Draft page under construction
This lesson guide helps learners understand how sensors gather data about building environments — CO₂, temperature, humidity and light — and investigate how these factors affect their ability to learn. Through a longitudinal study using real sensor data, learners apply the PPDAC enquiry cycle to identify problems, analyse data and draw evidence-based conclusions.
Lesson overview
Downloads
For the PowerPoint version of the presentation, email IOT@ed.ac.uk (too large to host here).
Jump to activity
🎯 Learning intention
We are learning how environmental factors, such as CO₂, can affect children’s learning.
✅ Success criteria
- We can find evidence that shows how environmental factors affect learning
- We can share and present our findings
- We can work well in groups
The teacher presents the short introductory story The Class that Kept Falling Asleep which sets the scene for the topic.
Abbie tried hard to concentrate. Her teacher Mrs McLeod was showing the class how to do a complicated maths calculation. She tried to focus but her eyelids felt heavy and the numbers on the whiteboard seemed to be jumbled. Abbie yawned and looked at the clock on the classroom wall. There was still 20 minutes to go until lunch. She rubbed her eyes and sat up in her chair to try to stop herself from falling asleep.
Mrs McLeod suddenly stopped writing. “Ryan,” she said in a loud voice. All the pupils looked over to where Ryan was sitting, next to the classroom window. Ryan had his head on his hands and he was fast asleep. Mrs McLeod shouted “Ryan . . . wake up!” but it was no use, Ryan kept on sleeping.
“It’s not just Ryan,” said Kimberly. “Look at Jamil . . . he’s asleep too.”
“I don’t know what’s happening with this class,” Mrs McLeod said, shaking her head. “What on earth’s the matter with you?” Then the teacher yawned and rubbed her eyes.
There’s something strange happening, Abbie thought. Every day she came to school feeling bright and energetic. But as the morning wore on, she became more and more tired and the last half hour before lunch always seemed to be a struggle. It was the same towards the end of the school day. By 3 o’clock she was always drowsy and heavy-eyed.
It wasn’t just Abbie. Everyone seemed to be tired in Mrs McLeod’s class. Yesterday, Zac had fallen asleep in the middle of a spelling test and Abbie’s friend Poppy had nodded off three times.
Abbie gazed out of the classroom window. It was a dull, cloudy day, which made it quite dark inside the classroom, and Mrs McLeod hadn’t put any lights on. Abbie couldn’t wait to get out into the playground at lunch break. Only twenty minutes of maths to go, she thought. Hope I can manage to stay awake.
As a class, or in groups, learners discuss possible causes of the situation described in the story. Learners may propose a variety of causes:
- The teacher is boring
- Everyone hates maths
- A magic spell or potion
- Children aren’t getting enough sleep at home
- Children are dehydrated
With direction, learners explore the possible contribution of environmental factors:
- The room is too warm
- There isn’t enough fresh air (oxygen)
- Classroom lighting is inadequate
Time should be spent establishing what is meant by each of these 4 variables and their units of measurement. This can be done using the PowerPoint slides or by learners carrying out online research.
Learners discuss the following introductory questions:
- What are the sources of CO₂ within the classroom?
- Is CO₂ harmful?
- What causes increases and decreases in classroom temperature?
- How is classroom temperature controlled?
- What are the sources of light in the classroom?
- How is the level of light controlled?
- What causes increases and decreases in classroom humidity?
Learners discuss and reflect on their own experiences — whether classroom temperature, air quality and lighting affect the quality of their learning. Are there particular times of day when they are less alert and ready to learn?
Note: This self-assessment is described as their ‘Learning State’. It is important to establish this concept early in discussions, as it becomes the key metric for learners’ self-evaluation in Activity 4.
🎯 Learning intention
We are learning how environmental factors — temperature, light and CO₂ — can affect children’s learning.
✅ Success criteria
- We can find evidence that shows how environmental factors affect learning
- We can share and present our findings
- We can work well in groups
The class (working in groups) carries out internet research to find out how environmental factors such as CO₂, temperature, humidity and light affect the ability to learn.
Useful links to support this activity:
- heppell.net/byop — Bring Your Own Plant and air quality
- Harvard study on CO₂ and human cognition
Learners share and present their findings to the class.
🎯 Learning intention
We are learning how sensors can record environmental data about a building.
✅ Success criteria
- I can describe types of building data recorded by a sensor
- I can say why data about buildings is helpful
- I can analyse environmental data about a classroom
Recap on Activity 1 — looking at how environmental conditions can affect readiness to learn.
