Helen Keller

A biography by Margaret Davidson

What is a biography?

Discuss as a class.
What do you already know about Helen
Keller?

What are two things you would like to

learn about her?
 BEFORE READING
If you were to lose your eyesight and become
blind, what are some things you would miss
seeing?
If you were to lose your hearing and become
deaf, what are some things you would miss
hearing?
Chapter 1: A Strange Fever
Read for Details: “She was very sick.”
Which disease did Helen Keller have?
 Ch. 1 Read for Details

How old was Helen when she became ill?

 Ch. 1: Reflect
Why was Helen unable to receive
medicine for her strange fever?
 Ch. 1: Synonyms & Antonyms
Write a synonym and antonym for the underlined word.

The beginning was happy for Helen. She laughed

and loved and grew like any other baby.
 Ch. 1: Reread to Clarify

How did Mrs. Keller discover Helen was blind?

How did Mrs. Keller discover Helen was deaf?

 Chapter 2: The Dark Silence

I remember…

I wonder...
Ch. 2

Reflect: “Then she became dumb…”

What does it mean to be dumb?

 Ch. 2 Cite Evidence: Cite one piece of
evidence from the chapter to support the
following statement:

Helen’s parents wanted to do

everything they could to help her see
and hear again.
Ch. 2 Vocabulary: “She screamed and
kicked. But she didn’t know she was
angry. She smiled very seldom. She
never laughed all day.”

What does the word seldom most likely

mean?
Ch. 2 Parts of Speech: “Then Helen
would run her hands over their plump
warm bodies.”

Which part of speech is plump as used

above?
 Ch. 2 Discuss with the person next to
you the meanings of Helen’s signs for…
-a nod

-a shake of the head

-a pull

-a push

-Patting her cheek and making a soft mewing sound

-pretending to put on a pair of glasses

 Ch. 2 Figurative Language: Write the type of figurative
language used in the following Chapter 2 excerpt.

“Soon not a day passed without a terrible temper

tantrum.”

Hyperbole Simile alliteration Personification

Ch. 2 Reread to Clarify: Why
was Helen angry much of the
time?
 Ch. 2 Reflect: What is one
reason Helen was not fond of
(having a liking for) her baby
sister, Mildred?
 Ch. 2 Reflect: “Then one day Mrs.
Keller read about a special school…”

Why would Perkins Institute be a

good school for young Helen?
Ch. 2 Reflect: In which state
is the Perkins Institute
located?
Chapter 3: The Stranger Comes
Chapter 3- The Stranger Comes

Reflect: How did Helen know

something big was happening the day
the stranger arrived?
Chapter 3: The Stranger Comes

Who was Annie Sullivan?

Chapter 3: The Stranger Comes

What was the first word Annie Sullivan tried to

teach Helen using the finger alphabet?
Chapter 3: A Stranger Comes

Discuss as a class.

How did Helen react when Annie took the

doll away from her?
Chapter 3: A Stranger Comes
Underline the context clues to help you determine the
meaning of the word spoiled in the following sentence.

“They let her have her own way for

years. Now she was badly spoiled.”
Chapter 3: A Stranger Comes

Drag the dot to the correct answer.

What is the important lesson Helen must
learn before they can learn any other lesson?
a. Self-control
b. To read
c. To write
 Helen Keller: Chapter 4
The Worst Fight of All

I remember...…
I wonder...
 Ch. 4 Read for Details
How old was Helen when Miss Annie Sullivan arrived in
Alabama to help her?
 Ch. 4 Figurative Language
Read this quote from the chapter:

“...her father had to put a ladder up to the window

and carry Annie down like a sack of potatoes.”
Circle the type of skill this is:

Synonym Alliteration Limerick Simile Metaphor

Ch. 4 Figurative Language
Read this sentence from the chapter:

“Helen had the table manners of a pig.”

Circle the type of skill this is:

Synonym Alliteration Limerick Simile Metaphor

 Ch. 4 Synonyms and Antonyms
Write a synonym and an antonym for delicious.

Synonym of delicious:

Antonym of delicious:
Ch. 4 Vocabulary - Prefixes
Read these two sentences from the chapter.

“The sun was high overhead when Annie finally

unlocked the door.”
“One by one she untied the ribbons.”

Underline the base words and circle the prefixes for unlocked and untied.
 Ch. 4 Reread to Clarify
The author titled the chapter “The Worst Fight of
All.”
Describe the worse fight between Annie and
Helen.
Use sequence words like first, then, next and
finally.
Ch. 4 Compare and Contrast
Compare and Contrast how Helen’s parents reacted when Helen took food
from their plates with how Annie reacted when Helen tried to take food from
her plate.

Helen’s parents reacted by…

Annie reacted by…

What was different (contrast)?

What was alike(compare)?

DISCUSS AS A CLASS
Ch. 4 Connect
Do you think Annie was hard on Helen?

Do you think Annie took the right approach by holding and

fighting with Helen?

Explain your thinking.

Chapter 5: W-A-T-E-R!
Chapter 5: Reread to Clarify

“Miss Kate, I want to take Helen away

with me.” Why did Annie want to take
Helen away from her family?
Chapter 5: Reflect

“The first great step has been taken.”

According to Annie, what was Helen’s
first great step.
Chapter 5: Cause and Effect

What is the cause for the following

effect?
Effect: Helen threw her doll as hard as
possible. It shattered into many small
pieces.
Chapter 5: Figurative Language

What figurative language is used in the

following excerpt.

“Then the stranger handed her her hat.”

Chapter 5: Summarize

Why was the lesson at the water pump

so significant (important)?
Chapter 5: Reflect

Helen wanted to know Annie’s name.

