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Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources for Helen’s Big World

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Use Helen’s Big World by Doreen Rappaport to strengthen your students' comprehension skills, build their vocabulary, and help them understand how words work.

Children will learn about developing a growth mindset through the many lessons in perseverance and hard work modeled by Helen Keller while reading this book. Students will learn that Helen lived in her own quiet, dark world until an extraordinary teacher by the name of Annie Sullivan taught her how to communicate. It took a great deal of work and practice, but Helen eventually learned the power of communication. Through reflecting on Helen's accomplishments students will practice questioning, making inferences, and summarizing.
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Explore lesson plans and activities to help you teach with Helen’s Big World in the drop down below.

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Asking Questions with Helen's Big World

Helen Keller's story will generate many questions as children wonder about how she was able to accomplish so much without the ability to see or hear. Their questions will lead them to understand that hard work and practice can lead to great achievements.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
RI.5.1,RI.5.7,RI.5.8,RI.5.10,RF.5.3,RF.5.4,SL.5.1c,SL.5.1d,SL.5.2,W.5.8,W.5.9,L.5.6
TEKS Alignment
5.7F,5.13H,5.13E,5.13C,5.13A,5.9D(iii),5.9D(ii),5.9D(i),5.7G,5.1C,5.7E,5.7D,5.7C,5.7B,5.6I,5.6B,5.6A,5.1A
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Identifying the Author's Purpose with Helen's Big World

Children will have many opportunities to consider the author's purpose in telling Helen's story. Taking the time to understand what the author wants the reader to know about Helen's character will help children better understand why Helen worked so hard at learning new things throughout her life.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
RI.5.1,RI.5.2,RI.5.8,RI.5.10,RF.5.3,RF.5.4,SL.5.1c,SL.5.1d,SL.5.2,W.5.8,W.5.9,L.5.6
TEKS Alignment
5.7F,5.13H,5.13E,5.13C,5.10D,5.10C,5.10B,5.9D(iii),5.9D(ii),5.9D(i),5.8A,5.7G,5.1C,5.7E,5.7D,5.7C,5.7B,5.7A,5.6I,5.6E,5.6B,5.6A,5.1A
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Making Connections with Helen's Big World

Making connections with a story helps readers understand what is happening in the story. Children will connect with Helen as she struggles to read and write. Their connections will help them understand Helen Keller as a remarkable person. Students will be inspired to work through their tough subjects in school knowing the accomplishments Helen made with reading and writing.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
RI.5.1,RI.5.2,RI.5.8,RI.5.9,RI.5.10,RF.5.3,RF.5.4,SL.5.1c,SL.5.1d,SL.5.2,W.5.8,W.5.9,L.5.6
TEKS Alignment
5.7D,5.13H,5.13E,5.13C,5.9D(iii),5.9D(ii),5.9D(i),5.7G,5.7F,5.7E,5.1C,5.7C,5.7B,5.7A,5.6I,5.6E,5.6B,5.6A,5.1A
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Making Inferences with Helen's Big World

Children will be drawn to making inferences about Helen Keller's life. Because of her willingness to work, she made her world a bigger place, and children are given many opportunities to infer what life must have been like for Helen as she persevered.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
RI.5.1,RI.5.3,RI.5.4,RI.5.8,RI.5.10,RF.5.3,RF.5.4,SL.5.1c,SL.5.1d,SL.5.2,W.5.8,W.5.9,L.5.6
TEKS Alignment
5.7D,5.13H,5.13E,5.13C,5.9D(iii),5.9D(ii),5.9D(i),5.7G,5.7F,5.7E,5.1C,5.7C,5.7B,5.7A,5.6I,5.6F,5.6E,5.6B,5.6A,5.1A
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Retelling & Summarizing with Helen's Big World

