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Urban Heat Island: A LEGO® Data Representation
Case Study: Brussels City Temperatures

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Urban Heat Island: A LEGO® Data Representation
Case Study: Brussels City Temperatures

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1. Introduction

This physical data visualization (Data Physicalization) represents the "Urban Heat Island" effect in Brussels. We compared Air Temperature (the heat you feel around you) and Surface Temperature (the heat stored in the ground) across six different urban locations.

2. The LEGO® Scale

To translate scientific data into bricks, we used a specific scale:

1 LEGO® Stud/Brick = 2° Celsius

Blue Columns: Air Temperature (°C)

Red Columns: Surface Temperature (°C)

3. Key Findings & Analysis

The Green Oasis (Bois de la Cambre & Laeken Park): In areas with trees and grass, the towers are nearly equal. Nature acts as a natural air conditioner, keeping the ground cool.

The Concrete Jungle (Schuman Roundabout & Rue Neuve): Notice the "Red Explosion." In high-traffic areas, the surface temperature (over 50°C at Schuman!) is significantly higher than the air temperature. Dark asphalt and concrete absorb solar radiation and trap heat.

The CO2 Connection: Our data shows that the "hottest" towers also correspond to the highest levels of CO₂ (up to 748 ppm), linking thermal discomfort with urban pollution.

4. Conclusion

The LEGO® model clearly shows that urban design matters. By replacing grey concrete with green spaces, we can literally "lower the towers" of heat in our cities, making them more livable and sustainable.

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A horizontal bar chart comparing Air Temperature and Surface Temperature, featuring informational text boxes that include all detailed Observation notes, CO₂ levels, and Light values.

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1. Air vs. Surface Temperature Comparison

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1. Air vs. Surface Temperature Comparison

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Upload your final graph with a clear title, labelled axes and a source disclaimer

Write the initial simple prompt (Step 1)

Write the improved prompt (Step 2)

Write the prompt you would give to students as a teacher and how it would help their learning (Step 3)

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Create a data chart using physical materials

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Create a data chart using physical materials

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Why did you choose to represent this specific data in this way?

How does it help you confirm or refute a hypothesis? Did any conclusion come out that you were not expecting?

What was the hardest part about representing your data? What information feels "missing" or hard to show physically?

We are about to "feed" this raw data to an AI. Do you think the AI will care about your "Observational Notes" as much as you did? What can the AI see that we can't see in these blocks

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Our short learning activity is linked with SDG 6, 13 and 14. Embracing complexity in sustainability. The problem we want to explore is the death of fish in the town river. Children are very worried. They take an action:

1. Water analysis;

2. Species analysis;

3. Looking for external sources of pollution;

Based on the hypothesis and findings they report to local government or clean up the area. They also regularly clean up the area along the river and are aware of keeping all the rivers clean and we support sustainability this way.

Green competence areas

1. Acting for sustanaibility/collective action

2. Embodying sustainaibility values /promoting nature

3. Embracing complexity in sustanaibility/problem framing.

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co2_levels_chart_en.png: A bar chart displaying the carbon dioxide values for each location, including a reference line for the Global Average Outdoor CO₂ level (~410 ppm).

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Explore educational resources for each Scientix project.

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How to navigate the Scientix Collections

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How to navigate the Scientix Collections

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Download the instructions:

https://files.eun.org/scientix/SPOWx-2026/SPOWx-Navigating-Scientix-Collections.pptx

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Our short learning activity is linked with SDG 14 - LIFE BELOW WATER and it is connected to the following green competences:

1.1. Embodying sustainability values

1.1. Valuing sustainability.

1.3. Promoting nature.

4. Acting for sustainability:

4.1. Political agency.

4.2. Collective action.

This activity takes part of a common project developed across the school aimed to save a local river affected by the pollution produced by local agriculture and fishing.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3nzsQnCOAc/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

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The activity is called “Reducing Plastic in Our School.”

The objective of this activity is linked to SDG 14 – Life Below Water, which focuses on protecting oceans and reducing plastic pollution.

During this activity, several GreenComp competences are developed, such as:

- systems thinking, through which students understand the connection between plastic consumption and environmental pollution;

- critical thinking, by analyzing the sources of plastic in everyday life;

- taking action for sustainability, by proposing concrete solutions to reduce plastic use.

