Teaching Air Quality and Data Visualization Using Tangible Models for Middle Schoolers

In this paper, we introduce a tangible interaction activity we created using colored candies as a model to explain both the Air Quality Index (AQI) and foundational data visualization design concepts. This activity is a part of a two-week Data Visualization and the Environment (DVE) summer camp for middle school students. DVE students spend one week learning the basics of air quality, environmental data, and fundamentals of data visualization principles and software (e.g., spreadsheets, Tableau), and during the second week, students conduct a data investigation on a topic of their own interest. This paper outlines the activity’s design, including its steps, materials, and learning objectives. Through data analysis on students’ worksheets and in-activity observation, we provide reflections on students’ experiences, along with challenges encountered and future opportunities for similar educational activities.