Island of the Blue Dolphins
By Scott O’Dell
Chapter 9 – 11
1.Before you read the chapters
Henry Rollins wrote, Loneliness adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and
makes night air smell better. Loneliness, however, can be very difficult. For the remainder
of the novel Karana struggles with loneliness.
Describe a time in your own life when you felt lonely. Try to think of the good and bad
about such a feeling.
2.Vocabulary
Choose a word from the list that means the same (synonym) or nearly the same as the
underlined word.
secure lair trinkets stunted shaft crevice
befell skirted chafing slinking clamor Sinews
1. The trees which grew on the island were very undersized. Stunted
2. Darlene avoided the room where the men were playing Skirted
cards.
3. I felt very safe when the policeman was nearby. Secure
4. My cat fell into a crack in the rocks. Crevice
5. The thief went sneaking through the neighborhood. Slinking
6. There was so much noise, I did not hear the alarm clock. Clamor
7. The chest was filled with knickknacks. Trinkets
8. The muscles of a dog are not usually as developed as that of Sinews
a wolf.
9. What happened to your sister at the game? Befell
10. The handle of the auger broke under stress. Shaft
11. Karana tracked the dogs to their den. Lair
12. The new pair of shoes was rubbing his ankle. Chafing
3.Questions
1.After reading Chapter 9, give it an appropriate, creative title.
Alone on the island.
2.Why did Karana no longer like living in the village?
She didn’t like living in the village because she was there
alone.
3. When Karana decided to make weapons, what dilemma did
she face?
There was a law that forbade women to make weapons but she
had to protect herself somehow.
4.What was in the chest, and what did Karan do with the
contents?
The chest was filled with beads and bracelets and ear-rings of many colours .
She walked through the waves and flung them all far away, out into the deep water.
5.Why did the first storms of winter end Karana’s hopes of a
ship coming for her?
The first storms of winter ended Karana’s hopes because she
thought that if the white men's ship were coming for me it
would have come during the time of good weather.
6.Describe how Karana’s attempt to escape the island failed.
Her attempt to escape failed because her canoe began to leak.
7.Why did she decide not to build her house near the sea
elephants?
She decided not to build her house near the sea because the
noise was deafening.
8.Complete the following sentence from Chapter 11: I could not live without a
roof or a place to store my food.
9.Why did she have to build a fence?
She had to build a fence for her safety.
4.Language Activities
A.Place the following words from this chapter in alphabetical order.
sandspit
sea
ship
showing
silent
small
smallest
speaking
spearheads
stored
B.Personification is giving human qualities to something that is not human. Here's an
example from Chapter Nine: Fog crept in and out of the empty huts.
1.Describe how the fog is personified in this example.
2.Create your own example of personification.
3.As you continue to read through the novel be on the lookout for other examples of this
literary device. If you should find one, come back to this question and enter it below.
5.Your Thoughts
Describe how you would be feeling if you were Karan at this point in the story. Please
provide as much detail as possible to describe your feelings.
First of all I would be feeling lonely
Island of the Blue Dolphins
By Scott O’Dell
Chapter 12 – 13
1.Before you read the chapters
Karana proves to be a most enterprising and creative girl. Explain why these character
traits might be very important for someone in her position.
2.Vocabulary
Solve the following word search puzzle using the words from the Word Box.
Remember – the words can be horizontal, vertical or diagonal. They may be forward or even
backward!
Word Box: (15)
GNAWED TUMAIYOWIT MUKAT EMBERS GRUEL
SECURE UTENSILS BASKET PROWL ELEPHANT
JEALOUS DISPLEASE WADDLE FORBADE PURSUER
A S D F G H J T N A H P E L E
Q G W E R T J E A L O U S T M
Z X N C V B N M Q W E R T Y B
T U M A I Y O W I T P O I U E
L K J H W G F D S A E M N B R
D I S P L E A S E Z L X C V S
F G H J K L D P O I D U Y T R
E C V E D A B R O F D R E T E
R Z X C V B N M H J A K A E U
U T E N S I L S E R W K O K S
C L K J H G F D S A S Q W S R
E C V B N M L L E U R G E A U
S P R O W L J H M G F D S B P
3.Questions
1. What did Karana use to make her fence?
She used the ribs of the two whales that were half-
buried in the sand but still there.
2. Give two reasons why it took her longer to buildn
the house than she had planned.
The house took longer to build than the fence because it rained many days and
because the wood which she needed was scarce.
3. Karana makes a number of things to help her
survive on this island. List three things she makes in
Chapter12 and describe how each one would be
useful to her.
4. Why did she wish to kill a bull sea elephant?
She wished to kill a bull sea elephant because there was nothing to be
found on the island that made such good spear points as the tusk like teeth of the
bull sea elephant.
5. In order to get rid of the wild dogs, Karana
decides she needs three things. What were they?
6. Describe how the cow and bull sea elephants are
different in appearance.
The bull is very large and often weighs as much as
thirty men. The cows are much smaller, but they
make more noise than the bulls, screaming and
barking through the whole day and sometimes at
night.
7. Why did Karana choose the young bull as the one
she would attempt to kill?
8. Earlier, Karana’s father had told her that if a
woman were to make a bow, it would be sure to
break when she used it. Why do you think the men of
the village would give such a warning to the young
women of their community?
4.Language Activities
Rewrite the following sentences putting in the correct capitalization and
punctuation.
a) The people from Karana’s village, Ghalas-at, left to live on the island
of Santa Catalina.
b) tumaiyowit and mukat were two gods of the cahuilla people
c) why didn’t roger and bernice go with carrie when she flew to paris
5.Cliffhanger
A cliffhanger is a literary device in which a novel contains an abrupt ending, often leaving
the main characters in a precarious or difficult situation. How might it be said that Chapter
13 ends in a cliffhanger? Why do you suppose an author uses this device?
6. Journal Entry
The last few weeks have certainly proved most difficult for Karana. Briefly review the events
of the last few chapters with a friend, then compose together a journal entry as Karana might
have written it. Be sure to describe not only the events, but also the emotions which Karana
is feeling at this time.
