Accessible Science - Life Science

Website: support.perkins.org

This is a video tutorial presented by Kate Fraser, a science teacher at Perkins School for the Blind, which discusses how and why to make life science curricula accessible to students who have visual impairments. The video consists of eight short chapters that present different ideas about how to present science materials in multisensory ways. For example, Chapter Two talks about using a terrarium rather than an aquarium so that students can pick up and touch the creatures they are studying about in a Observe, Wonder and Learn activity. Each video chapter is captioned and audio described. The teaching strategies are all good examples of UDL where multisensory presentation of what the student is to learn enhances learning for all.

Another example provided concerns the use of models to help students learn about life sciences structures that one cannot see, such as a backbone. Students can create their own models out of everyday materials. The videos also stress the importance of knowing ahead of time what the curricular concepts are so that teachers can prepare tactile models or materials that will allow students with visual impairments to access the curriculum. These tutorials offer great ideas for including multisensory materials in classrooms to enhance problem-solving and critical thinking skills for all students. The Resource page link leads to an abundance of useful information. Users can also sign up to receive notification of future webcasts and can download articles related to making curricula accessible to all students.