Choosing what to measure
Before any sensor goes out, students decide which questions matter most. A sensor with no question behind it only makes a pile of numbers.
Questions first
The station could measure dozens of things. It will measure the ones students can explain a reason for. Some questions already on the table:
- Is the air inside the building different from the air outside? When?
- Does air quality at school change with traffic, weather, or wildfire smoke from far away?
- How fast does the soil in the Pelion Outdoor Classroom dry out after rain?
- Which spot on the grounds is warmest? Which is coolest? Why?
Each question points to a measurement, a place, and a schedule. That is the measurement plan.
First job: walk and map
Operators start by walking every site: the school grounds, the Pelion Outdoor Classroom, and the indoor sites. They map what is there (pavement, trees, vents, doors, downspouts, sun and shade) and mark candidate sampling spots.
A good spot is:
- Tied to a question. It tells the station something it wants to know.
- Repeatable. Anyone can find the same spot next month and next year.
- Safe and reachable. Students can get to it in a class period.
- Fair to the instrument. No sensor next to an exhaust vent unless the vent is the question.
Matching tools to questions
The PocketLab Air and the ESP32 boards handle air and weather readings that can move from site to site. The water test kits and probes cover the water measurements. The three solar powered PurpleAir monitors, funded by a YLACES grant, will hold fixed positions once students choose them. Where those three go is one of the first real decisions the operators will make.
What comes next
Site maps, then a short list of sampling spots, then the first logged readings. Each step will be posted here.