Far off the coast of California looms a harsh rock known as the island of San Nicholas. Dolphins flash in the blue waters around it, sea otter play in the vast kep beds, and sea elephants loll on the stony beaches. Here, in the early 1800s, according to history, an Indian girl spent eighteen years alone, and this beautifully written novel is her story. It is a romantic adventure filled with drama and heartache, for not only was mere subsistence on so desolate a spot a near miracle, but Karana had to contend with the ferocious pack of wild dogs that had killed her younger brother, constantly guard against the Aleutian sea otter hunters, and maintain a precarious food supply. More than this, it is an adventure of the spirit that will haunt the reader long after the book has been put down. Karana's quiet courage, her Indian self-reliance and acceptance of fate, transform what to many would have been a devastating ordeal into an uplifting experience. From loneliness and terror come strength and serenity in this Newbery Medal-winning classic.

In this State Standards-aligned Literature Kit™, we divide the novel by chapters or sections and feature reading comprehension and vocabulary questions. In every chapter, we include Before You Read and After You Read questions. The Before You Read activities prepare students for reading by setting a purpose for reading. They stimulate background knowledge and experience, and guide students to make connections between what they know and what they will learn. The After You Read activities check students' comprehension and extend their learning. Students are asked to give thoughtful consideration of the text through creative and evaluative short-answer questions and journal prompts. Also included are writing tasks, graphic organizers, comprehension quiz, test prep, word search, and crossword to further develop students' critical thinking and writing skills, and analysis of the text. About the Novel: The classic, Island of the Blue Dolphins is based on the true story of a woman marooned on San Nicholas Island during the early 1800s. Karana, her family and her people are living on the island when the Aleuts (Russians) arrive to hunt the sea otters. The Aleuts kill the natives leaving Karana and her brother Ramo stranded on the island. Soon after wild dogs kill Ramo, and Karana is left to struggle on her own. For eighteen years she lives to survive the weather, the animals, the Aleuts and the loneliness. This story is about a strong and courageous woman who proved that with determination, nothing is insurmountable. All of our content is aligned to your State Standards and are written to Bloom's Taxonomy.

Island of the Blue Dolphins is the true story of a young girl’s survival alone on a secluded island. Karana makes a choice between leaving with her village people on a rescue ship or swimming back to her island home to save her younger brother, Ramo. There, Karana battles harsh environments and hostile wildlife. Her isolation from humans teaches her how to co-exist peacefully with the wildlife on the island and the sea. For nearly eighteen years, Karana learns how to hunt, cook and clothe herself while surviving the harsh winters on the island. Finally, Karana is discovered by travelling missionaries and is taken off the island. This Novel Study provides a teacher and student section with a variety of activities, discussion questions and answer key to create a well-rounded lesson plan.

Let your imagination run wild in a land that existed long ago, full of intrigue and mystery. Challenge students with higher-order questions, encouraging an understanding of literary elements. Complete sentences from the book with their missing words. Explain how statements from the text are examples of foreshadowing. Match vocabulary words found in the novel with their meanings. Use examples of personification from the novel to create a sentence where a car is described as a person. Write a message to a classmate using Egyptian hieroglyphics. Complete a sequence chart detailing up to six events from the story by stating what happened and how it was essential to the plot. Aligned to your State Standards, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: A lively adventure story, teeming with suspense and humor, and set in the vivid landscapes of ancient Egypt and modern-day California! April Hall is not your typical sixth grade student. She converts a deserted storage yard into the land of Egypt. Egypt is owned by the mysterious Professor, who turns a blind eye to the activities going on. Limited only by their vivid imaginations, April and Melanie create the Egypt Game, which grows more and more complex and interesting. At the novel’s conclusion, it is the Professor himself who comes to the rescue, saving April and Egypt itself. In the process, the Professor reveals his colorful past to the gang, and presents them with their own personal keys to the land of Egypt.

Run off with Lucky and experience a series of misadventures, all while searching for a place to belong. The chapter comprehension questions are easy for students to understand. Answer multiple choice questions about the town that Lucky lives in. Students determine how Lucky felt toward Lincoln, and defend their opinion with proof from the text. Research the "chukar" bird and find some interesting facts about it. Describe the dust storm event from the point of view of Brigitte or Miles' grandmother. In pairs, students investigate a topic from the novel and interview each other about that topic. On a Cluster Word Web, students write details about their chosen topic. Aligned to your State Standards, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: In a small town in the California desert, a 10-year-old girl named Lucky is looked after by her new guardian Brigitte, after her mother dies. Worried that her new guardian will abandon her, Lucky seeks help from her "Higher Power." After discovering three "signs" to leave, Lucky runs away with her dog during a sandstorm. During this great misadventure, she inadvertently saves the life of a child. Their relationship is resolved when Brigitte reveals she is not moving away.

Find the strength within to face challenges, both inward and out. The activities in this resource provide a framework to facilitate learning through discussion and comprehension. Put events in order as they happen when Cole encounters the Spirit Bear. Get into Cole’s dad’s shoes and imagine his perspective on their relationship. Find the best synonym for words used in the chapters. Imagine how you can set yourself up for success by practicing good habits. Describe what “being invisible” will require Cole to do. Create a camp log for Cole, detailing all the jobs he must accomplish in a day. Design a food chain to show the connections between plants and animals. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, our worksheets incorporate a variety of scaffolding strategies along with additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key. About the Novel: Touching Spirit Bear illustrates the struggle of one boy finding himself in the wilderness and letting go of his anger. Cole Matthews is a troubled kid. He is angry and violent and on a path to jail. After brutally injuring a fellow student, Cole is given the opportunity to face Circle Justice instead of prison. The goal is for Cole to learn from his mistakes and grow into a better man. To do this, Cole must spend a year alone on an island in Alaska. Cole goes along with the plan, biding his time until he can escape. He starts by burning down the cabin and supplies left for him as a form of protest. Then, he attempts to swim his way to freedom. Unfortunately, this proves difficult, and Cole is forced to return to where he started. When he’s mortally wounded by an attack from the Spirit Bear, Cole is once again faced with fighting for his life and jail time. Granted a second chance, Cole is determined to finally let go of his anger and find peace with himself.

Gain a fresh perspective of the migration of the Navaho people through the eyes of a young girl. Unique and varied materials supplement a study of this novel. Students are asked to describe what they already know of the Navaho people. Write the name of the character next to each quote from the story. Identify the cause or effect of each event in the book. Finish off sentences with vocabulary words found in the novel. Explain how Rosita was able to adapt to life in a town whereas Bright Morning was not. Students do some research to find the meaning and origin of their name. Gather facts and complete a character analysis of Tall Boy. Aligned to your State Standards, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: Sing Down the Moon is a Newbery Honor-winning story told through the perspective of a young Navaho girl. Fourteen-year-old Bright Morning takes her family's sheep to graze one spring day. While tending to the flock, she is captured by Spanish Slavers and sold into service. Fortunately, she is able to escape and return home. Unfortunately, her home is promptly taken from her as her tribe is forced out of their canyon in Arizona and relocated to Fort Sumner in New Mexico. The long walk of the Navaho people is described through the eyes of Bright Morning, who sees the migration as the end of her people.