A theme is a central idea, subject, or message in a story. Many stories have more than one important theme. For this activity, students will identify and illustrate the themes in The Miracle Worker.
Annie Sullivan a perfect example of someone who refuses to give up. Even when she is hit, spit at, kicked, and told that Helen was unteachable, she did not give up on Helen.
Helen Keller’s family desperately wants to transform their way of life with Helen, but they don’t know how. Annie wants to transform the family’s perception of Helen, as well teach her how to communicate and behave.
The Kellers judge Annie when she first arrives, based on her age and where she is from. They also perceive Helen to be unteachable and because of her disabilities, do not treat her like a “normal” child.
The entire play revolves around the family’s inability to communicate with Helen. There is frustration, anger, and sadness. Annie’s goal is to teach Helen to communicate, and to teach the family to understand Helen.
It is clear that the family loves each other deeply. Through all of the anger and challenges, they know that they must move on from what they know to be true and forge new relationships with one another. It is also clear that Annie loves Helen and her family.
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Due Date:
Objective: Create a storyboard that identifies recurring themes in The Miracle Worker. Illustrate instances of each theme and write a short description below each cell.
Student Instructions
Facilitate a theme discussion circle where students share personal connections to each theme. This encourages participation and helps students relate the play’s messages to their own lives.
Give each student a theme role (like Perseverance or Communication) to track while reading. This keeps students engaged and helps them gather specific examples for later activities.
Create large anchor charts for each theme and add student observations as you read. This builds a visual reference and supports students as they develop their storyboard projects.
Invite students to reflect on a time they showed perseverance or overcame misunderstanding, then discuss how these experiences relate to The Miracle Worker’s themes. This fosters empathy and personal insight.
The Miracle Worker explores key themes such as perseverance, transformation, perception and judgement, communication, and love. These ideas drive the story and character growth.
Students can identify themes by looking for recurring ideas or messages in the story, analyzing character actions, and discussing how conflicts are resolved. Creating a storyboard or listing examples from specific scenes can help.
Perseverance is central because Annie Sullivan refuses to give up on Helen, even when faced with intense challenges. Her determination helps Helen overcome obstacles and learn to communicate.
Transformation is shown when Helen learns to communicate, the family changes how they interact with her, and Annie helps shift their perception, leading to new relationships and understanding.
Communication is both a challenge and a solution in the play. The family's struggles with Helen create frustration, but learning to communicate transforms their lives and deepens connections.