Island of the Blue Dolphins

Today I am sending home the final project for Island of the Blue Dolphins.

This novel is read in class but your student will be completing this project at home a week after the book is finished.

9/21/16 The first deadline is this week. Your student will need to pick a final project.

9/28/16 Next week your student will need to start the project.

10/5/16 Half of the project completed.

10/12/16 Project due!

Island of the Blue Dolphin Final Project

You will choose one of the following projects to display your understanding of the book. A due date will be announced as we get closer to finishing the book.

1.    Create a “shoebox museum” displaying artifacts representing Karana’s life on the island. Label the items in the box. Be sure to write a brief description of each item. Provide details explaining how each item relates to Karana’s life on a separate sheet of paper. Make sure to include names for items. This part may be typed. Be creative in making your display! Show such things as:

·         The clothing, jewelry, tools, utensils, and weapons she made

·         The house and canoe she built

·         The animals she befriended

2.    Imagine that you are a newspaper reporter assigned to write a human interest story about Karana and her arrival in your town after living a life of isolation on the island. Include information about her past, as well as her reactions to modern life in your town. Your article should be at least 3 paragraphs with 5-7 sentences in each paragraph. Make sure to give your article a catchy title/headline so you catch the reader’s attention. If you would like, you may type it. Things to consider:

·         Why was Karana living in isolation on the island?

·         What did Karana have to do in order to survive?

·         How did she get off the island?

·         What adjustments does she have to make now that she is living in your town?

·         What does she find most difficult about modern living?

·         What does she enjoy about modern living?

3.    If Karana had been literate, she might have kept a diary to record the events in her life. Write 3 imaginary diary entries from Karana’s point of view. Choose important events from the story that had an effect on Karana and include how she would probably be feeling. Be descriptive and creative in your entries. Diary entries should be at least 2 paragraphs with 5-7 sentences in each paragraph. You are writing this from Karana’s point of view, so you should be using words like I, me, or my. Some suggestions for important events in Karana’s live include:

·         The day the Aleuts arrived on the island for the first time

·         The day Karana’s tribesmen left the island

·         The day her brother was killed

·         The return of the Aleuts and her friendship with Tutok

·         The day Rontu died

4.    Below is a list of adjectives that can be used to describe personality. Select the 5 best adjectives that you feel fit Karana’s character. List each adjective and use a dictionary to find the meaning. Write the meaning and then provide evidence from the story that show how this character trait is demonstrated (what does she do to show she is resourceful? Why was that necessary?) Write at least 2 complete sentences for each character trait you use.

Independent resourceful    aggressive    sensitive         shy

Inventive       determined   fearless                      courageous

5.    Make a poster that lists the basic elements of survival: food and water, shelter, and clothing. Display the things in Karana’s environment that she used in order to fulfill her basic needs. You may draw and color pictures, use pictures cut out of magazines, or use items or things you find outside or at home. Label each picture to show what it is. You must have at least 3 items in each category.

Food and Water

Shelter

Clothing

6.    Research modern day stories of survival. Write a paragraph giving a brief description of the stories you read about using at least 5-7 complete sentences. Then use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the modern day survival stories to the survival story of Karana. You may put the Venn diagram on a poster board or large piece of paper.

Karana’s Survival Story                                      both                                  Modern Survival Stories