the learning buffet

ACTIVITY PAGES THE LEARNING BUFET

The Learning Buffet

Idlewild and SoakZone has all the ingredients to satisfy your students

appetite for learning with these Engaging and FUN Activity Pages

The Learning Buffet lets you pick and choose from a variety of activity

pages, allowing you to “design your own” Student Packets

Science FUNdamentals

IdleWILD About Math

Let’s Start Language Arts

Art In The Park

Just For Fun

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CONTENTS:

Science FUNdamentals Psychology pg. 3-4 It Makes Sense pg. 5-9

IdleWILD About Math No Problem, Story Problems pg. 10-11

A Perfect Combination pg. 12 A Heart Beat Away pg. 13 What Makes The Rides Go? pg. 14 Bumper Cars Bumping pg. 15 The Carousel pg. 16 Rollo Coaster pg. 17 Coaster Angles pg. 18 Polygons, Polygons, Polygons pg. 19 Flying Aces Pendulum pg. 20 Circles pg. 21 Vectors pg. 22 Data Analysis – How Many Rides Did You Ride? pg. 23 What Shall I Choose? pg. 24 Create An Expense Report pg. 25

Let’s Start Language Arts The Language of Fun pg. 26 One Picture is Worth 300 words pg. 27 What Makes Idlewild & SoakZone Fun? (Person Narrative) pg. 28 What is Your Favorite Ride? (Descriptive Narrative) pg. 29 Learning is Fun at Idlewild & SoakZone (Persuasive) pg. 30 Favorite Game Instructions (Expository – Informational) pg. 31 Acrostic Poem pg. 32 Park History Timeline pg. 33-34 What Makes Idlewild & SoakZone Special? pg. 35 Rides for Everyone pg. 36-38

Venn Diagram pg. 39 Can You Handle the Scrambler? pg. 40 Dear Diary pg. 41

Art In The Park pg. 42-43 Just For FUN pg. 44-46

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Science Fundamentals

______________________________________________________________________

Psychology: the study of the mind.

Are you afraid to ride? Are you sometimes afraid to ride a ride for the first time? Part of the fun of riding is the excitement and, even the bit of fear that you feel. Which rides do you fear? Why? How does this ride affect your body? What can you do to control your fears? 1. Name a ride that you are afraid of: ____________________________________

2. Which of these symptoms do you feel when you ride the ride or think about riding

the ride?

3. Now try to cure your fear by trying one of these methods. Check the one that made you feel less tense.

_____ Identify what seems to cause your fear (like seeing the roller coaster). Try to think of something other than your fear when you see the object (like looking at the beautiful wooded setting of the park). _____ Relax. Take a deep breath. Hold it for 7 seconds. Release the air slowly while thinking of a pleasant scene. Think about relaxing your muscles as you breath. _____ Gradually build up to the feared event (like riding the Rollo Coaster before riding the Wild Mouse). _____ Force yourself to feel the fear again and again until you are much less afraid (like riding The Wild Mouse over and over again until you have very little fear.) _____ Copy the behaviors of someone who does not fear the ride and behave as though you are not afraid. _____ Ignore your fear by keeping your mind busy with other thoughts (like watching the motions and forces on the roller coaster instead of thinking about the feelings you might have).

_______ Dry Mouth _______ Sweaty Hands _______ Cold Hands and Feet _______ Trembling _______ Big Eye Pupils

_______ Fast Breathing _______ Stomach Butterflies _______ Pounding Heart _______ Tense Muscles

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4. Match the ride to the fear(s) that you could feel while on that ride.

* You may find that several of these fears can be listed for each of the above rides.

If you are afraid to ride a ride, you are not alone! Most people, however, find that once they ride a ride they have been afraid of, they are no longer afraid of it… in fact they are often surprised by how much fun it is!

