Are you ready to go back in time? In this activity we will be revealing the key role of volcanoes in the origins of life on Earth and we will be acting as scientists, following the evolutionary trail. We will be looking at cells under a microscope and discovering the differences between animal and plant cells. This experiment shows how photosynthesis brought about the changes that made life as we know it possible. We will then investigate fossils that show the evolution of different species in the animal kingdom and see how volcanoes have influenced numerous extinctions. We will finally be extracting our own DNA, the key to evolution itself!

What colors do we find in nature? We observe our environment to discover them, reveal how natural pigments were extracted in the past and we will experiment to extract our pigments from fruits and vegetables. Then, we will see paintings of volcanic landscapes made by renowned artists from La Garrotxa and we will become artists to make a work of art with our natural paints. An activity where science and art go hand in hand.

You’ll feel what it is to be a volcanologist, to discover through experimentation, what a volcano is like, its different parts and that not all volcanoes are the same. You’ll then get the chance to create your own volcano and make it erupt. After that we’ll be looking at a traditional drystone wall, and we’ll play with creating constructions from volcanic materials, just like the people of La Garrotxa did, many years ago; the idea is to show the close relationship between volcanoes and people that has formed part of this region’s identity.