Activity
Deafness: Silent Night (Book)
Est. Time: 2 Weeks Reading/45 Minutes Class Time
Objective
Gain a better understanding of the challenges that individuals who are deaf might encounter.
Synopsis
In this memoir, former skating champion, tour guide, pianist, and FBI agent Sue Thomas describes her life from when she lost her hearing at 18 months old to her FBI resignation.
For Your Information
To learn more about hearing impairments, visit reputable websites such as:
- Deafness and Hearing Loss (Center for Parent Information and Resources)
- Hearing Loss in Children (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Activity
Read the following book and be prepared to discuss the questions below in class.
Title: Silent Night (1990)
Author: Sue Thomas with S. Ricky Christian
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. • Wheaton, IL
- Sue loved to skate.
- Why did she love skating so much?
- How was she able to skate to the music?
- How could Mrs. Miller have adapted the spelling test to help Sue understand it?
- Why was first grade through third grade so bad for Sue?
- Was the principal justified in spanking Sue every time she defended herself against the mean boys? Why or why not?
- How did Sue end up working for the surveillance program at the FBI?
- Sue attended public school and was taught lipreading skills.
- Do you think her parents should have taught her sign language? Why or why not?
- How would Sue’s life have been different if she had learned sign language?
