Name:
___________________________________
Teacher:
___________________________________
Class:
___________________________________
Date:
___________________________________
Introduction to Creation Myths PowerPoint Notes

Innate in human nature is the drive to ________________. Chief among these
explorations is the desire to explain the origin of __________, _______________,
__________________, _________________, and other
________________________________________________.

In an effort to explain these origins, early man invented __________________ which
made sense in regard to his specific ____________________ and
______________________.

These stories are known today as “_______________________________.”

Interestingly, Creation Myths from around the world often share many similar
__________________.

It is important to remember, however, that these similarities have been attributed by
modern ________________________, not the ___________________ of the stories.

Therefore, individual myths cannot be expected to _________________ exactly to
modern ____________________________________.

Rather, each creation myth will likely contain several common thematic features.

We will attempt to explore these interesting __________________, while also
observing any obvious _______________________________.

Common Elements: _________________
o Egg

Often a jumbled mass of components which serve as the first elements of
life



Childbirth

Male or Female gods give birth to children

Natural

Unusual
Common Elements: _______________________

Very common in many world cultures

Mother usually earth

Life emerges from earth/womb

Father usually sky

Sense of unity created (marriage)
Common Elements: _________________________
o The first god born did not always create the world.
o Often, his or her children decided to fill the world with life.
o The parents’ work was finished by the child.

Common Elements: _______________________
o Most cultures revered a pantheon of supreme beings (polytheistic)
o Some cultures revered a single creator (monotheistic)

Common Elements: _______________________
o Many stories allude to a time when the earth was covered by water
o many myths feature a creature diving into the water to retrieve some earth to
grow and form the Earth

Common Elements: ______________________
o Animals played key roles in many Creation Myths
o often viewed as equal to humans
o often reflect feelings of culture for animals

Common Elements: _______________________________
o In the creation myths of many cultures, darkness represents fear
o the setting of the sun brought on fear and chaos
o this fear and chaos was sometimes represented as fire

Common Elements: _____________________________________
o Many creation myths consist of at least one of these elements
o The consequence is often what causes pain, hunger, disease, and all other evils
which plague the earth

Common Elements: _________________________________
o Created by a god or supernatural being
o Establishes:
o a connection between human beings and the supernatural world
o the place of humans in the hierarchy of life in the universe (below gods, above
animals)

Common Elements: ___________________________________
o Many legends offer explanations for the formation of mountains, valleys, oceans,
rivers, etc.

Common Elements: _____________________________________
o Almost all creation stories account for the existence of the forms of life that
inhabit the planet.
o May also explain the physical characteristics of the animals.


Overview
Much like our distant __________________, we strive to uncover our origins and
determine our place in the ______________________.

