Experience the Fun! - Weird News The Fun! ... The Alphabet Challenge ... 6.T OR F. Roman Emperor Vilelllius, the greatest glutton in all history, spent more than

Ripleys Believe It or Not! is a registered trademark of Ripley Entertainment Inc.

Experience the Fun! FUN ACTVITIES FOR DURING OR AFTER A RIPLEY’S VISIT!

Ripley‟s Believe It Or Not! Is s registered trademark of Ripley Entertainment Inc.

RIPLEY’S LOBBY

&

THE ‘FAB’ FOUR


The Amazing World

Of Ripley!

Inspired Resources

The following activities are inspired by one man and the amazing world he lived in. It was, of course, the same planet as the rest of us inhabit, but what set Robert Ripley apart was his curious viewpoint and insatiable appetite for the unusual and different. Some would even say the bizarre!

Global Explorer

Millionaire cartoonist, renowned broadcaster, and in the 1930‟s voted America‟s most popular man, Robert Ripley was, above all a world-class explorer and collector. Indiana Jones- style, he was relentless in his search for astonishing artefacts to add to his collection of the unbelievable.

He coined the phrase “Believe It or Not” and founded the „Odditoriums‟ that bear his name.

The Gold Coast’s latest new attraction

The latest of these „Odditoriums‟ is the showpiece Ripley’s Believe It or Not! attraction at SOUL Centre, Cavill Mall, Surfers Paradise. There, in impressive surroundings, you‟ll find the renowned exhibits that prompt even the most reserved among us to drop our jaw. Quite simply, you won‟t

believe your eyes.

Experience The Fun!

Our activity pack brings you some of the flavour of the world of Ripley and is designed to be used in conjunction with a visit. The whole experience will stimulate curiosity, amaze your students and are fun to do! Simply complete one or more activity during your visit or better yet continue the fun after your visit!


BELIEVE IT OR NOT! Read through each of the facts below and decide whether you Believe It or Not! When you arrive at Ripley‟s you will see these artefacts and discover the truth about each fact. There is also an extra column so you can make notes to take back, so we can talk about the facts later.

Fact Believe It or

Not?

Notes

There is a man who can bounce down a flight of stairs on his head.

In the middle ages people who committed minor offences were forced to wear iron masks, often in the form of animals.

In ancient China, daughters of the age of 3 from wealthy families would have their feet purposely bound and broken to resemble a lotus flower.

A chicken can live without a head.

You can shrink a human head to make it less than 10 cm.

African tribes slept on wooden pillows, while the ancient Chinese slept on pillows made of porcelain.

You can make a wedding dress out of toilet paper.

The world‟s tallest man grew to over 2.7 metres tall.

You can paint a portrait on a piece of human hair.

A year on mars is equivalent to 687 days on Earth.

People of Alaska use whale ribs for fence posts, whale jaws for gates and whale vertebrates for stools and chairs.

Japanese roosters have tails up to 40 metres long.

Thom Thumb was a real man.


The Alphabet Challenge During your Ripley‟s visit, find specific artefacts that start with each letter of the alphabet. E.g. S= Shrunken Head

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z


Crossword Puzzle

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

ACROSS

2. CHING FOO OF SENSI CHINA HAD A _______ FACE. 4. THE WEDDING DRESS FEATURED IS MADE OUT OF _______________. 6. THE ________ WOMEN OF MYANMAR WEAR HEAVY BRASS RINGS AROUND THEIR NECK! 10. THE NASTIEST TORTURE INSTRUMENT IN RIPLEY'S COLLECTION. ________ OF AGONY. 11. MOST FAMOUS LITTLE PERSON OF HIS TIME? 13. MATERIAL USED ON THE PORTRAIT OF RAY CHARLES. ____________ LINT. 14. WHAT WAS JOHNNY ECK FAMOUS FOR? BEING A ________ MAN. 17. WHAT IS DAME EDNA'S SCULPTURE MADE OF? ___________ WIRE 18. THE _______________ INDIANS ARE FAMOUS FOR THE PRACTICE OF SHRINKING HEADS.

