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Nemeth in a Box for Middle School Students: Introduction

Lessons that teachers of students with visual impairments and others can use to review and/or introduce Nemeth Code.

This entry is part 1 of 8 in the series Project INSPIRE: Nemeth in a box for middle school students
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By Tina HerzbergSara LarkinSusan Osterhaus, and Penny Rosenblum

Welcome to Project INSPIRE’s Nemeth in a Box! 

Project INSPIRE: Increasing the STEM Potential of Individuals Who Read Braille is a 5-year grant funded by the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (H235E190003). As part of Project INSPIRE’s commitment to increase STEM braille literacy we have designed Nemeth in a Box for Middle School Students.

Nemeth in a Box is seven lessons that teachers of students with visual impairments (TSVIs) or others (e.g., paraprofessionals, family members) can use to review and/or introduce Nemeth Code symbols (PDF | .brf) and review middle level math concepts in a fun way. 

View a list of topics for each lesson in Nemeth in a Box.

NOTE: All the materials for Nemeth in a Box have been prepared using Nemeth Code within UEB Contexts. 

Introduction to Nemeth in a Box

Download the transcript.

 

 

Cover slide of Nemeth in a Box introduction

Overview of Activities

Lessons 1 to 6 contain the following activities that we recommend be completed in this order:

  1. Overview of the Nemeth Code symbols used in the lesson 
  2. Maze
    • Students practice reading the targeted symbols in math context.
  3. What is Wrong?
    • Students locate common errors with targeted Nemeth Code symbols.
  4. Which One Doesn’t Belong?
    • Using proper terminology, students discuss their thinking about Nemeth Code symbols and math concepts that incorporate the symbols. (Please see the video in Lesson 1 to better understand this activity.)
  5. What Is the Problem?
    • Students are given an answer instead of the problem. They practice writing various problems with the provided answer using Nemeth Code symbols.
  6. Boggle (Lessons 2, 4, and 6 only)
    • Students demonstrate their ability to read the Nemeth Code symbols learned up to this point and writing them in mathematical context. 

Lesson 7 contains two culminating review activities, BINGO and Jeopardy. The Symbol List contains all of the symbols students learn in Lesson 1 to 7. Both you and your students may find it helpful to have a copy of the list to refer to during each lesson. Symbol List PDF | .brf

Nemeth in a Box Symbol List
Nemeth Symbol List PDF | .brf

The lessons can be used 1:1 with students or in groups. They can be used virtually or in person. Do what is best for you and your student(s) to promote their critical thinking skills while learning and reinforcing Nemeth Code and math concepts.

If you are using Duxbury to prepare the student files, before opening any BRF files in Duxbury, go into the Global menu. Select “Formatted Braille Importer” and then check the box for “Read formatted braille without interpretation” at the top of the window. This will ensure that nothing is changed when opening the BRF files. This handout walks you through the steps.

Project INSPIRE also has a series of free, on-demand professional development courses for TSVIs, paraprofessionals, braillists, and others to build their Nemeth Code within UEB Contexts skills and gain ideas for methods and materials to support braille readers in math class. 

Read more in our article about this: Nemeth in a Box: Unpacking Tools to Build Success in Math for Students with VisualImpairments

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