What name did Annie spell into Helen’s
hand?
Chapter 5: Infer

Which best describes Helen’s mood at

the conclusion of this chapter?
Chapter 5: Sequence/Mental Images

As you read chapter 5, your brain made mental

images like a mini movie playing in your head.
Replay chapter 5 in your head and draw a comic
in sequential order (in order from beginning to
end.)
Chapter 6: So much to learn
Chapter 6: So Much to Learn
Cite Evidence: Cite one piece of evidence from the chapter to support the
following statement:

Helen worked tirelessly spelling and

understanding the words she knew.
Chapter 6: So Much to Learn

Reflect: “Helen’s laughing. I never thought I’d

hear that sound again.” How did teacher get
Helen to laugh?

(Discuss as a class)
Chapter 6: So Much to Learn
Choose the type of figurative language used in the following Chapter 6 excerpts.

Hyperbole Simile Alliteration Personification

1 2 3 4
“This was thunder. But to Helen it seemed as if a giant
were dropping something heavy nearby.”

=”Teacher! Teacher! Helen’s fingers fluttered frantically.”

Chapter 6: So Much to Learn
Discuss the following:

“To seven-year-old Helen Keller it

was simply a magic time, a time
when the world came to life in her
hand.”
 Chapter 7: A time to Move
on
I remember…

I wonder...
Ch. 7 Infer: Which best describes how
Helen felt about going to the upcoming
circus with Teacher?
 Ch. 7 Re-read to Clarify: Why was
Christmas when Helen was seven years
old so much better than Christmases in
the past at the Keller house?
 Ch. 7 Reflect
“And there were some things Helen
could do better than other people.”

What are two things Helen could do

better than others?
 Chapter 8: “I am not dumb now!”

I remember…

I wonder...
Ch. 8 What did Helen like best
about her trip to the Perkins
Institute?
Ch. 8 Reread to Clarify: How were the
books at Perkins Institute different from
books Helen had previously experience
with?
 Ch. 8 Cause and Effect:
Effect: Though Helen wanted Teacher to continue “reading”
to her, but Teacher was unable to continue.

What is the Cause? Drag your symbol to the cause that

matches the effect.

The teachers eyes were The teacher was feeling The teacher was
tired sick mad at Helen
Ch. 8 Synonyms & Antonyms: Write a
synonym for the underlined word.

“At first Teacher tried to stop and explain

the hard words.”
Ch. 8 Synonyms & Antonyms: Write a
antonym for the underlined word.

“At first Teacher tried to stop and explain

the hard words.”
Ch. 8 Reflect: “Teach me to talk with my
mouth!”

What is one problem Helen had trying to

spell with her hands?
 Ch. 8 Impossible
Underline the base word and circle the
prefix
Ch. 8 What does the
prefix “im” mean?
Ch. 8 In which word does the
prefix “im-” mean the same
as it does as in “Impossible.”
 Ch. 8 Cite Evidence: Cite on piece of
evidence from the chapter to support the
following statement:

Helen was determined to learn how to

speak.
Ch. 8 Reflect: To which
school did Teacher take
Helen to learn how to
speak?
Ch. 8 What two parts of Miss
Sarah Fuller did Helen touch
to feel the way Miss Fuller
spoke?
 Ch. 8 Reflect:
“I am not dumb now.”

What did Helen mean when

she spoke these five words?
Chapter 9: College
Chapter 9: Reread to Clarify

What are two exciting things that

happened to Helen as more and more
people learned about her?
Chapter 9: Cite Evidence

Cite one piece of evidence from the chapter to

support the following statement:
Helen loved to learn, but she also enjoyed
spending time having fun outside.
Chapter 9: Read for Details

How old was Helen when she declared she

wanted to attend Harvard?

12 years old 16 years old 21 years old

Chapter 9: Cause and Effect

Discuss:
What is the cause for the following effect?
Effect: Helen was unable to attend Harvard.
Chapter 9: Reread to Clarify

“...the president of Radcliffe didn’t want to take

Helen.”
Why didn’t the president of Radcliffe want Helen
to attend the college?
Chapter 9: Cite Evidence
Find one piece of evidence from the chapter to support the
following statement:

College was not only difficult for Helen but also for Annie
Sullivan. Raise your hand to share.
Chapter 10: The Busy Years
Chapter 10: Reflect

“She decided to become a writer…”

What did Helen choose to write about?
Chapter 10: Vocabulary

“Too often the deaf were not taught to speak with

their mouths. Their days were long and dull.”
What does the word dull mean?
Chapter 10: Analyze

Discuss what Helen meant when she would tell

the audience, “Use your eyes as if tomorrow you
would go blind.”
Chapter 10: Infer

How did Helen react to the death of Annie

Sullivan in 1936? Cite evidence to support your
answer.
Chapter 10: Reflect

How did Helen help wounded soldiers during

World War II?
Chapter 10: Analyze

Explain the following excerpt: The best and most

beautiful things in the world can not be seen or
even touched. They must be felt with the heart.”

Discuss.
After Finishing the Book
After finishing the book: Character Trait

Identify and describe one character trait of Helen

Keller. Find evidence from the text.

Raise your hand to share.

After finishing the book: Reflect/Connect

How important do you think Annie Sullivan was to

Helen’s success and accomplishments in life?
Explain your thinking.

Discuss.
After finishing the book: Author’s Purpose

What was the author’s purpose for writing Helen

Keller?

to persuade to inform to entertain

After finishing the book: Rating

How many stars would you rate this book?

1 2 3 4 5
After finishing the book: Connect

What was the most interesting or

surprising thing you learned about Helen
Keller? Explain your reasoning.