HELEN KELLER By: Alexandra, Bethe Hadden, Stephanie George, and Joe Lake

INTRODUCTION: STEPH  "Once I knew only darkness and stillness.... My life was without past or future.... But a little word from the fingers of another fell into my hand that clutched at emptiness and my heart leaped to the rapture of living."  what helped:  -patient amazing tutor  -positive attitude  -sacrifice  -hard work

HISTORY: BETHE

HISTORY  Helen Keller was born 1880 in Tuscumbia, AL. When eighteen months old she lost here sight and hearing.  Helen Keller could not communicate with people. Her parents were determined to find a tutor for her. They met Anne Sullivan.  Anne taught Helen the manual alphabet by pressing the hand shapes into Helen’s palm. Helen soon learned to read Braille and write with a special typewriter. Helen also learned to speak by feeling Anne’s throat.

HISTORY  Helen made history in She graduated from Radcliffe Collage with honors. She was the first deaf and blind person to graduate from college.  Helen was a published author. Her first book, The Story of my Life was released in Some other books she wrote include The World I Live In(1908), Lets Have Faith(1940), and The Open Door(1957).  Helen Keller Died in Westport, Connecticut 1968.

PURPOSE: ALEXANDRA  Helen Keller’s lifelong passion and interest was writing about her story in order to inspire others to get education even with a disability.

ARGUMENT: JOE  Argument: Learning is always possible no matter the difficult circumstances. Attitude, determination, and a positivity however, is required.  Helen is a great example of dedication and hard work. She has demonstrated to us all that persevering through difficult times is extremely rewarding and that learning is always possible when we have a positive attitude.  Helen said “Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.”

ARGUMENT  Anne Sullivan played a large role in the success that Helen had with learning.  Anne was a very effective in teaching Helen. She was there for her every step of the way helping her overcome what seemed merely impossible.  There are people like Anne Sullivan all around us waiting to help us reach our full potential  Helen Keller proved to all of us that learning could take place even in the most dyers of circumstances.

ARGUMENT  In today’s society there are countless resources and opportunities of help for those that have disabilities.  There is no excuse to abstain from increasing our knowledge. There is always a way, when one has the will, like Helen Keller.

RELATIONS: BETHE  Helen Keller had a disability like me, it's a different disability she was blind and deaf and I have Autism. However Helen Keller went to school, and graduated even though she had a disability. That tells me she was a strong women, she stood up for herself. I sort of admire her for that. That also tells me that I can graduate too, even though I too have a disability.

RELATIONS: ALEXANDRA  Helen Keller had the perseverance of any woman although she was blind and deaf and I admire her positivity and desire to learn. She inspires me to want to get an education because if she can get one after she has been though much, than I can easily complete my education and graduate from college.

RELATIONS: STEPHANIE  Helen Keller couldn’t really have a positive attitude about anything. Life was frustrating and she was unable to communicate with others.  Anne Sullivan stepped in, and used her creativity to help teach her and help her learn to not only communicate, but appreciate life, she was much happier.  Helen loved learning, once she knew she could. She then kept a positive attitude, which I think helped more than anything. I know if I am ever struggling to just take one day at a time, and slowly things will get better.  You just have to believe, positive energy creates positive results. We can overcome any trial that we have if we have a positive outlook on it, especially in our education.

RELATIONS: JOE  Helen Keller was very lucky to have such a patient and loving teacher like Anne Sullivan. Back in the 1800’s it was difficult to find teachers that effectively taught disabled students.  We have provided amazing solutions to this problem to help the less fortunate, that have a desire to further their education.  In the student center, there a section on the second floor called the Disability Resource Center. This center is a great blessing to those students that struggle with learning disabilities even those that are blind or deaf like Helen.

CONCLUSION: STEPH helen's trials in school only made her:  -work harder  -have a newly gained confidence  -have a positive outlook and response  -dedicated  -give lots and lots of sacrifice

BIBLIOGRAPHY  Jay, Michelle. Helen Keller, The First Deaf-Blind College Graduate NA  "Helen Keller." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., Web. 27 Nov  Foner, Eric, and John A. Garraty. "Keller, Helen." The Reader's Companion to American History. Dec : n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 27 Nov 2012.

BIBLIOGRAPHY  "Helen KellerBrief Overview of an Inspirational & Remarkable Woman." Helen Keller Life Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov  "Keller, Helen." Compton's by Britannica. Britannica Online for Kids. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., Web. 28 Nov Keller>. Keller>.