Urban Legends

Why do people spread urban legends?

• They believe they are true.

• They want to warn their friends.

• They are trying to verify the information.

• They like the attention they get.

Which evidence from the text best supports the cause of the continuous spread of urban legends?

• "People seem to love the attention they get retelling a captivating, bizarre tale, but where do these stories

  come from?"

• "Nevertheless, these stories are shared between friends and spread like wildfire on the Internet."

• "Some urban legends are inspired by real events that are often surprising or gross."

• "Luckily, the more ridiculous or scary a story seems, the less likely it is to be true."

Which quote from the text best supports the effect of believing a false urban legend?

• "these stories are shared between friends and spread like wildfire on the Internet."

• "Other urban legends are the results of popular beliefs or fears in a society."

• "Some put forth predictions that a natural event, such as an eclipse, will cause a natural disaster."

• "People have acted on these predictions, making permanent, life-altering decisions for no good reason."

A small news event would mostly likely become an urban legend if it

• did not really happen

• included a strange or scary detail

• contained regular, everyday matters

• happened in the United States

A contemporary story that is told in many rumored versions that have little basis in fact.

• Allegory

• Ballad

• Fable

• Urban Legend

Complete the following sentences with the best answer.

• true

• According to the old wives' tale mentioned in the article, what can heal a cold?

• not rational

• An urban legend is a…

• modern scary story

• According to the article, most old wives' tales are generally thought to be ________.

• chicken soup

• Another urban legend mentioned in the article is…

• the Ant Colony Brain

• A superstition is a belief or practice that is…

The Mothman is a legendary creature reportedly seen in which U.S. state?

• California

• West Virginia

• Nevada

• Maine

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DOK Level 1: Recall

Find each piece of text in the text evidence bank.

Remember, you are looking for the piece of evidence that most strongly support the statement.

Find a piece of text evidence that best explains why you might have heard the urban legend about the spider-infested beehive hairdo

True or False: El Chupacabra is a creature believed to attack and drink the blood of livestock.

• True

• False

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DOK Level 1: Recall

The following is a major detail that supports the central idea,"Some urban legends are inspired by real events that are often surprising or gross." Which of the following quotes below would be an appropriate minor detail?

• "Alligators in the sewers, strange things happening at night, and people mysteriously disappearing—these stories are usually just created around issues or events that scare people the most."

• "such as a penny on a railroad track derailing a train."

• "some stories about people finding live bugs in their food are true."