Astronomy 

Online Resources    Materials and Equipment    Tactile Materials     For Teachers

Online Resources

Kids to Space: A Space Travelers Guide
Students aged three to eighteen ask questions about planning a trip to the moon or a future orbiting hotel. More than eighty experts provide the answers on traveling and living in outer space. Now in Braille ready format!
Grade level: 5-8
Organization: National Library for the Blind and Physically Impaired
Cost: Free (with NLS subscription)
Visit the Web site to Subscribe

Space Exploration Experience (SEE) Project for the Blind and Visually Impaired
The goal of this program is to develop and test Braille/tactile inquiry-based hands-on space science activities and observing programs that actively engage blind and visually impaired students from elementary grades through introductory college level in space science. Visitors to the site can download images that can easily be made tactile and instructions for lessons.
Grade level:  Third to Introductory college
Cost: Free
Visit the Space Exploration Experience (SEE) Online 

Adapted Curriculum Enhancement (ACE)—Evolving Universe
With a focus on introducing blind and visually impaired students to the wonders of the universe, the ACE program presents the first module specifically adapted for these underrepresented students.  Evolving Universe is a series of classroom activities focusing on the origins of the universe, which teachers can use as part of their curriculum.  Educators can download instructions and materials (with tips to make the tactile graphics) for teaching the lessons.
Grade level:  5-12
Organization: NASA and Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
Cost: Free
Learn more about the ACE program Online 

Quest Challenges
Through interactive, Web-based activities, NASA reaches out to students from kindergarten through high school to introduce them to science and engineering processes.  Provides online tools and resources such as lesson plans, teacher guides, and workbooks.
Grade level:  K-12
Organization: NASA
Cost: Free
Visit Quest Challenges Online             

Spacesounds
Listen to sounds from space, including Sputnik, Saturn’s rings, and Jupiter’s magnetosphere.  Also, learn about the history of the space program through streaming audio of actual NASA ground and spacecraft communications. 
Organization: Spacesounds.com, Inc.
Grade level:  All
Cost: Free
Listen to Space Sounds Online   

Materials and Equipment

Books

Touch the Stars I and Touch the Stars II
The first two books in the series of tactile books by astronomer Noreen Grice features print and Braille with tactile graphics.
Grade level: 4-8
Organization: National Braille Press
Cost: $30.00
Ordering information: Search for Books and Order Online
Order by phone toll free: 888-965-8965
E-mail: orders@nbp.org 
Mail: National Braille Press, 88 St. Stephen Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02115

Touch the Universe
The second book in the series by astronomer Noreen Grice features both print and Braille, as well as full-color tactile graphics from images taken by the Hubble Telescope.
Read a review of this book 
Grade level: 4-9
Organization: National Federation of the Blind
Cost: $28.00
Ordering information: Order Online
Order by phone: 410-659-9314

Touch the Sun
The fourth book in the series by astronomer Noreen Grice features print and Braille text, as well as beautiful, full-color tactile graphics made from images taken by NASA’s Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO).
Read about the Book Launch Event 
Grade level: 4-9
Organization: Amazon.com
Cost: $35.00 +
Ordering information: Order Online

Touch the Invisible Sky
This is the fifth book by Noreen Grice, who co-authored with astronomers Simon Steel and Doris Daou. Touch the Invisible Sky explores the universe in wavelengths not visible to human eyes. The text pages feature print with contracted Braille and accompany colorful multi-wavelength tactile images of the sun, stars, and galaxies!
Grade level: 9-12 and Introductory college astronomy
Organization: Ozone Publishing Corporation
Cost: $75.00
Ordering information: Order Online
Contact by phone: 787-562-5200

Our Place in Space: A Tactile Exploration with Braille
Grade level:  3-8
Organization: AAC Core Concepts
Cost: $40.00
Ordering information: Please send a list of requested items along with a check or money order made out to Robin Hurd for the amount of purchase to: Robin Hurd, 7283 Autumn Lane, Fairview, PA 16412.
Contact by e-mail: hurd4kids@verizon.net

I Can See the Moon
Grade level: 2-6
Organization: AAC Core Concepts
Cost: $12.00 for the book only; $20.00 for the book and activity set
Ordering information: Please send a list of requested items along with a check or money order made out to Robin Hurd for the amount of purchase to: Robin Hurd, 7283 Autumn Lane, Fairview, PA 16412.
Contact by e-mail: hurd4kids@verizon.net

