Island of the Blue Dolphins — Hyperlinked PDF novel study

This is the fifth or sixth iteration of my very first Hyperlinked PDF created in 2012! It is designed to be used on a computer or tablet (perfect for iPads or Chromebooks!) while reading Island of the Blue Dolphins.

I created it for a pull-out class of gifted students at an immersion school so the principal has asked me to focus on English literature. Since I only had my students for two hours per week, I knew I'd need something they could do independently. It can be used in a variety of ways. For example, it can be used with reading groups, varying between working together to complete it, providing more assistance with some groups, and just going over what students completed independently for advanced readers. It can be used with the whole class, completing some parts together and leaving some for independent work. You can assign all of it or just certain pages or questions. This PDF includes questions and activities designed to aid and deepen comprehension and spark critical thinking, all in line with Common Core. More than 25 links to websites are embedded, so your students are just click away from activities, additional research, videos, and more.

With early finishers in mind, I have included many enrichment links to keep them engaged. This provides the perfect platform for doing an in-depth, cross-curricular novel study combining social studies (California history, Native Americans of California), science, and language arts. It is perfect for homeschoolers and for distance learning!

I often pair this with a science report on an animal from the book. The kids seem far more engaged with this integrated approach because of the descriptions from the book and the ease with which they can imagine Karana interacting with that animal.

updated: January 2024