Students should have some basic knowledge of the geologic time scale, process of photosynthesis, ecosystems, microbes, salinity, sedimentation and sedimentary rocks.

This is designed to be a stand-alone activity to be used after students have some basic knowledge of geologic time scale, photosynthesis, ecosystems, microbes, salinity, sedimentation and sedimentary rocks.

Activity Length

This activity involves free exploration so its duration is set by the teacher. Investigation of all the virtual field sites with embedded media which includes still images of the rock outcrops, videos and an interactive gigapixel images, can take a week of class time. We suggest using targeted sections of this self-guided VFT for specific learning outcomes.

In this self-guided VFT, students explore field sites at Shark Bay, Western Australia to look for living stromatolites (living rocks) formed by microbial communities that are modern analogs of the first life forms that evolved on Earth 3.5 billion years ago. The free exploration format of this VFT gives teachers the opportunity to design and customize activity goals to fit their curricula.

Suggested outcomes could include: 

Learning outcome #1: Describe what microbial mats are and how they can grow to form layered rocks called stromatolites. 

Learning outcome #2: Identify the pillar-like stromatolites and other types of microbial mats that are found at Shark Bay. 

Learning outcome #3: Recall how modern stromatolites can be used to study the oldest evidence of life preserved in rocks over 3.5 billion years old. 

Learning outcome #4: Explain why stromatolites are important in the search for life on other planets.

Learners explore the virtual environments and make observations of living stromatolites to help them understand what the earliest evidence of life looked like and why it can help the search for life on other worlds.

Making observations, identify patterns, providing evidence to support reasoning.

This activity is accessible at https://vft.asu.edu/ through the Center for Education Through eXploration (https://etx.asu.edu/) at Arizona State University. They build adaptive digital learning experiences for K-12 education that engage learners in virtual environments and bring Earth and space science to life.

Technology Needs

Real-time Internet access is required to view this VFT. We recommend the use of the browsers Google Chrome or Firefox for the best results. It is not optimized for viewing on mobile devices.

There are no embedded assessments associated with this self-guided VFT and it is up to the teacher to design an assessment tool to meet whatever learning outcomes they specify. Students can be asked to answer an essay question explaining some aspect of the VFT experience.