FEARS

A. Claustrophobia (confined places)

B. Demophobia (crowds)

C. Semaphobia (flashing lights) D. Barophobia (gravity) E. Acrophobia (heights)

F. Tachyphobia (high speeds)

G. Phonophobia (sounds)

H. Roundaphobia (circular rides)

I. Updownaphobia (roller coasters)

RIDES ______ Ferris Wheel ______ Wild Mouse ______ Loggin’ Toboggan ______ The Howler ______ Rollo Coaster ______ Loyalhanna Limited Train ______ Caterpillar ______ Flying Aces ______ Round Up

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______________________________________________________________________________

It Make Sense: Experiment with the (5) senses, Seeing,

Hearing, Smelling, Tasting and Touching as you explore the park.

1. SIGHT: The sense of sight is actually considered the most complex

of the five senses. From the moment you wake up in the morning until you go to sleep at night, your eyes are acting like a video camera. Recording everything you see and sending it to your brain for processing and storage.

1. What you see affects how you feel. Experiment by riding part of a ride with

your eyes closed and part with your eyes open. Record the difference:

2. Look for a red flower surrounded by dark leaves or a yellow flower with light green leaves. Anyone who has difficulty telling the difference in color between these flowers and the leaves may be red/green colorblind. Did you know most colorblind people are males?

3. Because you have two eyes, you can judge distances and shapes of objects

better. Try riding a motion ride with both eyes open and then with one eye open. What is the difference?

Sense-Sational Facts

Ride:_______________________________________________________________ Eyes Open:__________________________________________________________ Eyes Closed:_________________________________________________________

Ride:___________________________________________________________________ Both Eyes Open:__________________________________________________________ One Eye Open:___________________________________________________________

Most people blink every 2 – 10 seconds. Each time you blink, you shut your eyes for 0.3 seconds, which means your eyes are closed at least 30 minutes a day just from blinking!

If you only had one eye, everything would appear two-dimensional. (This does not work just by closing

one eye.)

A newborn baby sees the world upside down because it takes some time for the baby’s brain to learn to turn the picture right side up.

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______________________________________________________________________________

It Make Sense

HEARING:

1. What are the loudest sounds you hear in the park?

2. What sound does the Rollo Coaster make when the train is moving

up the lift hill?

3. How You Keep Your Balance: Inside your ears are three loops called the semi- circular canals. When you move, these fluid filled canals push against hair-like nerve endings that send messages to your brain about how your body is moving. If you ever felt dizzy after spinning around on a ride, it was because the liquid inside the canals pushes the hairs in all different directions sending signals to

confuse your brain. List some park rides that make you dizzy:


Your ears serve two very important purposes. Of course, you know they help you to hear sounds, but did you know your ears also help you to keep your balance?

When you go up to high elevations, your ears “pop” due to a change in pressure.

Children have more sensitive ears than adults and can recognize a wider variety of noises.

Animals hear more sounds than humans.

Dolphins have the best sense of hearing among animals. They are able to hear 14 times better than humans.

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Science Fundamentals ______________________________________________________________________________

It Make Sense

SMELL:

When you are in the park, sniff for the following scents. Record where you find them. See if you and your friends have the same sense of smell. Can you smell some things better than others?

ITEM LOCATION FOUND

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________


Hamburger

French Fries

Flowers

Water

Fudge

Pine Trees

Popcorn

Cotton Candy

Your sense of smell is one that your brain uses to gather much information about your environment. What you smell are tiny things called odor particles. Millions of them are floating around waiting to be sniffed by your nose!

If your nose is at its best, you can tell the difference between 4,000 and 10,000 smells!

People who cannot smell have a condition called Anosmia.

Dogs have 1 million smell cells per nostril and their smell cells are 100 times larger than humans!

As you get older, your sense of smell gets worse.

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It Make Sense

TASTE:

The park is filled with a variety of food items. As you eat different meal and snack items, find something from each of the taste categories and record them below:

Sweet _______________________ Sour _______________________

Bitter _______________________

Salty _______________________

Try this experiment to test your sense of smell and how it affects taste. When you eat your lunch today, eat two bites of your food and notice how the food smells as you eat. Next, eat two bites of your food while you pinch your nose closed with your fingers. Does the food taste differently when you cannot smell it? _____________________________________________________________________ Sense-Sational Facts

You can taste different foods because your tongue and the roof of your mouth are covered with thousands of tiny taste buds. Taste buds can recognize four kinds of tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter. The salty/sweet taste buds are located near the front of your tongue; the sour taste buds line the sides of your tongue; and the bitter taste buds are found at the very back of your tongue.

