Thursday, August 12, 2010
Group D Researcher
Researcher: Your job is to find some background information related to an important idea in the reading. Search through available references such as library books, reference books such as the encyclopedia, magazines. You might even interview someone who knows about your topic. Find some websites on the Internet so that you can do your investigation online. Share an interesting tidbit related to your reading.Please respond to each others' Research entry.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
“Cryptozoology” is, in fact, a real and utilized term and even has a website named after it: www.cryptozoology.com . This website is a place for people to share information on animals they believe to exist, yet have not yet been scientifically-proven to be real; animals such as the Loch Ness monster. Much information regarding the Loch Ness monster can be found on this site. Some information I found on this site was written into the book; for example, the account of the land sighting by Mr. and Mrs. Spicer on page 90 of the book is referenced on the website. Also, the size of Loch Ness, as described on page 1 “Enough room to fit every person on this earth three times over,” is supported on this website.
ReplyDeleteThere is no doubt Jean Flitcroft obtained information for her chapter headings from any and all of the websites she lists at the end of her book under References. There is a plethora of information available on different claimed sightings of "Nessie" (from the Scottish Gaelic word Niseag). Although there are numerous accounts of sightings, there still is no solid evidence of “her” existence. Most sites I visited make the claim that there have been far too many sightings, for far too long, for this creature not to exist. Sightings date back to the 7th century. I checked out www.nationalgeographic.com, a site not listed as a reference in Jean Flitcroft’s book, to see what it had to present regarding Nessie and it presented more of the hoaxes – the fabricated videos, photos and supposed fossils which have attempted to prove the monster’s existence. In 1934, a pretty convincing photo was allegedly taken by a man named Robert Kenneth Wilson. Although it looked like the hard evidence everyone was waiting for, it wound up being a staged hoax.
Mythical or real, the Loch Ness monster is an intriguing cryptid thought by many to inhabit the Loch Ness in waters in the Scottish Highlands. In addition to photography and video, sonar equipment has been used in order to prove or disprove its existence; but it has failed to do either. Many people who believe in Nessie’s existence think she is a surviving member of the plesiosaur dinosaur family. Scientists refute this idea because plesiosaurs required warmer waters than that of the Loch Ness and a far greater food supply than they could gather there. Plesiosaurs would also need to come up for air several times a day, making a solid sighting much more likely to have occurred by now.
I just posted under the name "Aspiring Writer" somehow - my name should read SylviaGrzybowski (just wanted you to know who is posting).
ReplyDelete-Happy Blogging!
Sylvia,
ReplyDeleteThis research you discovered about the Loch Ness is very interesting. I find it interesting that sonar equipment has been used to try and uncover Nessie. I also think it's great that Jean Flitcroft did mass amounts of research for this book. Any good author will do thourough research, especially when it is based on a topic as in depth and mysterious as the Loch Ness. Who really know the truth... Before reading this story I have heard about the Loch Ness, but I never really fully understood it or really knew about the mass quantity of fascination with the mysterious creature. Thanks for doing the research and looking at some of the websites Flitcroft listed at the end of her book. The crytozoology website was really interesting as you pointed out. I love how she used real information in her book, like the descriptions at the beginning of the chapters. Thanks for the information. :)
Janice Brown
Before reading this book, I too, knew of the Loch Ness Monster, but always thought it was made up. I never gave thought to the possibility that it could exist. I also never heard of cryptozoology before. This has really openned my eyes to the possibility of its existance...but I am still not sure. I would like to look at the websites listed in the back of the book abit further. I am a lady of science to I like ven facts. I guess I still have more questions than answers about the subject. Thank you for doing the research I know exactly where I will look on the web. Heather
ReplyDeleteCheck out the Live camera on http://www.nessie.co.uk/view.html That is so cool! :)
ReplyDeleteI remember learning about the Loch Ness Monster in third grade. In fact, I think that there was an entire section about it in our Houghton Mifflin Basal Reader. It is amazing that there are so many narratives and expository texts regarding Loch Ness.
Champ was the only other cryptid on the cyptozoology website that I have heard of. Have you heard of any of the other cryptids on that website? I can’t believe how many there are! Flitcroft’s excerpt from her book about the cryptid Chupacabra sounds good! http://jeanflitcroft.squarespace.com/next-book/
Sylvia, That was a great idea to look at the National Geographic website. That video about the hoax was interesting.
The Loch Ness tours in Glasgow look interesting and Scotland looks beautiful! :) http://www.glasgowtours.net/?event=offer.detail&offerId=6252
I have never heard of Champ before Jessica. I did see how many crytids there were...so many! The only one I have heard of was Nessie. I never learned about it in school, that is interesting that you did. I looked at the Loch Ness tours in Glasgow. THey look so intrigueing! Scotland does look beautiful! THanks for information!
ReplyDelete