Paranormal Fest

Join Evans Bailey from the Native Oklahoma Bigfoot Research Organization, as he retells his first encounter with Bigfoot down in Honobia; the Bigfoot Capital of Oklahoma.

Follow along with members of the North Canadian River Project as they investigate long-forgotten woods in Central Oklahoma for signs of Bigfoot activity. The amazing FLIR footage they captured will blow your mind.

It's time to harness all the positive moon vibes, because let's face it, we need all the help we can get! Check out our video and resources to learn some quick and easy rituals that will get you headed in the right direction.

Age range: this scavenger hunt is aimed at teens, but it should be appropriate for older elementary students as well. 

Join us as we hunt through the library’s online databases for the elusive Bigfoot! 

All of the library’s databases are listed in alphabetical order. You will need to sign in using your library card number and last name. 

1. Access America’s News and search for “bigfoot.” In the search limiters on the left side of the page, scroll down to “Source type,” and click on “Video.”
   1. Watch the video, “Is that Bigfoot crossing the mountain pass in video?” 
   2. Who first posted this video? 
   3. Do you think it’s really Bigfoot? Why or why not? 
2. Access Explora for Secondary School Student Research and search for “bigfoot,” and click on the Topic Overview “Bigfoot (cryptozoology).” Read the article.
   1. Elkanah Walker recorded tales of giant “men stealers” from what Native American people in the Pacific Northwest? 
   2. Cryptozoologists and other “believers” think Bigfoot could be what genus of large ape, originally from China, that is traditionally believed to have gone extinct about 100,000 years ago? 
3. Access Britannica Online Reference Center and search for “Gigantopithecus.” Read the article.
   1. Gigantopithecus is considered a “sister genus” to and once shared a common ancestor with the genus Pongo, which contains what living ape? 
   2. Why is G. blacki thought to have gone extinct? 
4. Access Opposing Viewpoints in Context and search for “Deforestation.” Stories about Bigfoot often serve as an allegory for environmental concerns, such as deforestation. When we destroy forests, we destroy the habitats of wildlife. Read the article.
   1. Tropical forests house at least what fraction of Earth’s biodiversity? 
   2. What can be done to conserve forests? 
5. Access Oxford English Dictionary (OED) and search for “cryptid.” Beneath the definition, you will see dated quotations which use the word. Find the first instance in which the word was used.
   1. The first mention of the word “cryptid” was in what year?
   2. According to the quotation, what term did “cryptid” replace?
   3. Why do you think this mattered to cryptozoologists? 
6. Access EBSCOhost. Scroll down and select “eBook Academic collection.” Search for “bigfoot.” Click on the book Abominable Science! By Daniel Loxton. Scroll down and click on chapter one, “Cryptozoology: real science or pseudoscience?” Read the section on “The Georgia ‘Bigfoot’.”
   1. What can you deduce about evaluating “news” sources from this story? 
7. Access National Geographic Virtual Library and search for “bigfoot.” In the search limiters on the left side of the page, in the section “Content Types,” click on “Videos.” Watch the “Legend of Bigfoot” video.
   1. Why do you think people perpetuate Bigfoot hoaxes? 
8. Access Issues & Controversies and search for “bigfoot.” Click on the article, “Scientists deploy genetics in search of bigfoot.” Read the article.
   1. Who first posted this article?
   2. Do you think it is a reputable news source? 
9. Access Academic Search Premier. In the first search field, type “bigfoot or sasquatch or yeti.” In the second search field, after AND, type “sykes, bryan,” and in the “Select a Field” dropdown box, select “AU Author.” In the search limiters on the left side of the page, in the “Limit To” section, click on “Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals.” Click on the article, “Genetic analysis of hair samples…”, and read the abstract.
   1. What was the outcome of the genetic tests on the “yeti” and other anomalous primate samples? 
10. Honobia, OK (pronounced “hoe-nubby”), home to the annual Bigfoot Festival & Conference, is an unincorporated community on the border between western LeFlore County and eastern Pushmataha County, 15 miles southeast of Talihina.   Access A to Z Maps Online. Click on “USA Maps” > “Modern US State Maps” > “Oklahoma” > “Political Outline Map of Oklahoma with County Data (Pol4).” Download the map, so you can zoom in. Find the border between Pushmataha and Leflore counties. Go back and find the map “Political Outline Map of Oklahoma with County Data (Pol8).” Download it, and find Talihina on the map. Just southeast of Talihina is where Honobia and the Bigfoot Festival are located, in the densely wooded Kiamichi Mountains. 
    1. After all you have read here, do you think there are Bigfeet in those mountains? 

Join us as we make paper ghosts for imaginative play, using paper, scissors, markers, and a straw! Let the ghosts star in their own Halloween puppet show!

Supplies

• 4 Cups of Water
• Newt WT 1 LB Borax
• 3 Containers (Tall Cups)
• Flowers (Artificial)
• Pencils
• String
• Paper towels

Tips

• A tablecloth to easy clean up
• Gloves to keep hands clean

Directions

1. Place water into your Instant Pot liner and press the Saute button to bring it to a boil.
2. Once at a boil, add borax until it stops dissolving. You will notice that it’ll start getting cloudy and when that happens it means stop adding the borax.
3. Press the Cancel button and remove pot from the machine. Evenly distribute contents into your containers. * Tall cups work best.
4. Tie a piece of string to end of the flowers and attach to middle of the pencil.
5. Place flowers into the containers and the pencil will hold it up.
6. In about 2-3 hours, you will see that you have fabulous crystal flowers.
7. Once completed to your liking, places on paper towels to air dry.
8. Before you know it, you’ll have gorgeous crystal flowers to add a piece of charm to your home!

Library Resources for additional learning

• DIY crafts & projects for your Instant Pot : lip balm, tie dye, candles, and dozens of other amazing ideas!
  By Murphy, David (Cook)
• The Making It guide to crafting
  By Welker, Liz
• Craft lab for kids : 52 DIY projects to inspire, excite, and empower kids to create useful, beautiful handmade goods
  By Corfee, Stephanie
• Bathe, buff, and beautify : DIY crafts and recipes for natural body care
  By Andrus, Aubre
• The complete illustrated book of herbs : gardening, health, beauty, crafts, cooking.