1.2 Origin Stories

  • 1 Video
  • 3 Activities
  • 10 Articles

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Introduction

Origin stories are the emphasis of this lesson. Big History focuses on the modern, scientific origin story of how the world got to be the way it is. Even though this particular origin story is the start of Big History, it’s important to recognize that many different types of origin stories exist. Some are thousands of years old and some are newer. They come from varying cultures and religions, but one theme runs through all of them: It seems that all humans are interested in understanding their origin to some degree. In this lesson, you’ll first use Universe Verse to introduce your students to the modern, scientific origin story of the Big Bang. Then, your class will investigate a variety of origin stories in groups. You’ll also read about the origin stories from a number of different cultures.

More about this lesson

  1. Define the key course theme of origin stories.
  2. Explain the features of origin stories that Big History shares with traditional origin stories.
Video

Big Questions – H2

Vocab Terms:

  • cosmos
  • fundamental
  • Neanderthal
  • originate
  • turning point

Summary

Big History allows us to ask really big questions about the Universe and our place in it. Historical and scientific discoveries help us answer these questions.

Big Questions – H2 (1:54)

Purpose

This Big History video will give you a good idea of what we mean when we say Big History asks and attempts to answer the “big questions” about the beginning of life and even the meaning of life itself.

Process

Preview

This Big History video asks the big questions about the beginning of life and even the meaning of life itself.

Understanding Content

This video is quite short so you will watch it all the way through without stopping!

Thinking Conceptually

What are some of the big questions that you have? What do you think it means to be human? How does modern science help you think about these questions? Use the Discussion Quick Guide to help you prepare to talk about your answers as a class.

Activity

Introduction to Origin Stories

Vocab Terms:

  • atom
  • climate
  • culture
  • element
  • ethnologist
  • fossil fuel
  • literate
  • matter
  • oral tradition
  • origin story
  • ozone layer
  • pillar
  • star
  • symbol

Preparation

Activity
Article
Article

Purpose

This activity has two purposes: First, you’ll start to become familiar with a very deliberate reading process that you’ll use throughout the Big History course. This will not only help you understand the readings for this course, but the skills you learn will also transfer to other classes. Second, you will become familiar with the idea of an origin story. Cultures around the world have their own origin stories, ways in which they believe and describe how the Universe came to be. It’s important that you understand that all origin stories should be respected, as they often relate to people’s cultures and beliefs. Big History is another one of these origin stories. Specifically, it is what many consider a modern, scientific origin story.

Process

Start by filling in the sections on the Origin Stories Comparison Worksheet using the information from the “Modern Scientific” article. Use the Three Close Reads process if your teacher suggests doing so - this will help you to better understand the article. You’ll fill in the rest of the chart when you get to the rest of the Origin Stories.

Activity

Origin Stories Article Collection

Vocab Terms:

  • ancestor
  • bless
  • castrate
  • chaos
  • chief
  • compromise
  • consort
  • council
  • court
  • creation
  • dawn
  • divine
  • diviner
  • dome
  • farm
  • fate
  • fertile
  • fertilize
  • field
  • forbidden
  • genesis
  • govern
  • harvest
  • imprisonment
  • island
  • livestock
  • maker
  • marrow
  • memory
  • mortal
  • nurture
  • prophecy
  • reed
  • root
  • sprout
  • surpass
  • vegetation
  • volunteer
  • worship
  • yin and yang

Preparation

Activity
Article
Article
Article
Article
Article
Article
Article

Purpose

These origin stories are important for a number of reasons: They’re entertaining, instructive, and also useful, because they help us better understand the kinds of questions that origin stories answer and the motivations of humans in asking these types of questions.

Process

Your teacher will assign you to a group and assign your group an origin story to read. You should read your group’s story and then discuss the story with your group members to come to a consensus about what information to put on the Origin Story Comparison Worksheet. Once all the groups have finished, you’ll walk around the room and fill in the other sections of the worksheet based on the findings of the other groups.

Look carefully at the information you’ve recorded on your worksheet. Are there any significant similarities or differences among the stories that leap out at you? Does the information you’ve written on your worksheet provide any insight into the reasons why people create origin stories?

Be prepared to share your thoughts with the class.

Article

“Cosmology and Faith”

Vocab Terms:

  • coherence
  • connection
  • myth
  • narrative
  • religious

Preparation

Article
Activity

Summary

In Big History, questions of science and faith will recur at many points when discussing the origins of the Universe, the origins of the Earth, and the origins of life. Faith will play a big role in the story of collective learning, so the issue will be of particular importance in the story of agrarian civilizations.

Purpose

This reading offers a chance for you to think about the philosophical and moral implications behind having various origin stories in our lives, and how we might think about the conflicts that arise from having different stories. It also helps you consider if and how you might reconcile those differences.

Process

Before you dive into the article, your teacher will introduce you to the Big History approach to reading. You’ll discuss this approach as a class. Then, you’ll use the Three Close Reads Worksheet to remind you of the process as you read.

Skimming for Gist

Fill out the Skimming for Gist section of the worksheet as you do your first close read.

Understanding Content

By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:

  1. According to Haught, why have humans always exhibited a desire to understand the origin of things?
  2. Haught also argues that humans have a need for narrative coherence. What does he mean by this?
  3. What distinction does Haught make between the “visible world” and the “really real world?”
  4. According to Haught, how does religion try to overcome this division between the visible and really real worlds?
  5. According to Haught, what are three ways that a person might think about how science and faith relate to each other?

Thinking Conceptually

At the end of the third close read, respond to this question: Think about the conflict, contrast, and convergence ideas that were presented in the Haught article—what do you think makes the most sense and how can you logically argue for your side?