The GAMA group of the University of Barcelona organized an educational activity, as part of the I-CHANGE project, with the students of the Jaume Balmes High School in Barcelona, involving them in measuring meteorological data with MeteoTrackers in the Eixample neighborhood, where the school is located. The MeteoTracker is a portable device that measures meteorological georeferenced data along a route, such as temperature, humidity, and pressure.
The students were divided into groups of five and were asked to identify key points in the neighborhood where they were interested in knowing the temperature and humidity values. Initially, they were asked to describe the heat and humidity levels they expected to find in these selected locations, using a five-level scale for both variables, ranging from cool to very hot for temperature and from slightly humid to very humid for relative humidity. They made this preliminary assessment based on their experience and knowledge of the selected locations, considering factors such as the presence of greenery, the width of the streets, sun exposure, and so on. In the second part of the activity, the different groups went to the locations they had previously selected, equipped with a MeteoTracker, and measured the temperature and humidity values in those areas using the sensor. This allowed them to compare the actual measurements with their prior expectations. The students were also asked to take a picture of each measurement location. In the final part of the activity, the students returned to the classroom, where they could access the data recorded along the entire route, which could be directly visualized in the I-CHANGE Dashboard. This allowed each group to discuss the recorded data with the classmates, comparing if the prior expectations were aligned with the measured values.
Through this activity, which was integrated into the school’s environmental lectures, students developed greater awareness of climate change and deepened their understanding of meteorology. The area they explored included one of Barcelona’s most recently pacified streets, part of the Superilla concept. This allowed them to observe the benefits of this newly implemented Nature-Based Solution (NBS) and to better understand the natural and anthropogenic factors influencing areas with lower temperatures, making them more pleasant to live in, particularly in a city like Barcelona, subject to significant thermal stress over long periods of the year.