DOWN

1. WHAT WAS ROBERT RIPLEY'S FAVOURITE COUNTRY? 3. ROBERT RIPLEY'S MIDDLE NAME? 5. NAME OF THE FIRST VAMPIRE? 6. WOOD THAT TURNS TO STONE WHEN BURIED FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. ____________ WOOD. 7. THE ART OF BEING ABLE TO COVER YOUR NOSE WITH YOUR LIPS. 8. THE TYPE OF FLOWER THAT WEALTHY WOMEN FROM ANCIENT CHINESE FAMILIES RESEMBLED AFTER THEY HAD BEEN BROKEN AND BOUND FOR MANY YEARS. 9. CAGE USED TO HANG PIRATES UNTIL THEY DIE. 11. HOW MANY LEGS DID FRENCESCO LENTINI HAVE? 12. ROBERT _____________ REACHED 8 FEET 11 INCHES. 15. TYPE OF TREE UNDER WHICH BUDDHA SUPPOSEDLY ACHIEVED ENLIGHTENMENT. 16. HOW MANY PUPILS WAS LIU CH'UNG BORN WITH?


Word Search

D P W I F C C W C M I R U A I D T O L D N E

G A Z E T S E T A R I P M R M R H R A D C L

I I V U I A H S K C Y S Y R I Y D T S O L V

I P B I L R K A N E K N M B E M S P N U N A

O A I B N U D U L A A Y A C I R I T K U R M

D D N I E C H P M F I L A C E N O S E T I I

A U M A R T I A N T M D H R N R Y L R R M P

G A W R T R Z I T D F A N I T H U E P A Y R

G N I T N I A P D A E H N I P E C T T X C E

E G N I N R U G N L R G O O O O T C R N E F

R I T G A R S D J B T N R E L R H O S O T A

S M M P W A E A I U I T R L F S A N N U T B

Y E L T R E C Z N S L I E U T A T V O N E F

N T F N M K A N T U I C D I H I S U I R B O

R E X A S R E N O I T U C E X E T H T J T U

A O D O R L O T O I Y K C O U N T R I E S R

T R N E S T S N O I S U L L I O P A D O R O

L I F S T R A N G E T O M T H U M B A I N B

O T T U O A S H N D A E H N E K N U R H S E

Z E L T N R O B E R T W A D L O W N T S U R

T G L O I U C U L T U R E S D S A L N I S T

D L I L Y S L I P P E R S E P E T D A L V R

PINHEAD PAINTING TRADITIONS RIPLEY ZOLTAR EXPLORER HALF MAN ZULU HAT MATCHSTICKS SHRUNKEN HEAD MASK WACKY ART JIVARO INDIANS STRANGE TRIBAL TOM THUMB CULTURES

ROBERT WADLOW ODD WEIRD GURNING BIZARRE ILLUSIONS CONTORTIONIST FERTILITY STATUE MYSTERY PIRATES DAGGERS AMAZING MEN VAMIPRE EXECUTIONERS AXE DAVINCI FASHION

FAB FOUR MICHAEL JACKSON COUNTRIES PADUANG RECOLLECTIONS FUN LOTUS TROPHY SKULL TORTURE LILY SLIPPERS METEORITE DAME EDNA GIBBET MARTIAN SPINNING TUNNEL

VLAD TEPES GLUTTON


Word Scramble 2.

