doesn't
even get to say goodbye. After the Aleuts leave, Karana misses Tutok quite a bit
and her sister, Ulape, as well. Rontu dies. Karana tames another dog, whom she
believes to be Rontu's son. Next up, an earthquake strikes the island, followed by
a series of huge tidal waves. Karana manages to survive all of this. Next a group
of white men return to the island, but Karana can't catch them in time before they
hop on their boat. But they came another time and the Karana is rescued.

G. A Book Review
Now is your chance to share the novel with others. Write a review of Island of the
Blue Dolphins describing in no more than one paragraph an outline of the plot, and
then in another paragraph how you enjoyed the novel (or didn’t) and why. (Please
don’t give away the ending!) This review can even be posted on www.amazon.com.
This book is a true story about a 12 year old girl called Karana who is
 stranded on an island and has to work out how to survive. Her main enemies
on the island are the wild dogs and she lives in fear of the Aleuts. Also during
her adventure someone close left her, but she met someone new instead. From
the beginning for Karana was hard to survive, but then she learned how, the
island became her home. Sometimes Karana had hard times, but with
persistence and ingenuity she passed it.
In this novel I loved learning about survival with no tools except those
you make from the materials around you and the way that Karana found
enough food to eat. The book was sad in some parts but it only went to show
you how tough Karana was. She never gives up. She did become lonely and
through her loneliness I noticed that she overcame the fear of her enemies and
actually changed. Her relationship with her dog was an important part of the
book for me. Her attitude to the animals around her changed too, she starts off
seeing them as materials to be used to make clothes or tools and of course to
eat. As she becomes older and lonelier she changes and they become her
friends. She then has to adapt how she lives. This book was not an easy read, it
took some concentration to read but the story carried me along and the
struggle for survival provided plenty of suspense and thrills to keep me turning
the pages. I had a great pleasure by reading this. I would recommend you to
read, because it is interesting and amazing.

H. Sequence Chart
List the main events of Island of the Blue Dolphins in the order which they occurred.
Island of the Blue Dolphins
First
The Aleuts came in a ship from Russia. They came to get sea otter skin to
make coats.
Next
While the Aleuts were about to leave Chief Chowig pushed one of the Aleuts
and a battle began and during the battle Chief Chowig was killed.
Next
Everyone leaves during the big storm, but Ramo and Karana are left behind
after Ramo goes back to get his fishing spear and Karana goes to get him.
Next
Ramo is killed by wild dogs after going to get a canoe.

Next

Karana made a house after Ramo was killed so she wouldnt be killed either.

Next
Karana took a canoe and tried to get to her people, but Karana almost
drowned after trying to get to her people and while Karana was drowning the
Blue dolphins saved her life.
Next
Karana kills the wild dog leader with an arrow in the chest, but after saved him
and gave him name Rontu.
Next
Rontu runs away because he felt homesick and dies, but after Rontu is burried
Karana finds Rontu's son Rontu-aru.
Last
A ship comes to get her and she is rescued.