The teacher introduces the topic and shows a few images or examples of ocean pollution caused by plastic. Students discuss how plastic waste ends up in the water and how it affects marine life.

Before, the students work in groups of 3–4 and identify situations in everyday life where plastic is used, especially in the school environment. They also analyze the impact of plastic on the environment and discuss possible solutions to reduce its use.

In the final, each group presents their ideas and proposed solutions, such as using reusable bottles, reducing packaging, or organizing recycling activities.

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Competences of the Green Comp Area

2.3. Problem framing

3.3. Exploratory thinking

4.2. Collective action

SDGs

5 Gender equality

4 Quality education

Juana, Julián, Alba and Marc

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Juana, Julián, Alba and Marc

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Activity Title: “The School Eco-System: K-12 Sustainable City Challenge”

Inspiration Scientix Collections- “Sustainable City Simulator- building the future”

Students transform the school into an Open Schooling lab by building a giant “Green City.” Each grade contributes:

• Kindergarten& Primary (Explorers): Construct buildings from recycled materials, create seed bombs, and vertical gardens.

• Middle (Technicians): Install small renewable energy systems to light the city.

• High (Mentors & Scientists): Coordinate workstations, explain processes (e.g., bioplastics), and document digitally.

• Parents & Community: Participate as experts, assist in assembly, and evaluate solutions.

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K-12 students (Ages 5-17) and parents.

Inquiry-Based Science Education (IBSE) and Open Schooling.

The aim of our activity is to transform the school into a nature-positive hub by connecting scientific soil literacy with community action.

We project different activities according to the age of the pupils.

For kids (5-10) and parents teachers ask families to build a "mini-composter" in a transparent glass jar to observe the decomposition process and to develop sustainability values (GreenComp) by seeing how organic "waste" becomes a resource for the circular bioeconomy.

For students (11-13) using the LOESS Soil Literacy framework, teachers ask students to conduct chemical and biological tests on the school's compost versus depleted soil. Students are invited to formulate hypotheses about nutrient cycling and test them using inquiry-based protocols.

For students (14-17) and parents teachers propose to use a crowd mapping tool, families track their household organic waste for one week. Students calculate the potential CO2 reduction for the entire neighborhood, linking their local effort to SDG 13 (climate action) and SDG 12 (responsible consumption).

Students and parents draft a "School bioeconomy manifesto". They present this to the school board to request a permanent industrial composter for the canteen, exercising political agency.

To encourage the participation of the whole school community to the STEM day, teachers send them (and post it on the school website) the following invite:

"Join us to discover the secret life of soil! Our students will guide you through the science of composting using LOESS and GenB resources. Together, we will turn our school into a nature-positive hub."

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1. Upcycling and Renewable Energy Workshops

Transforming waste materials into valuable new products forms the foundation of sustainability awareness.

Activity: Solar Oven Design from Waste Boxes

Scope: Students design simple solar-powered ovens using recyclable cardboard boxes, aluminum foil, and glass/transparent plastic.

Interdisciplinary Integration: Science (concepts of heat, light, and reflection), Mathematics (surface area measurement and angles), Engineering (prototype production).

Stakeholder Involvement: Parents can participate by bringing waste materials from home and mentoring students during the assembly phase on the workshop day. Teachers can align this activity with renewable energy learning objectives.

2. In-Class Vertical Farming and Biotechnology Applications

To overcome the limitation of soil in urban schools and instill a culture of production in students, smart agriculture applications serve as excellent educational tools.

Activity: Aeroponic / Hydroponic Classroom Gardens

Scope: Establishing vertical farming towers in the classroom using recycled PET bottles or basic STEM education kits. Cultivating plants such as strawberries or basil in these systems.

Interdisciplinary Integration: Life Sciences/Biology (plant growth and photosynthesis), Mathematics (measuring growth rates and graphing), Technology (use of basic moisture or temperature sensors).

Stakeholder Involvement: Parent-student teams can be formed during the installation phase. While students conduct daily water and temperature measurements, parents can organize a "Sustainable Food Day" event at the school using the harvested crops.

3. Eco-Friendly Solutions via Algorithmic Thinking

At the primary school level, algorithmic thinking skills provide the ability to solve complex environmental problems by breaking them down into manageable, logical steps.

