helen keller

Surviving Disability
General Purpose: to inform
Specific Purpose: I want to inform my audience about Helen Keller
Thesis Statement: Helen Keller is an admirable person because she was a hard worker, had a positive outlook on life and she was the first deaf/blind American to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree
Imagine waking up, not being able to see or hear, living your life in a dark and silent world. Helen Keller was one of them. She may be misfortunate for losing her ability to see and hear. However, the things she has done to overcome these difficulties are the reasons why many people admire her. After having read her autobiography and her book “The Story of My Life”, she has become an admirable person to me. Helen Keller is admirable because she was a hard worker, had a positive outlook on life, and she was very intelligent.
I. Helen Keller was a hard worker.
A. She started education from a very young age.
1. At the age of 7, Helen began to learn how to make words by using her hands.
2. By the age of 10, she mastered the alphabet (both manually and raised print) and wanted to learn how to speak.
B. Helen Keller wrote many inspirational books and journals.
1. Some books that she wrote were…. (ppt) (12-13 published books and many articles)
2. Most of her books generally thrived in the genres of non-fiction stories, memoirs and biographies
II. Helen Keller had a positive outlook on life
Helen Keller’s teacher, Anne Sullivan, taught her many things (even though she failed many times)
Keller met Sullivan when she was six years old. She said “it was the most important day of my life.” When she first started learning the alphabet, she failed many times, but never gave up on herself. (Quote: “What I’m looking for is not out there, it is in me.”)
When Helen Keller wants something she goes after it wholeheartedly. (She wanted to go to college; quote: “Someday I shall go to college.”)
She lives life very passionately
Keller’s passion was to write books and helped others.
She started a program for blind people (Helen Keller Services for the blind)
III. Helen Keller was an intelligent person.
A. She was the first deaf/blind American to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.
1. When Keller was a young girl, she hated being around people (including her own teacher, Anne Sullivan). She overcame that hatred to educate herself.
2. She went to many colleges. (Perkins and Radcliffe)
B. Helen Keller used many techniques to communicate with people.
1. She wrote her books using a grooved writing board.
2. For speeches, she took help from her teachers (Anne Sullivan) to express her thoughts and feelings to the world. Helen Keller was a person who changed lives of many deaf/blind people. She gave them hope, courage and the strength to live life the way they should. All her books are about her struggles in life and the way she overcame them. This is Helen Keller, the person I admire the most.
Keller, Helen. The Story of My Life. New York, 1988, Print