Scientists advance new _________________ each year on the origin of the universe

For some, ______________________________ serves as a basis for creation stories

For others, deeply rooted ____________________________ remain the cornerstone in
their own theories
Name:
___________________________________
Teacher:
___________________________________
Class:
___________________________________
Date:
___________________________________
Creation Myth Annotation Log
Directions: Look back at your creation myth and identify any of the common elements below.
Provide a direct quote, detail, or summary as appropriate. Find as many examples as you can,
even if your myth may not include all of the common elements we discussed in class. (L.F.1.3.2,
L.F.2.2.3)
Common
Element
Birth
Mother and
Father
Genealogy
Supreme Beings
Details, Quotes, Summaries from Myth
Earth-Diver
(water)
Animal/Human
Relationships
Night, Fear, Fire,
and Sin
An Instruction,
a Sin, and
the Consequence
Creation of Man
Geographical
Features
Lesser Creatures
Mark the location of your creation myth here:
Name:
___________________________________
Teacher:
___________________________________
Class:
___________________________________
Date:
___________________________________
Creation Myth Plot Outline and Summary
Directions: Complete the plot on this page first to plan your summary. Then write your
summary on a separate sheet of paper. The last sentence of your summary should be the
moral of the creation myth. (L.F.1.3.1-2, L.F.2.3.3)
Animoto Movie Trailers: Planning Worksheet
You will be creating a movie trailer for your creation myth using animoto, which you will
present it to the class. This worksheet contains the text that you will enter into your film trailer,
and it MUST BE APPROVED before you can start your animoto project.
Include the title of your myth and the location at the start of your animoto trailer:
Title:___________________________________________
Specific Location: ___________________ Continent: ____________________
Summary: In the space below, use you plot chart to summarize the exposition through
climax of your creation myth. Be as concise as possible while including key details:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Themes: Identify at least three themes in your creation myth that you will include in your
animoto. For example: family, loyalty, love, betrayal, jealousy, etc.
________________ ________________
________________
Moral: In the space below, write the moral of your creation myth in sentence form.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Using the themes and morals you identified, what questions can you ask that would appeal
to a universal audience? For example: What would you do for…love, family, your
homeland, etc.? These will be your “hooks” or “teasers”. They MUST be in question form.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Since animoto limits the amount you can type, you will have to figure out a way to get your
messages and questions across concisely. Look over your answers. How can you appeal to your
audience when you must be concise? Do some words invoke emotional responses more so than
others?
Teacher Approval: _____
Reflection
Complete AFTER your animoto is finished and BEFORE you present. This is the portion
you will present verbally.
1. How does your music soundtrack establish an appropriate tone for the
setting, culture or conflict of the story OR how do the musical lyrics connect
to the story’s plot or theme?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. What values does your creation myth reflect about the place and culture that
it originates from?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3. What qualities do the characters embody that are considered good or bad in
their culture and time period?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4. Is our modern cultural perception of good and bad the same as theirs?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Digital Storytelling: Creation Myth Animoto Movie Trailer
CATEGORY 4
3
2
1
Images
Images represent all
elements of the plot
chart, creating a
complete, clear visual
storyline.
Images represent most
elements of the plot chart,
creating a mostly
complete and clear visual
storyline.
Images represent some
elements of the plot chart,
creating a partially
complete visual storyline
that may be difficult to
follow in areas.
Images represent minimal
elements of the plot chart,
creating an incomplete visual
storyline that may be difficult
to follow in many areas.
Textual
Evidence
All of the required text
from the planning
worksheet is
represented in the
animoto trailer.
Most of the required text
from the planning
worksheet is represented
in the animoto trailer.
Some of the required text
from the planning
worksheet is represented
in the animoto trailer.
The required text from the
planning worksheet is
minimally represented in the
animoto trailer.
Music
The presenters make a
strong, clear
connection that
explains how the lyrics
in the chosen music
complement the plot or
theme OR how the
music establishes a
tone that appropriately
complements the
setting, culture or
conflict in the story.
The presenters make a
connection that explains
how the lyrics in the
chosen music complement
the plot or theme OR how
the music establishes a
tone that appropriately
complements the setting,
culture or conflict in the
story, but the connection
is somewhat unclear.
The presenters attempt to
explain how the lyrics in
the chosen music
complement the plot or
theme OR how the music
establishes a tone that
appropriately
complements the setting,
culture or conflict in the
story, but the connection
is not clearly stated.
The presenters do not explain
how the lyrics in the chosen
music complement the plot or
theme OR how the music
establishes a tone that
appropriately complements
the setting, culture or conflict
in the story.
Reflection
The presenters address
all components of the
reflection worksheet
(questions 2-4); they
reflect on the values
and characterization
reflected in their myth
and conclude with a
comparison to modern
perceptions.
The presenters address
two out of the three
components of the
reflection worksheet.
The presenters address
one out of the three
components of the
reflection worksheet.
The presenters attempt to
address the reflection portion
of the worksheet, but do not
clearly answer any of the
components completely.
Score: _________/16 x 4 = 64 points
Name:
___________________________________
Teacher:
___________________________________
Class:
___________________________________
Date:
___________________________________
Creation Myth Unit Notes for Presentations
Common
Element
Birth
Mother and
Father
Genealogy
Supreme Beings
Earth-Diver
(water)
Examples from Presentations
Animal/Human
Relationships
Night, Fear, Fire,
and Sin
An Instruction,
a Sin, and
the Consequence
Creation of Man
Geographical
Features
Lesser Creatures
ELA 10 Creation Myths Constructed Response
READ THE ENTIRE PROMPT CAREFULLY
Choose ONE of the following essential questions that we have explored in this unit and write a
constructed response analyzing the fairy tales we have studied. This is worth 30 formal
assessment points:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What purpose do creation myths serve?
Why might so many creation myths share so many similar elements?
Why does every culture seem to have a creation myth?
How do creation myths reflect a society’s values and beliefs?
How do creation myths allow a society to pass on its values and beliefs?
You will be graded using the following rubric:
Open-Ended Response Breakdown: A Three Step Process
1. Topic Sentence: Restate question and add your statement/answer
2. Evidence from passage: Quote a passage as evidence for your thesis/Add supporting details
This can be multiple sentences/paragraphs
3. Concluding Statement: Summarize the main idea of your response
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Score: ____/30