Activity: Smart Waste Sorting Algorithms

Scope: Students create flowcharts detailing how to sort waste at school (paper, plastic, batteries). In the later stages of the process, using block-based coding tools, they design simple mechanisms that react (e.g., lighting an LED or emitting a sound) when the correct object is deposited into the waste bin.

Interdisciplinary Integration: Information Technology (algorithms and basic coding), Science (matter and its nature).

Stakeholder Involvement: While teachers facilitate the design-thinking processes, parents can ensure school-family consistency by integrating these algorithms into their home waste management systems.

Implementation and Integration Strategy

To embed these activities deeply into the school culture, following a systematic roadmap is recommended:

1. Capacity Building: Facilitating knowledge sharing among teacher departments to systematically integrate STEM learning objectives into monthly lesson plans.

2. Parent Information Bulletins: Distributing concise bulletins to parents prior to each activity, outlining the academic objectives of the project and their expected roles.

3. Project Exhibition (Science Fair): Showcasing all tangible outputs (solar ovens, vertical farming harvests, and coding projects) at a collaborative festival in the schoolyard at the end of the academic term.

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Stem day: students will resent the "intelligent tiny forest" the school is involved on.

EYFS: they create holes for introducing seeds and show how the previous seeds grew up.

Primary: They explain to the community how the forest works and the beneficial impact for the environmet. At the same time, some students are carrying out daily works on it.

Secondary: the are in charge of techonological aspects of the forest: automatically irrigation, measure of carbon dioxyde and temperature, soil wet, fauna and flora... (microbit kits) They also show the future of the forest using AI and introducing pompts.

Parents: offer pieces of advice to students to care about the forest and they are also invited to participate on that day maintenance activities.

https://www.scientix.eu/resources/knowledge/collections/resource?id=131154

https://www.scientix.eu/resources/knowledge/collections/resource?id=131180

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The goal: Exploring how coffee waste can be transformed into a valuable research and reintegrated into a circular and sustainable economy.

The community investigates the chemical components of coffee waste that support plant growth. They gain insight into waste recovery, the circular economy and energy production.

The process:

Ages 6-12: They fill two plastic cups with soil and plant seeds of fast growing plants. They added coffee waste in one of the cups. They water them with the same amount of water and observe them within 2 weeks measuring the height of the growing plants recording the findings.

Ages 13-18: They will play the roles of ph detectives - acidity test.

The students mix coffee waste with water. They dip the lacmus paper into the mixture and find out the level of acidity.

Afterwards they search which plants favour acidity and which ones don't. They prepare a list of plants we can feed with coffee waste. The list is then shared with the parents so they know which plants to use the coffee waste for.

The students learn that they eliminate the production of greenhouse gases as the coffee waste used as fertilizer helps to produce new plants. and does not create waste.

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Tortilla and beer team 🍻

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3. Sun Exposure and Surface Heat Correlation

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3. Sun Exposure and Surface Heat Correlation

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light_temp_scatter_en.png: A bubble chart illustrating the relationship between Light Intensity and Surface Temperature, categorized by Sun, Shade, and Partial Sun conditions.

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Action plan Finding the Best Outdoor Temperature for Students

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Action plan Finding the Best Outdoor Temperature for Students

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You inclusive STEM activity should include:

- A step to build trust and understanding between students

- A link to STEM careers

- A way to engage the parents.

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The photos of gender neutral job positions

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Goal: Students design a simple prototype (using cardboard, recycled materials, or electronics) that solves a daily household problem.

1. Building Trust and Understanding:

Activity: "The Skills Exchange"

The Setup: Before starting the project, students work in diverse pairs (e.g., mixing genders).

The Task: Each student must identify one "superpower" in their partner that isn't just about math or fixing things (for example, great at explaining ideas, very organized,or creative problem-solver).

This builds a safe environment where everyone feels their unique perspective is valued, breaking down the stereotype that STEM is only for students skilled in technical subjects.

2. Linking to STEM Careers:

Focus: "The Modern Engineering Team"

Before the activity, a teacher instroduces specific roles in industry e.g.:

Sustainability Consultant: Ensures the project helps the planet.

Systems Engineer: Makes sure all the different parts work together.

User Experience Designer: Focuses on empathy and how people feel when using the product.