Learners are introduced to the use of sensors to monitor building environments such as school classrooms, offices and homes.
Learners consider the purpose of monitoring environmental conditions such as CO₂ levels in workplaces and homes. Possible considerations include:
- Health and wellbeing
- Safety
- Productivity
- Comfort
- Being eco-friendly
Learners are presented with data from Abbie’s classroom at Cladach Primary School. The data comprises:
- Changes in classroom temperature throughout the school day
- Changes in CO₂ levels throughout the day
- Changes in light levels throughout the day
- Changes in humidity levels throughout the day
In groups, learners discuss and analyse the 4 sets of data from Cladach Primary. They should identify trends and changes during the day, and develop hypotheses to explain why such changes occurred. For example:
- Classroom temperature increases from 9am due to body heat of pupils and teachers, levelling off at lunchtime when pupils are outside.
- CO₂ levels increase from 9am due to pupils and teachers breathing and speaking. This falls at lunchtime but increases again in the afternoon.
- CO₂ falls significantly between 2–3pm — this may suggest the teacher opened windows, or the class was doing PE elsewhere.
- Classroom light decreases between 1–2pm — possibly cloudy weather, or the teacher turning off lights to use an interactive whiteboard.
- Humidity rises sharply between 1–2pm — perhaps it rained at lunchtime and pupils returned with wet clothing drying in the classroom.
🎯 Learning intention
We are learning how to plan and carry out an investigation into our classroom environment using the PPDAC model.
✅ Success criteria
- I can identify the problem to be investigated
- I can plan an investigation
- I can describe how our sensor will provide us with data
- I can rate my own learning state
- I can work well in groups
The main purpose of this investigation is for learners to determine how environmental conditions in their classroom affect their learning. Learners will use the PPDAC model:
Present the PPDAC process to the class as applied to this investigation:
- Problem: We want to know how our classroom environment affects our learning.
- Plan: We will plan an investigation to discover how our classroom environment affects our learning.
- Data: We will identify and gather data about our classroom environment.
- Analysis: We will analyse the data to understand how different environmental factors affect our learning.
- Conclusion: We will draw conclusions from our investigation.
Note: Activity 4 covers the first 2 stages of the PPDAC model — Identifying the Problem and Planning the Investigation.
Learners discuss how we find out if:
- CO₂ levels in our class affect our learning
- Classroom temperature affects our learning
- Classroom lighting affects our learning
- Humidity affects our learning
Learners find out about the Elsys ERS Smart Building Sensor which will be installed in their classroom. They learn how the sensor operates, captures data, and uploads it to the University of Edinburgh. They also learn how they will access their classroom data via the dashboard.
Learners discuss where the sensor should be located within the classroom. The sensor should ideally be placed where CO₂ is likely to be most prevalent — placing it on the teacher’s desk, for example, gives more reliable readings than placing it in the corner of the room.
Learners will also establish baseline readings before the investigation begins.
Learners also need a method of assessing their readiness to learn. A traffic light system is recommended:
Note: Practise the traffic light rating process regularly before the investigation begins so learners are familiar and comfortable with it.
🎯 Learning intention
We are recording how ready we are to learn at different times of the school day.
✅ Success criteria
- I can rate my learning state using the traffic light system
- I can record my ratings consistently at set times each day
For 3 weeks, using the traffic light system, each member of the class rates his/her readiness and capacity to learn at four set times each school day:
- Around 20 minutes after the start of the school day
- Around 20 minutes before lunch
- Around 20 minutes after lunch
- Around 20 minutes before the end of the school day
🎯 Learning intention
We are learning how to analyse sensor data about our classroom.
✅ Success criteria
- I can identify changes to classroom data such as temperature, CO₂ and light levels
- I can suggest possible reasons for changes during the school day
- I can make connections between classroom data and my learning state
For 3 weeks, learners analyse the data from the sensor dashboard and discuss changes to the environmental metrics.
The class establishes baseline metrics for CO₂, temperature, humidity and light.
Learners explore how environmental metrics change during the course of the school day:
- At what times of day are CO₂ levels highest/lowest?
- At what times of day is the temperature highest/lowest?
- At what times of day is light greatest/least?
- At what times of day is the humidity highest/lowest?
- What might be the cause of these changes?
As a class or in groups, learners correlate their Learning State ratings with the sensor data. They consider whether and how environmental factors affect the quality of their learning.
The class could be split into 4 groups, each focusing on one dataset (temperature, CO₂, lighting, humidity) and presenting findings to the class.
