Many people think they know the story of helen keller, the girl who suffered from being blind and deaf. Some of the details she had forgotten, as she grew more and more to generalize. But her teacher miss sullivan is determined to help her. She was born in tuscumbia, alabama in 1880 to arthur h. She enjoyed the animals including the horses, dogs, and. Helen keller was born helen adams keller on 27 june 1880, in tuscumbia, alabama, usa. Helen was the first deafblind person to earn a bachelor of arts degree.
This amazing true story is finally brought to the beginner reader. Keller devoted her energies to humanitarian pursuits, advocating for economic justice and the rights of women and of people with disabilities. Some people say that it was scarlet fever or meningitis. Purchased an american classic rediscovered by each generation, the story of my life is helen kellers account of her triumph over deafness and blindness. Sullivan was 20 years old and a graduate of the perkins school for the blind in boston, valedictorian of her class. She was in favor of womens right to vote and trade unions. Her father, arthur, worked for a newspaper while her mother.
Circa 1888 black and white photograph of helen keller as a child, sitting on a couch, legs crossed. The story of my life by helen keller with her letters 18871901 and a supplementary account of her education, including passages from the reports and letters of her teacher, anne mansfield sullivan. At 19 months old, keller contracted an unknown illness described by doc. She describes how she learned to read, write, and talk with the help of teacher anne sullivan. When she was nineteen months old she became sick and lost her eyesight and hearing. Muffin stories helen keller helen adams keller youtube. Born in tuscumbia, alabama, she lost her sight and hearing at the age of nineteen months to an illness now believed to have been scarlet fever. Helen keller simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The miracle worker film tentang kisah perjuangan anne sullivan membantu hellen keller yang tidak bisa melihat, tidak bisa mendengar juga tidak bisa bicara untuk mengenal dunia. Kellers family lived in a home which was built and owned by helens grandfather. In 1955, keller published her tribute to anne sullivan, teacher.
Popularized by the stage play and movie the miracle worker, kellers story has become a symbol of hope for people all over the. Helen keller was born to a prominent family in tuscumbia, alabama in 1880. What many dont know is that without anne sullivans patience, guidance, and friendship, helen keller never would have been transformed into the woman and success story she became. This biography unit includes everything you need to learn all about her life story with reading passages, biography organizers, vocabulary posters, character traits activities, comprehension questions, quiz, and flip book. She was the first deafblind person to earn a bachelor of arts degree. Born in tuscumbia, alabama, she lost her sight and hearing at the age. Helen kellers life story is incredibly inspirational. Undated black and white photograph of helen keller. The story of my life, a remarkable account of overcoming the debilitating challenges of being both deaf and blind, has become an international classic, making helen keller one of the most wellknown, inspirational figures in history. Helen keller was born on june 27, 1880 in the small town of tuscumbia, alabama. Her father, arthur, worked for a newspaper while her mother, kate, took care of the home and baby helen. When she was a year old, she was stricken with an illness that left her without sight or hearing.
Helen keller was born in tuscumbia, alabama on june 27th, 1880. Finally, when keller was seven, annie sullivan, a young teacher, was hired by the family. At the age of 19 months, helen became deaf and blind as a result of an unknown illness, perhaps rubella or scarlet fever. Newly updated to include trading cards and visual directions. At a plain, black wellpump in the small southern town of tuscumbia, alabama, one of the worlds great miracles took place. Keller, was a captain in the confederate army, and my. The story of helen keller, perkins school for the blinds most famous deafblind student. And one day she finds a new way for helen to connect to the world around her. Helen keller was born on june 27th, 1880 in tuscumbia, a small town in northern alabama. The doctor didnt know what it was, so he called it a congestion of the stomach and brain. Helen keller became deaf and blind at the age of 19 months, after a high fever. However, she remains an inspiration to many people. Since march is national womens history month, we would like to share the story of helen keller. The story of helen keller please dont let anybody call her a poor little thing any more, anne sullivan begged helen keller s parents.
Helen keller contracted a virulent childhood disease which resulted in complete loss of sight and hearing at nineteen months. Helens paternal lineage can be traced back to switzerland, where one of her ancestors, ironically, was the first teacher of deaf children in zurich. In this passage from her autobiography, she talks about the people she interacts with. Learn more about helen kellers life, family, education, literary works, and political activities in this short biography. Born in tuscumbia, alabama, helen was stricken with a disease that left her both deaf and blind early on in life, and she struggled to express herself until her teacher, anne sullivan, came to work with her when she was seven years old. The life story of helen keller biography unit articles. Helen wrote 12 books including her autobiography, the story of my. Keller worked as an editor for the tuscumbia north alabamian and had served as a captain in the confederate army. Stricken by an illness at the age of 2, keller was left blind and deaf.
