Teacher’s Guide for

Waiting for Dolphins

by Carole Crowe

Prediction Guide:

Just by looking at the title where do you think a plausible setting for this book could be?

Chapters 1-3

1. Where is Molly’s father?
2. Will they end up sailing to Venezuela or the states?
3. What is the Magic?
4. How could what happened to her father be Molly’s fault?
5. Will they sell Emerald Eyes?
6. Will Molly have a friend in Christopher?
7. Will she stop fighting with her mom? What makes you think this?
8. Will she sail the boat alone?

Chapter4-6

1. Will Molly have to climb the mast?
2. Will Molly find the Magic? What do you think has happened to them?
3. How will the Magic appearing change their plans?
4. Will she go through with her plan?
5. Will the hurricane hit directly?
6. Is Christopher mixed up with a smuggler?
7. Will Molly admit she took the money?

Chapters 7-9

1. Do you think Molly will ask Elizabeth to come with her? Will she?
2. Will they be struck by the hurricane at sea?
3. Does Christopher’s boss (Mr. Turner) run drugs?
4. Will Molly’s mom figure out her plan?

Chapters 10-12

1. Does Elizabeth tell on Molly?
2. Do you think Christopher will go with Molly instead? Why?
3. Will she touch the gun again? When?
4. What will happen during the hurricane?

Chapters 13-15

1. Will Roger and Molly’s mom marry?
2. Will she help Christopher? Will he help her with Emerald Eyes?
3. How will the relationship between Molly and her mother change?

4.What do you think happens after the close of the book?

Comprehension Guide/ Quiz Questions for

Waiting for Dolphins by Carole Crowe

Knowledge:

1. Describe Molly and her life aboard Emerald Eyes.
2. Explain what happened to Molly’s father and why she felt such guilt about his death.

Comprehension

1. How did alcoholism play a role in the story?

2.List at least ten major events from the book.

Application:

1. Predict how this story would have been different if the hurricane didn’t come.
2. Demonstrate how Molly changed over the course of the story.

Analysis:

1. How would this story have differed if told through the eyes of Christopher? Elizabeth? Molly’s mom?
2. Compare Molly and Elizabeth. How are they alike? How are they different?

Synthesis:

1. What did you think was the most exciting part of the book?
2. Imagine you were in Molly’s shoes. What decisions would you have made like her? How would you have done things differently?

Evaluation:

1. When did you know that Molly wouldn’t steal the boat and head out to sea?
2. How did the location become like its own character in the story?

Multiple Intelligence Projects for

Waiting for Dolphins by Carole Crowe

Verbal/Linguistic:

Make a list of nautical terms used in the book and define at least ten of them.

-or-

Write a goodbye letter from Molly to her father explaining everything that happened in the course of the novel.

Logical/Mathematical:

Make a timeline of events from the story. List at least ten major events and draw pictures along your work to help remind you of the events (and use as a study guide for the quiz).

Visual/ Spatial

Explore a palette that would be inspired by the Caribbean landscape, and then create a poster about Waiting for Dolphins using these intense colors.

(You might want to search this site for ideas and inspiration:

http://www.caribbeaninspired.com/index.htm )

Body/Kinesthetic

Research the physical demands of sailing or another high intensity activity (like rock climbing, or hang-gliding). Then, make a chart of how to build your endurance, strength, and cardiovascular health. Decide how long it would take you to prepare for these different activities:

A one-day event

A ten-day excursion

An amateur competition

Professional competition

Musical/Rhythmic

Research and explore the music of the Caribbean Islands. Compare it to the music that you listen to most often. Make a Venn diagram comparing the following parts: rhythm, percussion, beat, instruments, lyrics, melodies and harmonies.

Interpersonal:

Group Project:

In groups of no more than three research one of the following topics and create a pamphlet or poster about what you learned. Then, grade each other for participation, effort and cooperation. This peer grade will be a percent (at least 20%) of your final grade.

Hurricanes

Virgin Islands

Correspondence School

Alcoholism

Yachts and other cruising boats

The drug trade

Sailing

Grief

Intrapersonal:

Review the worksheet on Metacognition below. It will help improve your reading skills. Make a bookmark condensing the information into a “cheat sheet” you can use as you study and read.

Teacher’s guide provided by: www.TracieVaughnZimmer.com

Visit this author’s website and find more!
THINKING ABOUT THINKING -------Metacognition

There are several kinds of intelligence. Howard Gardner, the extraordinary educator from Harvard, has helped teachers everywhere understand the importance of knowing in different ways. One of these ways is how well you know yourself- how long it will take you to accomplish something, where you are likely to have difficulty, which parts will be easy. In reading, you can develop these skills by applying yourself to thinking about your own thinking. The better you know your own skills, the more successful you will be at improving them!

1. Know your purpose for reading:
   1. Entertainment only
   2. Fact finding expedition
   3. Summarizing?
   4. Understand a topic in general?

2. Check out the entire selection/ chapter
   1. Look for pictures/ headings/ questions
   2. Guess about what the content may be
   3. Relate to what you already know about the topic (prior knowledge)

3. Generate some questions about the text
   1. I wonder…..
   2. I expect to learn….

4. Read the text actively trying to remember as you go.
   1. Summarize
   2. Recognize the main idea (gist)

5. Clarify
   1. If you get lost- know exactly where
   2. Apply fix-up strategies when necessary

1.      Use context clues

2.      Reread when necessary

3.      Try to summarize in one sentence the meaning

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