The Amazing Helen Keller - LibrarySparks...Helen Keller (1880–1968) was born in Alabama. When she...

Helen Keller (1880–1968) was born in Alabama. When she was nineteen months old, an illness left her deaf and blind. With the help of Annie Sullivan, her teacher for 49 years, Helen was able to learn how to communicate.

Helen graduated with honors from Radcliffe College in 1904, where she learned how to read German, Greek, Latin, and French in braille. An advocate for women’s rights and the disabled, she also campaigned against war, child labor, and capital punishment.

The Amazing Helen Keller

Web Resource · Library Lessons · Aug/Sept 2015 • LibrarySparks

nonfICtIonLesson 1: VIsUAL #1

Helen Keller could not see letters or hear the sounds they represented, yet she learned to read and write. Use the letters below and follow the directions to create words that describe some of Helen Keller’s skills.

1. When Helen Keller was nineteen months old, an illness caused her to become deaf and blind. Because she could not see, her parents thought she would never be able to _________ books.

Select four of the letters and make a word that means “to decode language.”

2. Before Helen could use words, she had to know what they were. Her teacher, Annie Sullivan, was able to make Helen understand that letters represented words and those words stood for specific things.

Remove the D and add the W and T to create the first word Helen learned.

3. Remove the A and replace it with the I. Rearrange the letters to create a word that completes this sentence: Annie worked hard to teach Helen to be able to communicate with others. By the time Helen was eight years old she understood language and could read and _________.

Helen Keller


A E D I R T W


Helen Keller could not see letters or hear the sounds they represented, yet she learned to read and write. Use the letters below and follow the directions to create words that describe some of Helen Keller’s skills.

1. When Helen Keller was nineteen months old, an illness caused her to become deaf and blind. Because she could not see, her parents thought she would never be able to _________ books.

Select four of the letters and make a word that means “to decode language.”

2. Before Helen could use words, she had to know what they were. Her teacher, Annie Sullivan, was able to make Helen understand that letters represented words and those words stood for specific things.

Remove the D and add the W and T to create the first word Helen learned.

3. Remove the A and replace it with the I. Rearrange the letters to create a word that completes this sentence: Annie worked hard to teach Helen to be able to communicate with others. By the time Helen was eight years old she understood language and could read and _________.

Helen Keller


A

W

W

R

E

A

R

E

D

T

I

A

I

E

T

D

R

R

E

T W


Spell-It Script

1. Select four letters to make a word that completes this sentence: When Helen Keller was young, an illness caused her to be unable to see or _______________.

2. Remove the E and add the I to create a word that fits in this sentence: She was so confused that she hit, kicked, and pulled her _______________.

3. Take away the A. Add the D and the E to make a word that means employed. Helen’s mother _______________ Annie Sullivan to help her daughter understand how to communicate.

4. Set aside the H, I, and D. Replace them with the W, A, and T. Helen did not understand what words were. Her teacher worked hard to show Helen that words meant things. What was Helen’s first word? _______________

5. Take away the A and add the I to create a word that describes what Helen used a special grooved board and a pencil to do. Hint: She liked to send letters home to her mother. _______________

6. Remove the W, I, and T. Add the D and A. Make a word that completes this sentence: Helen used her fingers to _______________ braille.

7. Add the H and complete this sentence: People were impressed when they _______________ about Helen’s achievements and how she was able to overcome her disabilities.

Helen Keller


A D E H I R T W

nonfICtIonLesson 1: ACtIVIty

Spell-It Script

1. Select four letters to make a word that completes this sentence: When Helen Keller was young, an illness caused her to be unable to see or _______________.

2. Remove the E and add the I to create a word that fits in this sentence: She was so confused that she hit, kicked, and pulled her _______________.

3. Take away the A. Add the D and the E to make a word that means employed. Helen’s mother _______________ Annie Sullivan to help her daughter understand how to communicate.

4. Set aside the H, I, and D. Replace them with the W, A, and T. Helen did not understand what words were. Her teacher worked hard to show Helen that words meant things. What was Helen’s first word? _______________

5. Take away the A and add the I to create a word that describes what Helen used a special grooved board and a pencil to do. Hint: She liked to send letters home to her mother. _______________

6. Remove the W, I, and T. Add the D and A. Make a word that completes this sentence: Helen used her fingers to _______________ braille.

7. Add the H and complete this sentence: People were impressed when they _______________ about Helen’s achievements and how she was able to overcome her disabilities.

