Throughout the book
Survival Stories (Language Arts):
Nim’s Island is one of many survival stories written for young readers. They all address what happens when a child has to survive alone on an island or in the wilderness. You are invited to read some other famous titles in this genre, including:
-Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
-Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
-Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
-My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead
-George The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss
Zoology (Science):
Among the many topics, Nim’s Island suggests, it would be worth learning more about: plankton, coconut crabs, birds, sea tortoises, protozoa. Let students be creative when deciding what they want to learn and how they want to present their knowledge
Chapter 1: pages 1-14
Change the Way You View Life (Writing, Language Arts):
Bring the world around you to life. Nim describes the animals around her almost as if they’re people. We see the wild animals on Nim’s Island in a difference perspective by observing their daily routines. Observe the wildlife around you, be it squirrels, birds, or bunnies. Write about these creatures in a narrative that personifies them. Try to imagine what their daily life is like
Map Art Project (Geography, Art):
Have students make their own maps of Nim’s island. Let them show their favorite parts of the island and where they would want to spend their time if they lived on Nim’s island. Have them include the various animal characters’ habitats if they wish. Or, have them make a map of a completely different place from their own imagination. Have fun sharing and exploring the unique areas with the class. Invite students to use Nim’s map as a model to create a map of a significant place in their own life like their home, the classroom, or somewhere else that’s special to them
Chapter 2: pages 15-21
Ornithology (Science):
What’s a kittiwake? Find out more about frigate birds, varieties of seagulls, and the albatross. Come up with a creative way to compare and contrast these birds.
Put Yourself in Nim’s Shoes (Language Arts):
Nim survives utilizing very few resources in comparison to most of our lifestyles. Her routine consists of pouring the water to brush her teeth from her blue water bottle, resting every night on sleeping mats, and keeping a flashlight for nighttime reading. Gather a few similar items for the class and have them imagine what it would be like to survive off of the hypothetical resources the island provides, and the items you’ve provided. As a class brainstorm what you’d use each item for, and have a discussion about how this influences your reading of Nim’s Island. How is her life different from your own, and how is it similar?
Chapter 3: 22-29
Magic of Science (Science):
Use the marvels of science to create a hands-on way for students to experience the magic of chemical reactions. One way of doing this is to make “oobleck” out of cornstarch and water. This gooey concoction will show that some things that have a logical explanation can be pretty magical.
Make the Mush? (Food):
Get bananas and coconut and get into the island spirit making Nim’s treat. You can also have students help break into a whole coconut. First, poke the three eyes (round indentations at the top of the coconut) to find the one that is the softest. Use a skewer or clean screwdriver to poke all the way through and drain the coconut water into a cup – yum. Then, carefully tap around the middle of the coconut with a hammer or meat mallet until it starts to crack. Pull the two halves apart and put the meat-side down on a kitchen towel. Hit them with your hammer until the coconut meat loosens and pry it out. Use a vegetable peeler to get any remaining brown stuff off the coconut meat.
Chapter 4: pages 30-35
Parent Love Note Similes (Language Arts) :
When Jack and Nim write to each other,they compete to see who can express their love most powerfully with playful, inventive animal similes. (“As much as a frigate bird loves fish.” “As much as Fred loves coconut.”) Invite students to create their own love note similes. You could create a running class list and see how many similes your class can write. Maybe you invite them to write actual notes to their parents or other family member and include at least one love note simile. (Maybe some students will adopt it as a trademark just like Nim. Wouldn’t that be nice for parents?
Chapter 6: pages 42-49
Play Coconut Soccer (P.E.):
You can never be bored if you have some kind of a ball. It doesn’t have to be a coconut. What else can students use for a ball? How does a coconut differ from a soccer ball? How does using a coconut change the game?
Island Eyes (Writing, Language Arts, Teamwork):
Have students pair off. Each student should name their favorite place (i.e., the park, their bedroom, a restaurant, etc.) Then, the other student will have to try and write a passage describing it. Once they’re both done they will compare their writing with their partner’s place and see if they got any details correct. Finally, each student will act as the other’s “island eyes” and equip them with key details for them to use to rewrite their passage
Chapter 7: pages 50-56
The View From Fire Mountain (Art):
Before Nim’s excitable exit from Fire Mountain there is a passage on page 52 describing the composition of the island from her vantage point. Read this passage aloud to the class and have them imagine what the island looks like from here. Discuss some ideas, and then have the students draw their vision of what it looks like to sit at the top of Fire Mountain
Pen Pals (Writing):
Galileo is the messenger for Nim’s letters to Jack, and the internet is the vehicle of correspondence between Nim and Alex. Both of these characters are pen pals to Nim over the course of the book. Pair students off either within the class, or collaborate with another class. For a week (or until the end of the read) give students a chunk of time daily to write to their pen pal. Then, have the students exchange their messages, or act as Galileo and exchange the messages for them.
Chapter 8: pages 57-66
Maze of The Reef (P.E.):
As a tactic to keep tourists away from the island, Nim makes it tricky to get across the reef. Create a maze or obstacle course around the gym that students must pass through in order to get to the other side. For an added bonus, have a spirit day of tacky tourist day for students to get into the spirit of the Troppo Tourists.
