In this article, the author presents an investigative approach to "understanding Earth changes." The author states that students were familiar with earthquakes and volcanoes in other regions of the world but never considered how the land beneath their feet had experienced changes over time. Here, their geology unit helped them understand and experience the changing nature of the Earth and the place where they live firsthand. The author and her students approached the topic through in-class opportunities and field experiences with community experts. The hands-on experiments showed students about the forces that shaped the land where people live. Then, to help students place their newly acquired understandings into the context of the real world, they took a full-day field trip to view evidence of changes to their local landscape along with a geology expert from the University of Rhode Island geology department as a guide. The field trip and geology expert brought the subject to life for students. Students were able to work with a person in the field and see the application of what they are studying in authentic situations. (Contains 7 resources.)