2. Click When You’re Ready to Begin...

4. Urban Legends Quiz based on the book URBAN LEGENDS: Strange Stories Behind Modern Myths by A.S. Mott

5. True or False? Read the following scenarios and decide whether they are urban legends or true stories... Number a piece of paper from 1-10. Write “True” or “False” after viewing each slide. We’ll check answers at the end!

6. 1. “Mama” Cass Elliot died from choking on a ham sandwich. Her group, The Mamas and the Papas, sang “California Dreamin’”

7. 2.In 1987, two men living in California found a human finger in a can of menudo (a food made from beef tripe).

8. 3. When a brewing tank ruptured in Boston, a slow flood of molasses caused the deaths of more than 20 people.

9. 4. A 12-foot alligator was found living in the sewers of Manhattan.

10. 5. A nervous golfer chewing on a wooden tee died from ingesting the toxic chemicals used by the golf club to maintain the course.

11. 6. A fired employee, trying to commit suicide, jumped out of a window and landed on (and killed) the boss who had just fired him.

12. 7. Opera singer Maria Callas intentionally swallowed a tape worm in an attempt to control her weight.

13. 8. Thomas Edison, who was against capital punishment, helped develop the electric chair to compete with his rival, George Westinghouse.

14. 9. A girl babysitting on Thanksgiving killed the child she was caring for by accidentally putting the baby in the oven instead of the turkey.

15. 10. A high school student was killed on prom night by a black widow spider hiding in her elaborate hairdo.

16. How well can you spot an urban legend? Let’s check your answers!

17. 1. “Mama” Cass Elliot died from choking on a ham sandwich. There was a partially-eaten sandwich on Mama Cass's nightstand when she died, but she died of heart failure, not choking. U UU Urban legends often target celebrities. FALSE.

18. 2.In 1987, two men living in California found a human finger in a can of menudo (a food made from beef tripe). This widely-reported legend was only based on a true incident. The men found what they thought was a finger, but further analysis proved it was a piece of connective tissue commonly found in tripe. Many urban legends are highly exaggerated versions of true stories. FALSE.

19. 3. When a brewing tank ruptured in Boston, a slow flood of molasses caused the deaths of more than 20 people. On January 15, 1919, over 2 million gallons of molasses spilled from a ruptured tank, unleashing a 30-foot-tall tidal wave of sugary black goo into Boston's north end, killing 21 people and injuring another 150. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction! TRUE.

20. 4. A 12-foot alligator was found living in the sewers of Manhattan. No alligators large enough to seriously harm a human have ever been found in the sewers of New York. It is too cold for alligators to survive the winter down there. This is one of several urban legends discussed in the book where nature retaliates against the human race. FALSE.

21. 5. A nervous golfer chewing on a wooden golf tee died from ingesting the toxic chemicals used by the golf club to maintain the course. At the Army-Navy Country Club in Arlington, Virginia in 1982, U.S. Navy Lieutenant George M. Prior died from an allergic reaction to the fungicide Daconil after chewing on a golf tee. TRUE.

22. 6. A fired employee, trying to commit suicide, jumped out of a window and landed on (and killed) the boss who had just fired him. Many urban legends are morality tales, where people who have been cruel or abusive get their deserved rewards. Our belief in “karma” keeps these myths alive. Just because they aren't true doesn't mean we can't enjoy the many examples of justice served up in this book. FALSE.

23. 7. Opera singer Maria Callas intentionally swallowed a tapeworm in an attempt to control her weight. Maria Callas did, at one time, have a tapeworm removed -- but she never swallowed it intentionally. Many urban myths reveal our prejudices against other races, genders, or lifestyle choices -- in this case, large-sized celebrities. FALSE.

24. 8. Thomas Edison, who was against capital punishment, helped develop the electric chair to compete with his rival, George Westinghouse. Edison demonstrated the power of Westinghouse’s “alternating current” (which is strong enough to kill a person on contact), hoping that the State of New York would choose his own, safer “direct current” for powering homes and businesses. Instead, New York was so impressed that it built the country's first electric chair. TRUE, kind of.

25. 9. A girl babysitting on Thanksgiving killed the child she was caring for by accidentally putting the baby in the oven instead of the turkey. Many holidays come with legends firmly attached, and babysitters are a favorite target of both urban legends and horror movies. Caretaker calamities are a favorite at summer camps everywhere, but they are rarely true. FALSE.

26. 10. A high school student was killed on prom night by a black widow spider hiding in her elaborate hairdo. This legend dates back to the 1950s when “big hair” was popular, and parents found something sinister in high hair. Like many urban legends, it was given new life on the silver screen, when director John Waters included a variation featuring cockroaches in his movie, Hairspray. FALSE.

27. Let’s take a visual image quiz! Can you spot the fake images in the following slides? Can you spot the fake images in the following slides?

28. Giant skeleton found in the Middle East From: http://urbanlegends.about.com http://urbanlegends.about.com FAKE. FAKE OR REAL?

29. President Bush and his father fishing in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina From: http://urbanlegends.about.com http://urbanlegends.about.com FAKE. FAKE OR REAL?

30. A large bunny From: http://urbanlegends.about.com http://urbanlegends.about.com REAL. FAKE OR REAL?

31. Creatures in Iraq From: http://urbanlegends.about.com http://urbanlegends.about.com REAL. FAKE OR REAL?

32. A large cat From: http://urbanlegends.about.com http://urbanlegends.about.com FAKE. FAKE OR REAL?

33. Another large cat From: http://urbanlegends.about.com http://urbanlegends.about.com REAL. FAKE OR REAL?

34. A tourist on top of the World Trade Center moments before the first plane hit on 9/11/01 From: http://urbanlegends.about.com http://urbanlegends.about.com FAKE. FAKE OR REAL?

35. A tourist on top of the World Trade Center moments before the Macy’s Parade From: http://urbanlegends.about.com http://urbanlegends.about.com FAKE. FAKE OR REAL?

36. A tourist on a lifeboat at the sinking of the Titanic From: http://urbanlegends.about.com http://urbanlegends.about.com DUH! FAKE OR REAL?

37. A tourist near the explosion of the Concorde Supersonic Jet in 2000 From: http://urbanlegends.about.com http://urbanlegends.about.com FAKE. FAKE OR REAL?

38. A tourist near the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000 From: http://urbanlegends.about.com http://urbanlegends.about.com FAKE. FAKE OR REAL?

39. A tourist with JFK in Dallas, 1963 From: http://urbanlegends.about.com http://urbanlegends.about.com R U kidding me? FAKE OR REAL?

40. A tourist witnessing the explosion of the Hindenburg, 1937 From: http://urbanlegends.about.com http://urbanlegends.about.com NO WAY. FAKE OR REAL?

41. A tourist at Lincoln’s assassination From: http://urbanlegends.about.com http://urbanlegends.about.com FAKE. FAKE OR REAL?

42. A tourist with Godzilla From: http://urbanlegends.about.com http://urbanlegends.about.com REAL. FAKE OR REAL? (Just kidding.)

43. 2007 Sharon Elin This presentation was prepared under the Fair Use exemption of the U.S. Copyright Law and is restricted from further use.