The+Music+of+Dolphins

//The Music of Dolphins// by Karen Hesse Novel Study by Phyllis Chan **Summary:**

This novel is about a feral girl, Mila, who has been raised by the dolphins from the age of four. She is ‘rescued’ by people on an island off Cuba when she is a teenager. People are very curious about her and her abilities to communicate with dolphins. They examine her and teach her to be a ‘human being’ at the same time. The more she learns about ‘human being’, the more she wants to go back to the sea.

**Grade Level:**

I would like to use this novel to teach Form 2-3 (Grade 9-10) students in Hong Kong. It may also be suitable for the Form 2-3 Liberal Study in Hong Kong.

**Curriculum Expectations:** **Possible Challenges:**
 * To present information, ideas and feelings coherently and clearly.
 * To participate effectively in an oral interaction.
 * Some of the students may not read the book or only read part of the book.
 * Students have little knowledge about feral child. This may take longer time to explain what a feral child is.

**Cultural knowledge:**


 * To teach students about culture.
 * To let students know how culture shapes out behavior and thinking.

I would like to let students to explore what culture is through studying this story. There can be different definitions about what culture is. Generally, culture is about concepts, values, and assumptions about life that guide behavior and are widely shared by a group of people. These are transmitted generation to generation by parents and other respected elders. This story is about how a feral girl learns to be a ‘human being’. Something seems normal to us may seem ridiculous to the girl because she is brought up in a different ‘culture’ and having different mentality. I hope this story can help students understand how culture shapes their behavior and thinking. In addition, I would like them to reflect on our behavior and beliefs. In Chinese culture, we believe that human being is superior than all kinds of animals in the world. However, this may not be the truth. In this story, the girl decides to be a ‘dolphin’ again when she finally learns to be a ‘human being’. I hope this story helps them to reflect on this aspect when reading this book.

**Textual knowledge:** I would teach students some basic knowledge of literature: theme, point of view, plot and characterization. The themes of this story are related to the reflection on culture and ourselves as human beings. I would like to let students explore the themes after reading the story. Then I would explain different types of point of view to them. I would like to them to explore why the author chooses to use the first-person narrative. After that, I would teach them about plot by emphasizing the changes of the girl. For characterization, I would like to show them how the use of dialogue and choice of words contribute to the characterization of the characters. For instance, ‘It’ is a diary written by the feral girl. Therefore, to imitate the style written by the feral girl, most of the sentences are very simple. However, when the girl learns more and more, the sentences become complicated gradually.
 * To teach students basic knowledge of literature: theme, point of view, plot and characterization.

**Topic knowledge:** I would like students to discuss the social issue of feral child. Students may have little knowledge about feral child. The only feral child they know maybe the well-known Disney character Tarzan. However, feral children exist in this world. I would like to raise their concern towards this issue. I would show them some related news about feral child. I would like them to discuss the ways in treating the feral child after ‘saving’ them. In this story, the doctor representing the government conducts different kinds of experiment on her. From scientific point of view, the girl is definitely worth investigating. However, the girl may not be willing to conduct those experiments. This relates to the issue of human right. The ways in treating the feral child is worth discussing.
 * To raise students’ concern about the issue of feral child.
 * To broaden students’ geographical knowledge.

In addition, I would like to teach them some geographical knowledge. The girl is rescued in a Cuba island and then she is sent to the United States. Almost all the students know about the United States/America, but they have little knowledge about countries in Central America and South America. Therefore, I would like to let them know about these countries.

**Social knowledge:** In this story, people think that they save a child. However, the girl does not feel happy when she gradually learns to be a ‘human being’. In addition, people in this book ignore the pain of the girl to achieve their own purposes. This story reveals the ‘ethnocentrism’ and ‘selfishness’ of human beings. Human beings always think they are the most superior animal in the world. This story challenges this notion by comparing the life of dolphin with us. For instance, the girl feels sad for human beings because human beings can go only where it is permission, but dolphins can go everywhere they like (Hesse, 1996, p.73). Dolphins have no notion about territory because there is no boundary in the sea. However, human beings are confined to boundary between countries. I would like students to reflect on human beings selfish and self-centered act.
 * To let students explore the underlying meanings of this text.

**Assignment/Activity:**
 * Pass the Paper

The first activity is ‘Pass the Paper’. Students will form a group of 4. They will be labeled as 1,2,3,4. I will show 4 four questions on the PowerPoint. Each of them have to write down the question on a paper according to their number. They have to answer their own question first and then pass it to the next person. They have to answer the all four questions at the end.

__The four questions:__ “Do you think Mila should go back to the sea?” “Do you think human being is the most superior animal in the world?” “Do you think people should do experiment on the feral child?” “What is your definition of culture?”


 * Inside/Outside Circles

When they finish the first activity, they will do the second activity – Inside/Outside Circles. I would place students in two circles – one circle within the other. Students have to share their opinions of the questions that they write on the paper in the first activity to the inside/outside person. When all of them finish their sharing of one question, the outside people will rotate one to the left. Then they can share their opinion with different person for the next question.


 * Assignment: 150-word writing

Students have to choose one of the questions in the first activity to do a 150-word writing in home. They can adopt the ideas from other classmates when doing this assignment.

**How do the activities connect to the curriculum expectations?** The first activity requires students to write down their own ideas. The second activity requires students to express their ideas to different classmates verbally. Both of the activities give them practice to express their ideas clearly and coherently. The assignment in home provides further practice for them to express their ideas clearly and coherently in writing.