Biophilia Educational Project

ABOUT BIOPHILIA

The Biophilia Educational Project is a large-scale pilot project that builds on the participation of academics, scientists, artists, teachers and students at all academic levels. It is based around creativity as a teaching and research tool, where music, technology and the natural sciences are linked together in an innovative way.

The project presents an example of dynamic collaboration between different areas in society, such as the education system, cultural institutions, science and research institutes. It creates a platform for dialogue and debate which encourages both personal and social development, thereby contributing to a sustainable society where new approaches are actively explored.

This project was originally developed by Björk Guðmundsdóttir, the City of Reykjavík and the University of Iceland, in connection with the release of Björk’s 2011 album Biophilia. In 2014, Iceland held the presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers, the platform for Nordic governmental co-operation. As part of this presidency, the Icelandic Ministry for Education, Science & Culture sought co-operation with the other Nordic countries in the development of the Biophilia Educational Project.

GETTING STARTED

In the initial phase, Biophilia might seem rather complex and difficult to adopt. Please remember that you don’t have to embrace to whole way of thinking at once. Instead, you More…

PLANNING The Biophilia project in action – a checklist

Before commencing a Biophilia project, it is useful to clarify the following points: The size of the school and number of pupils; how this affects the structure and implementation of More…

IMPLEMENTATION

Some elements play a key role in the implementation of the Biophilia workshops: How the project is introduced to the pupils. Which means should be employed in order to create More…

DOCUMENTATION

Plan in advance how to document the events that occur during your workshops; you will hopefully experience several rather touching moments that are absolutely worth recording. Most of them are More…

EVALUATION

Consider carefully what it is that you want to evaluate, as the aim is not to make an assessment of the pupil’s learning, but rather of their experiences of Biophilia More…

REPETITION AND DEEPENING

The main purpose of Biophilia is not to offer the pupils comprehensive knowledge; instead, class teachers or subject teachers can continue the work, repeat the contents of the current themes, More…

CLOSURE

An extensive project like Biophilia deserves a grand ending! Think back on the experiences that you have acquired during the project, and take advantage of them. Make sure to use More…

FOLLOW-UP AND CONTINUATION

The effectuation of a Biophilia project doesn’t necessarily mean it’s terminated once and for all. Perhaps Biophilia can be a part of regular schoolwork, in a larger or smaller scale. More…

BIOPHILIA HIGHLIGHTS

Watch a short video about the main results of the Nordic Collaboration

Read the full report about the project and it's main achievements here

Read the experience of some of the teachers that participated on the project

BIOPHILIA APPS

Each app has its own theme (in connection with a corresponding song) and combines a natural element with a musicological feature. The layers of content in each feature include: an interactive game based on the song’s scientific and musical subject matter; a musical animation of the song; an animated score; lyrics; and an academic essay. Anyone is welcome to use the Biophilia educational guidelines/material. Enter the world of Biophilia by browsing the menu on the left.