Preschool geology

Somewhere, DS1 picked up that fact that some islands are made by oceanic volcanos. He told me this fact on the way home from school sometime last week. I told him, yes, that's how Hawai`i formed. So our morning conversation in the car went something like this.

DS1: "There are lots of states. But Hawai`i isn't one."

Astra: "Yes it is! The state of Hawai`i is made up of a bunch of little islands."

"Oh. Do they use bridges to get across?"

"No, they are much too far apart to use bridges. They use airplanes to get from one island to another."

"Why do they use airplanes?"

"Because they are too far apart to use bridges."

...

DS1: "Why is Hawai`i a lot of little islands?"

Astra: "Because there's magma plume deep in the Earth's mantle, and where it meets the surface it forms a volcano and forms an island. But the crust moves, and as it moves over the plume, a new volcano forms, and you get a chain of islands."

DS1: !!!


And so I found myself trying to explain plate techtonics to my four-year old son while dodging DC rush hour traffic.


Astra: "Do you know the names of the oceans?"

DS1: "No. But I know the continents! They're in the song: (singing) North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia. Don't forget Australia, don't forget Antarctica."

Astra: "Well, there's a big ocean betweeen the Americas and Asia called the Pacific Ocean."

DS1: "Well there's a song about the continents! (singing again) North America..."


I'm impressed that he knows so much about world geography already. And pleased that he's got the curiosity to ask questions about everything. But darn it, can't he ask me when we're at home so I can grab the globe and show him things instead of while I'm trying to drive??