Teacher Guide for FAST-R Passage: Island of the Blue Dolphins
FAST-R: Formative Assessments of Student Thinking in Reading
At a Glance
Approximate
Grade Range:
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Genre: Historical fiction
Topic: A young girl and a wild dog discover the value of
companionship in their efforts to survive.
Author: Scott O’Dell
Source: Island of the Blue Dolphin
Special Note: MCAS passage 2006
To escape seal hunters in the early 1800s, Indians of Ghalas board a
ship to leave the Island of the Blue Dolphins. Twelve-year-old Karana
is left on the island to survive alone. In this excerpt Karana has
wounded a wild dog while protecting herself. Read the excerpt from
the novel Island of the Blue Dolphins and answer the questions that
follow.
Historical fiction
Difficulty Index: Considerate . . . . . . . . . . . . Challenging
Structure:
Purpose:
Richness:
Relationships:
Vocabulary:
Style:
Fountas & Pinnell Rating: V
Lexile Measure: 900L
Relationships: The primary relationship in the
passage is between Karana and the big gray dog. Their
relationship is adversarial at first, and then changes into
a relationship of mutual respect and companionship.
See especially: Questions 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10
Island of the Blue Dolphins
by Scott O’Dell
1 There were no tracks after the rain, but I followed the trail
to the pile of rocks where I had seen them before. On the far
side of the rocks I found the big gray dog. He had the broken arrow in his chest and he was lying with one of his legs under him.
2 He was about ten paces from me so I could see him clearly.
I was sure that he was dead, but I lifted the spear and took good
aim at him. Just as I was about to throw the spear, he raised his
head a little from the earth and then let it drop.
Style: The story is told from the first-person point
of view, but the language is very descriptive and the
wording sparse. Readers have to “fill in gaps” to build
an understanding of the dynamics in the story as they
are told through anthropological, and almost clinical
descriptions rather than an explicit statement of her
feelings.
See especially: Question 3
3 This surprised me greatly and I stood there for a while not
knowing what to do, whether to use the spear or my bow. I was
used to animals playing dead until they suddenly turned on you
or ran away.
4 The spear was the better of the two weapons at this distance,
but I could not use it as well as the other, so I climbed onto the
rocks where I could see him if he ran. I placed my feet carefully.
I had a second arrow ready should I need it. I fitted an arrow
and pulled back the string, aiming at his head.
5 Why I did not send the arrow I cannot say. I stood on the
rock with the bow pulled back and my hand would not let it go.
The big dog lay there and did not move and this may be the reason. If he had gotten up I would have killed him. I stood there
for a long time looking down at him and then I climbed off the
rocks.
6 He did not move when I went up to him, nor could I see
him breathing until I was very close. The head of the arrow was
in his chest and the broken shaft was covered with blood. The
Vocabulary: Somewhat challenging given that particular
words have little or no context in this excerpt, but are
likely supported in the book itself.
See especially: Questions 2, 9
Continued on next page
FAST-R: Formative Assessments in Student Thinking in Reading. The passage text by Scott O’Dell is from Island of the Blue Dolphins. Copyright © 1960 by Scott O’Dell. Some questions
were drawn or adapted from the G7 MCAS Spring 2006 test. All other materials are Copyright 2007 by the Boston Plan for Excellence.
thick fur around his neck was matted from the rain.
7 I do not think that he knew I was picking him up, for his
body was limp, as if he were dead. He was very heavy and the
only way I could lift him was by kneeling and putting his legs
around my shoulders.
Structure: The structure is chronological and takes
place within a finite time period. Only two characters are
depicted, making the story structure relatively easy to
follow.
See especially: Questions 1, 4, 5
8 In this manner, stopping to rest when I was tired, I carried
him to the headland.
9 I could not get through the opening under the fence, so I
cut the bindings and lifted out two of the whale ribs and thus
took him into the house. He did not look at me or raise his head
when I laid him on the floor, but his mouth was open and he
was breathing.