- Discuss what we’ve learned from our analysis of the dashboard
- Agree possible explanations for changes to sensor data during the day
- Describe how changes to our classroom environment affect our learning
🎯 Learning intention
We are finding out if making changes to our classroom improves our learning environment.
✅ Success criteria
- I can identify optimal conditions for learning
- I can suggest ways of changing our classroom environment
- I can analyse data to see the effects of these changes
Learners reflect on what they have learned about the impact of environmental factors on their learning:
- What do we know about how classroom temperature affects our learning?
- What do we know about how CO₂ affects our learning?
- What do we know about how light levels affect our learning?
- What do we know about how humidity affects our learning?
Learners are introduced to the term ‘optimal’ — the best for learning. From analysis of dashboard data and traffic light ratings, learners determine:
- An optimal classroom temperature for learning (°C)
- An optimal air quality for learning (ppm CO₂)
- An optimal light level for learning (lux)
- An optimal humidity level for learning (% water in air)
In groups or as a whole class, learners plan and implement interventions, for example:
- Opening/closing windows at various times to maintain optimal temperature
- Altering radiator thermostats or other methods of heat control
- Using window blinds to adjust the impact of sunlight on temperature
- Opening windows to increase oxygen and reduce CO₂
- Introducing plants to the classroom (see Activity 8)
- Adjusting classroom overhead lights to achieve optimal lux levels
- Strategies for increasing/decreasing humidity — water troughs, wet towels on radiators, or plants
Over the following weeks, learners analyse sensor data regularly to see if their interventions have been successful. They correlate the sensor data with their ongoing learning state ratings to draw conclusions.
Contact can be made with other schools doing similar research to compare findings. The Data Education Team at the University of Edinburgh will supply details of participating schools — contact IOT@ed.ac.uk.
🎯 Learning intention
We are investigating the effect of plants on air quality in our classroom.
✅ Success criteria
- I can plan an investigation to see how plants affect air quality
- I can analyse data to see the impact of plants on CO₂ levels
The introduction of plants is likely to be the most active way for children to improve their learning environment. There is evidence that even a small number of plants reduces CO₂ in a classroom. Stephen Heppell’s BYOP website is a good source of information.
Key points from the research:
- Higher than normal CO₂ directly damages human cognition — the damage threshold is lower than was first thought
- Target CO₂ is to keep below 1,000 ppm throughout the school day
- Plants should ideally be in white pots — white reflects light to help photosynthesis, and prompts learners to ask “Why white?” — a useful metacognitive discussion
- A white background behind plants helps too
- Above 40% humidity helps the body fight infections — plants with moist soil help raise humidity
Suggested activities:
- Learners research which plants are best for reducing CO₂ (spider plants are particularly effective)
- Each learner brings their own plant with their name on the pot and is tasked with looking after it
- Plants should be introduced gradually so learners can monitor incremental changes to CO₂
- CO₂ readings should be taken at 3 points during the day — before and after plants are added
- Learners may discuss ways of raising funds for a plant wall
- Learners may decide to grow their own plants
🎯 Learning intention
We can draw conclusions from our learning environment investigation.
✅ Success criteria
- I can summarise the main findings of our investigation
- I can draw conclusions from our investigation
As a class or in groups, learners discuss what they have discovered about the impact of environmental factors on learning. They review and discuss the impact of their interventions on air quality, temperature, humidity and light — and identify which interventions produced the most significant improvements.
Learners summarise their findings and draw conclusions.
🎯 Learning intention
We will create a presentation about our investigation and share it with the class.
✅ Success criteria
- I can describe the problem to be investigated
- I can describe how we planned the investigation
- I can describe the role of data in our investigation
- I can describe how we analysed the data
- I can describe the main conclusions of our investigation
Learners create a presentation about their investigation using the PPDAC model to structure it:
Each group may present the entirety of the investigation, or alternatively each group presents only one of the PPDAC stages.
🎯 Purpose
Extend the lesson or create additional activities to increase breadth and depth and promote interdisciplinary learning.
✅ Possible outcomes
- Deeper understanding of data and its wider applications
- Graphical representation skills
- Connections to real-world contexts beyond school
Learners discuss why data about environmental conditions in other buildings — offices, factories, homes — might be important.
Learners develop deeper knowledge of data by reviewing all the data produced during their research — analysing, comparing and summarising.
Learners use information technology to produce graphical representations of the data.
Contact is made with other schools doing similar research to find out the results of their investigations and compare with their own.
Write a blog or newspaper article about their research for a local newspaper or school magazine.
Published 15 July 2025 | Contact us | IOT@ed.ac.uk