Our volcano adventures started with Yellowstone, then Mt. Rainier and finally Mt. St. Helens.  Each volcano that we visited was completely different.  Yellowstone National Park sits on top of a huge caldera - what could be called an extreme volcano.  Throughout the park is evidence of what is brewing under the surface – geysers, mudpots, etc.  Mt. Rainier, on the other hand, looks so pristine and beautiful you would hardly recognize it as a volcano.  Then there’s Mt. St. Helens.  Its enormous eruption in 1980 left no question as to the true nature of this mountain.  The huge blast of rock, ash and hot gases devastated an area of about 230 square miles north of the volcano.  Scientists have calculated the blast started at about 220 miles per hour but increased to about 670 miles per hour and was heard as far away as Montana, Idaho, Canada and California.  Amazing.  Don’t miss the project on stratigraphy that relates to volcanoes.  It takes the basic baking soda and vinegar volcano to the next level.  My kids loved it.  I bet yours will too.

Our second theme, mammals, kept cropping up everywhere!  First in Yellowstone, where we saw elk, mule deer, bison and a bear, then in Seattle where we went whale watching, and even on Mt. Rainier where we saw marmots and more deer.  What was great was how close we were able to get to these animals.  20 feet from an elk.  2 feet from a bison (that was a bit scary – glad we were in the car).  4 feet from a deer.  6 feet from a marmot.  None of them were afraid of us.  It was almost like being in Eden.  In honor of these magnificent mammals, we’ve included a fun and informative lesson plan for you and your kids.