|
A Picture Book of Helen Keller
What I Learned Section 1 -- Answer
the Following Questions:
1. When was Helen Keller born?
June 27, 1880. Helen Adams Keller was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama,
on June 27, 1880. Her mother was Kate Adams Keller, and her father
was Captain Arthur Henley Keller. Captain Keller served in the
Confederate Army during the American Civil War. Did
you know Helen was born with full sight and hearing?
By the time Helen was six months old, she had begun to talk.
Top
of Page
2. When did Helen Keller
become blind and deaf?
In February, 1882, when she was about 1-1/2 years old. At this
time, Helen became very sick with meningitis. She had a high fever,
and her parents thought she might die. Although Helen recovered
from her illness, she lost her sight and hearing. Helen also was
not able to talk because she couldn't hear other people speak,
and she forgot the words she had learned as a baby. Helen used
her hands to communicate with other people. The following years
were difficult for Helen and her parents. Sometimes Helen became
frustrated, and she kicked, screamed, and cried.
Top
of Page
3. Who was Anne Mansfield
Sullivan?
Helen Keller's teacher. Anne Sullivan was a former student
of the Perkins Institution and Massachusetts Asylum for the Blind.
Helen and Anne first met on March 3, 1887.
Top
of Page
4. True or False: The
word "water" was the first world Helen Keller learned from Anne
Sullivan.
True. Anne Sullivan was Helen Keller's teacher. Anne tried to
teach Helen words using a finger alphabet. Anne gave Helen a doll
and spelled out "d-o-l-l" and gave her a hat and spelled out "h-a-t."
Helen did not understand. One day, Anne passed Helen's hand under
a water pump and spelled out the word "w-a-t-e-r." Helen understood
and wanted to learn more. Helen then learned the word "teacher"
which is what Helen called Anne. Helen continued to learn thousands
of words.
Top
of Page
5. What college did
Helen Keller attend?
Radcliffe College. In 1900, Helen Keller became a student at Radcliffe
College. Anne Sullivan attended classes with her and spelled in
Helen's hand what was being said. It was here that Helen wrote
her book titled, The Story of My Life. Helen graduated
with honors in 1904. After college, Helen continued to write books
and give lectures with Anne. When Anne Sullivan died on October
20, 1936, Polly Thomson became Helen's companion. In 1964, Helen
was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Lyndon
B. Johnson. Helen died on June 1, 1968.
Top
of Page
What I Learned Section 2 -- Define the
following words:
Blind: Unable to see; loss of sight
Deaf: Unable to hear; loss of hearing
Meningitis: Illness; inflammation
of the meninges caused by an infection and characterized by high
fever and severe headache
Teacher: A person who teaches
Braille: A system of reading and
writing for the blind using raised dots representing letters,
numbers, etc., that are read by touch; invented by Louis Braille
(1809-1852) in 1829
Presidential Medal of Freedom:
The highest civilian award of the United States which recognizes
exceptional meritorious service
Top
of Page
Bonus Questions (Answer 1 of the
Following Questions for Your FREE
Bookmark):
a. Who was Alexander Graham Bell?
He invented the telephone, and he taught in a school for the deaf.
Alexander Graham Bell was a U.S. inventor born in Scotland. He
lived from 1847 to 1922. Bell helped Helen Keller find a teacher.
He suggested the Kellers contact the Perkins Institution and Massachusetts
Asylum for the Blind. The director of the Perkins Institution
recommended Anne Mansfield Sullivan, a former student.
Top
of Page
b. What did Helen Keller
do during World War II?
She visited injured soldiers in hospitals from 1943 to 1946. Some
of the soldiers had lost their sight or hearing during the fighting.
Helen Keller brought hope to these men.
Top
of Page
c.
Use five of the words in Section 2 in a sentence.
Answers will vary. Here are sample sentences from our young readers:
My great-grandpa became partially blind.
I am learning sign language so I can communite with my friend
who is deaf.
I'm glad I do not have Meningitis
because it sounds painful.
My teacher is very nice and
caring, and she was very helpful in teaching me to read.
A teacher can teach Braille
to a person who is blind.
Helen Keller and Rosa Parks were given the Presidential
Medal of Freedom.
Top
of Page
d. Have a parent or friend give you
a spelling test with EACH of the words in Section 2.
Top
of Page
More Valuable Information about Helen
Keller:
Helen
Keller Foundation
Ivy
Green, Birthplace of Helen Keller
National Women's
Hall of Fame: Helen Keller
Helen Keller
Services for the Blind
American
Foundation for the Blind
Royal
National Institute for the Blind: The Life of Helen Keller
Top
of Page
|