Helen Keller


A D E H I R T W

Answer Key nonfICtIonLesson 1: ACtIVIty

HEAR

HAIR

HIRED

WATER

WRITE

READ

HEARD


AAAAAAAAAAAAAA

DDDDDDDDDDDDDD

EEEEEEEEEEEEEE

HHHHHHHHHHHHHH

IIIIIIIIIIIIII

RRRRRRRRRRRRRR

TTTTTTTTTTTTTT

WWWWWWWWWWWWWW

nonfICtIonLesson 1:

speLL-It pAttern

Sign language is a method of communication using gestures and signs.

Sign Language


nonfICtIonLesson 2: W-A-t-e-r

Manual Spelling Chart

Because Helen Keller could not see, her teacher, Annie Sullivan, taught Helen words by placing her hand in Helen’s hand. Annie would then make the letter shapes to form the words.

The first word Helen learned was W-A-T-E-R.

Use your hand to spell water.

Sign Language



W A T E R



W



A



T



E



R

Activity 2 Helen Keller’s Famous Quotes

Annie Sullivan, Helen Keller’s teacher, taught her how to read using braille. Braille is a code that uses raised dots that allows people to read using their sense of touch. Directions: Use the chart above to finish decoding the quote below. Be prepared to share your solution with the class.

W A L K I N G I I N

A

W A L K I N G A N

I G

For Discussion: • What do you think Helen Keller meant by this statement? • Do you think it would be easy or difficult to learn braille?

Activity 3

Helen Keller’s Famous Quotes

Annie Sullivan, Helen Keller’s teacher, taught her how to read using braille. Braille is a code that uses raised dots that allows people to read using their sense of touch. Directions: Use the chart above to finish decoding the quote below. Be prepared to share your solution with the class.

N E V E R E N R E

R

E E

• What do you think Helen Keller meant by this statement? • Do you think it would be easy or difficult to learn braille?

Compare & Contrast

CeceBell’sNewberyHonorbookEl Deafo is a humorous graphic novel featuring an anamorphic young rabbit who is struggling withhearingloss.Challengestudentstofindtencommonaltiesandtendifferencesbetweenthecharacters,settings,illustrations,and writing style in El Deafo and Annie and Helen.

Poetry

WhenHelenKellerwasveryyoung,shelosthersensesofsightandhearing.ComposeandillustrateahaikuthatfeaturesoneofHelen’sthreeremainingsenses:taste,touch,andsmell.Note: AhaikuisaJapanesepoemmadeofthreelines,withfivesyllablesin the first line, seven in the middle, and five in the last.

Example: Roughandjaggedbark Coverstheenormoustree Withchangingtexture

Reading

Studentswhoenjoypicture-bookbiographiesaboutremarkablepeoplemayfindthesetitlesinteresting:

• Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade by Melissa Sweet. Houghton Mifflin, 2011.

• The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo FarnsworthbyKathleenKrull,illustratedbyGregCouch.AlfredA.Knopf,Inc.,2009.

• Eleanor, Quite No More: The Life of Eleanor RooseveltbyDoreenRappaport,illustratedbyGaryKelley.Hyperion,2009.

• Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Yuyi Morales. Harcourt, 2003.

• Hello, I’m Johnny CashbyG.Neri,illustratedbyA.G.Ford.CandlewickPress,2014.

• Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.byDoreenRappaport,illustratedbyBryanCollier.Hyperion,2001.

• RosabyNikkiGiovanni,illustratedbyBryanCollier.SquareFish,2005.

• Timeless Thomas: How Thomas Edison Changed Our LivesbyGeneBarretta.HenryHolt&Co.,2012.

• To Dare Mighty Things: The Life of Theodore RooseveltbyDoreenRappaport,illustratedbyC.F.Payne.Hyperion,2013.

• The Watcher: Jane Goodall’s Life with ChimpsbyJeanetteWinter.RandomHouse,2011.

Web Resources

TheU.S.Mintwebsite(www.usmint.gov/kids/teachers)hasexcellentlessonsbasedonthestatequarters.Alabama’s2003statequarterfeaturesHelenKellersittinginachairandreadingabook.Hernameappearsinbraille.ThisisthefirstU.S.coinwithabraille inscription.

• Thelesson“SpecialTraits”(primarystudents)introducesHelenKellerandfeaturesaexplorationofthefivesenses. www.usmint.gov/kids/teachers/lessonPlans/pdf/229.pdf

• “UsingYourSenses”(Gr.2–3)featuresagraphicorganizerandstudent-mademobile. www.usmint.gov/kids/teachers/lessonPlans/pdf/283.pdf

• Upperelementarystudentswillreflectondifferentmethodsofcommunicationinthe“TalktoMe”lesson. www.usmint.gov/kids/teachers/lessonPlans/pdf/337.pdf


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