Helen Keller/Transcript

ANNIE: H- e- l- e- n.

Annie uses sign language while she spells out the name.

MOBY: Beep?

ANNIE: That spells "Helen," as in Helen Keller. I'm reading a biography about her. She led an amazing life!

MOBY: Beep?

ANNIE: What happened when Helen Keller was young?

Annie's notebook reads: What happened when Helen Keller was young?

ANNIE: Helen Keller was born on June 27, 1880, in Alabama.

An image shows Tuscumbia, Alabama, on a map of the United States.

ANNIE: When Helen was about a year and a half old, she got really sick.

An animation shows a baby Helen crawling on the floor.

ANNIE: She lost her sight and her hearing.

MOBY: Beep!

ANNIE: Even though she was blind and deaf, Helen found ways to communicate with her family.

''An animation shows Helen rubbing her stomach to show her mother that she is hungry. Her mother feeds her.''

ANNIE: She could recognize people by touching their face or feeling their clothes.

The animation shows Helen touching her mother's face.

ANNIE: But, it was still hard for Helen to share many of her thoughts and feelings. She often got frustrated and angry and acted out.

An animation shows a screaming Helen throwing her doll and dropping to the floor.

MOBY: Beep.

ANNIE: Her family looked for someone who could teach Helen and help her communicate. They found a teacher named Anne Sullivan who could help.

An animation shows Anne Sullivan meeting Helen.

ANNIE: How did Anne Sullivan help Helen Keller?

Annie's notebook reads: How did Anne Sullivan help Helen Keller?

ANNIE: Anne Sullivan started to spell words using sign language. She spelled the words into Helen's hand so she could feel the letters.

ANNIE: Helen didn't understand that she was spelling words, and that the words were names for objects. Helen got upset and misbehaved.

An animation shows Helen throwing a tantrum.

ANNIE: Anne Sullivan remained patient and didn't give up.

 Anne Sullivan tries to calm Helen down by hugging her.

ANNIE: One day, Helen was washing her hands. Anne Sullivan spelled the word "water" into Helen's hand.

ANNIE: Helen understood! She started to ask about everything around her.

Images show Helen touching a tree, leaves, spoons, and her dress.

ANNIE: Anne Sullivan taught Helen Keller for many years and they were lifelong friends.

MOBY: Beep.

ANNIE: Sullivan read books to Keller by signing words into her hand.

ANNIE: Keller learned how to write, and she used a ruler to guide her.

ANNIE: When you talk, your lips move and the vocal cords in your throat vibrate, or move back and forth.

MOBY: Beep!

Moby touches his throat when he beeps.

ANNIE: Keller learned how to read lips by lightly touching her fingers to people's lips and feeling their throats.

ANNIE: Keller also learned how to read Braille

MOBY: Beep?

ANNIE: Braille is a set of raised dots that stand for letters, numbers, and symbols.

''An image shows the letters of the alphabet with their braille symbols. Helen’s hands are reading the braille.''

ANNIE: The dots can be read by touch. Keller read books in Braille and wrote in Braille on a special typewriter.

MOBY: Beep.

ANNIE: With the help of Sullivan, Keller went to college and became the first deaf and blind person to graduate college.

ANNIE: Keller wrote an autobiography about her life.

''An image shows Keller's book. The title page reads, "The Story of My Life."''

ANNIE: She described how she overcame challenges with hope and determination. How did Helen Keller help others?

Annie's notebook reads: How did Helen Keller help others?

ANNIE: Keller became an activist and spent the rest of her life helping people and fighting for her beliefs.

MOBY: Beep.

ANNIE: At the time, women did not have the right to vote.

MOBY: Beep.

ANNIE: Helen Keller wrote articles, essays, and letters to support equal rights for women and all people.

ANNIE: She helped found the American Civil Liberties Union, which is an organization that fights for equal rights

MOBY: Beep.

ANNIE: Keller met with presidents and other government leaders to get fair treatment for people with disabilities.

An animation shows Keller meeting President Kennedy.

ANNIE: She also travelled all over the world to encourage leaders to improve conditions for people with disabilities.

ANNIE: She gave speeches that inspired people everywhere.

MOBY: Beep.

ANNIE: She said, "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched; they must be felt with the heart." Her life encouraged many people to overcome challenges.

MOBY: Beep.

Moby points to a coin that Annie is holding up.