Two ways of telling how things began

A made-up creation story: Long ago, the world was quiet and bare. The Sun warmed the soil, and the rain woke tiny seeds. The seeds grew into plants that brought colour and food to the world. People may tell stories like this to share beliefs, values or ideas about how life began. A science account: Scientists think the first plants on Earth were very simple. Over a very long time, plants changed. Fossils—remains or marks of ancient living things preserved in rock—give scientists clues about plants from the past. Scientists use evidence to build and check explanations.