The Beauty of the Reef (Science, Art):
Nim manages to keep the Troppo Tourist ship away from her island with some help from her animal friends. They work together to divert the ship long enough for the tide to go out, revealing the reef, jagged enough to damage the hull of the ship. Coral reefs are fascinating ecosystems full of interesting wildlife. While coral might look like a plant, it is actually made up of tiny animals. Reefs serve many purposes, including habitat for sea life and protection for shore lines.They also face dangers from natural events like big storms and man-made damage from boats and pollution. The biggest coral reef in the world is the Great Barrier Reef inAustralia, the country where Wendy Orr, the author of Nim’s Island, lives. You can learn more about coral reefs on the National Geographic website. Go to https://video.nationalgeographic.com/and search for “coral reefs.” After you see the cool pictures and videos from National Geographic, try your hand at drawing some coral of your own. You can draw from the photos and videos, or you can use your imagination. Coral comes in many colors, shapes, and sizes, so let your imagination and artistic ability flow!
Chapter 9: pages 67-74
Raft Building 101 (STEM):
Nim has been working hard on engineering a raft out of coconuts for Alex, but she is having trouble getting the raft to stay together. Once she finds the piece of fishing net on the beach, her hard work pays off and she engineers a solution. Once again, Nim is resourceful and adaptive, using the supplies she has on her island, rather than worrying about what she doesn’t have. Have your students channel their inner Nim and build prototype rafts out of regular school supplies and recyclable materials. Nim wanted to build a raft that would hold a person. Maybe you can build a raft that will hold an action figure or small doll. Try them out in a storage bin filled with water
Reusing and Repurposing (Art, Science):
Explain the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling in protecting our planet. Discuss how Nim does this by reusing the fish net that washes up on the shore for her raft. Have students raid their home recycling bins and bring in recyclable supplies like old newspapers, cans, plastic bottles, etc. Add some rolls of masking tape and let the students repurpose the materials to create art projects.
Chapter 11: pages 82-87
Dog Breeds (Science):
It’s not just Toy Poodles and St. Bernards. Teach students –or let them teach you – about all the breeds Nim mentions, from Jack Russells to Rottweilers.
What Do You Pack to Go to Nim’s Island?(Art, Language Arts):
Alex describes what she puts in her suitcase for her trip. When you decide to be brave and go to Nim’s island, what will you bring? Have the students draw a suitcase and draw what they would pack. Then have them write why they chose each item and what makes it useful for the trip.
Chapter 12: pages 88-98
Becoming a Storyteller (Writing, Language Arts):
Read the story Alex comes up with to keep the Troppo Tourists away from Nim’s island. Then, invite your students to come up with a story to frighten someone away from a place that is special to them– real or imaginary
Being Brave (Writing, Language Arts):
Alex Rover makes a brave choice going to see Nim and creating a plan to trick the Troppo Tourists to get there. We are all brave, even if we don’t think we are, like Alex. Talk about being brave with the class, have them write about a time they were brave. Encourage them to explore what their feelings were in that moment, and why they decided to do what they did.
Chapter 13: pages 99-107
Sailor Knots (Art):
Alex Rover sure wished she knew some knots when she was struggling in her boat. Here is a video that describes how to tie ten common knots, including the reef knot: https://blog.girlscouts.org/2019/06/10-essential-knots-for-girl-scouts.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+girlscouts/rGjB+(Girl+Scout+Blog)
Picnic, Nim-Style (Food):
Have a picnic in which everyone gets to eat Nim’s garden lunch in Chapter 13: two bananas and some peas, three sweet potatoes; lettuce, avocado, tomato, and three handfuls of strawberries. Healthy and yummy
Chapter 14: pages 108-114
Monstrous Sea Storm (Science):
The storm that devastates Nim’s island is a natural disaster. Discuss the different types of natural disasters, and have a conversation with the class about the safety precautions (like the emergency cave) put in to place to help people survive these disasters. You can also discuss the aftermath of these disasters, and how organizations provide relief and help rebuild in areas affected by natural disaster.
Chapter 15: pages 115-121
Similes and Metaphors (Language Arts):
Author Wendy Orr uses a lot of them, and they’re a great writing technique to learn. Use Nim’s Island as inspiration to make your writing more expressive. Ask children to scour the book and compile a list of excellent similes. For example, “the storm made it look like the island had a giant tantrum” (Chapter 15). Share the list. Then, challenge your students to write a story using similes and metaphors of their own. Can you get 5 similes/metaphors in your story? 10? Who can come up with the most creative ones? The funniest ones? Try using similes as a warm up activity. Put the first half on the board (As hot as...) and let the students come up with as many different ways to finish it as possible.
Chapter 16: pages 122-125
What’s Your Story? (Writing, Language Arts):
At the end of the book Alex decides to stay, and write a novel about her experience. Ask the class if they were to write a novel about their own experiences, what kind of story would that be? Action andadventure? Comedy? Tragedy? Have them sketch it out in whatever way feels right
End of the Book
Do You Have That Happy/Sad Feeling? (Language Arts):
After reading Alex Rover’s book Nim discusses that happy/sad feeling she has. Revisit this concept with your own feelings after finishing the book. Discuss them as a class and see where students agree and disagree on how they feel after finishing the book