1. RTEOBR LPEIYR ____________________

1. 2. TIRCTOTNOSNIO ____________________

2. 3. REHNKUNS DEHA ____________________

3. 4. UGNGRIN ____________________

4. 5. EGBIBT ____________________

5. 6. FRKAE OHWS ____________________

6. 7. ALROTZ ____________________

7. 8. RREOTB WDAWLO ____________________

8. 9. NRTAAIM ____________________

9. 10. JNOYNH CKE ____________________

10. 11. NTLYGTUO ____________________

11. 12. HPEAIND GTINNIPA ____________________

12. 13. CTLECNIOOSRLE ____________________

13. 14. EH-EAEODUBDDL CWO ____________________

14. 15. RPOYTH USLLK ____________________

15. 16. AFB UORF ____________________

16. 17. TNGESAR ____________________

17. 18. EARSDGG ____________________

18. 19. UNAPDGA ____________________

19. 20. RYLIFTTEI TSEAUT ____________________

20. 21. LAEDIYCC ____________________

21. 22. ICTEUOSEXREN EAX ____________________

22. 23. MTO BMHUT ____________________

23. 24. ATSL PESRUP ____________________

24. 25. MILHECA JCNOASK ____________________

25. 26. EORPREM ____________________

26. 27. YLLI SEPLPRIS ____________________

27. 28. HCKCENI IWER ____________________

28. 29. LAVD TSPEE ____________________

29. 30. MGAEOLOND ____________________

30. 31. RUALDCA ____________________

31. 32. AERLACDHT ____________________

32. 33. JOVARI IDNIASN ____________________

33. 34. KWCYA ATR ____________________


Quiz 1.How many countries did Robert Ripley travel to?___________. 2.T OR F. Alexander Patty, a circus acrobat could bounce down a flight of stairs on his

head.___________. 3.T OR F. Robert Ripley received over a million letters a year. ________. 4.What is Gurning?_______________________________________________. 5.How tall was Robert Wadlow?_______________________. 6.T OR F. Roman Emperor Vilelllius, the greatest glutton in all history, spent more than

$375,000 for food a day _____________. 7.T OR F. A tour guide of Chungking China cut a hole in his scalp and inserted a

candle. ____________ 8.What are the most popular orders for fantasy coffins? ___________________. 9.What does Dracul mean in Romanian? __________________. 10.T OR F. In Fiji 1800‟s human flesh was considered a delicacy, but was taboo to

touch. __________. 11.How many rings do the women of Padaung usually reach?_________. 12.Why did the Jivaro Indians shrink human

heads?_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

13.What 3 substances/elements are used to shrink heads: HOT 1________2__________3________

14.What are the iron masks called that people in the middle ages were forced to wear after they had committed minor offences, such as theft?______________.

15.What were thumb screws used for? 16.What is the replica of the Last Supper made from?______________. 17.T OR F. The jacket in the Art room is made of leather? ___________. 18.How many matchsticks were used on the replica of the Christchurch Cathedral in

New Zealand? __________________________. 19.Why would women of the DJERMA TRIBE of Southern Nigeria be made to wear

padlocks in their noses?_______________________________. 20.1 in ____________ people have the ability to roll their tongue backwards? 21.Who was the most famous little person of all time?______________. 22.T OR F. Mars on average is approximately, 142 million miles away from Earth

_____________. 23.What are the two small moons on Mars known as: 1_____________.

2_______________. 24.What is the Juju hat decorated with? 25.What are the odds of having a two-headed baby? _______________. 26.How big did the prehistoric Megalodon grow to? _______________. 27.T OR F. A Four leaf clover really exists? _______________. 28.What is a mermaid‟s purse also known as:_________________. 29.How many bubblegum balls were used to create the Michael Jackson portrait?

_________________. 30.How long is the PEEL50?__________________.


Colour-in 1


Colour-in 2


Colour-in 3


Colour-in 4


Ripley’s Search for a Shrunken Head – Maze 1

Help Ripley Discover this rare artefact!


Ripley’s Search for a Shrunken Head – Maze 2


Ripley’s Search for the Shrunken Head – Maze 2



BELIEVE IT OR NOT! The Facts Fact Believe It or Not?

Notes

There is a man who can bounce down a flight of stairs on his head.

Believe It!

ALEXANDER PATTY Believe It or Not! Alexander Patty of Paris, France, a circus acrobat, could bounce down and up flights of stairs on his head.

In the middle ages people who committed minor offences were forced to wear iron masks, often in the form of animals.

Believe It!

BRANK SHAME MASK In the middle ages people who committed minor offences were often forced to wear iron masks, called branks. These branks came in many shapes, like a wolf head, and were intended to humiliate the wearer as well as cause discomfort. Branks shaped like animals heads were associated with specific crimes, in the case of the wolf the accused was guilty of theft, typically for food.

