The students who committed to this project were Joshua Schmutter (Grade 9), Tanya Almog (Grade 8), Shira Rodrig (Grade 8), Gaby Bonwitt (Grade 8), Denise Yudowitch (Grade 8), and David Lechter (Grade 9). Ms. Best and Mr. Craig Carpentieri (Scheck Hillel’s Chief Academic Officer) were kind enough to help us through the process whenever we had a question or issue. These students had to sacrifice their time to complete this project, and it was a difficult task to get everybody together. It took about five meetings to complete the final product. We included all of the sensors on the central base unit, which would be placed outdoors. Building this unit was a time-consuming task that needed a tremendous amount of patience and handiness to complete.

The first meeting was an exciting experience. Everybody had a hard time understanding the steps for building the unit. We began by exploring and making some small parts. In a way, it felt as if we required the mind of an experienced engineer. It was also the time to decide how we would start building. Some of us even felt it was impossible to complete this project.

Later, on the second and third days, the students were able to get a lot done. In the end, we built all five individual components of the weather station. The main components are the rain gauge, which measures precipitation or rainfall, the anemometer, which measures wind speed in the environment. The wind vane measures wind direction. And, of course, there is the main unit with a screen which displays all of the useful information obtained by the different instruments.

While the project was going on, a couple of the students slowly built the unit which brought together all of the instruments in one common space. There were plenty of times when errors were made, but in the long run, the project came along very nicely. Also, there was a heated discussion on the placement of the weather station. The location of the station needed to be a spot where it receives sunlight and very little shade, and the reality is that it is very hard to find that perfect location. 

When everything was completed, all of us reflected on the process of finishing it and how this was a challenge. In Earth Space Science class, we’re learning about the wind and atmospheric temperature, and completing this project gave us a better understanding of the weather and how it is measured. Joshua Schmutter (Grade 9) said, “In this experience, I learned many techniques that can help me throughout my year. It gave me the opportunity to think for myself and be creative.” Josh even called Oregon Scientific to ask about how to build the weather station and understand its different aspects. Tanya Almog (Grade 8) said, “It was a nice experience, and I feel accomplished. It took a lot of work.” Lastly, the completion of this project was a great success.