Part I:
Eighth grade will read Helen Keller's The Story of My Life trade book, distributed to all students on 2/3.
They will write a 600-word essay (due 2/28) that incorporates the answers to all the Guided Questions provided for this assignment into the body paragraphs of this essay. They should also volunteer their own impressions on incidents in Helen's life.
They will pool related questions into the same paragraphs, but any attempt to answer these questions as simple bullet points rather than in well-reasoned essay form would result in a failing grade:
1. How did Dr. Bell help Helen. Why do you think she dedicated her book to him?
2. What efforts did Helen make to speak before her meeting with Sarah Fuller?
3. What role does nature play in Helen's learning?
4. What problems did Helen face?
5. How did her early visit to Baltimore change her life?
6. What were the first two abstract concepts Helen learned, and how was she made to understand them?
7. Describe Helen's family.
8. What was the controversy surrounding "The Frost King"?
9. Why do you think Helen tended to lack empathy before the appearance of Annie Sullivan?
10. What was Helen's most fearful memory?
11. What was Helen's fear when she first began writing her autobiography?
12. What kind of relationship did Helen have with Martha Washington?
13. What is the theme of this autobiography?
14. What were some of Helen's challenges in the classroom (and preparing for her assignments)?
15. Who were some of the famous people Helen counted as friends?
16. How did Helen first realize she was different from others?
Part II:
For each chapter of The Story of My Life, compile a list of five vocabulary terms and their definitions in your Writing copybook. After each definition, put each term in an original sentence with context clues. (due 2/28)
Eighth grade will read Helen Keller's The Story of My Life trade book, distributed to all students on 2/3.
They will write a 600-word essay (due 2/28) that incorporates the answers to all the Guided Questions provided for this assignment into the body paragraphs of this essay. They should also volunteer their own impressions on incidents in Helen's life.
They will pool related questions into the same paragraphs, but any attempt to answer these questions as simple bullet points rather than in well-reasoned essay form would result in a failing grade:
1. How did Dr. Bell help Helen. Why do you think she dedicated her book to him?
2. What efforts did Helen make to speak before her meeting with Sarah Fuller?
3. What role does nature play in Helen's learning?
4. What problems did Helen face?
5. How did her early visit to Baltimore change her life?
6. What were the first two abstract concepts Helen learned, and how was she made to understand them?
7. Describe Helen's family.
8. What was the controversy surrounding "The Frost King"?
9. Why do you think Helen tended to lack empathy before the appearance of Annie Sullivan?
10. What was Helen's most fearful memory?
11. What was Helen's fear when she first began writing her autobiography?
12. What kind of relationship did Helen have with Martha Washington?
13. What is the theme of this autobiography?
14. What were some of Helen's challenges in the classroom (and preparing for her assignments)?
15. Who were some of the famous people Helen counted as friends?
16. How did Helen first realize she was different from others?
Part II:
For each chapter of The Story of My Life, compile a list of five vocabulary terms and their definitions in your Writing copybook. After each definition, put each term in an original sentence with context clues. (due 2/28)