lina canas: tactitle astronomy

TACTILE ASTRONOMY

Lina CanasNUCLIO – Núcleo Interativo de Astronomia Portugal Email: lina.canas@nuclio.pt

ASTRONOMY

Astronomy is a very visual science.

THE SKY IN YOUR HANDS – PLANETARIUM SHOW

Takes the audience on a journey through different constellations:

- Visual projection;- Special soundtrack;- Tactile support.

Credit: Navegar Foundation, Portugal

Credit: Amelia Ortiz-Gil, Spain

TACTILE EXIHIBITIONS

An Exhibition was designed with more than 20 tactile pictures about astronomy dealing with the most diverse and fascinating objects that we find in the night sky.

Credit: Planetário Calouste Gulbenkian, Portugal

TACTILE MOON MODEL & TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS

The exhibition also included a model of the Moon with features in

high relief of craters and maria that dazzled the audiences.

We have since then expanded this activities into observations

through telescope of our natural satellite and exploring the main

features of the telescope through touch.

Credit: ACAPO, Portugal

Credit: Amelia Ortiz-Gil, Spain

A TOUCH OF THE UNIVERSE KIT

The kit contains:

- Planetarium program “The Sky in Your Hands”

- Tactile Moon

- A set of 3 3D constellation models

- Activity book

- “From the Earth to the Universe (FETTU)”

- “The Little Moon Phase Book”, by Noreen Grice

- Guides about the planetarium show, the tactile Moon and the FETTU prints.

Credit: Amelia Ortiz-Gil, Spain

A PLANETARIUM IN YOUR CLASSROOM!

Give visually impaired children a sense of what we experience in terms of shape when we’re at a planetarium and showing the constellations as well.

Credit: Dr. Kalpana Kharade from K.J. Somaiya College, Mumbai

Credit: Samir Dhurde, The Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune, India

A PLANETARIUM IN YOUR CLASSROOM!

Credit: NUCLIO & José Fanica (teacher), Portugal

WHERE ARE YOU? - DISTANCES IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM

Using low cost materials we build a tactile models so

that the students can learn about the distances

within the solar system.

REAL TIME TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS

Moimenta da Beira hosted the 4th Telescope Gathering, the largest gathering of

telescopes in Portugal. The event had a record of nearly sixty telescopes from around the

country, taking advantage of the uniqueness of the night sky.

Three telescopes dedicated to a pioneering experience in Portugal: to have real time

telescope observations for visually impaired audiences.

REAL TIME TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS

Faulkes Telescope offers a database of astronomy images as well as the

opportunity for students to remotely operate the telescope and to take their own

pictures of the cosmos.

Since Astronomy is a very visual science most often visually impaired sudents are

cast aside from these activities, so the question is: how can we engage visually

impaired students in such activities while promoting collaborative work with their

peers?

MEET OUR NEIGHBOURS!

13 tactile schematic images of the main objects of the Solar System;

Built with low cost materials through hands-on activities;

For visually impaired children and their non-visually impaired peers;

Promote interactive activities between all groups of children.

Visually impaired children and their sighted peers are encouraged to explore the tactile images and do some research on our celestial neighbours.

MEET OUR NEIGHBOURS!

The children choose from the tactile images explored their favorite object and then build them with the help of the educators.

They try to understand which textures they’ll need to build them.

MEET OUR NEIGHBOURS!

The children then choose from the different materials available to build their favorite celestial object.

MEET OUR NEIGHBOURS!

The children explain the main features of the celestial object, guiding their friends through the different tactile features.

MEET OUR NEIGHBOURS!

Every day materials easily available at a low cost.

MEET OUR NEIGHBOURS!

MEET OUR NEIGHBOURS!

All textures and materials were sent to educators and tactile materials experts in various countries so that they could provide feedback and suggestions regarding all resources produced to increase the overall quality of the schematic tactile images.

MEET OUR NEIGHBOURS!

Image Credit: NUCLIO, Portugal;

Ruth Wiltsher and Alison Alexander,

UK; Renata Rydvalová, Czech Republic

MEET OUR NEIGHBOURS!

Image Credit: NUCLIO,

Portugal; Albhashy

Lejkabre, Dominican

Republic; Katarzyna Kowalska , Poland

MEET OUR NEIGHBOURS!

Image Credit: Luminita Chicinas, Romania

MEET OUR NEIGHBOURS!

Credit: Samir Dhurde, India

CONHEÇA NOSSOS VIZINHOS CELESTES!

Credit: Breezy Ocana Flaquer & Albhashy Lejkabre, Dominican Republic

CONHEÇA NOSSOS VIZINHOS CELESTES!

SUSTAINABILITY & INCLUSION >> Use recycled materials and/orother low cost textures, native toeach community,

>> To support educators, materialssuch as "The scientist explains" areavailable online,

>> A tutorial with content on how theobjects are built.

All materials are available for free at:http://nuclio.org/astroneighbours/

SHARE IDEAS & COLABORATE!!

• We find that are people doing and imagining amazing things! • The world becomes a much more awesome place.• Make many good friends along the way.

THANK YOU!

OBRIGADA!

Lina Canas, NUCLIO, Portugal, Email: lina.canas@nuclio.pt