From the mighty Cascade range to the Axial Seamount (a sub-marine volcano in the Pacific), students discover what makes the Pacific Northwest rock! In a fascinating exploration of the area’s geology, they learn how this region was shaped by amazing forces, and how to identify the rocks, minerals and substances that form our environment. As part of their exploration, students build a composite volcano and create earthquakes by igniting a three-staged volcanic eruption. They pan for gold using black sand samples, use a polarizing microscope to watch cooling “lava” crystals form in multi-color patterns and investigate the hidden beauty locked in undersea basalt and in “ordinary” black rock.