Helen Keller Biography Unit
The unit is suitable for grades K–12, with flexibility to adapt based on your learners’ ages and abilities. Please preview links and activities to ensure they are appropriate for your family. New resources will be added as time allows.
Many of the links below lead to printable resources that can be added to a notebook or lapbook for this study.
Learning Objectives
Many parents and teachers will need to create their own goals. You can compare the goals at these sites to create your own goals depending on how stringent your requirements need to be. All links have several suggested activities for different ages.
Suggested Curriculum Standards:
- World Book Scope Basic Course structure https://www.worldbook.com/free-educational-resources#tcos
- Michigan Department of Education https://www.michigan.gov/mde/services/academic-standards
- Maine as an example of state level requirements https://www.maine.gov/doe/ela/standards/index.html
- California state level requirements https://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/
- McREL Compendium National Level https://www2.mcrel.org/compendium/
- Ontario Canada K-8 Expectations https://www.dcp.edu.gov.on.ca/en/curriculum#elementary
- Abeka Scope and Sequence https://www.abeka.com/HomeSchool/ScopeAndSequence.aspx
- The series of books called “What your nth Grader needs to know” May also be helpful nth representing the grade your child is in. This series only Goes to grade 8
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
- Identify key events in the life of Helen Keller and understand her significance in American history.
- Describe the challenges Helen Keller faced and the ways she learned to communicate and engage with the world.
- Explore the role of family, teachers, and mentors—particularly Anne Sullivan—in Helen Keller’s education and development.
- Understand how communication methods such as braille, finger spelling, and touch-based learning supported Helen Keller’s education.
- Recognize how personal determination, support, and opportunity can shape individual achievement.
- Examine primary and secondary sources related to Helen Keller’s life, including biographies, historical documents, and multimedia materials.
- Develop reading, listening, and discussion skills through age-appropriate texts and activities.
- Organize information using timelines, notebooks, or creative projects that reflect understanding of the subject.
- Reflect on how Helen Keller’s experiences connect to broader themes of learning, perseverance, and communication.
Timeline
Helen Keller Timeline – Perkins School for the Blind
A chronological overview of major events in Helen Keller’s life from the Perkins School for the Blind.
Vocabulary
Core Terms
- resilience
- perseverance
- acceptance
- tolerance
- bias
Health & Medical Terms
- meningitis
- scarlet fever
Communication & Sensory Terms
- sight
- deaf
- deafness
- braille
- signing
Identity & Understanding
- impairment
- disability
Character & Beliefs
- pacifism
Book Resources
Wikipedia of Helen Keller can be used with Teacher’s Pet, an OpenOffice Extension Toolbar or any of your worksheet creators.
The Story of My Life by Helen Keller. Read for free at Project Gutenberg.
Helen Keller by Stewart Graff and Polly Graff
Helen Keller: Courage In The Dark by Johanna Hurwitz
Teacher: Anne Sullivan Macy by Helen Keller
Anne Sullivan Macy: The Story Behind Helen Keller by Nella Braddy
Signing: How to Speak with Your Hands by Elaine Costello
Poetry + Music
“The Song of the Stone Wall” by Helen Keller
A poem written by Helen Keller that reflects her use of imagery and language to explore history, place, and experience.
Boy who is deaf and blind discovers the power of music from WTHR Channel 13 Indianapolis
Loraine Ferris, Helen May Martin Her Book of Life Nebraska History 21 (1940): 69-82. Helen May Martin was not only a deafblind pianist, but she played the harp. Learn about the woman whom Helen Keller called the most accomplished deaf and blind person in the world.
Video & Software Resources
Helen Keller In Her Story a 1954 documentary narrated by actress Katharine Cornell
The Miracle Worker with Patty Duke and Anne Bancroft, 1962
The Miracle Worker with Patty Duke and Melissa Gilbert, 1979
The Miracle Worker Study Guide Literary analysis, themes, and discussion topics related to The Miracle Worker.