In ancient China, daughters of the age of 3 from wealthy families would have their feet purposely bound and broken to resemble a lotus flower.

Believe It!

CHINESE LILLY SLIPPERS At the age of 3 daughters of wealthy families had their feet purposely broken and bound. The ideal foot was a mere 3 inches long and was crushed into a shape resembling the Chinese lotus flower.

A chicken can live without a head. Believe It!

MIKE THE HEADLESS CHICKEN Believe It Or Not! Mike, a headless chicken from Colorado, USA, lived for 181 months without a head (1945-1946).

You can shrink a human head to make it less than 10 cm.

Believe It!

JIVARO INDIAN WARRIORS The Jivaro are amongst the most famous tribes of the Amazon area, due to their habit of shrinking the heads of their enemies killed in war. Although they no longer practise the art of shrinking heads, this legendary tribe still exists and inhabits an area larger than Switzerland on the Eastern slopes of South America.

African tribes slept on wooden pillows, while the ancient Chinese slept on pillows made of porcelain.

Believe It!

PILLOWS In parts of Africa chefs used wooded head rests as pillows. Often decorated with totemic figures who are suppose to protect the sleeper, they are actually considered more comfortable the average western- style soft pillow. For centuries the aristocracy in China preferred jade or porcelain pillows. The pillow could be heated with a lump of hot coal that was put inside.

You can make a wedding dress out of toilet paper.

Believe It!

TOILET PAPER WEDDING GOWNS Cheap Chic Weddings of Florida, USA, a wedding dress advisor company, hold an annual toilet paper wedding dress contest. Co-sponsored by Charmin toilet paper products, would-be Vera Wangs must create their own wedding gowns using only toilet paper, tape and glue. .

The world‟s tallest man grew to over 2.7 metres tall.

Believe It!

ROBERT WADLOW Robert P. Wadlow is the tallest man ever known to exist. He grew to be over 2.7 metres tall, and continued growing for his whole life! Known as the “Alton Giant”, he was one of America‟s most popular celebrities in the 1930‟s.

You can paint a human portrait on a piece of human hair.

Believe It!

PORTRAITS PAINTED ON A HUMAN HAIR Enrico Ramos of Mexico City, used a three haired brush to paint more than one portrait on a single human hair. Madonna and Adolf Hitler are those featured on the piece of hair.

A year on mars is equivalent to 687 days on Earth.

Believe It!

MARS A year on mars is equivalent to 687 days on Earth.

People of Alaska use whale ribs for fence posts, whale jaws for gates and whale vertebrates for stools and chairs.

Believe It!

WHALE VERTEBRATES People of Alaska use whale ribs for fence posts, whale jaws for gates and whale vertebrates for stools and chairs.

Japanese roosters have tails up to 40 metres long.

Believe It!

JAPANESE ROOSTERS Japanese roosters have tails up to 40 metres long.

Thom Thumb was a real man. Believe It!

GENERAL THOM THUMB Growing to the height of 3‟4‟, General Thom Thumb, was the most famous midget of all time. Associated all his life with the great showman P T Barnum, Thom Thumb amassed an immense fortune, which included a dazzling yacht, a stable of racehorses and a mansion in Connecticut decorated with miniature antique furniture.


The Alphabet Challenge – Example Answers During your Ripley‟s visit, find specific artefacts that start with each letter of the alphabet. E.g. S= Shrunken Head (Please Note: This is only a sample of answers, there are many more throughout the museum)

A ANTIQUE VACUUM CLEANER, AFRICAN COOKING POT

B BIRD DECOY, BRANK SHAME MASK, BRASS NECK RINGS

C CANNIBAL FORK

D DINOSAUR EGGS, DEER HOOR WACKING STICK

E EXECUTIONER‟S AXE

F FEDORA (MICHAEL JACKSON), FANTASY COFFIN, FERTILITY STATUE

G GIBBET, GRASS SKIRT

H HUMAN SKULL MASK, HAIR HORNS

I INFLATION MONEY (GERMANY)

