The Great Journey of Gondwana

From One Land to Many, The Timeless Journey of Gondwana

A long time ago, before there were countries and continents as we know them today, Earth had a single huge landmass called Gondwana! Imagine it as a giant puzzle piece, home to dinosaurs, lush green vegetation and strange creatures.

Gondwana wasn’t just an ordinary piece of land – it was enormous! It included what we today know as South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia and India. There were no oceans separating these places – it was one big, happy landmass.

As time passed, something magical (and scientific) happened! The Earth’s surface, made of big pieces called tectonic plates, started moving very slowly – like a snail, due to powerful forces at work deep inside the Earth.

As the Gondwana’s slow-motion dance continued, it was like watching a giant puzzle slowly come apart and each piece finding its own path:

• South America drifted westward, forming the Atlantic Ocean between itself and the African continent.

• Africa moved north towards Europe, and our India broke away at a surprising speed, travelling northward and eventually colliding with Asia, creating the mighty Himalayas. 

• Australia gently slid to the southeast, and Antarctica drifted to the south pole, transforming into a frozen wonderland! 

• As these landmasses separated, the oceans we know today began to take shape. The Indian Ocean filled the gap left by India’s journey, the Atlantic widened, and the Pacific remained vast and deep.

Surprisingly, though these lands drifted far apart, they carried the memories of their time together – shared fossils, similar plants, and even the shape of their coastlines, which fit together like a piece of puzzle.

Some of the fossils found in Antarctica tell us stories about its green, fostered past, reminding us of a time when they were one.

Gondwana’s journey is far from over. Even today, the continents continue to drift, ever so slowly, in their endless dance. It’s a story written by Earth itself – a story of change, connection and the unstoppable power of nature!

This engaging write-up is a submission from Ms. Simran Arora, a social studies teacher at Homerton Grammar School, which provides child-friendly news to its students through Newsahoot.