Freshmen English Students Study Life of Helen Keller
by Brooke Jackson
March 26, 2008
Avery High School Freshmen have recently been reading “The
Miracle Worker” by William Gibson. The play depicts the life of
Helen Keller, who became blind and deaf at 18 months.
Keller’s miracle worker was Annie Sullivan, a teacher who
eventually overcame the obstacle of being blind herself through
hard work and several surgeries.
Sullivan was eventually able to teacher Keller to communication
effectively through finger spelling and Braille.
Avery students have had the opportunity, as they read, to
simulate being both deaf and blind.
They have taken trust walks around the campus with students
being blindfolded and having to trust their partner to lead them
down the right path.
Students have also been learning American Sign Language and have
signed into the hands of their “blind” partners, just as Sullivan
did when teaching Keller.
“We still have several more weeks of reading before we finish ‘The Miracle Worker,’ but I can already guarantee that most of the freshmen are coming away from the unit realizing how much they rely on their sense of sight and hearing, and ultimately how much they often take for granted.”
Click below to see pictures of their trust walks.