Games
Use these ideas to turn key concepts from this unit into creative, engaging games your learners will love.
Game Board Blanks
Create your own themed games for this unit using printable templates and inspiration from the sites below:
- Games . . . Tools for Learning by Mark and Janice Vreeland
- Games for Learning ideas from Mary Peterson
- Board Game Templates – Tim’s Printables – free blank game boards
- JustFamilyFun – Board Game Paths
- Educational Board Games – Cardboard Cognition – printable game boards and pieces
GeoSafari Cards
Using the GeoSafari Instruction Guide, you can create a wide variety of custom cards for this unit. GeoSafari is especially great for independent learning and long car trips!
Donna Young shows you how to make GeoSafari Cards
DIY Card Ideas
- Timeline event ↔ date matching cards
- True or false review questions
- Vocabulary words ↔ real-life images
- Chapter-based quizzes or review sets
More GeoSafari Card Ideas
Cloze cards of periods in Helen Keller’s life.
Match the letter to its Finger Spelling
Art and Craft Ideas
- Create artwork inspired by textures and patterns.
- Explore sculpture using clay, dough, or found materials.
- Create tactile art using cardboard, fabric scraps, or nature items.
Field Trips
Visit a local history museum or historical society and explore exhibits related to daily life in the late 1800s–early 1900s. Focus on how people lived, learned, and communicated during Helen Keller’s lifetime.
Activities and Lesson Plans
Braille Bug – American Foundation for the Blind
An interactive site for learning about braille and exploring how people who are blind read and communicate.
Five Lessons for Teaching Tolerance
This lesson focuses on teaching tolerance and respect. One activity includes a quote attributed to Helen Keller. This can be used as a supplemental resource.
Science Activities
Learn about the senses and how they work together.
The Five Senses | The Dr. Binocs Show on YouTube
Your Body’s Senses | SciShow Kids Compilation
Explore how people adapt when one or more senses are limited.
What is Sensory Adaptation? by Social Science Explainer
Sensory Adaptation
Discuss how the brain adapts to changes and new ways of learning.
Neuroplasticity for Kids: How the Brain Grows
Putting Neuroscience in the Classroom: How the Brain Changes As We Learn
Reading Comprehension
Helen Keller Reading Comprehension
Reading comprehension worksheet focused on Helen Keller’s life and accomplishments.
Biography Reading Comprehension – Helen Keller
Biography-based reading activity with comprehension questions.
The Story of My Life – Reading Activities
Reading comprehension and activity pages to accompany Helen Keller’s autobiography.
Worksheets
Make your own worksheets with these worksheet creation tools:
- SchoolHouseTech https://www.schoolhousetech.com/ This company gives away two free software worksheet factories one for Basic math and one for wordsearch utility that will make wonderful complements to this unit when you include the clipart listed in the clipart section.
- Start Write – This program makes nice reports and handwriting worksheets for the unit. https://www.startwrite.com/
- TeachNology has several online worksheet makers and a ton of Rubric makers. Rubrics work great with Homeschool Tracker because they give you total points and you count up exactly how many points your child gets. https://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/
- Online Crossword Puzzle Maker to use with your vocabulary words or locations or even dates from the timeline. https://www.happychild.org.uk/wks/english/ssm/crosswords01.htm
Evaluation Ideas
Assemble a three ring binder and please include:
- A copy of this unit
- Course Description (Highschool Students)
- Write a summary about books read for the unit
- Write an essay on the various topics discussed
- Your Lapbook created for the unit (K-8 Students)
- Any worksheets or activity books created with SchoolhouseTech Software https://www.schoolhousetech.com/
- Your journal and its contents
- Your Log of activities from Homeschool Tracker https://www.homeschooltracker.com/free-homeschool-tracker-basic-edition Its Free!
- Your Timeline
Affiliate Links
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Unit Safari Helen Keller Unit was originally compiled February 26, 2001, revised November 2004.
Last Updated on December 29, 2025 by Jodi