Sign Language Incorporation in Chemistry Education
The beauty of sign language is in its capacity to convey complex ideas into singular gestures using 3-dimentional space.
Using your hands to model a concept or even simply to define a word in STEM is a powerful way for students to think about the chemistry we write on paper. Using our hands as models changes the two-dimensional static framework of conveying chemistry into 3-D opportunities for students to conceptualize challenging content and definitions.
Finding the time to incorporate signs into the course can seem daunting. As such, we have leveraged some lab time and/or workshops using the Reformed Experimental Activity framework to teach impactful signs.
See how SLICE was conceived by our team
Learn more about SLICE
In the News
Royal Society of Chemistry Prize
Nat Rev Chem Article
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41570-023-00491-0
Deaf Culture and Audism
If you’ve enjoyed learning the ASL signs and narratives for these organic chemistry concepts and would like to learn more about Deaf Culture and Audism, please read Understanding Our Culture by Asma Sheikh.
Comprehensive Organic Chemistry ASL
If you are deaf or are an ASL interpreter and are interested in learning about the comprehensive vocabulary and narrative expansions for organic chemistry, please visit the ASLcore website.
Contact Information:
Professor of Chemistry
Rochester Institute of Technology
585-475-2634
The authors acknowledge our ancestors and their contributions to chemistry.
The REActivities team is grateful for the generous support of the National Science Foundation, Rochester Institute of Technology, the National Institutes of Health, the University of New Mexico, Northern Arizona University, and Southwestern Indian Polytech Institute for their generous support with our design and development of these materials.