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Make Your Own Origin Myth: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 8

  • ForYear 8
  • StageKey Stage 3
  • CostFree
  • FormatPrintable PDF
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Make Your Own Origin Myth is a free printable RE worksheet for Year 8 (ages 12 to 13), in Key Stage 3. Children look at the features that origin stories from different traditions often share, tick the ones they plan to use, then write their own myth about a natural wonder.

It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages. Page 1 is for the young writer. Page 2 is for the grown-up and holds notes, help ideas, a stretch task and answers. Black and white printing works well.

What is on the sheet

Children read the text on the sheet, then use a checklist to plan their myth. The features to tick are a time before the wonder existed, a powerful being or beings who act, a struggle or change that shapes it, and a meaning the people can learn from it. Lines on the sheet give space to start writing. A notebook can hold the rest.

  • A time before the wonder existed
  • A powerful being or beings who act
  • A struggle or change that shapes it
  • A meaning the people can learn from it

What is an origin myth?

An origin myth is a traditional story that explains how something began. It might be the world, a people, or a part of nature such as a river, mountain or waterfall. In RE, the word myth does not mean a lie. It describes a story that carries deep meaning for the community that tells it.

Many traditions have origin stories, and they often share patterns. There may be a time before, powerful beings who act, a struggle or change, and a lesson for people. Spotting these patterns helps students compare traditions fairly and respectfully. It also gives them a clear plan when they write a myth of their own.

Facts about origin stories

  • People in many parts of the world have told stories about how things began.
  • Many origin stories were spoken and remembered for a long time before they were written down.
  • The word myth comes from a Greek word meaning story.
  • Some origin stories explain natural features, such as mountains, rivers and the sea.
  • For people who hold a tradition, its sacred stories can be deeply important, so we talk about them with respect.

Skills and curriculum link

  • Comparing traditions
  • Planning a myth
  • Reflective writing
  • Spotting shared features
  • Respectful RE vocabulary

Ideas to help you plan

  • Start with the wonderChoose a natural wonder you can picture clearly. The more detail you know about it, the easier it is to imagine how a story might explain it.
  • Make the being matterA powerful being should want something or care about something. Give them a name and a way of acting so readers can picture them.
  • Let something changeStories move when something goes wrong or shifts. Think about what pushes against the being, and how the wonder is shaped by it.
  • Finish with meaningAsk what people could learn from your myth. It might be about care, courage, respect or how people live with nature.

Key words

  • OriginThe place or time where something begins.
  • MythA traditional story that explains something important, such as how the world or a natural feature began.
  • TraditionBeliefs, stories and customs passed down over time in a group of people.
  • FeatureA part of something that helps you recognise it.
  • Natural wonderAn amazing part of nature, such as a mountain, river or waterfall.
  • ReflectThink carefully about what something means.

How to use it

  1. Print both pages. Page 1 is for the child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
  2. Read the text on page 1 together. Ask the child to say in their own words what an origin story tries to explain.
  3. Tick the features they plan to use, and talk about each choice before they start writing.
  4. Let them write the opening of their myth on the lines. Use a notebook if they need more room.
  5. Check against page 2, then ask them to read the myth aloud. Come back another day to add to it or improve it.

Help, stretch and game ideas

If it feels too hard

Choose a wonder you know well, such as a hill or a waterfall. Answer one question at a time. What was there before? Who acted? What changed? What can people learn? Write one sentence for each answer, then join them into a short opening.

To stretch confident children

Write a second paragraph that adds a struggle or change. Then compare your myth with one tradition from the text. Say which features you both used and one way your story is different. Give a reason for each point.

Make it a game

Take turns reading a myth aloud without naming the wonder. Listeners guess which wonder it is, then name the features they heard. Score a point for each correct guess and each feature spotted. Swap roles after each myth.

Mistakes to watch for

Watch forA child treats the word myth as meaning a false story, and the writing becomes a joke.

Try thisExplain that in RE a myth is a story that carries meaning for a community. Ask what the people in the story would want to teach.

Watch forThe myth is a list of events with no reason behind them.

Try thisAsk why each event happens. Link the struggle or change to the shape of the wonder so the story explains something.

Watch forThe child copies a story they know instead of making their own.

Try thisKeep the shared features but change the wonder, the beings and the meaning. Ask what is new in their version.

Talk about it

  • Why do you think people tell stories about how things began?
  • Which natural wonder would you choose, and why?
  • What is the difference between a story that explains and a story that entertains?
  • Why might a powerful being face a struggle in a myth?
  • What lesson would you want people to take from your myth?
  • How can we talk about other people's sacred stories respectfully?

Take it off the page

Story map

Draw a simple map of your wonder. Mark where each part of the myth happens, then use it to tell the story aloud.

Myth in pictures

Sketch the myth as a short comic strip with a few panels. Each panel shows one feature from your plan.

Family storytelling

Ask a family member to tell a story about how something began. Listen for a time before, a being who acts, a change and a meaning.

Who it is for

Parents

Sit with your child for the first go and let them lead. Ask about each tick and each choice. You do not need RE knowledge. Praise ideas and effort, and enjoy hearing the myth read aloud.

Teachers

Use it as a starter, a plenary, an early finisher task, supply cover, homework or a table activity. It needs only printing. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.

Home educators

Pair it with library books of myths from different traditions, a walk to a river or hill, and everyday talk. The sheet can be printed again for brothers and sisters or for revision later.

Where this fits in RE

Before this sheet, students meet stories and teachings from different religious and non religious traditions. They learn that stories can carry beliefs, values and ideas about the world, and that these deserve careful, respectful study.

After it, students can compare creation and origin accounts in more depth, ask what stories say about human life, and explain why people value them. They can also use the same planning approach to write about other themes in RE.

Questions parents and teachers ask

What age is Make Your Own Origin Myth for?

It is written for Year 8 (ages 12 to 13), in Key Stage 3. Younger or older students can also use it with support or extension, depending on their confidence with writing.

What will children practise?

Children practise comparing shared features of origin stories from different traditions. They then plan and write their own myth about a natural wonder, finishing with a meaning that people could learn from it.

How do I use it?

Read the text together, then tick the features the child plans to use. They write the opening of their myth on the lines, and use a notebook for more. Check page 2 afterwards.

What if it feels too hard?

Start smaller. Pick a wonder the child knows well and answer one question at a time about what came before, who acted, what changed and what people learn. Join the answers into a short opening.

Is it free?

Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or revision, and use it on its own or as part of a wider plan.

Can teachers use it in class?

Yes. It works as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.

Is it a screen free activity, and does it need colour?

Yes, it is screen free and needs only paper and a pencil. No colour is needed. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper, so it suits quiet time, rainy days and holidays.

Preview the full PDF

Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.

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