Before Reading

Focus and Motivate

Essential Course
of Study

ecos

TEKS Focus

from The
VIDEO TRAILER

READING 6C Describe different forms of

point of view, including first- and thirdperson. 7 Identify the literary language and
devices used in an autobiography. 2C Complete
analogies that describe part to whole or whole to
part. RC-6(B) Ask literal, interpretive, evaluative,
and universal questions of text.

KEYWORD: HML6-832

Do we have to accept
our LIMITS?

summary

In this excerpt from Kellers autobiography,

she recounts the beginning of her relationship
with her teacher, Anne Sullivan. She describes
her initial struggles and how her life changed
once she finally realized that everything has a
name.

Story of My Life

Autobiography by Helen Keller

READING 6C Describe different

forms of point of view, including
first- and third-person. 7 Identify
the literary language and devices
used in an autobiography.
RC-6(B) Ask literal, interpretive,
evaluative, and universal
questions of text.

Do we have to accept
our LIMITS?

Sometimes the things we most want to do are the hardest to

accomplish. It can be discouraging to discover our limits and
frustrating to find ourselves facing unexpected challenges. Fortunately,
many serious obstacles can be overcome with creativity and
determination. In this excerpt from The Story of My Life, Helen Keller
describes triumphing over her limitations.
QUICKWRITE Helen Keller found a way to succeed despite being
both blind and deaf. Think of someone elsefrom your life, a book,
or a moviewho also had to deal with some type of limitation. Write
a brief paragraph describing this person and his or her efforts to
conquer a major difficulty.

To explore the question, ask what types of

limits people have to overcome, such as
physical, financial, and self-imposed. Help
students brainstorm qualities people need to
overcome limits. Then have students begin
the QUICKWRITE activity.

Selection Resources

832

TX_L06PE-u07s02-brStor.indd 832

Video Trailer

Print resources are on the Teacher One Stop DVD-ROM and on thinkcentral.com.

RESOURCE MANAGER UNIT 7

Plan and Teach, pp. 4754

Summary, pp. 5556*
Literary Analysis and Reading
Strategy, pp. 5760*
Vocabulary, pp. 6163*

DIAGNOSTIC AND SELECTION

TESTS
Selection Tests, pp. 239242

* Resources for Differentiation

BEST PRACTICES TOOLKIT

Reflection Chart, p. B8
INTERACTIVE READER
ADAPTED INTERACTIVE READER
ELL ADAPTED INTERACTIVE
READER

Also in Spanish

TECHNOLOGY
Teacher One Stop DVD-ROM
Student One Stop DVD-ROM
PowerNotes DVD-ROM
Audio Anthology CD
GrammarNotes DVD-ROM
Audio Tutor CD
ExamView Test Generator
on the Teacher One Stop

In Haitian Creole and Vietnamese

Go to thinkcentral.com to preview
the Video Trailer introducing this
selection. Other features that support
the selection include
PowerNotes presentation
ThinkAloud models to enhance
comprehension

WordSharp vocabulary tutorials

interactive writing and grammar

instruction

10/8/09 8:01:37 P

PM

The most personal kind of nonfiction writing is

autobiographya writers account of his or her own life.
In biographies, the subject is a person other than the writer.
In autobiographies, the writer is the subject. Autobiographies

are told from the first-person point of view, using firstperson pronouns (I, me, we, us, our, my, mine)

include literary language and devices to provide

descriptions of people and events that have influenced
the writer

share the writers personal thoughts and feelings about

his or her experiences
As you read The Story of My Life, think about the information
the author decides to include about herself.

reading strategy: monitor

Monitoring is the process of checking your understanding as

you read. One way to do this is to ask questions about what
you have just read.
As you read Helen Kellers autobiography, note any passages
that you find confusing. Record them in a chart like the one
shown. Next to each passage, write what you think it means.
Kellers Words

My Questions

Anger and bitterness had

preyed upon me (line 14)

Why is Helen Keller so bitter

and angry?

vocabulary in context

Helen Keller uses the following words to tell how she came
to understand the world around her. To see how many you
know, match each vocabulary word from the Word List with
the numbered word or phrase closest in meaning.

