preparing to read the miracle worker: the early lives of annie sullivan and helen keller

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Preparing to read The Miracle Worker : The Early Lives of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller

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Page 1: Preparing to read The Miracle Worker: The Early Lives of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller

Preparing to read The Miracle Worker:The Early Lives of Annie Sullivan and

Helen Keller

Page 2: Preparing to read The Miracle Worker: The Early Lives of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:

What background information about Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller

will help the reader better understand the

characters in The Miracle Worker?

AnnieAnnie HelenHelen

Page 3: Preparing to read The Miracle Worker: The Early Lives of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller

Helen Keller Before we read The Miracle

Worker, you should have some background on the main characters in the play. The play is based on real-life people and situations. You may have heard of one of the people, Helen Keller, but you may not know what an amazing person she actually was. There’s little doubt that though she was blind and deaf, she was a genius. Her accomplishments were incredible, and she became famous worldwide during her lifetime.

Page 4: Preparing to read The Miracle Worker: The Early Lives of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller

Annie Sullivan

The other character/person you should get to know is Annie Sullivan, Helen’s teacher. She, too, was a person of great intelligence and determination. She, and not Helen, is actually the protagonist (main character) in the play we are going to read.

Page 5: Preparing to read The Miracle Worker: The Early Lives of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller

Helen and Annie

In this web quest you will learn about both Helen and Annie and their backgrounds. This information will help you better understand the play we will read. Simply follow the directions to investigate the lives of these two women.

Page 6: Preparing to read The Miracle Worker: The Early Lives of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller

The Keller Family BackgroundGo to the following web address and find the heading

called “Helen and her family.” Read it and then answer

The questions below:

http://www.rnib.org.uk/aboutus/aboutsightloss/famous/Pages/helenkeller.aspx#H2Heading1

1. When and where was Helen born?

2. What was the age difference between Kate and Captain Arthur Keller (Helen’s parents)?

3. What did Captain Keller do for a living?

Page 7: Preparing to read The Miracle Worker: The Early Lives of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller

Keller Family (continued):

Go to the following web address, look at thepicture of the Keller home, and answer thequestion below:

http://www.afb.org/braillebug/hkgallery.asp?tpid=1

4. What was the name of the Keller home? (By the way, click on the “see larger picture” caption so you can get a good look at it. Your memory of the way this

house looks will become important.)

Page 8: Preparing to read The Miracle Worker: The Early Lives of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller

Helen’s IllnessHelen Keller was not born blind and deaf. Read the section called “Helen

falls ill” at the following site and answer some questions about her illness

and early childhood.

http://www.rnib.org.uk/aboutus/aboutsightloss/famous/Pages/helenkeller.aspx#H2Heading2

5. At what age did Helen become ill?

6. What do modern doctors think her illness might have been?

7. How did Helen’s mother discover Helen’s blindness and deafness

that occurred because of her illness?

8. How did Helen behave once she became deaf and blind, and

What did her relatives want to do with her?

9. What very famous inventor did Helen’s parents consult because he

was also an expert on deaf children?

Page 9: Preparing to read The Miracle Worker: The Early Lives of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller

Go to the website below to see a picture of Alexander Graham Bell and Helen Keller. This picture was taken when Helen was older.

http://www.afb.org/mylife/images/5-HK-Bell-1902.jpg

Page 10: Preparing to read The Miracle Worker: The Early Lives of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller

One last question on Helen:

Return to the following website and reread the last paragraph of “Helen falls ill.” Answer a final question about Helen:

http://www.rnib.org.uk/aboutus/aboutsightloss/famous/Pages/helenkeller.aspx#H2Heading2

10. What person in Boston did the Kellers consult? What was the name of the institution he directed?

Page 11: Preparing to read The Miracle Worker: The Early Lives of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller

We’re going to leave Helen now and find out some

information about Annie Sullivan, Helen’s teacher. Remember, the play we’ll

be reading is actually more about Annie than it is about

Helen.

We’re going to leave Helen now and find out some

information about Annie Sullivan, Helen’s teacher. Remember, the play we’ll

be reading is actually more about Annie than it is about

Helen.

