Heroes and Good Citizens Helen Keller Heroes and Good Citizens

Helen was born in Alabama in 1880 Helen was born in Alabama in 1880. (Locate the state of Alabama on a US map.) She became sick with a high fever at the age of two. When the fever was gone and she was well she had lost her hearing and her sight.

Not knowing how to communicate, she often became frustrated and would throw temper tantrums, throwing and breaking things, and kicking and screaming at those around her.

Helen was extremely intelligent. She could recognize people by touching their faces. She would feel people’s hands as they were doing a task and then try to do it the same way. She even learned to milk a cow.

Helen eventually learned sign language. When Helen was almost seven, her parents hired a teacher, Anne Sullivan. Helen eventually learned sign language. She learned how to read by using Braille (patterns of raised dots representing letters).

She learned to speak (but not very well) and how to read lips by touching a speaker’s lips and throat. She went to college with Anne Sullivan by her side. She became a writer by using a special Braille typewriter.

Helen Keller graduated from college with honors became a writer supported women’s rights and civil rights had a movie made about her life received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964 All of this while being blind and deaf!

Helen died in her sleep in 1968. During her life, she helped to change the way people viewed the disabled by showing that with proper training the disabled can lead successful lives.

United Streaming Animated Hero Classics: Helen Keller http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guid AssetId=979B2F6B-0B56-4E3C-894E- 85D1F8A726FB

Helen Keller Kids Museum Online http://www.afb.org/braillebug/hkmuseum.asp

Louis Braille When you first look at something written in Braille, all you see (or feel) is a jumble of dots! like any other code, Braille is based on a logical system.

Once you understand it, you'll be able to read and write Braille easily. Braille is not a language, it's just another way to read and write English (or any other language, such as Japanese).

Braille Fast Facts: Louis Braille was only 15 years old when he invented the Braille code. The simple six-dot cell created by Louis Braille is used all over the world by people who read many different languages. Books for younger children sometimes have both the print and Braille text on each page so their teachers or parents can follow along and help.

Braille takes up more space than print. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is 10 volumes in Braille! People who read braille can send and receive braille materials, books, and equipment free of charge through the US Postal Service.

A Braille watch is read by touch, There may be a group of three dots or a short raised line at the 12, two dots at the 3, 6, and 9, and a single dot to mark the other numbers. An asteroid was recently named in honor of Louis Braille.

Readers Theater The Courage of Helen Keller by Katherine Noll Helen Favorite Word