The examples of diverse role models (men and women) currently working in these fields show students that these careers are accessible to everyone.

3. Engaging the Parents:

Activity: "The Family Tech Review"

The Homework: Students take their prototype or design sketch home to their parents.

The Interaction: Instead of the parent "fixing" the project, the student acts as the "Lead Designer" and interviews the parent as a "User."

The Feedback: Parents fill out a small "Review Card" with two questions:

1. What is one thing you find most helpful about this invention?

2. How would our family use this in our daily life?

Outcome: This brings STEM conversations into the home and allows parents to see their child's potential in a supportive way.

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Activity:

Phase 1: Ask students and families to do research about people who have taken part in a STEM career.

Phase 2: Once they have found those references, they will be invited to participate in a STEM workshop taking place at the school. In this workshop, they will be invited to explain their STEM story on the job that they have developed so far.

Phase 3: At the end, we will create a panel with all the pictures about people who are STEM references for our students' lives under the title: STEM future is closer than we believe. This will be placed in the corridor that leads us to the Future Lab.

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Grade Level: Primary & Middle School

Purpose: Foster collaboration, trust, and the understanding that STEM is for all children, regardless of gender.

Activity Overview:

1. Trust-Building Circle: Students sit in a circle and share: “One thing I am good at” or “One new thing I want to learn.” Classroom rules: listen, value every idea, help each other.

2. Team Roles: Students work in small mixed teams with rotating roles: designer, builder, tester, encourager—ensuring fair participation and reducing stereotypes.

3. STEM Challenge: Build a bridge from paper, straws, and tape to hold small objects. Teams design, build, test, and improve their bridges. Focus is on creativity and teamwork.

4. Link to STEM Careers: Discuss engineers and their work. Highlight diverse role models like Mae Jemison and Emily Warren Roebling. Students reflect on who can be an engineer.

5. Parent Involvement: Take-home bridge challenge with families or classroom showcase. Families contribute and discuss STEM-related jobs in the community.

Inclusivity: Promotes collaboration, diverse roles, role models, and family support for every child’s STEM interests.

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Step 1: Active listening game

Students work in pairs, asking each other about their favorite hobbies, subjects, dreams, and a daily problem they would like to solve or help solve.

Each student then presents their partner to the whole class based on the answers received.

Step 2: Connecting with experts

Based on the students' identified interests and needs, the class searches online for testimonials.

Experts are invited to share their professional journeys, the path they took to reach their goals, and how their work contributes to solving the types of daily problems highlighted by the students.

Step 3: Engaging families and reflection

Each student interviews their parents using the same set of questions used with their classmates.

The results of these interviews are presented to the class to compare different perspectives. At the conclusion of these activities, students complete a questionnaire to reflect on whether they believe specific jobs are tied to gender.

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Add here your draft action plans!

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Use either the project resources catalogue or the Scientix® Collections to find suitable resources for the following case study:

You work in a large urban school that has all grade levels (K-12). The primary school teachers want to organise a STEM-day that will involve the whole school community – students from other grade levels and parents.

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•Choose an SDG linked to Green and Blue education.

•Choose at least 3 GreenComp competencies that are linked to this SDG.

•Design a short learning activity to teach those competencies to your students.

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Design a learning activity that:

- Uses either the digital microscope or measurement sensors

- Is linked to an environmental topic

- Teaches digital skills

- Describe the topic clearly

- Why does using EdTech brings added value? Could you do it without it?

- What digital skills are you teaching?

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In this case we are designing a music activity using mycroscopes.

1- Students will find music notes using the mycroscopes. In this sense, they will learn how to use, regulate and set mycroscopes for the propper activity.

2- Once they have the note, they will play on the fingerboard the specific note they found on previous step.

3- Environmental topic: Noise pollution.

Students will analize the sound pressure of the note they play using the sound sensors. They will do it with and without background noise, in order to realize how this problematic affects noise sharpness.

EdTech: More technical equipment so the analysis is more professional and detailed.

No Edthec: Students can use magnifying glasses for finding the notes (instead of mycroscopes) and be distributed among different groups for making noise or try to appreciate the sound when it's background noise.

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Exploring the invisible structure of plants and insects. Children collect leaves, moss, or petals to see how nature “breathes” through microscopic details.

We will use for EdTech Tool, a digital microscope.

