New resource - Engineering solutions: Air pollution

Dyson engineers, chemists and research scientists have spent nearly three decades understanding air science. Right now, over 350 Dyson engineers globally are developing future solutions to make the air we breathe cleaner.

With the help of this knowledge and these engineers, The James Dyson Foundation has launched its latest free and downloadable educational resource, Engineering solutions: Air pollution. The resource has been designed to be complementary to Science and Engineering curriculums targeting middle school and high school students. It takes the form of a teacher’s pack containing five lesson plans, worksheets, videos and posters that will teach students how engineering can help solve the global problem of air pollution. 

Over the course of the five lessons students act like real-life engineers by investigating the problem of air pollution, evaluating existing solutions and then designing and prototyping their own solution using their skills and knowledge. They will also get to learn about the engineering and design decisions behind the Dyson Pure Cool^TM purifying fan, as a solution to indoor air pollution.

The pack is split into three sections: Sense, Capture and Solution.

In Sense, students learn what air pollution is and what causes it. They will understand that air quality can be monitored using sensors and they will consider actions to reduce their own exposure to air pollution in their school environment or on their journey to school. There is an optional lesson in this section in which students build their own air pollution monitoring device to collect data around their school, and on their journey to school.

In Capture, students learn how Dyson engineers developed the Dyson Pure Cool^TM purifying fan to help tackle the problem of indoor air pollution. Students learn how the purifying fan detects and captures air pollution, focusing on the mechanisms of filtration. They will understand the engineering and design decisions that go into making everyday products.

Finally, in Solution, students put their knowledge and ingenuity to the test. They will use the iterative design process, practiced by Dyson engineers, to design and prototype their own solution to the problem of air pollution in their school and home environment.

Engineering solutions: Air pollution was developed with the help of Dyson engineers, like Jess Rowley, a Senior Category Development Engineer at Dyson.

Jess says: “Air pollution is a worldwide issue and, just like other global problems, there are many possible solutions. By hearing how Dyson engineers approached the problem and the products that resulted, students will understand how science and engineering can be applied to tackle pollution. They can then begin to address these issues in conversations beyond the classroom and hopefully consider engineering as a possible career”