Dark matter and dark energy are two important things that play a big role in how our universe changes over time. Even though we don't fully understand them, scientists believe that dark matter makes up about 27% of the universe, while dark energy accounts for about 68%.

Dark Matter:

• Dark matter works like a cosmic glue that holds galaxies together.
• We can't see dark matter directly, but we can tell it’s there by how it affects things we can see. For example, the way galaxies spin shows that there is more mass than what we can actually see.
• If dark matter didn’t exist, galaxies wouldn’t have enough gravity to stay in shape.

Dark Energy:

• Dark energy is what makes the universe expand faster and faster.
• It acts against the force of gravity from normal matter.
• You can think of it like a kind of anti-gravity. For example, when we look at distant stars that explode (called supernovae), we see they are moving away from us quicker than we thought. This tells us that dark energy is at work.

In simple terms, dark matter helps create structures in the universe, while dark energy speeds up its expansion. Together, they make up about 95% of what the universe is made of, showing just how mysterious the cosmos really is.