Biosphere 2 Guided Tour
The Biosphere 2 student tour is designed to both help students appreciate the history of the Biosphere 2 building itself and learn how it is used today to study earth system science. Participation by all is a key element of the tour experience as each student will be able to share a bit of information with the rest of the group about what is seen on the tour route. The tour experience includes an up-close look at ongoing research projects, as well as interactions with University of Arizona researchers themselves whenever possible. This gives students a chance to observe and discuss, in an age-appropriate manner, the scientific method as they see it in action. Students will also experience the special nature of each of the six wilderness biomes inside the building. Since no visit to Biosphere 2 is complete without a walk through the technosphere (specialized basement area) to see the machinery that controls the giant laboratory, the students make their way to that space on their way to the south lung (inactive variable volume air chamber). The students finish the tour by unraveling the secret word underlying everything they have seen along the way. A packet of follow-up materials will be given to the leader of each participating student group so everyone can continue to benefit from the Biosphere 2 tour.
The interactive tour includes a historical overview of the Biosphere 2 project, a look inside "under-the-glass" at the biological systems within the structure, and a discussion of past and current research underway, including a detailed discussion of the Landscape Evolution Observatory (LEO) research project.
- Grades K-12
- Grades 6-8
- High School
- Biology
- Earth Sciences
- Ecology
- General Science
- Hydrology
Schedule
Teachers may reserve a time for the visit by contacting Groupvisit@B2science.org or call 520-838-6139. To make an immediate tour group booking, please call 520-838-6200 between 9:00am and 4:00 pm. Group bookings with less than 72 hours notice require an additional service fee of $40 and are based on availability.
Cost
$10 per student with a minimum of 20 students; for smaller group sizes please contact us.
Contact
Matt Adamson
Associate Director, K-12 Education, UA Science: Biosphere 2
520-838-6137
Related Website
Biosphere 2
