Brains On! Smash: When Continents Collide!

How are mountains made? What causes an earthquake? How does hot lava come bubbling up? The answer in each case is…tectonic plates!

These are giant, moving slabs of rock covering the Earth’s surface. When they slide past or smash into each other it shakes the planet. But, they also helped shape the land we live on.

Find out how they work with an extreme cooking demonstration (you’ll never see peanut M&Ms the same way).

Meet the scientist who thought long ago all the continents were smushed together in a super-continent (spoiler: he was right!). Plus an interview with a USGS scientist about what our planet might look like in a million years.

All that plus a mystery sound and a Moment of Um about stinky breath. Listen up and rock on!

Brains On! is an award-winning audio show for kids and families from American Public Media.


Science Topics
Geology, Seismology
K-6, Middle School
4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade

What are you looking for?

Organization

Brains On!

Website URL

Type of Resource

Podcast

Assigned Categories