1. A short story by Daniel Keyes
Flowers for Algernon
A short story by Daniel Keyes
Sources:

2. Daniel Keyes
"[I am] fascinated by the complexities of the human mind." Daniel Keyes
Born 1927 in Brooklyn, New York
Majored in Psychology at Brooklyn College
Worked in publishing and fashion photography
Taught at his old high school
Taught writing and literature at Ohio University

3. Flowers for Algernon
Originally a novel, but was made into a short story as well.
A story about a man who is cognitively impaired (his IQ is very low).
He is chosen to undergo surgery to make his intelligence improve.
There is a mouse named Algernon who also has had the surgery and became much smarter
The story is fiction, but the tests that are discussed in the story are real!

4. Flowers for Algernon
When Charlie Gordon has lower intelligence during the story, he writes in a way that is called phonetic.
Phonetic Writing: writing that is spelled like it sounds.
Examples:
“Shud”= should
“Faled”= failed
“pockit”= pocket
“skared”= scared
“lern”= learn
“minits”= minutes
“nuthing”= nothing
“sed”= said
“progris” = progress
“raw shok” = Rorschach

5. People who study how people think, feel, learn and behave.
Psychologists
People who study how people think, feel, learn and behave.

6. Rorschach Test Inkblot test
Herman Rorschach developed this test in 1921.
Patients are asked what they think inkblots resemble or make them think of.
Used to create a psychological profile.
Used a lot in the 1940s and 1950s
Not really considered valid today

7. Rorschach Test Example

8. Anticipation Guide: Answer true or false for each one, and WHY
1. Intelligence makes a person more likeable.
2. Mentally handicapped people cannot hold a job.
3.  A real friend is someone who would never make fun of you.
4.  Rats are smart animals.
5.  The more you read the smarter you become.
6.  A person’s IQ tells how much knowledge a person has.
7.  The more intelligence a person has, the fewer worries they have.
8.  Surgery can fix almost any problem these days.
9.  People should be paid based on their IQ rather than how well they do their job.
10. Animal testing is okay as long as the animal doesn’t die.
11.  If money wasn’t an issue, I would have an operation to change something I don’t like about myself.
Think about these statements while we read the story!