Inspiring Blind Students with Earth Science using GLOBE

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Inspiring Blind Students with Earth Science
using GLOBE

• Elissa Levine
• NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
• Greenbelt, MD
• elissa.levine_at_nasa.gov

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Statistics

• Worldwide there are 180 million people who are
  blind or visually impaired
• 40-45 million legally blind
• 1.4 million are between the ages 0-14
• 2/3 are women

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In the United States

• 10 million are blind or visually impaired
• 1.5 million legally blind
• 74 of working age are unemployed
• 45 have High School diploma (compared to 80 for
  fully sighted people)
• 94,000 school age, only 5,500 use Braille

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Advantages of GLOBE for Blind Students

• Hands on
• Inquiry-based
• Learn concepts more easily
• Part of larger community
• Make use of their unique abilities

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Procedure

• Review literature and inventory available
  materials (ongoing)
• Purchase and adapt materials as possible
• Pilot test materials at Circle of Life Camp,
  July 23, 2004 at NASA/Goddard

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Requirements

• Fit specifications of GLOBE instrument
• Accessible to Blind students
• Age appropriate concepts (middle school)
• Braille
• Tactile
• Voice readout
• Digital data
• QUESTIONS!

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Other Resources for Camp

• Adapt learning materials and obtain teachers to
  train protocols
• Atmosphere (precipitation, max and min
  temperature, soil temperature, wind direction,
  relative humidity)
• Land cover (plant identification)
• Soil characterization (texture, structure,
  consistence, color, horizons, pH)
• Bird song identification

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Results and Conclusions

• Blind students loved and learned from the field
  experience
• They were able to make GLOBE measurements
• They were able to grasp concepts that may
  otherwise be difficult to teach
• Blind students would be a great asset to GLOBE
  and the scientific community

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Future Plans

• Continue to look for and adapt other accessible
  equipment
• Find ways to include other protocols
• Create materials for teachers and students
• Pilot test materials with schools and students

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