word
list

consciousness
repentance

1. not understanding
2. awareness

sensation
tangible

uncomprehending

3. feeling
4. touchable

5. regret

Teach

Meet the Author

literary analysis: autobiography

Helen Keller
18801968

Overcoming All Obstacles

Before Helen Keller was two years old,
she developed a fever that left her
blind and deaf. The young girl was
highly intelligent, but her parents did
not know how to communicate with
her properly. Anne Sullivan, a teacher
from the Perkins Institution for the
Blind, became Kellers tutor.
Lifetime of Learning
Sullivan taught Keller sign language
and Braille, a system of raised dots
that enables blind people to read.
When Keller was ten, she learned
about a blind and deaf child who
had learned to speak by studying the
movements of peoples lips. Keller
was determined to do the same.
She eventually learned to speak
aloud in English, French, and German.
Keller graduated from Radcliffe
College in 1904.
Teaching Others
As an adult, Keller became a
spokesperson for people with
disabilities. She helped stop deaf
and blind people from being placed
in hospitals for the mentally ill. She
also spoke about preventing the
diseases that caused childhood
blindness. In 1964, Keller received the
Presidential Medal of Freedom, the
hat can be given to an
highest honor that
n.
American civilian.

Author
Online

TEKS Focus
TEKS 6C, 7

L I T E R A R Y A N A LY S I S

Model the Skill:

autobiography

Write this example on the board:

My mother cried for hours when we
found out that I might never walk again.
I didnt. I was numb. To be honest, her
crying bugged me.
Explain characteristics of autobiography
that are evident in the example: It is told
from the first-person point of view, and
it includes the authors thoughts and
feelings.
GUIDED PRACTICE Ask students why
autobiographies are always told from the
first-person point of view.

R E A D I N G STR ATEG Y

TEKS RC-6(B)

Model the Strategy: monitor

Model the strategy by first reading aloud

Teaching Others on page 833. Then say,
I wonder why people who were deaf and
blind were put in hospitals for the mentally ill.
GUIDED PRACTICE Ask students how
generating questions can help them make
sense of a difficult passage.
RESOURCE MANAGERCopy Master

Go to thinkcentral.com.
al.com..

Monitor p. 59 (for student use while

reading the selection)

KEYWORD: HML6-833
833

Complete the activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

833

TX_L06PE-u07s02-brStor.indd 833

VOCABULARY SKILL

2/13/09 2:54:57 PM

TEKS 2

vocabulary in context

DIAGNOSE WORD KNOWLEDGE Have all

students complete Vocabulary in Context.
Check students answers. (1. uncomprehending;
2. consciousness; 3. sensation; 4. tangible;
5. repentance) Preview selection vocabulary
definitions:
consciousness (kJnPshEs-nGs) n. awareness of
ones own thoughts
repentance (rG-pDnPtEns) n. sorrow or regret

sensation (sDn-sAPshEn) n. a feeling

tangible (tBnPjE-bEl) adj. possible to touch; real
uncomprehending (OnQkJm-prG-hDnPdGng) adj.
not understanding

PRETEACH VOCABULARY Use this copy master

to help students determine meanings.
RESOURCE MANAGERCopy Master

Vocabulary Study p. 61

Read aloud the first sentence, emphasizing the

boldfaced word. Discuss possible meanings
for consciousness, such as awareness. Repeat
for the other sentences.

the story of my life

833

Practice and Apply

The Sto
Story of

read with a purpose

Help students set a purpose for reading. Tell
them to read this excerpt from Helen Kellers
autobiography to explore how they might
overcome their own limits.
L I T E R A R Y A N A LY S I S

My Life

TEKS 6C, 7

Model the Skill:

autobiography
Point out the pronouns in the targeted
passage that signal the first-person point
of view. (I, my, me) Explain that Keller is
writing as an adult about an experience
from her childhood that changed her life.

Helen Keller

Possible answer: The use of the first-person

point of view lets readers experience Kellers
confusion and frustration, as well as the
way she is tuned in to her surroundings
through her other senses.

revisit the big question

Do we have to accept
our LIMITS?

