Mass extinction

Okay kiddo, so you know how lots of animals and plants live on the planet Earth? They all have homes and food and friends. But sometimes, something really bad happens that makes it very hard for those animals and plants to survive. This is called a "mass extinction."

You see, there have been several times in Earth's history where something really big and scary happened that made lots and lots of animals and plants go away forever. Some people think that a really big asteroid hit the Earth a long time ago and caused the dinosaurs to go extinct.

Other times, there might be something like a big volcano that explodes and covers the whole area with thick smoke and ash. This can make it hard for animals and plants to breathe or get enough sunlight to grow.

Sometimes, people can cause a mass extinction too. If we cut down too many trees or pollute the air and water, animals and plants that rely on those things will have a hard time surviving.

Mass extinctions are a really sad thing, because it means we lose a lot of species that help make our planet special and unique. That's why it's important for us to take care of our planet and make sure we don't do anything to cause another one.