280 Planetary Exploration and Education: How We Learn About Our Solar System and Beyond

This session links how we teach and learn about the solar system to how we have gained that information (i.e., space missions). Descriptions of teaching activities/courses, and strategies for working with students are encouraged.

Wednesday, 22 October 2025
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
HBGCC, 214B

The Use of Microbialite and Fossil Samples to Introduce Astrobiology to K-12th Grade Students While Aligning with the Next Generation Science Standards

Paper number: 280-11
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 4:15 PM – 4:30 PM

Authors

Abstract

A challenge in K–12 science education has been incorporating topics that do not obviously align with the science standards into classroom activities. One such topic is astrobiology. Fortunately, astrobiology is an interdisciplinary field with various disciplines that can fit into the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Here we showcase an activity that uses fossils, rock samples, and roleplay to introduce basic concepts of geology and paleontology and their application in astrobiology to a rural K–12th grade school system. The activity’s learning goals are for students to apply the scientific method to identify the diversity of life within Earth’s history and to identify patterns in rock layers to support an explanation for changes in environments over time.

The activity has students roleplay as geologists tasked with interpreting rock samples from a Sample Return Mission from a Mars-like planet. We created a lacustrine rock sequence with a mix of sedimentary rocks and fossils that show changes in the environment. We selected a mix of obscure and easily recognizable invertebrate, microbialite, and trace fossils to showcase the diversity of life throughout Earth's history. The fossils are unprocessed, allowing students to develop their own interpretations. Students are tasked with creating a class scientific consensus on what environment each rock layer represents and which rocks have evidence for life. 

At the end of the activity, students learn what environment each group of samples represents and what each fossil is. Afterward, students learn how geologists use similar observations to reconstruct conditions on Earth billions of years ago, when life first evolved, and how astrobiologists use these same techniques to search for environments that could have supported microbial life billions of years ago on Mars. This activity was created with 3rd-5th grade students in mind but can be simplified for K-2nd grade students or expanded for middle and high school students.

Our activity has shown promising results, with the partnership of science educators and geoscientists, in engaging K-12th grade students with astrobiology research that the Perseverance rover and other space missions are conducting and inspiring them to continue learning about the geology and environment of their communities.

 

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 57, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-414437

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