J JUJU HAT, JADE ELEPHANT

K KATIKA DAGGER

L LILY SLIPPERS

M MEGLADON SHARK TOOTH, MASAI EARINGS

N NAGA ANIMAL TOOTH NECKLACE

O ORIENTAL SPIRIT CHASER

P PEAR OF AGONY, PRAYER WHEEL, POSTILLION BOOT

Q

R RECOLLECTIONS ROOM, RAMBORAMB FIGURE

S SHRUNKEN HEAD, SARA DISK

T T REX FOSSIL, TROPHY SKULL

U USHABTI FIGURINE

V VIOLIN (MINIUTURE) VOODOO BANNER

W WEDDING DRESS, WATER BUFFALO HORNS, WAR CLUB

X XYLAPHONE (SOUTH AFRICAN)

Y YORUBA IBEJI TWIN DOOLS, YORUBA MASK

Z ZULU BEADED NECKLACE


CROSSWORD – Answers

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

ACROSS

2. CHING FOO OF SENSI CHINA HAD A _______ FACE. BLUE 4. THE WEDDING DRESS FEATURED IS MADE OUT OF _________. TOILET PAPER 6. THE ________ WOMEN OF MYANMAR WEAR HEAVY BRASS RINGS AROUND THEIR NECK! PADAUNG 10. THE NASTIEST TORTURE INSTRUMENT IN RIPLEY'S COLLECTION. ________ OF AGONY. PEAR 11. MOST FAMOUS LITTLE PERSON OF HIS TIME? TOM THUMB 13. MATERIAL USED ON THE PORTRAIT OF RAY CHARLES. ____________ LINT. LAUNDRY 14. WHAT WAS JOHNNY ECK FAMOUS FOR? BEING A ________ MAN. HALF 17. WHAT IS DAME EDNA'S SCULPTURE MADE OF? ___________ WIRE. CHICKEN 18. THE _______________ INDIANS ARE FAMOUS FOR THE PRACTICE OF SHRINKING HEADS. JIVARO

DOWN

1. WHAT WAS ROBERT RIPLEY'S FAVOURITE COUNTRY? CHINA 3. ROBERT RIPLEY'S MIDDLE NAME? LEROY 5. NAME OF THE FIRST VAMPIRE? VLAD TEPES 6. WOOD THAT TURNS TO STONE WHEN BURIED FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. _________WOOD. PETRIFIED 7. THE ART OF BEING ABLE TO COVER YOUR NOSE WITH YOUR LIPS. GURNING. 8. THE TYPE OF FLOWER THAT WEALTHY WOMEN FROM ANCIENT CHINESE FAMILIES RESEMBLED AFTER THEY HAD BEEN BROKEN AND BOUND FOR MANY YEARS. LOTUS 9. CAGE USED TO HANG PIRATES UNTIL THEY DIE. GIBBET 11. HOW MANY LEGS DID FRENCESCO LENTINI HAVE? THREE 12. ROBERT _______ REACHED 8 FEET 11 INCHES. WADLOW 15. TYPE OF TREE UNDER WHICH BUDDHA SUPPOSEDLY ACHIEVED ENLIGHTENMENT. BHO 16. HOW MANY PUPILS WAS LIU CH'UNG BORN WITH? FOUR


Word Scramble - Answers 3.