Page 12: Preparing to read The Miracle Worker: The Early Lives of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller

Annie’s Childhood Go to the following website and read the first four paragraphs to

gather answers to the questions about Annie’s childhood:

http://perkinsmuseum.org/section.php?id=214

11. When and where was Annie born?

12. What country had Annie’s parents immigrated from?

13. What illness did Annie get at the age of 5, and what happened to her

because of it?

14. What was the name of the place where Annie was sent when her

father abandoned her and her brother?

Page 13: Preparing to read The Miracle Worker: The Early Lives of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller

Annie’s Life at

Tewksbury

Annie’s Life at

TewksburyGo to the following website and read the first twoparagraphs to learn a little about Tewksbury.

You’ll beshocked at what you’ll find about this place. http://www.afb.org/annesullivan/asmgallery.asp?

FrameID=97

15. In the second paragraph on this page, you will read about some of the rumors. What were a few of them?

Go to the following website and read the first twoparagraphs to learn a little about Tewksbury.

You’ll beshocked at what you’ll find about this place. http://www.afb.org/annesullivan/asmgallery.asp?

FrameID=97

15. In the second paragraph on this page, you will read about some of the rumors. What were a few of them?

Page 14: Preparing to read The Miracle Worker: The Early Lives of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller

Read the first few sentences on this page and answer this question:

http://www.afb.org/annesullivan/asmgallery.asp?FrameID=75

16. What happened to Annie’s brother Jimmie?

Read the first few sentences on this page and answer this question:

http://www.afb.org/annesullivan/asmgallery.asp?FrameID=75

16. What happened to Annie’s brother Jimmie?

Page 15: Preparing to read The Miracle Worker: The Early Lives of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller

Go to this page and read the first two paragraphs about how Annie got out of Tewksbury and where she went. Answer the following questions: http://www.afb.org/annesullivan/asmgallery.asp?FrameID=77

17. How did Annie get out of Tewksbury?18. Where did Annie go, and in what year did she go there?

Page 16: Preparing to read The Miracle Worker: The Early Lives of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller

Read the last paragraph on this page to find out how Annie’s sight was helped:

http://www.afb.org/asm/asmgallery.asp?FrameID=78

19. How was Annie’s sight helped?

Page 17: Preparing to read The Miracle Worker: The Early Lives of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller

Annie’s First JobAnnie succeeded at Perkins because she was very bright. She also had a bad temper and tended to break rules and get into trouble. She was almost expelled from Perkins on several occasions! Luckily, though, she was able to finish her education there and actually graduated at the top of her class. Unfortunately, after graduation Annie really had nowhere to go – no family, no job. Just when she started to worry that she might have to return to Tewksbury, Helen’s father contacted Michael Anagnos, the director of Perkins, looking for a teacher for Helen. Anagnos recommended Annie, and she began her journey from Boston to Alabama.

Page 18: Preparing to read The Miracle Worker: The Early Lives of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller

Annie Arrives at the Keller Home

Go to the following website to read about Annie’s arrival:

http://www.afb.org/braillebug/askkeller.asp?issueid=20076

20. How old was Annie when she left for her job at the Keller home?

21. What caused Annie misery on the trip?

22. Who met Annie at the station?

23. What did Helen expect to find in Annie’s suitcase?

Page 19: Preparing to read The Miracle Worker: The Early Lives of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller

This is where you will end your investigation, about the early lives of these remarkable lives of these two women. The information you have learned about Annie and Helen will give you a sense of who they were at the point where The Miracle Worker begins. The play centers around what happens in those first weeks after Annie arrives at the Keller home.

As you can tell, both Helen and Annie were stubborn and used to getting their own way. You can probably already guess what will happen when these two strong-willed people meet!

Please look at the next 3 slides for some gross pictures!!

Page 20: Preparing to read The Miracle Worker: The Early Lives of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller

Healthy brain

As you know, Helen Keller's blindness and deafness were caused by illness. While they don't know for sure what she had, it may have been meningitis or scarlet fever (see next slide about scarlet fever).

Brains with Meningitis

Page 21: Preparing to read The Miracle Worker: The Early Lives of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller

Person with Scarlet Fever

Page 22: Preparing to read The Miracle Worker: The Early Lives of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller

Annie Sullivan, Helen's teacher, had trouble with her eyes all of her life. As you have read, she suffered from trachoma, but she was able to have surgery that helped with her sight.

Eyes with Trachoma