10

Discuss In lines 1315, how does Keller feel

about her limits? What clues does she provide
to suggest that she will overcome them?
Possible answer: She is angry, bitter, and tired
of living with her limitations, but she lets
readers know that soon her life will be filled
with marvel or surprise.

he most important day I remember in all my life is the one on which

my teacher, Anne Mansfield Sullivan, came to me. I am filled with
wonder when I consider the immeasurable contrasts between the two lives
which it connects. It was the third of March, 1887, three months before
I was seven years old.
On the afternoon of that eventful day, I stood on the porch, dumb,1
expectant. I guessed vaguely from my mothers signs and from the
hurrying to and fro in the house that something unusual was about to
happen, so I went to the door and waited on the steps. The afternoon
sun penetrated the mass of honeysuckle that covered the porch, and fell
on my upturned face. My fingers lingered almost unconsciously on the
familiar leaves and blossoms which had just come forth to greet the sweet
southern spring. I did not know what the future held of marvel or surprise
for me. Anger and bitterness had preyed upon me continually for weeks
and a deep languor had succeeded2 this passionate struggle. a
Have you ever been at sea in a dense fog, when it seemed as if a
tangible white darkness shut you in, and the great ship, tense and

What can you infer

about the relationship
between Helen Keller
and Anne Sullivan
by looking at this
photograph of them?

1 Targeted Passage
a

AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Reread lines 615.
In what way does the
first-person point of
view help show Kellers
thoughts and feelings?
tangible (tBnPjE-bEl) adj.
possible to touch; real

1. dumb: unable to speak; mute.

VOCABULARY

2. deep languor had succeeded: a complete lack of energy had followed.

TEKS 2

own the word

tangible: Explain that the Latin root
for tangible is tangere, which means to
touch. Ask students why Keller describes
the fog as tangible. Possible answer: It is so
thick, it feels as if it can be touched.

834

unit 7: biogr aphy and autobiogr aphy

TX_L06PE-u07s02-Story.indd 834

for struggling readers

In combination with the Audio Anthology CD,
use one or more Targeted Passages (pp. 834,
837) to ensure that students focus on key
selection events, concepts, and skills.

1 Targeted Passage [Lines 115]

This passage introduces the main focus of
the selection: how meeting Anne Sullivan
changed Helen Kellers life.

834

unit 7: biogr aphy and autobiogr aphy

2/13/09 2:56:11 P

differentiated instruction
How old is Helen Keller in this excerpt?
(line 5)
Why is this day the most important one of
her life? (lines 12)
Who is Anne Sullivan? (line 2)
How is Keller feeling on the afternoon before she meets Sullivan? (lines 1415)
How do readers know that Kellers life is
about to change? (lines 29)

Reading Support
This selection on thinkcentral.com includes
embedded ThinkAloud modelsstudents
thinking aloud about the selection to model
the kinds of questions a good reader would ask
about a selection.

background
Anne Sullivan Helen Kellers teacher, Anne
Sullivan, overcame her own obstacles, starting with a tragic childhood. Her mother
died when Sullivan was eight, and her father
soon left the family. Sullivan and her siblings
were sent to an orphanage, where one of her
brothers died. A childhood disease led to her
blindness.
In 1880 Sullivan entered The Perkins School
for the Blind and a year later had surgery to
restore some of her sight. After graduating,
Sullivan became Kellers teacher and friend.
The two spent the rest of Sullivans life learning, traveling, and living together. Eventually,
Sullivan lost her eyesight again, and she died
in 1936.
Braille The Braille system is an alphabet
developed by Louis Braille in 1824 to provide
the blind with a means of reading and writing.
Louis Braille himself was blind; determined to
overcome his limitation and read, he developed the Braille system when he was only 15
years old.

Analyze Visuals

TEKS 13

Possible answer: They care about one another;

Sullivan appears nurturing and caring; Keller
seems relaxed and at peace.

PM TX_L06PE-u07s02-Story.indd 835

2/13/09 2:56:18 PM

for english language learners

for struggling readers

for advanced learners/preap

Comprehension Support Review point of view

and characteristics of autobiography with
students using p. 833. Have students read the
Summary in language-alike pairs and discuss.
Encourage students to read this selection on
their own or with the Audio Anthology CD.
Afterwards, read the targeted passages aloud
and discuss.

Develop Reading Fluency Have students use

the targeted passages to practice reading a
first-person narrative. Explain that students
should speak as an adult telling a story about
childhood. Direct students to read the passage
silently first and note any words or phrases that
are confusing. Clarify as needed and then have
students practice reading aloud in pairs.

Encourage students to work with your schools

library media teacher to identify additional
inspirational autobiographies to read. Make a
suggested reading list for the class and have
students write a brief review of what they read
using a Reflection Chart.

