ENGLISH 9 Quarter 2, Week 3

 Act 1: List the five senses.  What is the importance of each of them?  How one’s life would change without them?  The main character in this play has lost two of them.  Overview of the story behind The Miracle Worker.  Act 2: Vocabulary for Act I: oculist, inarticulate, intimations, pinafore, caricature, imperious, acute, vivacious, voluminous, asperity  Take roles, and read the play.  At the end of the period, discuss the characters their desires, their motivations and their obstacles.

Helen Keller: A Chronology  June 27, 1880: Helen Keller born in Tuscumbia, Alabama  February 1881: Helen becomes deaf and blind  March 3, 1888: Annie Sullivan arrives in Tuscumbia  1900: Helen goes to college at Radcliff  : Helen writes her book, The Story of My Life  1904: Helen graduates from college  1924: Helen works for the American Foundation for the Blind  1930: Helen takes her first trip abroad, traveling to Europe  October 20, 1936: Annie Sullivan dies  1957: First production of “The Miracle Worker”  June 1, 1968: Helen Keller dies

Study Questions  Act 3. Vocabulary for Act II: nettled, temperance, nonplused, feigned, compunction, intractably, glower, to disinter, impassively, paroxysm  Finish reading Act I.  Pass out the Character chart. Have students fill it out and discuss.  MW Act I Study Questions:  Where does the Keller family live?  What does Keller do for a living?  What is James’ solution to the problem of Helen?  What presents do the children given Annie?  Why is Annie late in getting to the Keller’s?  What is it that the Kellers can’t find at the end of Act I? Where is it?

Quotations I. MW Act I  “This child has more sense than all these men Kellers, if there’s ever any way to reach that mind of hers.”  “I think God must owe me a resurrection.”  “Every day she slips further away. And I don’t know how to call her back.”  “Deaf, blind, mute – who knows? She is like a little safe, locked, that no one can open. Perhaps there is a treasure inside.”

MW Act II  Act 5: Write about a time from your childhood when you got lost. How did it happen? How did you feel?  Act 6. With your group, discuss and write answers to “Interpreting Meanings” 9-14 on page 513.

Study Questions  Act 7. Interpreting Meanings, p  Act 8. Act II Study Questions:  Why does Captain Keller think that Annie should be fired?  What defense for allowing Annie to stay does Kate offer?  What does Annie propose should be done?  What do we learn about the strained relationship between Captain Keller and his son?  How does Annie get Helen to let her touch her?

Quotations II. Act II  “The, more, I, think, the, more, certain, I, am, that, obedience, is, the, gateway, through, which, knowledge, enters, the, mind, of, the, child, - “  “Annie. Does it hurt, to be dead?”  “One thing that girl’s secret is not, she doesn’t fire one shot and disappear.”

 Begin Act 3  Finish Act 3  Discuss Study Questions

 Vocab Quiz  Act III Study questions:  At the beginning of the act, the two weeks are up. What change do we see in Helen?  What has Annie failed to do with Helen?  Why won’t the Kellers give Annie more time?  What does Annie say God owes her?  At the Keller dining table, what is it that Helen does that attracts everyone’s attention?  Why does Annie drag Helen outside?

Quotations III. Act III  “At least we – Could you – be my friend?”  “I treat her like a seeing child because I ask her to see, I expect her to see, don’t undo what I do!”  She’s right, Kate’s right, I’m right, and you’re wrong.”

Thursday  Watch portions of The Miracle Worker when Helen knocks Annie’s tooth out.  When Annie gets Helen to eat out of her own plate.  The last scene at dinner when Helen finally makes the connection between objects and their names.

Friday  Miracle Worker Test