Without it, children see only a green patch; with it, they can see the “veins” of a leaf and the texture. Technology transforms an abstract biology lesson into a magical visual experience that is impossible to achieve with the naked eye.

Digital skills:

-Using zoom and focus functions on a digital device.

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The water's digital fingerprint: from turbid to potable

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The water's digital fingerprint: from turbid to potable

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1. Description of the Topic

The goal is to simulate the wastewater treatment and filtration process. Students will create a "contaminated water sample" using coffee (sediment), soil (suspended solids), fruit juice (organic contaminants/coloring), and sugar (invisible solutes). They must design a filtration system and monitor the effectiveness of the process—not just by sight, but through quantitative data.

2. Conducting the Experiment

Phase 1 (Contamination) Students mix the available materials into a glass of water.

Phase 2 (Initial Measurement) Using wireless sensors (Conductivity, pH, or Turbidity), they map the values of the "dirty" sample.

Phase 3 (Filtration) Using various materials, they perform a mechanical filtration.

Phase 4 (Final Measurement) They measure the filtered water again. While the water may look clear to the eye, the sensors might still detect sugar (via density or refractive index changes) or residual salts.

3. Added Value of EdTech

Why use sensors?

See what the eye can't see To the naked eye, water filtered from sugar looks pure. A conductivity or density sensor proves that "transparent" does not necessarily mean "potable."

Scientific Precision We move from a qualitative observation ("it looks cleaner") to a quantitative one ("turbidity decreased by 80%").

Real-time Analysis Wireless sensors allow students to watch graphs change instantly on tablets or PCs as filtration occurs.

Could you do it without it? Yes, but it would be a basic "visual filter" exercise. Without sensors, you lose the chemical-physical depth of the experiment and the profound understanding of dissolved contaminants (like sugar).

4. Digital Skills Taught

In line with the DigComp 2.2 framework, this activity covers:

1. Data Literacy: Managing and interpreting data and graphs produced by the sensors.

2. Problem Solving: Using digital tools to address an environmental issue (pollution measurement).

3. Critical Use of Technology: Understanding the limits of the tools (e.g., sensor calibration) and how technology extends human senses.

5. Integration with the Digital Microscope

Students can analyze a drop of the "filtered" water under the microscope to look for micro-residues of coffee or soil fibers that the filter failed to catch, comparing it directly with tap water.

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The water's digital fingerprint: from turbid to potable

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The water's digital fingerprint: from turbid to potable

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The goal of this experiment is to observe the reaction between vinegar and baking soda, capture the released gas in a balloon, and use the Vernier Sensor CO2 to prove that the gas produced is carbon dioxide.

What we need:

Materials: Vinegar, baking soda, a balloon, a glass bottle (narrow neck), a funnel.

Equipment: Vernier CO2 sensor, tablet/PC with the Graphical Analysis app.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Sensor Setup: Turn on the CO2 sensor and connect it to the app. Let it stabilize in the air for a moment.

2. Preparation: Using the funnel, pour 2 teaspoons of baking soda into the balloon. Pour about 100 ml of vinegar into the bottle.

3. Starting the Reaction: Carefully stretch the neck of the balloon over the bottle’s opening (keep the baking soda in the hanging part of the balloon for now). Once it’s secure, lift the balloon so the powder falls into the vinegar.

4. Observation: Watch the fizzing reaction and the balloon inflating.

5. Gas Analysis: When the reaction stops, pinch the balloon neck (don’t tie it) and remove it from the bottle. Hold the balloon opening near the CO2 sensor's opening and slowly release the gas toward the sensor.

6. Recording: Watch the graph in the app spike.

Cross-Curricular Links:

Chemistry (The Reaction)

We explain the terms reactants and products. Baking soda (a base) reacts with vinegar (an acid). This produces sodium acetate, water, and gas.

Biology (The Cycle of Life)

The gas in the balloon is the same gas we exhale.

Physics (States of Matter & Pressure)

We observe the transformation of a solid (soda) and a liquid (vinegar) into a gas. Gas takes up much more space, creating pressure that overcomes the elasticity of the rubber and inflates the balloon.

Mathematics (Measurement of the perimeter)

Students can measure the perimeter of the balloon.

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The water's digital fingerprint: from turbid to potable

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The water's digital fingerprint: from turbid to potable