RESOURCE MANAGERCopy Masters

RESOURCE MANAGERCopy Master

Summary pp. 5556

Reading Fluency p. 66

BEST PRACTICES TOOLKITTransparency

Reflection Chart p. B8

the story of my life

835

20

TEKS 6C, 7

L I T E R A R Y A N A LY S I S

autobiography

Possible answer: Keller uses a simile (line

20) and an extended metaphor (lines
2023). She describes her experiences of
being blind as being like a ship lost in the
fog with no way of knowing where she was.
30

R E A D I N G STR ATEG Y

Model the Strategy:

TEKS RC-6(B)

monitor

Explain that the question in the student

edition is the type of question students
should ask as they read. Encourage them
to write their questions and responses in
the charts they started on page 833.
Possible answer: Keller does not understand
that the words stand for specific things or
actions. To her, spelling is just finger play.

40

tiered discussion prompts

In lines 4152, use these prompts to help

students understand Kellers frustration and
lack of appropriate emotion:
Connect Think of a time when you had
difficulty learning something new. In what
ways were your feelings and actions similar
to Kellers? How were they different?
Possible answers: Similar: I shared some of
Kellers frustration. Different: I didnt throw
anything.
Infer Keller blames her lack of sentiment
or tenderness on living in a still, dark
world. Why do you think she feels this
way? Possible answer: She is so angry and
frustrated from her inability to express herself that she has hardened her heart.
VOCABULARY

TEKS 2

own the word

uncomprehending: Point out that uncomprehending is made up of the prefix un-,

which means not, and comprehending,
which is a synonym for understanding.

836

unit 7: biogr aphy and autobiogr aphy

50

anxious, groped her way toward the shore with plummet and soundingline,3 and you waited with beating heart for something to happen? I was
like that ship before my education began, only I was without compass
or sounding-line, and had no way of knowing how near the harbor was.
Light! Give me light! was the wordless cry of my soul, and the light
of love shone on me in that very hour. b
I felt approaching footsteps. I stretched out my hand as I supposed to
my mother. Someone took it, and I was caught up and held close in the
arms of her who had come to reveal all things to me, and, more than all
things else, to love me.
he morning after my teacher came she led me into her room and gave
me a doll. The little blind children at the Perkins Institution had sent it
and Laura Bridgman4 had dressed it; but I did not know this until afterward.
When I had played with it a little while, Miss Sullivan slowly spelled into my
hand the word d-o-l-l. I was at once interested in this finger play and tried
to imitate it. When I finally succeeded in making the letters correctly I was
flushed with childish pleasure and pride. Running downstairs to my mother
I held up my hand and made the letters for doll. I did not know that I was
spelling a word or even that words existed; I was simply making my fingers
go in monkey-like imitation. In the days that followed I learned to spell in
this uncomprehending way a great many words, among them pin, hat, cup
and a few verbs like sit, stand and walk. But my teacher had been with me
several weeks before I understood that everything has a name. c
One day, while I was playing with my new doll, Miss Sullivan put
my big rag doll into my lap also, spelled d-o-l-l and tried to make me
understand that d-o-l-l applied to both. Earlier in the day we had had
a tussle over the words m-u-g and w-a-t-e-r. Miss Sullivan had tried
to impress it upon me that m-u-g is mug and that w-a-t-e-r is water, but
I persisted in confounding the two. In despair she had dropped the subject
for the time, only to renew it at the first opportunity. I became impatient
at her repeated attempts and, seizing the new doll, I dashed5 it upon the
floor. I was keenly delighted when I felt the fragments of the broken doll
at my feet. Neither sorrow nor regret followed my passionate outburst.
I had not loved the doll. In the still, dark world in which I lived there was
no strong sentiment or tenderness. I felt my teacher sweep the fragments
to one side of the hearth, and I had a sense of satisfaction that the cause of

AUTOBIOGRAPHY
What literary devices
does Keller use in
this paragraph? How
does she describe her
experience of being
blind?

uncomprehending
(OnQkJm-prG-hDnPdGng)
adj. not understanding
c

MONITOR

What does Keller not

understand about the
words she is spelling?