10 The arrow had a small point, which was fortunate, and came
out easily though it had gone deep. He did not move while I did
this, nor afterwards as I cleaned the wound with a peeled stick
from a coral bush. This bush has poisonous berries, yet its wood
often heals wounds that nothing else will.
11  I had not gathered food for many days and the baskets were
empty, so I left water for the dog and, after mending the fence,
went down to the sea. I had no thought that he would live and I
did not care.
12 All day I was among the rocks gathering shellfish and only
once did I think of the wounded dog, my enemy, lying there in
the house, and then to wonder why I had not killed him.
13 He was still alive when I got back, though he had not
moved from the place where I had left him. Again I cleaned the
wound with a coral twig. I then lifted his head and put water in
his mouth, which he swallowed. This was the first time that he
had looked at me since the time I had found him on the trail.
His eyes were sunken and they looked out at me from far back
in his head.
Richness: The story deals with mature issues such
as abandonment, survival, and the importance of
companionship.
See especially: Questions 5, 7, 8
Purpose: The story communicates the importance
of compassion and companionship as being crucial
elements of one’s humanity.
See especially: Question 8
14 Before I went to sleep I gave him more water. In the morning I left food for him when I went down to the sea, and when I
came home he had eaten it. He was lying in the corner, watching me. While I made a fire and cooked my supper, he watched
me. His yellow eyes followed me wherever I moved.
15 That night I slept on the rock, for I was afraid of him, and
at dawn as I went out I left the hole under the fence open so
he could go. But he was there when I got back, lying in the
sun with his head on his paws. I had speared two fish, which I
cooked for my supper. Since he was very thin, I gave him one of
them, and after he had eaten it he came over and lay down by
the fire, watching me with his yellow eyes that were very narrow
and slanted up at the corners.
16 Four nights I slept on the rock, and every morning I left the
hole under the fence open so he could leave. Each day I speared
a fish for him and when I got home he was always at the fence
waiting for it. He would not take the fish from me so I had to
put it on the ground. Once I held out my hand to him, but at
this he backed away and showed his teeth.
17 On the fourth day when I came back from the rocks early
he was not there at the fence waiting. A strange feeling came
FAST-R: Formative Assessments in Student Thinking in Reading. The passage text by Scott O’Dell is from Island of the Blue Dolphins. Copyright © 1960 by Scott O’Dell. Some questions
were drawn or adapted from the G7 MCAS Spring 2006 test. All other materials are Copyright 2007 by the Boston Plan for Excellence.
over me. Always before when I returned, I had hoped that he
would be gone. But now as I crawled under the fence I did not
feel the same.
18 I called out, “Dog, Dog,” for I had no other name for him.
19 I ran toward the house, calling it. He was inside. He was
just getting to his feet, stretching himself and yawning. He
looked first at the fish I carried and then at me and moved his
tail.
20 That night I stayed in the house. Before I fell asleep I
thought of a name for him, for I could not call him Dog. The
name I thought of was Rontu, which means in our language
Fox Eyes.
Ideas for Connected Writing Activities
• Describe how the girl’s feelings and actions toward the
dog change throughout the excerpt. Use relevant and
specific information from the beginning, middle, and
end of the excerpt to support your answer.
• Write a chapter for this book that depicts a day in the
life of Karana and Rontu five years into the future. Use
details from the passage to support your answer.
• Explain what Karana’s thoughts might have been as she
stood on the rock, ready to kill the dog...and changed
her mind.
Spotlight On: Scott O’Dell
Scott O’Dell was born in California in 1898. His real name is Odell Gabriel Scott, but the editor of one of his first published articles
made a mistake and listed him as “Scot O’Dell.” He liked the name so much, he eventually had his name legally changed.
Scott O’Dell published his first book at age 25. Once he chose something to write about, he said it typically took him 2-3 months to
research the topic and another six months of writing every day to finish the book itself. He was known for encouraging young authors
to write about historical events.
