Tucson Standard

Since Biosphere 2 opened to visitors in 1991, more than half a million K-12 students have explored the three-acre, glass-enclosed research facility that mimics Earth's ecosystems.

Now, the next half-million K-12 visitors will experience the University of Arizona facility with the help of a new smartphone app designed specifically for visiting school groups. The new Biosphere 2 K-12 app is available for free on the Apple App Store and Google Play. It was designed in partnership with local K-12 educators.

"We wanted to create something that was more than just a tour; we also wanted to incorporate science standards – basic biology and earth science – with the uniqueness of Biosphere 2 and the research here," said John Adams, deputy director and chief operating officer at Biosphere 2. "It's a nice way to provide meaningful content for students as they come through Biosphere 2, and it adds to what they're learning in the classroom."

The app guides visitors along 23 stops on the Biosphere 2 grounds, each one featuring a video in the app that explains a given area of the facility, its research, or a broader scientific concept. The videos touch on Biosphere 2's origins in 1991 and the living quarters for the Biospherians who resided in the facility during two missions in the early '90s before Biosphere 2 was operated by the university. The videos also cover in depth the five biomes found under the glass: an ocean, mangrove wetlands, tropical rainforest, savannah grassland, and fog desert – a desert that primarily gets its moisture from fog.

At the end of the tour, students learn how to create a digital model of their own biosphere and run a simulation to see how their ecosystems survive.

The videos include fun facts about the facility, such as how a series of tiny imperfections during building led to Biosphere 2 not being completely airtight. Added together, these small openings would amount to a hole about three fingers wide.

The app's designers used Arizona Department of Education science standards for grades five through seven to form content. They then explored ways to incorporate Biosphere 2 research.

Aaron Bugaj, a research technologist for Biosphere 2, helped coordinate much of the app's development and recruited Danielle Hunt, a College of Fine Arts student who graduated in May 2023, to create animations and other multimedia.

With an early draft of the app in place, the team assembled a focus group of three educators – two from Chandler Unified School District and one from Flowing Wells School District in Tucson – to help refine subject matter ensuring alignment with curriculum goals and learning objectives.

"The use of technology allows students to explore complex ecosystems and scientific concepts in a hands-on engaging way," said Anna Heyer, district science specialist for Flowing Wells School District who served on this focus group. "It enables them to visualize and interact with content making abstract ideas more concrete understandable. This kind interactive learning can inspire curiosity deepen understanding help students see relevance science real world."

Most K-12 students who come through Biosphere 2 have never seen rainforest even beach Bugaj said.

"So facility unique opportunity give students really approachable way learn about these novel ecosystems," he said. "It's also no-brainer us almost service community us provide strong science communications learning materials future generations."

Though app designed K-12 audiences Bugaj said it allows anyone engage more scientific principles than what's covered main tour which focuses history research broadly.

New app adds growing stable digital resources leaders built recent years Adams said first driving tour came during COVID-19 pandemic gave visitors opportunity take self-guided driving around grounds guided by app.

Biosphere Experience followed provides information various stops covers history broadly without going deep into science plans translate all content Spanish which Adams hopes done spring

All apps central helping spread word U A part land-grant mission Adams said

"We're lucky have visitors want learn more," he said "With this specifically kids we get across key concepts hear every day hope provide broader knowledge base so when they're learning make informed decisions rather relying gut feeling"