3. plummet and sounding-line: a weighted rope used to measure the depth of water.
4. Perkins Institution . . . Laura Bridgman: The Perkins Institution was a school for the blind, located
in Massachusetts. Laura Bridgman (18291889), a student at the Perkins Institution, was the first
deaf and blind child to be successfully educated. Like Keller, Bridgman became quite famous for her
accomplishments.
5. dashed: threw or knocked with sudden violence.

836

unit 7: biogr aphy and autobiogr aphy

differentiated instruction

TX_L06PE-u07s02-Story.indd 836

2/13/09 2:56:26 P

for struggling readers

Reading Strategy Follow-Up: Monitor Have

students work in pairs to update their charts
from page 833. Ask pairs to choose a difficult
passage from page 836 or 837 to monitor.
Encourage partners to talk about the passage
and to generate questions about what they
find confusing. Remind students to record
their questions and possible answers in the
second column of the chart.

Kellers Words

My Questions

I stretched out
my hand as I
supposed to my
mother. (lines
2425)

Who was Keller

reaching out to?
She thought it
was her mother,
but it turned out
to be her teacher.

60

70

80

90

my discomfort was
removed. She brought
Compare Helens
me my hat, and I knew
description of the wellI was going out into the
house (lines 6469) to
warm sunshine. This
this photograph of it.
What do you learn from
thought, if a wordless
each source?
sensation may be
called a thought, made
me hop and skip with
pleasure.
We walked down
the path to the wellhouse, attracted by
the fragrance of the
This house on the Keller property was where Sullivan often
honeysuckle with
took Helen for lessons.
which it was covered.
sensation (sDn-sAPshEn)
Someone was drawing water and my teacher placed my hand under the
n. a feeling
spout. As the cool stream gushed over one hand she spelled into the other
2 Targeted Passage
the word water, first slowly, then rapidly. I stood still, my whole attention
consciousness
fixed upon the motions of her fingers. Suddenly I felt a misty consciousness
(kJnPshEs-nGs) n.
as of something forgottena thrill of returning thought; and somehow the
awareness of ones own
mystery of language was revealed to me. I knew then that w-a-t-e-r meant
thoughts
the wonderful cool something that was flowing over my hand. That living
word awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, joy, set it free! There were barriers
still, it is true, but barriers that could in time be swept away. d
d AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Reread lines 6478.
I left the well-house eager to learn. Everything had a name, and each
Which literary language
name gave birth to a new thought. As we returned to the house every
in this passage might
object which I touched seemed to quiver with life. That was because I saw
not have been included
everything with the strange, new sight that had come to me. On entering
in a biography?
the door I remembered the doll I had broken. I felt my way to the hearth
and picked up the pieces. I tried vainly6 to put them together. Then my
eyes filled with tears; for I realized what I had done, and for the first time
repentance (rG-pDnPtEns)
I felt repentance and sorrow. e
n. sorrow or regret
I learned a great many new words that day. I do not remember what they
e MONITOR
all were; but I do know that mother, father, sister, teacher were among them
Reread lines 7986.
Why does Keller
words that were to make the world blossom for me, like Aarons rod, with
suddenly feel sorry
flowers.7 It would have been difficult to find a happier child than I was as
for breaking the doll?
I lay in my crib at the close of that eventful day and lived over the joys it had
brought me, and for the first time longed for a new day to come. 
6. vainly: without success.
7. like Aarons rod, with flowers: a reference to a story in the Bible in which a wooden staff suddenly
sprouts flowers.

the story of my life

PM TX_L06PE-u07s02-Story.indd 837

837

Analyze Visuals

TEKS 13

Possible answer: Kellers description: covered

in fragrant honeysuckle bushes. Photograph:
white house with a porch, surrounded by
bushes and flowers.

L I T E R A R Y A N A LY S I S

TEKS 6C, 7

autobiography

Possible answer: Language such as a

misty consciousness . . . forgotten; the
wonderful, cool something . . . hand; That
living word . . . free! might not have been
included in a biography (lines 7377).

R E A D I N G STR ATEG Y

TEKS RC-6(B)

monitor

Possible answer: Once Keller realizes that

the doll was a specific thing with a name,
she understands that she has destroyed
something that she cared about.

VOCABULARY

TEKS 2

own the word

sensation: Ask students how the word
sensation is related to the five senses.
consciousness: Tell students that
consciousness also means the state of
being conscious or aware.
repentance: Have students compare
lines 50 and 86 to better understand the
meaning of the word repentance.

