In this activity, students will identify a theme of the novel, and support their choice with details from the text. One theme is friendship, and another is violence.
Karana makes an unlikely friend in Rontu, the leader of the wild dogs who killed her brother. Another example is Karana befriending Tutok, a descendent of the Aleutians who killed her father. A third example is Karana becoming friends with wild dogs, a sea otter, and birds.
Chief Chowig and the other men are massacred by Captain Orlov and the Aleuts. Another example of violence is Ramu being attacked and killed by wild dogs. The last example is when Karana decides that she will not kill any other animals.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that identifies themes in Island of the Blue Dolphins. Illustrate instances of each theme and write a short description below each cell.