Discuss with students your own ideas of how life arose on earth, especially how they have changed throughout your life. Then ask specific students about their beliefs. The key here is to acknowledge beliefs, not to downplay them. You may find this to be quite an interesting and lively discussion, especially if your students are culturally diverse. (You may also find that some students have never considered this topic.)

Extraterrestrial Life

We've all watched science fiction movies about creatures from other planets (for example, E.T. The Extraterrestrial, Star Trek, Star Wars). Ask students for their opinions of these or other movies, and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Then discuss with your students the real possibilities of traveling very vast distances through outerspace to find other living creatures.