The story of keller and her teacher, anne sullivan, was made famous by kellers autobiography, the story of my life. The story of my life by helen keller plot summary litcharts. Helen keller biography american foundation for the blind. She was a healthy child until an illness and a severe fever left her both blind and deaf. Beginning in 1887, kellers teacher, anne sullivan, helped her make tremendous progress with. Helen keller was born on june 27, 1880 in tuscumbia, alabama. Deaf and blind from infancy, helen keller 18801968 prevailed over seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The story of the anne sullivan and helen keller friendship. Helen kellers triumph over her blindness and deafness has become one of the most inspiring stories of our time. The story of my life by helen keller american foundation.
See how helen keller became an inspiration to countless people and is one of the most famous women in american history. Originally published in 1903, kellers fascinating memoir narrates the events of her life up to her third year. Helen keller was an author, lecturer, and crusader for the handicapped. Helens childhood was turbulent, as she was quite intelligent but her handicaps made her unable to communicate, causing her to become frustrated and resulting in frequent tantrums. On the contrary, helen connected very well with people and had many friends.
Nella braddy met keller and sullivan in 1924, was kellers friend until about 1963. Sullivan was the teacher and longtime companion of helen keller. Five years later, on the advice of alexander graham bell, her parents applied to the perkins institute for. Perkins history museum, perkins school for the blind, watertown, ma. Helen adams keller june 27, 1880 june 1, 1968 was an american author, political activist, and lecturer. In her dark and silent world, one might think helen keller would have trouble connecting with people and making friends. That she accomplished all of this in an age when few women attended college and the disabled were often. In 1953, an academy award winning documentary film was created about the life of helen keller called the unconquered. She spoke not only for herself and others with physical disabilities but also for an array of progressive causes, including womens suffrage, pacificism, and socialism. I suspect she has a better mind than many children who can see and hear.
Helen keller printable 5th 8th grade reading activity. A short biography of helen keller metropolitan girls. The story of my life is an autobiography by activist helen keller in which she recounts her early experiences and education an illness left keller deaf and blind at. The story of my life is an autobiography by helen keller, who lost her hearing and vision as a child. Keller was born on june 27, 1880, in tuscumbia, alabama. Helen keller, in full helen adams keller, born june 27, 1880, tuscumbia, alabama, u.
What is a summary of helen kellers the story of my life. Head and shoulder portrait of a beaming helen on her 80th birthday, june 1960. She first met anne sullivan in 1887, at the age of seven. Helen keller is the protagonist and author of this memoir, telling the story of her life up to age 22. Born in 1880, helen keller was struck with an illness at the age of 19 months that left her blind and deaf before shed learned to speak. Portrait of helen keller as a young girl, with a white dog on her lap august 1887 helen adams keller was born a healthy child in tuscumbia, alabama, on june 27, 1880. Puffy white clouds floated overhead on a background of blue, while birds fluttered through oaks and maples and flowers. Learn all about helen keller in this biography video for kids.
Despite being deafblind, helen keller became one of the leading advocates of her time for people with disabilities. Her parents were kate adams keller and colonel arthur keller. Helen keller was an american educator, advocate for the blind and deaf and cofounder of the aclu. Pdf the story of my life by helen keller book shelf. But her indomitable will and the help of a devoted teacher empower helen to triumph over incredible adversity. She also received an honorary academy award in 1955 as the inspiration for the documentary about her life, helen keller in her story. Here are some great books that would go very well with a study on helen keller. She grew up on her familys large farm called ivy green.
Helen was an advocate for women and people with disabilities. Rendered deaf and blind at 19 months by scarlet fever, she learned to read in several languages and even speak, eventually graduating with honors from radcliffe college in 1904, where as a student she wrote the story of my life. As part of their efforts to communicate with helen, her parents arthur and catherine keller turned to the perkins school for the blind, based in. Born in tuscumbia, alabama, she lost her sight and hearing at the age of nineteen months to an illness now believed to have. Her parents futilely sought help for her, as did family friend alexander graham bell. Courage in the dark by johanna hurwitz random house, inc when a childhood illness leaves her blind and deaf, helen kellers life seems hopeless indeed. Helen adams keller a beautiful baby girl was born in a small village in the state of alabama in the united states in june 1880. Her education and training represent an extraordinary accomplishment in the education of persons with these disabilities. An excerpt from the inspiring story of helen kellers, the famed deaf, blind, and mute woman who fought an incredibly courageous battle to communicate with the outside world and led a. In these letters we have an almost weekly record of miss sullivans work. Helen keller biography helen keller life, childhood and.
Keller continued to travel the world fundraising for the blind. As the story opens, helen describes her first experiences with miss sullivan, her new teacher. In the early years after her illness, it was difficult for her to communicate, even with her family. The story of keller and her teacher, anne sullivan, was made famous by. Helen was deaf, dumb and blind, isolated in a world of silence and darkness. Helen keller 18801968 was an american author, political activist and lecturer. Keller was the first of two daughters born to arthur h.