2/13/09 2:56:28 PM

selection wrapup
for english language learners
Culture: Connect Explain that as a child
Helen Keller could not read, write, hear, or
speak, but as she grew up she overcame
many of these limits. Ask students to reflect
on their own learning of a second language
and to discuss how it might have been for
the young Keller to live in a world without a
language of any kind.

for struggling readers

2 Targeted Passage [Lines 6478]

This passage builds to the selections climax:
Keller realizes everything has a specific name.
Where do Keller and Sullivan go after Keller
breaks the doll? (lines 6469)
What happens when Keller feels the water
on her hand? (lines 7076)
How does Keller feel about her limits now?
(line 78)

READ WITH A PURPOSE Ask students what

they learned about overcoming limits from
this excerpt. Possible answer: Kellers story
shows that love and determination can help
you overcome most limits.
CRITIQUE How did reading about Keller affect your view of people with physical limits?
INDEPENDENT READING
Students may also enjoy reading Heroic Stories
by Anthony Masters.

the story of my life

837

After Reading

Practice and Apply

Comprehension
For preliminary support of post-reading
questions, use these copy masters:
RESOURCE MANAGERCopy Masters

For additional questions, see page 51.

answers
Comprehension
1. Keller realizes that people are hurrying
around the house and that her mother has
tried to tell her something about it.
2. Sullivan tries to teach her the word doll.
3. Once she begins to understand language,
Keller feels as if she has new sight (line
82). She is eager to learn (line 79) and no
longer feels anxious or lost. When she goes
to bed that evening, she is already looking
forward to another day of learning (lines
9092).
TEKS 6C, 7, RC-6(B)

Possible answers:
4. teks focus Monitor Students explanations should include specific clues from
the text and should demonstrate an understanding of how these clues helped them
answer their questions.
5. Touch: The afternoon sun . . . fell on my
upturned face (lines 911), fingers lingered
. . . on the familiar leaves and blossoms
(lines 1112), I was caught up and held
close (line 25), I felt the fragments of the
broken doll (line 49), I felt my teacher
sweep the fragments to one side of the
hearth (lines 5253), As the cool stream
gushed over one hand (line 71), the
wonderful cool something that was flowing over my hand (line 76); Smell: the
fragrance of the honeysuckle (lines 6768)
6.

teks focus Analyze Autobiography If

Sullivan had written the autobiography,
the events would be the same, but readers
would know about Sullivans thoughts and
feelings rather than Kellers.

838

2. Recall What is the first word Sullivan tries to teach Keller?

3. Summarize How does Kellers world change once she begins to
understand the connection between language and meaning?

Reading Check p. 64
Autobiography p. 57
Question Support p. 65

Literary
Analysis

1. Recall How does Helen Keller know that something unusual is happening
on the day Anne Sullivan arrives?

unit 7: biogr aphy and autobiogr aphy

Literary Analysis

READING 6C Describe different

forms of point of view, including
first- and third-person. 7 Identify
the literary language and devices
used in an autobiography.
RC-6(B) Ask literal, interpretive,
evaluative, and universal questions
of text.

4. Monitor Look back at the chart you used to ask questions as you read.
Choose one passage that you found difficult to understand, and explain
what clues helped you answer your questions.
5. Identify Sensory Details Although
Keller lacked the senses of sight and
hearing, she was able to observe many
things using her remaining senses. In
a graphic organizer like the one shown,
record words and phrases that Keller
used to help her readers understand
what she was describing.

Touch

Smell

the wonderful
cool something
(line 76)

6. Analyze Autobiography Consider what Keller shares about her

experiences. How would the story of Kellers life be different if Anne
Sullivan had written it?
7. Evaluate Literary Devices Keller was aware that many of her readers
would never experience the challenge of missing one or more senses.
Reread lines 1623, focusing on the analogy, or point-by-point comparison,
in which Keller describes herself as a ship lost in the fog. Is this an
effective way for her to share her feelings? Explain.

Extension and Challenge

8. Inquiry and Research In the 1800s, blind and deaf people had few
resources. Many were confined to hospitals. Fortunately, this is no longer
the case. Research two or three of the technological advances that now
help people overcome their physical limits. Share your discoveries with
the class.

Do we have to accept our LIMITS?

How was Helen Keller able to overcome her disabilities?