He is the writer of many books, but is best known for this book, which is about a young girl stranded alone on an island in the
Pacific Ocean. The author says that he first began writing the book out of anger when he discovered the history of the hunters who
invaded the islands and forced the native peoples off their land. This book, Island of the Blue Dolphins, was first published in 1960,
and has been translated into 23 different languages. It is currently enjoyed by young readers around the world.
FAST-R: Formative Assessments in Student Thinking in Reading. The passage text by Scott O’Dell is from Island of the Blue Dolphins. Copyright © 1960 by Scott O’Dell. Some questions
were drawn or adapted from the G7 MCAS Spring 2006 test. All other materials are Copyright 2007 by the Boston Plan for Excellence.
Teacher Guide for FAST-R Passage: Island of the Blue Dolphins
FAST-R: Formative Assessments of Student Thinking in Reading
Historical fiction
The annotated answer key below highlights common reasons students might choose each answer, and the sidebar gives more
insight into the questions, to help you understand patterns of student responses. Always make time to follow up with students in
conferences to ensure that the patterns you diagnose are consistent with students’ reading and thinking strategies.
1. Who is named “Rontu”?
A. Karana’s brother (OOB)
B. Fox Eyes (OOP1, ¶20)
C. the seal hunter (OOP2, italicized intro)
 D. a wild dog
FE2: Recognize the explicit
meaning from varied wording
in the text
2. In the first sentence, who or what is meant by “them”?
A. wild dogs (OOP2, ¶5)
 B. tracks
C. rocks (OOP1, ¶1)
D. people (OOB)
FE2: Recognize evidence
explicitly stated at multiple
locations or with varied
wording in the text
3. What is the MAIN action that takes place in paragraphs 2-4 of the excerpt?
 A. Karana prepares to kill the dog.
B. Karana discovers that the dog is alive. (OOP1, ¶2)
C. Karana watches the injured dog. (OOP1, ¶4)
D. Karana climbs on the rocks for a better view. (OOP1, ¶4)
MI3: Interpret implicit
meaning by understanding the
organization of information in
the text
4. Which sentence from the excerpt supports the idea that the dog is NOT able
to put complete trust in the girl?
A. “But he was there when I got back, lying in the sun with his head on his
paws.” (¶15) (OOP2)
B. “He looked first at the fish I carried and then looked at me and moved his
tail.” (¶19) (OOP2)
 C. “Once I held out my hand to him, but at this he backed away and
showed his teeth.” (¶16)
D. “In the morning I left food for him when I went down to the sea, and when
I came home he had eaten it.” (¶14) (OOP1)
MI3: Interpret implicit
meaning by understanding the
organization of information in
the text
5. Which sentence from paragraphs 17 and 18 is the first clue that the girl is concerned that the dog is gone?
A. “On the fourth day when I came back from the rocks early he was not there
at the fence waiting.” (OOP1, ¶17)
 B. “A strange feeling came over me.”
C. “Always before when I returned, I had hoped that he would be gone.”
(OOP1, ¶17)
D. “I called out, ‘Dog, Dog,’ for I had no other name for him.” (OOP2, ¶18)
MI3: Interpret implicit
meaning by understanding the
organization of information in
the text
FAST-R: Formative Assessments in Student Thinking in Reading. The passage text by Scott O’Dell is from Island of the Blue Dolphins. Copyright © 1960 by Scott O’Dell. Some questions
were drawn or adapted from the G7 MCAS Spring 2006 test. All other materials are Copyright 2007 by the Boston Plan for Excellence.