Helen's Big World: The Life of Helen Keller is the perfect book for practicing retelling and summarizing. Major events in Helen's life are described beautifully in sequential order with a clear beginning and ending. Gorgeous double page spreads help support students as they retell the story.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
RI.5.1,RI.5.2,RI.5.3,RI.5.8,RI.5.10,RF.5.3,RF.5.4,SL.5.1c,SL.5.1d,SL.5.2,W.5.8,W.5.9,L.5.6
TEKS Alignment
5.7E,5.13H,5.13E,5.13C,5.9D(iii),5.9D(ii),5.9D(i),5.7G,5.7F,5.1C,5.7D,5.7C,5.7B,5.6I,5.6G,5.6A,5.1A
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Suffixes with Helen's Big World

This word work lesson plan and set of teaching resources use Helen's Big World by Doreen Rappaport as a springboard for instruction focused on suffixes.

By anchoring word study to the text, students will benefit from seeing how suffix -ing is used inside of the text before engaging in both guided and independent practice with suffixes.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
RF.5.3,RF.5.4
TEKS Alignment
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Vocabulary Connections with Helen's Big World

This set of vocabulary development resources for Helen's Big World highlights the words that are most important for students to know and understand while reading the book. Through engaging in fun word games, matching words to definitions and pictures, and practicing how to categorize words, students will develop the vocabulary necessary to comprehend this story and many others.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
L.5.4a,L.5.6,L.5.5c
TEKS Alignment
5.7E,5.7F,5.3A,5.3B
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Comprehension Assessment with Helen's Big World

Use this Common Core aligned comprehension assessment to evaluate students' comprehension of Helen's Big World.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment
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Running Record with Helen's Big World

Use this Running Record to assess oral reading fluency with Helen's Big World. Track meaning, structure, and visual accuracy using the first 100 words of the text to determine whether or not this book is a good fit for the readers in your classroom.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment
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Problem and Solution with Helen's Big World

The BookPagez extension activities are a great way to push student engagement beyond the pages of the text. Try using this activity with early finishers, with students who show a deeper connection with the text, or as a center activity.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment
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Asking Questions with Helen's Big World (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer
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Identifying the Author's Purpose with Helen's Big World (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer
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Making Connections with Helen's Big World (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer
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Making Inferences with Helen's Big World (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer
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Retelling & Summarizing with Helen's Big World (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer
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Problem and Solution with Helen's Big World (Spanish)

Worksheet
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About the Book

The cover for the book Helen's Big World
Title: Helen’s Big World
Author: Doreen Rappaport
Genre: Biography
Themes: Growth Mindset, Friendship, Social Awareness, Self Management, Family, Women's History Month, Self Awareness, Relationship Skills, Decision Making, Perseverance, History
ISBN: 9780786808908
Publisher's Summary:
Helen's Big World by Doreen Rappaport is a vibrant picture book biography that introduces young readers to the extraordinary life of Helen Keller. The story begins with Helen's early childhood, tracing her journey from a happy baby to the illness that left her both blind and deaf at just 19 months old. Through evocative storytelling and quotes from Helen herself, the book reveals her initial struggles to communicate and the profound frustration she experienced as a young child.

Central to the narrative is Helen's partnership with her devoted teacher, Annie Sullivan. Readers are drawn into pivotal moments, such as the famous breakthrough at the water pump, which opened the door for Helen to connect with the world around her. The book follows Helen as she learns to read and write in Braille, discovers new ways to experience the world through touch and scent, and ultimately finds her voice as an advocate for social justice.

Rappaport's thoughtful prose, paired with Matt Tavares' expressive illustrations, brings Helen's determination, curiosity, and courage to life. The book balances Helen's personal triumphs with broader messages of perseverance, empathy, and the limitless possibilities of the human spirit. Quotes from Helen Keller throughout the pages provide authentic insights into her perspective and resilience.

Helen's Big World is a powerful resource for classrooms, offering both inspiration and opportunities for discussion about overcoming challenges, celebrating differences, and the importance of supportive relationships. It's an accessible and moving introduction to one of history's most influential women, making it ideal for teaching about biography, disability awareness, and the impact of education.
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