Little Moon Phase Book
The third book by astronomer Noreen Grice is a glow-in-the-dark tactile book with large print and contracted Braille featuring telescopic images of the Moon with textures outlining the shape of the phases as they appear in the sky and illustrating the major features on its surface.
Grade level: 3 and up
Organization: Ozone Publishing Corporation
Cost: $23.95
Ordering information: Order Online
Contact by phone: 787-562-5200

 Videos

NASA Core Descriptive Videos
This library of audio descriptive videos covers a variety of topics for students from fifth grade through college.  The videos range from ten to sixty minutes in length and come with a resource guide for educators with background information and suggestions for classroom activities.
View the Video Catalog
Organization: NASA CORE
Cost: $10-32
Ordering information: Have title, format, and item number for each selection. 
Order by phone: 866-776-CORE
Order by mail: Fill out the Printable Order Form and send to: 
CORE, Lorain County Joint Vocational School
15181 Route 58 South, Oberlin, OH 44074 or Fax to 866-775-1460.

Tactile Materials

Solar System Map
Grade level: All
Organization: Southeast Regional Clearinghouse
Cost: *Undetermined 
*Please note that this product is currently being reprinted and may not be available immediately.
Ordering information: The Solar System: A Tactile Representation (View PDF of the text)
Contact by phone: (843) 953-7852
E-mail: exceptional@cofc.edu
Mail: Kathryn Guimond, College of Charleston, Lowcountry Hall of Science & Math, 66 George Street, Charleston, SC 29424

Planisphere
Grade level: All
Organization: AAC Core Concepts
Cost: $60
Ordering information: Please send a list of requested items along with a check or money order made out to Robin Hurd for the amount of purchase to: Robin Hurd, 7283 Autumn Lane, Fairview, PA 16412.
Contact by e-mail: hurd4kids@verizon.net 

Full Sky Chart
Grade level: All
Organization: AAC Core Concepts 
Cost: $18
Ordering information: Please send a list of requested items along with a check or money order made out to Robin Hurd for the amount of purchase to: Robin Hurd, 7283 Autumn Lane, Fairview, PA 16412.
Contact by e-mail: hurd4kids@verizon.net 

Circumpolar Constellation Chart
Grade level: All
Organization: AAC Core Concepts
Cost: $3
Ordering information: Please send a list of requested items along with a check or money order made out to Robin Hurd for the amount of purchase to: Robin Hurd, 7283 Autumn Lane, Fairview, PA 16412.
Contact by e-mail: hurd4kids@verizon.net

Map of the Moon
Grade level: All
Organization: AAC Core Concepts
Cost: $3
Ordering information: Please send a list of requested items along with a check or money order made out to Robin Hurd for the amount of purchase to: Robin Hurd, 7283 Autumn Lane, Fairview, PA 16412.
Contact by e-mail: hurd4kids@verizon.net

Map of the Cassini Spacecraft
Grade level: All
Organization: AAC Core Concepts
Cost: $3
Ordering information: Please send a list of requested items along with a check or money order made out to Robin Hurd for the amount of purchase to: Robin Hurd, 7283 Autumn Lane, Fairview, PA 16412.
Contact by e-mail: hurd4kids@verizon.net

Various Tactile Images
Photo-Form, LLC, plans to create the most extensive library of tactile images in the world.  Using a new method for creating tactile graphics, the company will be able to create these graphics using any image.  Please note that the texture of the images is grainy, so it may be difficult at times to feel the relief.
For more information, visit Photo-Form Online
Organization: Photo-Form, LLC
Cost: Contact company
Contact information: Contact Online
Contact by phone: 888-744-FORM (3676)
Contact by mail: Photo-Form, 285 San Joaquin Street, Laguna Beach CA 92651

For Teachers

Phases of the Moon Lesson Plan (Word document)
Simulate the phases of the moon in a way that helps your students visualize and understand the cycle.
Submitted by: Noreen Grice, Massachusetts

Tactile Diagram Manual
This downloadable manual is helpful for educators who would like to convert science and math diagrams into tactile images. 
Organization: Purdue University
Cost: Free
Ordering Information: Download the Tactile Diagram Manual Online 

VIEW International Foundation Tactile Diagrams
This is a large number of tactile diagrams for use in by Purdue students. These diagrams were previously known as the TAEVIS collection.  
Organization: VIEW International Foundation and Purdue Research Foundation
Cost: $59 for individual CDs; $259 for the complete collection of 10 CDs
Ordering information:
Order by phone: 318-396-1853
Order by e-mail: ttsinfo@earthlink.net (please put "tactile diagrams" in the subject line)