Grades 6-8 • Historical Fiction • Island of the Blue Dolphins
6. What does the girl do that shows she finally trusts the dog?
A. She tries to feed him. (OOP1, ¶13-19)
 B. She sleeps in the house with him.
C. She calls out for him. (OOP2, ¶18)
D. She spears a fish for him. (OOP2, ¶16)
MI3: Interpret implicit
meaning by understanding the
organization of information in
the text
7. Which of the dog’s actions suggests his acceptance of the girl as a companion?
A. showing his teeth as she feeds him (OOP2, ¶16)
B. watching her while she cooks supper (OOP2, ¶14)
 C. moving his tail when he sees her
D. refusing to take fish from her hand (OOP2, ¶16)
MI3: Determine implicit
meaning by understanding the
organization of information in
the text
8. What does the girl’s act of naming the dog suggest?
 A. Naming symbolizes change in her relationship with the dog.
B. She thinks he is dangerous and cunning like a fox. (OOP2, ¶20)
C. She wants the dog to remember that she saved his life. (OOB)
D. She knows the dog will stay with her if she gives him a name. (OOB)
MI1: Interpret implicit
meaning from words and ideas
in context
9. Re-read this sentence from paragraph 10 in the box below.
MI5: Interpret meaning by
using an understanding of
literary concepts
He did not move while I did this, nor afterwards as I cleaned
the wound with a peeled stick from a coral brush.
What part of speech is the word peeled as it is used in the sentence?
A. verb (OOP1)
B. noun (OOP2)
C. adverb (OOB)
 D. adjective
10. In paragraph 12, what is the effect of including the words, “my enemy”?
A. It indicates that there is another person on the island. (OOB)
B. It helps the reader sympathize with the dog. (OOB)
C. It reminds the reader that the dog is wounded. (OOP2, ¶10)
 D. It makes the girl’s attitude toward the dog more clear.
MI5: Interpret meaning by
using an understanding of
literary concepts
FAST-R: Formative Assessments in Student Thinking in Reading. The passage text by Scott O’Dell is from Island of the Blue Dolphins. Copyright © 1960 by Scott O’Dell. Some questions
were drawn or adapted from the G7 MCAS Spring 2006 test. All other materials are Copyright 2007 by the Boston Plan for Excellence.
FAST-R
+
Formative Assessments of Student Thinking in Reading
Name
“Island of the Blue Dolphins” • Historical Fiction
Date
Teacher/Class
To escape seal hunters in the early 1800s, Indians of Ghalas board a ship to leave the Island of the Blue Dolphins.
Twelve-year-old Karana is left on the island to survive alone. In this excerpt Karana has wounded a wild dog while
protecting herself. Read the excerpt from the novel Island of the Blue Dolphins and answer the questions that follow.
Island of the Blue Dolphins
by Scott O’Dell
1   
There were no tracks after the rain, but I followed the trail to the pile of rocks where I had
seen them before. On the far side of the rocks I found the big gray dog. He had the broken arrow in
his chest and he was lying with one of his legs under him.
2   
He was about ten paces from me so I could see him
clearly. I was sure that he was dead, but I lifted the spear and
took good aim at him. Just as I was about to throw the spear,
he raised his head a little from the earth and then let it drop.
3   
This surprised me greatly and I stood there for a while
not knowing what to do, whether to use the spear or my bow.
I was used to animals playing dead until they suddenly turned
on you or ran away.
4   
The spear was the better of the two weapons at this distance, but I could not use it as well as the other, so I climbed
onto the rocks where I could see him if he ran. I placed my
feet carefully. I had a second arrow ready should I need it. I
fitted an arrow and pulled back the string, aiming at his head.
5   
Why I did not send the arrow I cannot say. I stood on
the rock with the bow pulled back and my hand would not
let it go. The big dog lay there and did not move and this may
be the reason. If he had gotten up I would have killed him. I
stood there for a long time looking down at him and then I
climbed off the rocks.
6   
He did not move when I went up to him, nor could I
see him breathing until I was very close. The head of the arrow
was in his chest and the broken shaft was covered with blood.
The thick fur around his neck was matted from the rain.
7   
I do not think that he knew I was picking him up, for
his body was limp, as if he were dead. He was very heavy and
the only way I could lift him was by kneeling and putting his
legs around my shoulders.
Spotlight On: Scott O’Dell
Scott O’Dell was born in California in
1898. His real name is Odell Gabriel
Scott, but the editor of one of his first
published articles made a mistake and
listed him as “Scot O’Dell.” He liked the
name so much, he eventually had his
name legally changed.