838

unit 7: biography and autobiography

TX_L06PE-u07s02-arStor.indd 838

7. The analogy is effective at helping readers

understand the loneliness and uncertainty
associated with blindness and deafness
because Keller uses words and phrases that
help readers imagine what it would feel like
to be disconnected from ones surroundings.

Extension and Challenge

8. Students choices should reflect an understanding of the type of technological
advances currently available to individuals
with physical limitations.

Do we have to accept our

LIMITS? Students may say that

Helen Keller had a teacher who helped
her learn to live fully even though she
couldnt see or hear.

2/13/09 2:54:38 P

Vocabulary in Context
vocabulary practice
Complete each sentence using the appropriate vocabulary word.
1. After the ride ended, he still had the ______ of being upside-down.
2. Her happiness was ______, like a warm blanket wrapped around her.
3. The teacher looked at him in a(n) _______ way, so he repeated himself.
4. A feeling of ______ is natural after you do something hurtful or wrong.
5. When I hit my head, I lost ______ and my mind went blank.

answers
Vocabulary in Context

consciousness

repentance

vocabulary practice

sensation
tangible

uncomprehending

appreciate

characteristics

conclude

4. repentance

2. tangible

5. consciousness

3. uncomprehending

academic vocabulary in writing

achieve

1. sensation

RESOURCE MANAGERCopy Master

Vocabulary Practice p. 62

obvious

Which of Helen Kellers characteristics helped her overcome her limits? What
can you conclude about Keller based on what she has achieved? Use at least
two Academic Vocabulary words in your discussion.

academic vocabulary in writing

Encourage students to reread the excerpt,
identifying examples of Helen Kellers characteristics and achievements. Guide students in
the correct use of Academic Vocabulary words.

vocabulary strategy: analogies

An analogy is a kind of word puzzle. You are given two words and can
complete the analogy by identifying another pair of words with a similar
relationship. You may be asked to complete analogies that describe a whole
to part relationship. Here is an example of such an analogy.

READING 2C Complete analogies

that describe part to whole or
whole to part.

foot : toe :: ____ : finger

vocabulary strategy:
analogies

TEKS 2C

Consider that something whole consists of more than one part. A foot is
made up of toes, so the correct answer is hand, which is made up of fingers.

Model the first example by saying A toe is

a part of a foot. What is a similar part of a
hand?

You may also be asked to complete analogies that describe a part to whole
relationship. Heres is an example.

Possible answers:
1. grass

petal : flower :: ____ : tree

2. state

A petal is a part of a flower, so the correct answer is branch, which is a part of

a tree.

RESOURCE MANAGERCopy Master

Vocabulary Strategy p. 63

1. beach : sand :: lawn : ____

Interactive Vocabulary

2. continent : country :: ____ : city

3. corn : cob :: ____ : pod

Interactive
Vocabulary

4. article : newspaper :: chapter :: ____

5. letter : word :: word : ____

Go to thinkcentral.com.

Keywords direct students to a WordSharp

tutorial on thinkcentral.com or to other types
of vocabulary practice and review.

KEYWORD: HML6-839

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2/13/09 2:54:42 PM

differentiated instruction
for english language learners

for advanced learners/preap

Vocabulary Strategy To help students better understand analogies, ask them to think
of two pairs of antonyms or two pairs of
synonyms. Then model this process:
Write a sentence that states the relationship between the word pairs. For example: Tall is the opposite of short, just as hot
is the opposite of cold.

Vocabulary Strategy Challenge students

to create their own analogies that describe
part to whole or whole to part. Then ask
them to write their analogies with one word
left out. Have students trade their analogies with a partner and see if partners can
determine which word completes each
analogy.

Rewrite the sentence in analogy format:

tall : short :: hot : cold.

5. sentence

3. pea

PRACTICE First, determine whether each analogy describes a part to whole

or whole to part relationship. Then, complete each analogy.

PM TX_L06PE-u07s02-arStor.indd 839

4. book

Assess and Reteach

Assess
DIAGNOSTIC AND SELECTION TESTS

Selection Test A pp. 239240

Selection Test B/C pp. 241242
Interactive Selection Test on thinkcentral.com

Reteach
Level Up Online Tutorials on thinkcentral.com
Reteaching Worksheets on thinkcentral.com
Literature Lesson 11: Types of Point of View
Vocabulary Lesson 23: Analogies

the story of my life

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