Human Origin Stories Assignment
Assignments to hand in: Notes on Origin Stories Illustrated Origin Story Comprehension Questions
Introduction: Many different cultures of human kind had their own versions of how they came to be. It's the age old question of who or what created us? Who was the first human on Earth? Primarily, religion has served this purpose for thousands of years. Jews, Christians, and Muslims all believe in the creation stories from the book of Genesis (Adam & Eve). Amazingly, the book of Genesis has two different stories about our origin (Read this EXCERPT from Don't Know Much About the Bible by Kenneth C. Davis) An even older religion, Hinduism, has several creation stories, one of which involves the Lord Vishnu. Out of this god's navel came another servant god, Brahma, who then created the Earth and the things that reside within it. (A short version of this story) The point is that humans have always searched for their origins and, probably, will continue to do so. This lesson introduces several creation stories from around the world.
Step 1: Creation Stories - Choose one of the following and answer the questions at the end of the story on lined paper. Also, fill out the Notes on Origin Stories graphic organizer.
Step 2: Illustrated Origin Story - On blank piece of paper, create a cartoon that illustrates this story and serves to answer the questions you answered at the end of the story. There MUST be at least 3 illustrations.
Step 3: Comprehension Questions - Read the other creation stories and answer the following questions on a lined sheet of paper:
What common elements can you identify in the origin stories?
What were some common themes among the origin stories? In what way did they differ?
Why do you think so many cultures have stories to explain human origins?
Besides using origin stories, are there other ways for humans to explain our origins? Explain.
Supplemental Video:
Mystic Lands: Australia: Dreamtime