STEM

Simple Model of a Chromosome

This is a simple model of a chromosome that is accessible to students who are blind or visually impaired.

Winter Bird Treats

Make bird treats to teach a range of basic concepts while using action-related vocabulary and purposeful hand skills.

Tactile Science Lesson: Using Play-Doh

Video demonstration of how to use playdoh to adapt science lessons for students who are blind or visually impaired

Parts of a Microscope - Lab

This activity is designed as both instruction and assessment of the parts of the microscope and the function of each part.

Teaching Science to Young Children With Visual Impairments

This presentation shown that 2-9 year old can have fun with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).

What Motivates Learners More, Access to an iPad App to Work on Math Word Problems or The Problems in Print/Braille?

Blog about a study to determine whether students who are blind or visually impaired are more motivated to work on math problems in braille/print or an iPad app.

Using Real and Relative Distance to Teach Science Concepts

Hands-on activities to help students who are blind or visually impaired understand science concepts by using real and relative distances.

Borax Crystal Ornaments

An activity for students who are blind or visually impaired to use Borax and water to create crystals on textured pipe cleaners.

Cell Activity - Room as a Cell

In this activity, students "discover" the parts of the cell represented by objects related to the functions of the cell organelles.

Motion and Forces: Newton's Third Law of Motion

Activity exploring Newton's Third Law of Motion for students who are blind or visually impaired.

Adapting a Triple Beam Balance

Description of adapting a triple beam balance for use by students who are blind or visually impaired.

Measuring Liquids

This video demonstrates various ways to adapt measuring spoons, syringes, cylinders, and beakers in the Science classroom when conducting experiments.

Centripetal Force Model

This is a simple model of centripetal force.

Atom Walk

The activity described is a "model" of the atom describing the relative distance between the nucleus and the electrons in an atom.

Model of ATP Molecule

Activity for students who are blind or visually impaired to create an ATP Molecule model.

Kilometer Walk

Students who are blind and visually impaired learn base units and prefixes in the metric system by walking a kilometer.

Multi-Modal Vocabulary Review Game

Students review vocab as they play a matching game.

The Solar System: Modeling the relative sizes of the planets

Relative size of planets shown in common household objects in an activity for students who are blind or visually impaired

Using a Microscope with Students with Visual Impairments

Tips for using a microscope with students who are blind or visually impaired.

Motion and Forces: Newton's Second Law of Motion

Hands-on activity to teach students who are blind or visually impaired about inertia and mass to illustrate Newton's Second Law.

Ocean Literacy Summit: The ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected

New England Ocean Science Education Collaborative

Collaboration with an Artist to Create Scientific Models

For a student with a visual impairment, a “model” rather than a picture truly is worth a 1,000 words.

Motion and Forces: Newton's First Law of Motion

This physical science activity explores motion and force with students who are visually impaired to help them better understand Newton's First Law of Motion.

Making Physical Science Accessible

This STEM webinar focuses on the areas of physical science that include magnetism, electricity, and sound along with how these fit into the NGSS.

Learning More About Global Soundscapes

Summary of global soundscapes.

Science Inquiry for Students with Visual Impairments

This tutorial addresses the NGSS standard for teaching science through inquiry-based methodologies, and explores its impact for teaching students.

Making Physical Science Accessible to Students with Visual Impairments

This STEM tutorial focuses on the areas of physical science that include magnetism, electricity, and sound along with how these fit into the NGSS.

The Solar System-Modeling its size

An activity, accessible to all students, including those with visual impairments, teaches the concept of the vast distances among the planets.

Curriculum Adaptations

This tutorial discusses the importance of adapted and universal curricula and the FAIER Approach to designing physical education activities.

Common Core State Standards: Challenges for Teachers of Students who are Visually Impaired

This tutorial examines elements that distinguish Common Core from previous state standards and the challenges they present

Science Inquiry for Students with Visual Impairments

Addresses standards for teaching science through inquiry-based methodologies, and explores its impact for teaching students with visual impairments.

Mass of a Penny Lab

A hands on activity for students who are blind and visually impaired to measure mass using pennies.

Cell Membrane Model

Hands-on activity for students who are blind or visually impaired to build a model of a cell membrane.

Environmental Science Bulletin Board

Ideas for creating a bulletin board about environmental science for students who are blind or visually impaired.

Birds of Prey at Perkins

Something I notice at this time of year are the begging sounds of what I believe to be juvenile Red-tailed Hawks.

Back to School with a Student with Visual Impairments

Back to school! And... there will be a student with a visual impairment in your science classroom!

Water Waves: What Creates Ocean Waves?

Perkins School for the Blind Secondary school student Jonah LeDuc shares his science fair research experiment "What Creates Ocean Waves?"

Accessible Nature Trails

As an avid birder, I especially like some of the all-persons nature trails located at Mass. Audubon wildlife sanctuaries.

Dog Treats

Build a classroom business making and selling dog treats as students practice multiple skills.

Winter Sun Catchers

Real object materials make this multi-sensory project fun for kids of all sight levels to enjoy for days.

Watermelon Themes

Adapt your summer lesson plans and activities with these cross-curriculum ideas.

Cranberry Project

These little red berries are full of sensory fun that can be incorporated into many classroom activities!

What Are Birds Saying on the Perkins Campus?

Birdsong is at its peak in spring, and the Perkins campus is a great place to hear a wide variety of bird sounds.

Setting Up a Class-Run Pizza Parlor

It's not complicated when you follow these organization tips for a weekly pizza parlor in your class!

Create a Solar Powered Oven out of a Pizza Box

Cook s'mores for a snack while learning the science behind it with this solar oven.

Aqua Tunes: Why Do We Hear Sounds Differently Underwater?

This science fair experiment by a student who is blind demonstrates how sound travels through water.

Building a Water Wheel

Perkins School for the Blind secondary student Jake Pine shares his science fair research experiment: How Does a Water Wheel Change Water to Electrical Energy?