Why is this the answer?

The answer is glass because this clever riddle tells the secret story of how glass is made and what it is like. The riddle gives us three wonderful clues that help us solve this amazing mystery about a very common object. Let's look closely at the first clue: "Born of earth, but with none of its strength." When the riddle says glass is "born of earth," it means the main ingredient is a very common material called silica, which is the tiny grains you find in ordinary sand. Sand comes from the earth, like the tiny rocks you find at the beach or in the desert. However, once that sand is made into a sheet of glass, it is very fragile. Glass can easily break or shatter, which means it is not strong like the solid earth or a big rock. So, glass keeps the connection to the earth where it started, but it becomes very delicate and has "none of its strength." This is a tricky way of describing how glass is made from something strong but ends up being fragile. The second clue talks about fire: "Molded by flame, but with none of its power." To turn that ordinary sand into clear, shiny glass, people have to heat the sand up in a giant oven to super high temperatures until it melts into a thick liquid. This intense heat is the "flame" or fire that molds the glass. Fire has great power because it can burn, create light, and keep things warm. But once the glass is taken out of the oven and cools down, it is completely harmless and cold. It has been shaped by the heat, but it does not have the warmth or power of the fire anymore. You can hold a glass window or cup and feel no heat at all. Finally, the word "Shaped" is the last, simple clue. When glass is hot and soft like putty, people called glassblowers can easily twist, turn, and shape it into all sorts of useful objects. It can be made into a flat window so you can see outside, a round drinking cup, or a colorful bead for jewelry. It is shaped into its final, cool form by human hands. That is why glass is the perfect answer because it connects to the earth and fire, but it is a cool, fragile, and useful object in our homes and classrooms.