Origin Stories
The origin stories of humankind remain shrouded in mystery, as much the realm of myth as traditional historiography. Delve into creation stories from around the world with your students to learn how humans have sought to know themselves, and the common threads that bind us to those at the dawn of history will be revealed.
Teaching This Topic
Comparison
Through the exploration of origin stories, students develop the fundamental historical thinking skill of compare and contrast.
Unknowns Podcast Episode 4: “Origin Stories”
Explore global origin stories with historian David Christian and research fellow Lynne Kelly who probe how ancient narratives connect us.
Blog: Scale Switching, Frames, Origin Stories
Use origin stories, scale-switching activities, and thinking frames to help students connect their own lives to history.
Origin Stories Using Puppets and Dioramas
Check out teachers’ ideas for bringing origin stories off the page and into 3D.
Featured Materials
Comparing Origin Stories
Activity
Comparing Origin Stories
What similarities can you find between different origin stories? Time to choose your own origin story adventure and compare it with the Big History story.
Big History Origin Story
Article
Big History Origin Story
In the beginning, as far as we know, there was nothing. So how did all of this get here? Big History pulls together evidence from many disciplines to explain our history.
Māori Origin Story
Article
Māori Origin Story
The Indigenous people of Aotearoa (New Zealand) tell a story focused on the divine family of the sky who are eventually separated to allow light into the world.
Materials
Maya Origin Story
Article
Maya Origin Story
The Maya tell a story about how the gods created the first humans through a series of trials and errors.
Chinese Origin Story
Article
Chinese Origin Story
The world began with a chaos-filled egg that housed Pan Gu. When he died, his body morphed into the Earth and heavens.
Draw Your Origin Story
Activity
Draw Your Origin Story
What does your origin story have in common with the other origin stories you read? Time to compare these stories and consider how your origin story changes when you extend the scale.