1. RTEOBR LPEIYR ROBERT RIPLEY

34. 2. TIRCTOTNOSNIO CONTORTIONIST

35. 3. REHNKUNS DEHA SHRUNKEN HEAD

36. 4. UGNGRIN GURNING

37. 5. EGBIBT GIBBET

38. 6. FRKAE OHWS FREAK SHOW

39. 7. ALROTZ ZOLTAR

40. 8. RREOTB WDAWLO ROBERT WADLOW

41. 9. NRTAAIM MARTIAN

42. 10. JNOYNH CKE JOHNNY ECK

43. 11. NTLYGTUO GLUTTONY

44. 12. HPEAIND GTINNIPA PINHEAD PAINTING

45. 13. CTLECNIOOSRLE RECOLLECTIONS

46. 14. EH-EAEODUBDDL CWO DOUBLE-HEADED COW

47. 15. RPOYTH USLLK TROPHY SKULL

48. 16. AFB UORF FAB FOUR

49. 17. TNGESAR STRANGE

50. 18. EARSDGG DAGGERS

51. 19. UNAPDGA ODD

52. 20. RYLIFTTEI TSEAUT FERTILITY STATUE

53. 21. LAEDIYCC DELICACY

54. 22. ICTEUOSEXREN EAX EXERCUTIONERS AXE

55. 23. MTO BMHUT TOM THUMB

56. 24. ATSL PESRUP LAST SUPPER

57. 25. MILHECA JCNOASK MICHAEL JACKSON

58. 26. EORPREM EMPEROR

59. 27. YLLI SEPLPRIS LILY SLIPPERS

60. 28. HCKCENI IWER CHICKEN WIRE

61. 29. LAVD TSPEE VLAD TEPES

62. 30. MGAEOLOND MEGALODON

63. 31. RUALDCA DRACULA

64. 32. AERLACDHT CATHEDRAL

65. 33. JOVARI IDNIASN JIVARO INDIANS

66.


QUIZ – Answers 1.How many countries did Robert Ripley travel to? 201 2.T OR F. Alexander Patty, a circus acrobat could bounce down a flight of stairs on

his head. TRUE 3.T OR F. Robert Ripley received over a million letters a year. TRUE 4.What is Gurning? THE ART OF PUTTING ONE’S LIPS OVER ONE’S NOSE 5.How tall was Robert Wadlow? 8 FEET 11 INCHES. 6.T OR F. Roman Emperor Vilelllius, the greatest glutton in all history, spent more

than $375,000 for food a day. TRUE 7.T OR F. A tour guide of Chungking China cut a hole in his scalp and inserted a

candle. TRUE 8.What are the most popular orders for fantasy coffins? CARS & TRUCKS. 9.What does Dracul mean in Romanian? ‘DEVIL’ OR ‘DRAGON’ 10.T OR F. In Fiji 1800‟s human flesh was considered a delicacy, but was taboo to

touch. TRUE 11.How many rings do the women of Padaung usually reach? 25 RINGS 12.Why did the Jivaro Indians shrink human heads? THE JIVARO BELIEVE THAT

EVERYONE HAS AN ADVENGING SOUL THAT EXISTS AFTER THEY DIE, THAT IT EXISTS IN THE MOUTH AND COMES AFTER IT’S KILLER.

13.What 3 substances/elements are used to shrink heads: HOT 1 SAND 2 ROCKS 3 WATER

14.What are the iron masks called that people in the middle ages were forced to wear after they had committed minor offences, such as theft? BRANKS

15.What were thumb screws used for? TO OBTAIN A CONFESSION BEFORE BEING MAIMED

16.What is the replica of the Last Supper made from? BURNT TOAST 17.T OR F. The jacket in the Art room is made of leather? FALSE 18.How many matchsticks were used on the replica of the Christchurch Cathedral in

New Zealand? 140,000 COMMON MATCHSTICKS 19.Why would women of the DJERMA TRIBE of Southern Nigeria be made to wear

padlocks in their noses? BECAUSE THEIR HUSBANDS THOUGHT THEY WERE GOSSIPING TOO MUCH!

20.1 in ____________ people have the ability to roll their tongue backwards? 1000 21.Who was the most famous little person of all time? TOM THUMB 22.T OR F. Mars on average is approximately, 142 million miles away from Earth

_____________. TRUE 23.What are the two small moons on Mars known as: PHOBOS & DEIMOS 24.What is the Juju hat decorated with? COWRIE SHELLS 25.What are the odds of having a two-headed baby? ONE IN A BILLION 26.How big did the prehistoric Megalodon grow to? 45 FEET LONG 27.T OR F. A Four leaf clover really exists? TRUE 28.What is a mermaid‟s purse also known as: SHARKS EGGS 29.How many bubblegum balls were used to create the Michael Jackson portrait?

12,784 30.How long is the PEEL50? 1.4 M LONG

Documents

Experience the Fun! - Weird News The Fun! ... The Alphabet Challenge ... 6.T OR F. Roman Emperor Vilelllius, the greatest glutton in all history, spent more than