Image of book cover with title and picture of hands reaching for the stars
Strategy

Reach for the Stars: An Accessible Astronomy textbook

A fully accessible astronomy book with digital charts, graphs, and images.

Reach for the Stars: Touch, Look, Listen, Learn is a FREE interactive, fully accessible iBook available on the iPad.  Students will explore the fundamentals of astronomy, the latest scientific advances and careers in astronomy.  This astronomy book is geared for all 4 – 7th grade students and was specifically created for students with visual impairments.  This book showcases accessible multi-touch images with imbedded sonification (sounds).  Example:  The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram, a scatter plot, uses pitch to help indicate the brightness relative to the sun – the pitch increases from the bottom to the top of the Y axis; the X axis uses left to right stereo sound to help demonstrate the temperature.  Sounds heard in the left speaker are hotter than sounds heard in the right speaker.  Tactile overlays for the multi-touch images are available through the National Braille Press. 

To view the promotional video, go to Reach for the Stars promo.

To download Reach for the Stars: Touch, Look, Listen, Learn, (remember, this is an iBook available in the iBook store – it is not an app) go to Reach for the Stars iBook.

Please share this information with Teachers of the Visually Impaired and with regular education science teachers.  Be sure to rate the book in the iBooks Store!

Reach for the Stars collage

By Diane Brauner

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