A common use for Storyboard That is to help students create a plot diagram of the events from a story. Not only is this a great way to teach the parts of the plot, but it reinforces major events and help students develop greater understanding of literary structures.
Students can create a storyboard capturing the narrative arc in a work with a six-cell storyboard containing the major parts of the plot diagram. For each cell, have students create a scene that follows the book in sequence using: Exposition, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution.
Island of the Blue Dolphins is told from the point of view of Karana, a teenage girl who lives with her tribe on an island in the South Pacific.
Russian Aleuts come to Karana's island to hunt for otter pelts. The two peoples come to an agreement that allows the Aleuts to get pelts and keeps Karana's people safe.
The Aleuts go back on the established deal. A bloody battle ensues between the Aleuts and the native islanders.
The conflict has made it too hard for the villagers to stay on their island. The villagers leave on a ship, but Ramo gets left behind. Karana leaps out of the boat and swims to shore, so her little brother would not be alone. The two siblings must work together to survive on their own.
Wild dogs attack and kill Ramo. In her grief, Karana burns down her village because she can't stand to be there by herself any more. She vows to kill all of the wild dogs. But when she gets the chance, Karana decides not to kill the leader of the pack of dogs and tames him. She names him Rontu, or Fox Eyes.
The Aleuts return to her island and Karana retreats to a cave. She makes a tenuous friendship with Tutok, an Aleut girl. Karana yearns for human company, even if not of her tribe. One day Tutok does not come at their normal meeting time, and Karana watches the Aleut ship sail away.
Karana is rescued from her island and from her solitude. She has been alone on the island for several years. She discovers that the rest of her village did not survive the journey on the ocean.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a visual plot diagram of Island of the Blue Dolphins.
Character analysis helps students connect with the story by exploring motivations, relationships, and changes in key characters. Adding this element deepens comprehension and encourages critical thinking.
Guide students to choose Karana or another important figure. Focus the activity to allow for richer, more detailed discussion and evidence gathering.
Ask students to brainstorm adjectives describing the character, then cite specific moments from the text or plot diagram that illustrate each trait.
Encourage students to identify key events that affect the character’s thoughts, feelings, and actions. Highlight personal growth or challenges using storyboard scenes or text evidence.
Have students write a journal entry or create an illustrated storyboard from the character’s perspective. This personalizes learning and reinforces understanding of the character’s journey.
A plot diagram for Island of the Blue Dolphins visually breaks down the story into key parts: Exposition, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution. Each section highlights important events from Karana's journey of survival and resilience on the island.
To teach Island of the Blue Dolphins with a storyboard, have students create a six-cell diagram. Each cell should represent a major plot event, following this order: Exposition, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution. Add images and short descriptions to reinforce understanding.
The main events include the arrival of the Aleuts, the conflict and battle, Karana and Ramo's struggle to survive, Ramo's death, Karana taming the wild dog Rontu, her friendship with Tutok, and Karana's eventual rescue after years alone on the island.
Using plot diagrams helps students visualize story structure, identify key events, and understand how characters change. It supports comprehension and makes literary analysis more accessible for diverse learners.
The Island of the Blue Dolphins plot diagram activity is ideal for grades 4–5. It's designed for students who are developing reading comprehension and learning to analyze literary structure.