Scott O’Dell published his first book
at age 25. Once he chose something to
write about, he said it typically took him
2-3 months to research the topic and
another six months of writing every day
to finish the book itself. He was known
for encouraging young authors to write
about historical events.
He is the writer of many books, but
is best known for this book, which is
about a young girl stranded alone
on an island in the Pacific Ocean.
The author says that he first began
writing the book out of anger when he
discovered the history of the hunters
who invaded the islands and forced
the native peoples off their land. This
book, Island of the Blue Dolphins, was
first published in 1960, and has been
translated into 23 different languages.
It is currently enjoyed by young
readers around the world.
FAST-R: Formative Assessments in Student Thinking in Reading. The passage text by Scott O’Dell is from Island of the Blue Dolphins. Copyright © 1960 by Scott O’Dell. Some questions
were drawn or adapted from the G7 MCAS Spring 2006 test. All other materials are Copyright 2007 by the Boston Plan for Excellence.
8   
In this manner, stopping to rest when I was tired, I carried him to the headland.
9  
I could not get through the opening under the fence, so I cut the bindings and lifted out two
of the whale ribs and thus took him into the house. He did not look at me or raise his head when I
laid him on the floor, but his mouth was open and he was breathing.
10    
The arrow had a small point, which was fortunate, and came out easily though it had gone
deep. He did not move while I did this, nor afterwards as I cleaned the wound with a peeled stick
from a coral bush. This bush has poisonous berries, yet its wood often heals wounds that nothing
else will.
11    
I had not gathered food for many days and the baskets were empty, so I left water for the dog
and, after mending the fence, went down to the sea. I had no thought that he would live and I did
not care.
12    
All day I was among the rocks gathering shellfish and only once did I think of the wounded
dog, my enemy, lying there in the house, and then to wonder why I had not killed him.
13    
He was still alive when I got back, though he had not moved from the place where I had
left him. Again I cleaned the wound with a coral twig. I then lifted his head and put water in his
mouth, which he swallowed. This was the first time that he had looked at me since the time I had
found him on the trail. His eyes were sunken and they looked out at me from far back in his head.
14   
Before I went to sleep I gave him more water. In the morning I left food for him when I went
down to the sea, and when I came home he had eaten it. He was lying in the corner, watching me.
While I made a fire and cooked my supper, he watched me. His yellow eyes followed me wherever I
moved.
15    
That night I slept on the rock, for I was afraid of him, and at dawn as I went out I left the
hole under the fence open so he could go. But he was there when I got back, lying in the sun with
his head on his paws. I had speared two fish, which I cooked for my supper. Since he was very thin,
I gave him one of them, and after he had eaten it he came over and lay down by the fire, watching
me with his yellow eyes that were very narrow and slanted up at the corners.
16    
Four nights I slept on the rock, and every morning I left the hole under the fence open so he
could leave. Each day I speared a fish for him and when I got home he was always at the fence waiting for it. He would not take the fish from me so I had to put it on the ground. Once I held out my
hand to him, but at this he backed away and showed his teeth.
17     
On the fourth day when I came back from the rocks early he was not there at the fence waiting. A strange feeling came over me. Always before when I returned, I had hoped that he would be
gone. But now as I crawled under the fence I did not feel the same.
18    
I called out, “Dog, Dog,” for I had no other name for him.
19    
I ran toward the house, calling it. He was inside. He was just getting to his feet, stretching
himself and yawning. He looked first at the fish I carried and then at me and moved his tail.
20    
That night I stayed in the house. Before I fell asleep I thought of a name for him, for I could
not call him Dog. The name I thought of was Rontu, which means in our language Fox Eyes.
FAST-R
+
Formative Assessments of Student Thinking in Reading
Name
“Island of the Blue Dolphins” • Historical Fiction
Date
Teacher/Class
On your answer sheet, fill in the circle for the correct answer to questions 1-10.
