Why the PocketLab Odyssey Belongs in Every Science Classroom
As science educators, we're constantly seeking tools that bridge the gap between abstract concepts and tangible understanding. We want our students to experience science, not just read about it. But here's the challenge: outfitting a comprehensive science department with quality sensors traditionally means investing in separate equipment for physics, chemistry, and biology—each with its own learning curve, maintenance requirements, and tangle of wires.
What if there was a better way?
I've been working with the PocketLab Odyssey sensor for over a year now, and I keep discovering new applications across disciplines. While it's marketed primarily as a chemistry tool (I'm primarily a chemist!), I've found myself reaching for it in contexts I didn't anticipate. Let me share some of the details.
Beyond the Chemistry Lab
The Odyssey's chemistry capabilities are impressive: pH, electrical conductivity, temperature, and air pressure measurements all in one device. But for physics we also find electrical measurement capabilities. Current, voltage, and resistance measurements mean students can explore Ohm's law, investigate series and parallel circuits, or analyze the behavior of different resistors—all without a separate multimeter cluttering the bench.
The pressure sensor opens even more doors. In one of my favorite demonstrations, I connect a syringe containing steel wool (with a touch of vinegar) to the Odyssey's Luer Lock port. As students watch in real-time, the pressure drops as the iron oxidizes and consumes oxygen from the air.
Over several minutes, the pressure decreases by roughly 20%—a direct measurement of oxygen's proportion in our atmosphere. This simple setup brings partial pressures from abstraction to reality, and watching students make the connection never gets old.
The Field Work Game-Changer
Here's where the Odyssey truly shines: it has onboard memory and a built-in battery. This might not sound revolutionary until you realize what it enables. Students are no longer tethered to a lab bench or dependent on a constant power source. They can take science into the real world.
Imagine a biology student investigating water quality by measuring dissolved oxygen upstream and downstream from a wastewater treatment facility. Or an environmental science class hiking to a local creek to test pH and conductivity at multiple collection points, building a comprehensive picture of watershed health. The device stores all the data internally, ready for analysis back in the classroom.
Students can take the Odyssey to a busy intersection. Using a particulate matter sensor and air quality probes, they can measure PM2.5, ozone, CO₂, and nitrogen oxides at different times of day. Collected data sparks genuine curiosity about air quality, traffic patterns, and environmental health—and engaging discussions follow.
Three Ports, Infinite Applications
The Odyssey includes three external probe ports that accept a wide range of commercial sensors. Want to measure dissolved oxygen? There's a probe for that. Curious about carbon dioxide levels? Plug it in. Need to detect radiation for a unit on nuclear energy? Connect a Geiger counter.
This expandability means the device grows with your curriculum needs. Start with the built-in sensors, then add
capabilities as your budget allows or as new units demand different measurements. The same base device serves
freshman biology, sophomore chemistry, and senior-level environmental science.
The Wire-Free Revolution
Anyone who's set up traditional sensor arrays knows the frustration: cables everywhere, figuring out which cord connects to which port, troubleshooting connection issues when nothing works. The Odyssey connects via Bluetooth to computers, tablets, or phones. Students open the PocketLab Notebook app, and they're immediately seeing live data. No configuration, no cable management, no mysterious connection failures.
This seemingly small detail has profound effects on classroom dynamics. Setup time drops dramatically. Students spend more time exploring and less time troubleshooting technology. And there's something powerful about the immediacy—breathe on the temperature sensor and watch the line climb; breathe on the gas sensor and see CO₂ and humidity spike in real-time. That instant feedback creates "aha!" moments that drive learning deeper than any lecture could.
Real-Time Data, Real Understanding
Speaking of instant feedback, let's talk about the pedagogical advantage of real-time data visualization. When students can manipulate variables and immediately see results graphed on their screens, they develop intuition about relationships between quantities. They're not just collecting data points to plot later—they're watching cause and effect unfold.
Students can figure out Le Chatelier's principle not through memorization, but by adding heat to a reaction, such as the warming of solid ammonium chloride within a syringe, and watching the pressure change instantly. They can explore the temperature-resistance relationship in thermistors by warming the sensor in their hands while the resistance graph drops before their eyes. This immediate, visual feedback transforms abstract concepts into concrete understanding.
One Device, One Department
Here's the bottom line: science departments operate on tight budgets. Investing in separate sensor systems for chemistry, physics, biology, and environmental science isn't just expensive—it's inefficient. Teachers need training on multiple platforms. Storage becomes a puzzle. Maintenance multiplies.
The PocketLab Odyssey offers a different approach. One device, one software platform, one set of protocols that work across your entire science curriculum. A biology teacher measuring dissolved oxygen uses the same fundamental skills as a chemistry teacher measuring pH or a physics teacher measuring voltage. Students who learn the system in one class bring that knowledge to the next.
This isn't about replacing every specialized instrument in your department. High-level analytical chemistry will still need dedicated equipment. But for the vast majority of high school science investigations—the explorations that build scientific thinking and genuine curiosity—the Odyssey delivers.
Getting Started
If you're intrigued, start simple. Pick one investigation you already do that requires sensor measurements. Maybe it's a pH titration, a temperature-time graph for phase changes, or measuring voltage across circuit components. Try it with the Odyssey. Then start asking yourself: what else could I measure? What other questions could my students investigate if collecting data were this straightforward? And how might my advanced students use this device for a senior project or science fair?
The beauty of cross-disciplinary tools isn't just cost savings or convenience—it's the way they encourage us to see connections across traditionally separate domains. When the same device measures chemical reactions, electrical circuits, and environmental conditions, students begin to see science not as disconnected subjects, but as different lenses for understanding the same interconnected world.
And isn't that what we're really trying to teach? That's good chemistry.
Good chemistry,
John Suchocki, Ph.D.
Author, Conceptual Chemistry, et. al
Founder, Conceptual Academy, PBC
About the Author
John is an accomplished science educator and author who has spent decades in the classroom making science accessible and engaging for students at all levels. He has authored widely-used textbooks and educational programs for both high schools and colleges.
As founder of Conceptual Academy, PBC, John develops innovative online
learning resources that bring hands-on science exploration to classrooms everywhere. This includes many Odyssey labs now available within the PocketLab free lesson library.
Mentored by his co-author and uncle, Paul G. Hewitt, John champions a conceptual approach to science education—one that prioritizes deep understanding over rote memorization and helps students see the connections that make science come alive.
