Cross Curriculum Lesson Plan:
Language Arts
Student Resource: From The
Miracle Worker, by William Gibson
Media Type: Drama
Objectives
After completing this lesson, students will be able to:
- Define resilience and discuss the resilience of the human spirit.
- Describe the importance of harnessing the energy in negative emotions and
turning it toward positive goals.
- Recognize that people with disabilities are often able to overcome great obstacles.
Introducing the Lesson
Ask students to imagine what it would be like to be blind or deaf. Then ask
them to imagine what it would be like to be both. Remind students that a famous,
well-documented case of an individual who overcame both of these limitations was
Helen Keller.
Determine how much students know about this remarkable woman and her equally
remarkable mentor, Annie Sullivan. After asking volunteers to share what they
know, shift the topic toward the selection by asking: What does Helen Keller's
triumph over her condition teach us about the resilience of the human spirit?
Teaching Strategies
Hand out copies of the play excerpt, which is preceded by a brief introduction.
Even though this play is quite challenging to perform, feel free to do so if there
are students in the class with strong dramatic aptitude. You may want to ask one
of them to take the "silent" role of Helen, and another to play Annie
Sullivan. A student with good public speaking skills can read the introduction
while the balance of the class follows along silently.
After students have completed the reading, you may either use the following
as class discussion questions or assign them as individual or group work.
Follow Up
- Evaluating. How would you describe the emotional reaction Helen's parents
seem to have toward her, as described in the introduction? Would you call this
reaction predictable? Would you call it healthy? Explain your answers.
- Synthesizing. A stage direction in a work of drama provides
instruction to the actors on how to act out a particular scene. Typically, these
directions appear indented and in italics. Reread the third stage direction in
The Miracle Worker (the one beginning "And now the miracle happens").
In what way does this direction seem to have been written for the reader of the
play as much as for the actors? What is symbolized by the change in the light
in Helen's face and the setting? What do you think the phrase "struggle in
the depths behind it" refers to?
- Comparing and Contrasting. Resilience is the ability to adapt effectively
and recover from disappointment, difficulty, or crisis. In what way does Annie
Sullivan show resilience in this play?
- Evaluating. Many critics have described The Miracle Worker as
a story of strength. Who do you think is the stronger of the two characters in
the excerpt you read? Explain your feelings.
- Extending. You are probably familiar with the saying "Where there
is a will, there is a way." How does this saying apply to the message in
The Miracle Worker?
Integrating Literature and Health
Helen Keller's story is a remarkable example of how people can "beat the
odds" resulting from disability and other health problems. Choose another
figure who has beaten the odds, such as Lance Armstrong, an athlete diagnosed
with cancer who not only recovered but also went on to win the Tour de France,
a grueling international bicycle race. Create a written report or video documentary
on the individual of your choice. Explain how this person's triumph, like Helen
Keller's, is like a beacon to us all.