1. Who is named “Rontu”?
A. Karana’s brother
B. Fox Eyes
C. the seal hunter
D. a wild dog
2. In the first sentence, who or what is meant by “them”?
A. wild dogs
B. tracks
C. rocks
D. people
3. What is the MAIN action that takes place in paragraphs 2-4 of the excerpt?
A. Karana prepares to kill the dog.
B. Karana discovers that the dog is alive.
C. Karana watches the injured dog.
D. Karana climbs on the rocks for a better view.
4. Which sentence from the excerpt supports the idea that the dog is NOT able to put complete
trust in the girl?
A. “But he was there when I got back, lying in the sun with his head on his paws.” (¶15)
B. “He looked first at the fish I carried and then looked at me and moved his tail.” (¶19)
C. “Once I held out my hand to him, but at this he backed away and showed his teeth.” (¶16)
D. “In the morning I left food for him when I went down to the sea, and when I came home he had
eaten it.” (¶14)
5. Which sentence from paragraphs 17 and 18 is the first clue that the girl is concerned that the
dog is gone?
A. “On the fourth day when I came back from the rocks early he was not there at the fence waiting.”
B. “A strange feeling came over me.”
C. “Always before when I returned, I had hoped that he would be gone.”
D. “I called out, ‘Dog, Dog,’ for I had no other name for him.”
FAST-R: Formative Assessments in Student Thinking in Reading. The passage text by Scott O’Dell is from Island of the Blue Dolphins. Copyright © 1960 by Scott O’Dell. Some questions
were drawn or adapted from the G7 MCAS Spring 2006 test. All other materials are Copyright 2007 by the Boston Plan for Excellence.
Name
School
Date
Teacher/Class
6. What does the girl do that shows she finally trusts the dog?
A. She tries to feed him.
B. She sleeps in the house with him.
C. She calls out for him.
D. She spears a fish for him.
7. Which of the dog’s actions suggests his acceptance of the girl as a companion?
A. showing his teeth as she feeds him
B. watching her while she cooks supper
C. moving his tail when he sees her
D. refusing to take fish from her hand
8. What does the girl’s act of naming the dog suggest?
A. Naming symbolizes change in her relationship with the dog.
B. She thinks he is dangerous and cunning like a fox.
C. She wants the dog to remember that she saved his life.
D. She knows the dog will stay with her if she gives him a name.
9. Re-read this sentence from paragraph 10 in the box below.
He did not move while I did this, nor afterwards as I cleaned the
wound with a peeled stick from a coral brush.
What part of speech is the word peeled as it is used in the sentence?
A. verb
B. noun
C. adverb
D. adjective
10.In paragraph 12, what is the effect of including the words, “my enemy”?
A. It indicates that there is another person on the island.
B. It helps the reader sympathize with the dog.
C. It reminds the reader that the dog is wounded.
D. It makes the girl’s attitude toward the dog more clear.
FAST-R: Formative Assessments in Student Thinking in Reading. The passage text by Scott O’Dell is from Island of the Blue Dolphins. Copyright © 1960 by Scott O’Dell. Some questions
were drawn or adapted from the G7 MCAS Spring 2006 test. All other materials are Copyright 2007 by the Boston Plan for Excellence.
Teachers: Please duplicate and use this answer sheet only for students for whom you did not receive a pre-printed answer sheet!
FAST-R Answer Sheet
Name
School Date
Grade
Class
Teacher Name
Passage Title
Completely fill the circle
for the correct answer.
1.
A
B
C
D
2.
A
B
C
D
3.
A
B
C
D
4.
A
B
C
D
5.
A
B
C
D
6. A
B
C
D
7.
A
B
C
D
8.
A
B
C
D
9.
A
B
C
D
10.
A
B
C
D
Write your answer to the open response prompt in the lined space below
if your teacher directs you to do so.
OFFICE USE ONLY
RESEARCH:
Y
N
OPEN RESPONSE: 1 2 3
4
FAST-R: Formative Assessments in Student Thinking in Reading. The passage text by Scott O’Dell is from Island of the Blue Dolphins. Copyright © 1960 by Scott O’Dell. Some questions
were drawn or adapted from the G7 MCAS Spring 2006 test. All other materials are Copyright 2007 by the Boston Plan for Excellence.