Tactile Chemistry
Tactile strategies for teaching chemistry to students who are blind and visually impaired have been developed by Dr. Lillian A. Rankel, Hopewell Valley Central High School, Hopewell Valley, NJ 08534.
Some of the materials presented here are based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under grants HRD-0435656 and HRD-0726417. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
A Tactile Adaptation Kit, containing many of the materials described below is available from MDW Educational Services. For information about the Tactile Adaptation Kit, email MDWEducationalServices@gmail.com. Click here to download a flyer on the Tactile Adaptation Kit.
Supplies for Tactile Chemistry
Teaching Formulas and Manipulation of Formulas
Cut a few bars about 1/2 in. x 4 in. (from peel and stick foam that is stuck to the magnetic sheet) to separate the numerators from the denominators for formulas. Use Magnetic Playskool capital letters with the Braille on the side of the letter.
D = M/V density = mass divided by volume
Students manipulate the formula to get different parts "alone" on the left.
My blind student uses these letters to tutor chemistry.
Stick foam on letters to differentiate P1 from P2 (has foam on side of P2) etc. in the combined gas law:
P1V1/T1 = P2V2/T2
Cut out square root symbols (for diffusion problems) and lower case "n" for moles from the prepared magnetic foam (see figure below).
Figure 1. Magnetic Letters Show Formulas That Can Be Manipulated
Use a Chemistry Stencil to Make Magnetic Lab Equipment
Lewis Dot Structures and Valence Electrons
Ionic Bonding
Structures for Organic Compounds
Showing 3-D Organic Structures
Aufbau Diagrams
Tactile Equipment Models