Have you ever wondered how the United States got its shape? Or why the Appalachian Mountains are older than the Rocky Mountains? Or why we have active volcanoes in Hawaii and Alaska? Or why most of the earthquakes occur along the West Coast, but some happen here in Virginia? Geology provides the answers! In this class, you will learn about Earth as a dynamic system, specifically: 1) How the Earth developed from the beginning of the solar system and how plate tectonics was a natural continuation of that process; 2) How minerals and rocks are created at different places, 3) How plate tectonics created the surface features we see on the Earth today and continues to affect our daily lives. We will look at examples of these concepts in North America, the US, and right here in Virginia. The class will include lectures with videos and simulations to illustrate topics, plus in-class, small-group ‘lab’ activities and exercises (e.g., mineral and rock identification, map interpretation, specific geological events, etc.), and a field trip to a Mineral Museum.