Helen Keller – Class 4 English NCERT Solutions

Explore the solutions for “Helen Keller,” Class 4 English NCERT. This inspiring story teaches children about determination, resilience, and the power of education. Through Helen Keller’s journey, students learn that disabilities are not limitations and with proper guidance and determination, one can overcome any challenge in life.

Story Summary (English)

The story revolves around Helen Keller, a baby girl born in Alabama in 1880. After falling seriously ill, she lost both her sight and hearing. Though she was a bright child, her disabilities made it difficult for her to communicate and learn, leading to frustration and behavioral issues. Her parents sought help and found Miss Sullivan, a dedicated teacher who taught Helen using special hand signs. The turning point came when Miss Sullivan helped Helen understand the concept of words by making her feel running water while spelling “W_A_T_E_R” on her hand. This moment opened up a whole new world of learning for Helen.

कहानी का सारांश (Hindi)

यह कहानी हेलेन केलर की है, जो 1880 में अलबामा में एक स्वस्थ बच्ची के रूप में पैदा हुई थी। एक गंभीर बीमारी के बाद, उसने अपनी दृष्टि और श्रवण शक्ति खो दी। हालांकि वह एक होशियार बच्ची थी, लेकिन विकलांगता के कारण उसे संवाद करने और सीखने में कठिनाई होती थी। मिस सुलिवन नाम की एक शिक्षिका ने विशेष हाथ के इशारों से हेलेन को पढ़ाना शुरू किया। एक दिन, जब मिस सुलिवन ने बहते पानी में हेलेन का हाथ रखकर “W_A_T_E_R” शब्द सिखाया, तब हेलेन ने शब्दों के महत्व को समझा और उसकी सीखने की दुनिया खुल गई।

Word Meanings

Reading is Fun

Q1. Who agreed to help Helen?

Miss Sullivan, a young and dedicated teacher, agreed to help Helen learn and understand the world around her. She became Helen’s guide and mentor, teaching her special hand signs to communicate.

Q2. “Something’s wrong” said Helen’s mother. What was wrong?

After recovering from a severe illness, Helen lost both her ability to see and hear. This was what worried her mother, as these disabilities made it extremely difficult for Helen to communicate and understand the world around her.

Q3. How did Miss Sullivan help Helen?

Miss Sullivan helped Helen in several ways:

• She taught Helen special hand signs to communicate
• She patiently spelled words on Helen’s hand using these special signs
• She helped Helen connect words with objects and sensations
• She was strict but kind, which helped Helen learn discipline

Q4. What was one of the most important things that Helen finally understood?

Helen finally understood that words were the key to understanding the world around her. She realized that every object, feeling, and experience could be expressed through words, and these words would help her learn everything she wanted to know about the world despite her disabilities.

Q5. Although Helen could not hear or see, what kind of girl was she?

Despite her disabilities, Helen was a bright and intelligent little girl. She had the ability to learn and understand things, though she needed special guidance. Her mother always believed in her capabilities, even when others doubted her ability to learn.

Q6. What did Helen learn when the teacher tried to put her hands in running water?

When Miss Sullivan put Helen’s hands in running water and spelled “W_A_T_E_R” on her palm, Helen made a breakthrough in her learning. She understood that the word ‘water’ represented the wet, flowing sensation she felt on her hands. This was a crucial moment as she finally connected words with their meanings.

Let’s Talk

Q1. Using sign language make these letters with your hand: ‘C’, ‘H’, ‘E’, ‘K’

As a student, I would learn these signs from my teacher and practice making them carefully with my hands. It’s interesting to learn how people communicate through hand signs, just like Helen did.

Q2. How do you think you can help children who cannot see?

There are several ways we can help children who cannot see:

• Guide them by holding their hands when walking
• Help them touch and feel different objects to understand their shape and texture
• Describe things clearly and patiently
• Read books to them
• Include them in games and activities by making suitable adjustments
• Be kind and patient while helping them

Q3. How do people who cannot see read?

People who cannot see read using a special system called Braille. In this system, raised dots represent letters and numbers. These dots are arranged in different patterns that blind people can feel with their fingers to read words and sentences. The dots are pressed into thick paper, making them easy to feel.

Q4. What is the script for children who cannot see called?

The script used by children who cannot see is called ‘Braille’. It was invented by Louis Braille and consists of raised dots arranged in different patterns to represent letters, numbers, and punctuation marks. This special writing system allows visually impaired people to read by touching and feeling these dots with their fingertips.

Q5. Look at the signs for the letters of the alphabet.

As a student, I would carefully observe and practice the sign language alphabet shown in my textbook. Each letter has its unique hand position and movement. Learning these signs helps me understand how deaf people communicate and makes me appreciate different ways of communication.

Q6. Spell these words by hand signs: a) Helen b) was

As a student, I would practice spelling these words using the sign language alphabet I learned:

• For ‘Helen’: I would make the hand signs for H-E-L-E-N
• For ‘was’: I would make the hand signs for W-A-S

Let’s Write

Match the two parts of sentences given under columns ‘A’ and ‘B’. Add ‘but’ to join the two parts and write complete sentences.

Here are the matched sentences using ‘but’ as a conjunction:

1. Helen lived after her illness, but she could not hear or see.
2. She could not see or hear, but she was very intelligent.
3. People thought that she could not learn anything, but her mother thought she could learn.
4. Helen copied the words, but she did not understand what she was doing.
5. Miss Sullivan was strict, but she was kind to Helen.

Team Time

Read the following sentences and answer how often you do these activities:

As a responsible student, I would honestly evaluate my habits:

• I always obey my parents because it’s important to respect and listen to them
• I often visit my grandparents to spend time with them and learn from their experience
• I sometimes fight with my siblings, but I try to avoid it
• I always help others because kindness makes the world better
• I always throw waste in the dustbin to keep our surroundings clean
• I always switch off lights when leaving a room to save electricity
• I never leave the tap running while brushing teeth to save water
• I never tear pages from my notebook because we should respect our books and belongings

Let’s Make Something

From newspapers or old magazines collect stories/reports of courageous children:

As a student, I would:

• Look through newspapers and magazines to find inspiring stories about brave children
• Draw pictures showing their acts of courage
• Share these stories with my classmates, telling them about:
  • What brave act the child did
  • Why they showed courage
  • What we can learn from their story
  • How their actions helped others