Origins of the Universe | Wolfingers Classroom

ChatGPT Image Jul 30, 2026, 03_33_09 AM.png

UNIT 0
Origins of the Universe & The Historians Workshop

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

How do people explain beginnings?
What counts as evidence for claims about the distant past?
How does changing scale change the story we tell?
How can we respect cultural origin stories while understanding the difference between scientific and cultural evidence?
How do historians and world studies scholars decide whether a source is useful for a particular question?

UNIT OVERVIEW

In this unit, you will explore how people have explained beginnings, from the Big Bang and the formation of Earth to geologic time, early life, and cultural creation stories. You will practice the core skills of World Studies by asking questions, analyzing sources, building timelines, using evidence, and discussing ideas respectfully. By the end of the unit, you will create an Origins Evidence Exhibit that shows how evidence, scale, and culture shape the way we understand where everything came from.

AT A GLANCE

In this unit you will....

Ask and investigate big questions about beginnings, evidence, and how we know what happened in the distant past.
Explain the origins of the universe and Earth using chronology, scale, and scientific evidence.
Analyze different origin explanations by comparing scientific accounts and cultural creation stories respectfully.
Communicate a defensible claim through an Origins Evidence Exhibit using evidence, reasoning, source analysis, and reflection.

UNIT ASSESSMENTS

QUIZ 0A - Day 3
QUIZ 0B - Day 7
QUIZ 0C - Day 10
QUIZ 0D - Day 12

PREFORMANCE TASK: Origins Evidence Exhibit

Goal: Construct a defensible answer to the compelling question: How do people explain beginnings, and what counts as evidence for claims about the distant past?
Role: World Studies scholar and museum exhibit designer.
Audience: Classmates, future Grade 9 World Studies students, and the school community.
Product: Exhibit panel, slide deck, poster, or written CEA explanation with a scaled timeline, scientific evidence explanation, creation narrative comparison, and reflection.
Required evidence: at least three major events from cosmic/Earth history in sequence; at least two pieces of scientific evidence; at least one creation narrative analyzed as a cultural source; a clear distinction between scientific and cultural source purposes.
Success: accurate chronology, relevant evidence, clear sourcing, respectful comparison, explained reasoning, source limitation, and clear communication.

WOLFPACK WISDOM

The journey begins when the Wolfpack lifts its eyes to the horizon. We do not walk alone, and we do not turn back from the unknown... We move with courage, curiosity, and purpose toward what we are ready to discover.

Unit Plan