SEE THE WORLD IN THE HEART OF TIMES SQUARE 1 Educators Resource Guide Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square is the largest Ripley’s museum attraction in North America. It features a collection of over 500 remarkable objects from all over the world as well as amazing interactive exhibits that are sure to make your students say “WOW!” A number of the displays featured in Ripley’s Times Square showcase what inspired Ripley’s renowned cartoons, books, radio broadcasts, television series and one of the most famous phrases in history – “Believe It or Not!” In this packet, you will find: ✓ At The Odditorium: An overview of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square ✓ With Your Students: Frequently Asked Questions ✓ In the Classroom: Ripley’s Ramble ‘Round the World, a Middle School Lesson Plan ✓ Make a Connection: New York State Learning Standards ✓ More to Come: Believe it or Not! ✓ Ripley’s Fun & Games: Ripley’s Riddles, The Search is On, Explore & Learn ✓ Make a Plan: School Group Order Form 2 At Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square, students of all ages immerse themselves in the unusual, the unexpected, and the unbelievable. From understanding diversity (embrace your “Inner Odd”) to exploring the unexplainable through science, and discovering the extreme genetics of nature, a field trip to Ripley’s is more educational than you might expect. Ripley’s will awe your class with amazing displays of eccentric art, meticulously detailed sculptures constructed from used car parts, and extraordinary animals that greet you as you walk through Ripley’s Courtyard. As a teacher, you’ll be astonished by how much your students appreciate the eccentricity of Ripley’s passion and the amazing oddities featured in the museum. This unimaginable collection is the ideal setting for your class to experience the most remarkable feats of science, history, artistry, and humanity in a way that is fun, engaging, and a perfect complement to your daily instruction. It’s STEAM learning in the most unbelievable way. As you tour through over 20 themed galleries spanning two floors, you and your students will discover new surprises at almost every turn. Believe it or not, Ripley’s is oddly educational! 3 In preparation for your class visit to Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square, your students may have some questions about what they can expect on this unexpected field trip. • Who is Robert Ripley? Robert L. Ripley was a cartoonist, explorer, reporter, and collector who traveled to 201 countries in 35 years seeking the odd, the unusual, and the unexplained. He led a life of adventure and excitement and will forever be remembered for coining the phrase “believe it or not.” • Why did he collect so many weird things? In his search for far-fetched stories to draw in his popular newspaper cartoons, Ripley acquired hundreds of exotic artifacts from around the world. He introduced his readers to incredible characters: sword swallowers, people who ate glass, a man who nailed his tongue to a piece of wood, a woman missing the lower half of her body. He sketched men with horns on their heads, a child cyclops, an armless golfer, and a fork-tongued woman. There were fish that climbed trees, wingless birds, four-legged chickens, and peg-legged cows. He loved quirks of language, word puzzles, palindromes, and number problems. Ripley first shared his unique collection at the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago in an exhibit he called an “Odditorium.” • What are some of the cool things we will see? With over 500 astounding exhibits, you are bound to find something you have never seen before. How about 15 authentic shrunken heads or a massive gorilla made from 5,000 pounds of car tires? There’s a 2,500 year old mummified human hand, 300 strands of Abraham Lincoln’s hair, coal from the Titanic – and so much more! • Can we take selfies? Check with your teacher about bringing your phone with you on your field trip. There are amazing photo opportunities you won’t find anywhere else! Post a picture of yourself as half a person, or covered by live cockroaches, or even hanging off the top of the Empire State building! Be sure to share them with us: #ripleysNY @ripleysNY • What am I going to learn by studying all of this crazy stuff? Pick a school subject and you will find a surprising connection in the galleries at Ripley’s Time Square. Here are a few: Math: measurements, converting units (heights and weights), scale for models (micro-miniatures, Spanish Armada in matchsticks) Art: mixed media, found art (dog hair painting, postal stamp collage, keyboard Darth Vader, scrap metal Captain America) Science: genetics (albino giraffe, two-headed calf, methemoglobinemia), paleontology (megalodon, prehistoric fish), Earth Science (meteorite, fulgurite) Technology: evolution of media technology (radio to TV), changes in transportation, Vitaphone sound system for films History: New York City, sports/baseball, the Great Depression, Titanic, WWII, Napoleon 4 Social Studies, Mathematics, English Language Arts Primary Sources, Geography, World History, Ratios, the Number System, Literacy in History, Informational Reading Middle School Lesson Plan: Ripley’s Ramble ’Round the World Teacher Instructions Robert Ripley (1890-1949) was the media train trip between the Atlantic and pioneer of his time. He drew thousands of Pacific Oceans. Students will read an cartoons syndicated in newspapers excerpt promoting this world cruise and around the world, starred in numerous answer questions about the trip and its radio shows, hosted early short “talkie” ports of call in Part 1. movies, and even had his own weekly television show. At a time when world In the age of imperialism, powerful travel was an expensive and extensive nations raced to establish as many undertaking, Ripley allowed his fans to colonies around the world as possible. As see places they never would otherwise. foreign governments, businesses, and languages took hold, place names Ripley’s ability to draw, his love of travel, changed often. For example, Port and his endless curiosity provided him a Arthur, one of the Laconia’s stops in Asia, lifetime of opportunities to see the world. was named for William Arthur, a In 1914, he took his first trip to Europe. Six lieutenant in the British Navy who years later, he returned to cover the 1920 surveyed the area in 1860. After Olympics as a sports reporter for the New changing hands several times among York Globe. In December of 1922, he set China, Japan, and Russia in the early 20th sail on the Laconia for a world cruise that century, it is now known as the Lüshunkou brought him to Asia for the first time. District in China. Along the way, he sent in dispatches from every stop, which were then During his lifetime of travel, Ripley visited published in a syndicated newspaper places that are now known by different series called “Ripley’s Ramble ‘Round names. After World War II, many the World.” countries in Asia and Africa changed their names when they gained Many of Ripley’s “Believe It or Not!” independence from European countries. claims were true due to technicalities or In Part 2, your students will match a list of the specific words he used. For example, historic locations to their modern English his statement in 1927 that Charles place names. Lindbergh was the 67th person, and not the first, to fly across the Atlantic Ocean Ripley often broadcast his “Believe It or is true because Ripley left out the word Not!” radio show live from places like the “solo” in his claim. Others had made the bottom of the Grand Canyon, the North transatlantic flight, beginning in 1919, but Pole, in a shark tank, and while skydiving. Lindbergh was the first to do it alone. Imagine what Ripley would do in today’s world of travel blogs, reality TV, and An advertisement for the Laconia’s trip, social media! In Part 3, students will featured in Part 1 below, is worthy of create a series of modern-day tweets, as Ripley’s semantics. This 1922-1923 Robert Ripley might have, describing voyage is often described as the first some of the objects on display at Ripley’s world5 cruise since Magellan set out in Believe It or Not! Time Square. 1519. True? Yes, prior to the Laconia, world cruises included a transcontinental Part 1 1. Nov. 21, 2011; March 2. (a.) 230.77 miles per day, (b.) 9.62 mph, (c.) 8.37 knots 3. 1:14 4. San Francisco 5. 1959 6. Tsing-Tao (Shantung) 7. 2 canals: Panama Canal connects the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean, Suez Canal connects the Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea. 8. Europe 9. Asia. Answers will vary but students might note that Asia was not as well known to Westerners as other continents at that time. Perhaps it seemed more exotic and more interesting to visit. 10. (a.) 85.5%, (b.) The U.S. government recognizes 195 sovereign nations. Other groups have different totals, but they are all less than 200. Part 2: 1.e, 2.i, 3.b, 4.l, 5.f, 6.j, 7.h, 8.a, 9.k, 10.g, 11.c, 12.d Part 3: Assessment based on completion. Each of the five tweets should contain a location, object description, and be 140 characters or less. 6 Name Class Date Ripley’s Ramble ’Round the World Student Activities Robert Ripley (1890-1949) was the media world cruises included a transcontinental pioneer of his time. He drew wrote train trip between the Atlantic and thousands of cartoons syndicated in Pacific Ocean. You will read an excerpt newspapers around the world, starred in promoting this world cruise and answer numerous radio shows, hosted early short questions about the trip and its ports of “talkie” movies, and even had his own call in Part 1.