Children’s Book Publisher Partners with Atomic Hands To Make American Sign Language a Part of STEM Picture Books

Atomic Hands, dedicated to making STEM topics accessible to people who are deaf/hard-of-hearing, turns Science Naturally picture books into free ASL Storybooks

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, June 19, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — Science Naturally is proud to announce that some of their nonfiction STEM picture books have just been released on the Atomic Hands website in the form of American Sign Language (ASL) storybooks. These books introduce kids to STEM topics in a simple and engaging way, and are now available with video ASL interpretations for children and adults that are deaf or hard-of-hearing.

Atomic Hands is an organization founded by Dr. Alicia Wooten and Dr. Barbara Spiecker, two scientists and members of the deaf community. In school, as they both worked on their doctorates, they faced similar challenges of English-centric learning, lack of networking with deaf STEMists, and frustration from not being able to access science videos in a spoken language. These struggles inspired them to create Atomic Hands with the hope of making STEM resources more accessible for those with hearing impairments.

With Atomic Hands, Dr. Wooten and Dr. Spiecker hope to foster wonder and curiosity in STEM fields, empower the community, and encourage collaboration and networking opportunities for current and future deaf STEMists. Atomic Hands offers translation services for anything STEM related, provides training for businesses and educators on topics related to deafness and STEM, and creates ASL STEM content. Their ASL STEM Storybooks are unique online materials that walk through picture books, interpreting each page’s text with embedded videos.

This program was first launched with Science Naturally’s Science Wide Open books and My First Science Textbook series. Five ASL STEM Storybooks have already been released, Atoms, Women in Engineering, Women in Botany, Women in Biology, and Women in Physics, with more to come. Each book is produced as ASL videos, with the stories interpreted by STEMist role models in each field. These can be viewed, at no charge, at https://atomichands.com/asl-stem-storybooks/.

Atoms introduces the concept of subatomic particles and how they function in our world, and the ASL interpretation was done by Michael Stulz, a deaf naturalist. Dr. Amie Sankoh, Johanna Lucht, Dr. Kim Dodge, and Brienna Herold, each a woman specializing in one of the STEM fields, did the interpretations for Women in Engineering, Women in Botany, Women in Biology, and Women in Physics, respectively. These books aim to highlight the contributions that women have made in their respective fields, also providing interesting scientific information and empowering kids to learn more about STEM. Both Atomic Hands and Science Naturally look forward to continuing their partnership on ASL STEM Storybooks, aiming to create free, accessible resources for individuals, schools, libraries, and STEM enthusiasts interested in accessibility.

Science Naturally, an imprint of Platypus Media, LLC, demystifies science and math topics in engaging, straightforward ways. With books about the Sun, mammals, nature, international system of units, and human anatomy, Science Naturally makes intimidating topics accessible for people of all ages. Now, with their partnership with Atomic Hands, these topics will also be accessible for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. In addition to the ASL STEM Storybooks, Atomic Hands has a collection of brief STEM lessons available for free on their website and YouTube channel.

Dr. Barbara Spiecker is a deaf marine ecologist studying microalgae ecosystems and a postdoctoral scholar at the University of New Hampshire. She teaches undergraduate courses and labs in biology, ecology, and data science. She has a Ph.D. in Integrative Biology from Oregon State University, an M.S. in marine biology from Northeastern University, and a B.S. in Biology from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Dr. Alicia Wooten is a deaf immunologist and an associate professor at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC, where she has taught biology since 2019. She has an undergraduate research lab focusing on innate immunology, and was heavily involved in Gallaudet University’s public health response to COVID-19. She has a Ph.D. in Molecular and Translational Medicine from Boston University and a B.S. in Biomedical Sciences from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Both Dr.Wooten and Dr.Spiecker can be reached at [email protected].

Science Naturally is a small independent press in Washington, D.C. Their books are distributed to the trade by

the National Book Network [NBNbooks.com (domestic) and NBNi.co.uk (international)]. For more information about their publications, to arrange author interviews or graphics, for direct or bulk purchase pricing, or to request a review copy, please contact them at [email protected]. Cover images and sample content are available at ScienceNaturally.com.

Skyler Kaczmarczyk
Science, Naturally!
+1 202-465-4798
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