We have almost 10,000 taste buds inside our mouths.

In general, girls have more taste buds than boys.

Taste is the weakest of the five senses. As you get older, your taste buds will become less sensitive.

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It Make Sense

TOUCH:

We have the ability to tell whether objects are cold, hot, smooth or rough. To demonstrate the different types of receptors in the skin, record objects you come in contact with while visiting different areas of the park. Record the objects you touched and list them in the following categories;

SMOOTH:

ROUGH:

COLD:

WARM:


You have more pain nerve endings than any other type.

There are about 100 touch receptors in each of your fingertips.

The most sensitive areas of your body are your hands, lips, face, neck, tongue, fingertips and feet. The least sensitive park of your body is the middle of your back.

While your other four senses are located in specific parts of the body, your sense of touch is found all over. Your body has about twenty different types of nerve endings that all send messages to your brain. The most common receptors are heat, cold, pain and pressure.

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NO PROBLEM, STORY PROBLEMS

CONCEPTS

Develop, with and without appropriate technology, computational fluency, in multi-digit addition and subtraction using contextual problems; strategies for adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing numbers; estimation of reasonable answers, and relationships between operations

MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED

Pencil Paper

ACTIVITIES

Solve the following story problems. (note: numbers can be changed to increase or decrease the complexity of the problems)

1. Amy counted 13 tables with green and white umbrellas at the fountain in Olde Idlewild. Pam counted 11 tables with red and white umbrellas at the same location. How many tables with umbrellas did they count all together?

2. Ian has some Skittles that he bought from the General Store. Jamie gave him 125 more and now Ian has 340 Skittles. How many Skittles did Ian have to start with?

3. There were 100 people in line at the Wild Mouse. After 45 people got on the roller coaster, how many people were still in line?

4. Sweet Treats had 120 pieces of fudge to sell. They sold some of those pieces and now they have only 80 left. How many pieces of fudge did Sweet Treats sell?

5. The Wowabunga Wave Pool has 160 boys and some girls. Altogether, the wave pool has 280 people. How many girls are in the wave pool?

6. Piper has 30 pieces of gum to share while eating lunch at the pavilion. Maggie has 60 more pieces of gum than Piper. How many pieces of gum does Maggie have?

7. The Potato Patch has fried up 45 chicken strips. They give each customer 3 strips. How many orders will Potato Patch have to sell?

8. Pizza Place has 4 pans of pizzas. Each pizza is cut into 10 slices. How many slices does Pizza Place have all together?

9. Sour Dough Sam’s has 60 soft pretzels. They have to put them in 5 bags. Each bag has to have the same number of pretzels. How many pretzels are in each bag?

10. There were 6 schools in line to buy tickets for Outdoor Classroom. Each school purchased 20 tickets. How many tickets were bought in all?

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ANYTHING BUT ROUTINE

CONCEPTS ACTIVITIES Develop and use various math strategies to solve non-routine problems Check reasonableness of answers

Solve the following story problems. (note: numbers can be changed to increase or decrease the complexity of the problems)


Pencil Paper

1. Mrs. Harper’s class went to Idlewild & SoakZone on a field trip. She had 24 students that were able to attend. The students wore either tennis shoes or sandals. There were two times as many students who wore tennis shoes than sandals. How many students wore tennis shoes?

2. There are 8 children standing in line at the Rollo Coaster waiting to ride. There are 3 cars

on the roller coaster and each car can hold up to 4 children. If the ride operator wants to put some children in each car but no one can ride alone, how many children should the ride operator put in each car? (There are several possible answers.)

3. Mrs. Smith’s class had 19 students attend the field trip. The bus had 7 seats and the students could sit 2 in a seat or 3 in a seat. There could not be any empty seats. How many seats had 2 students? How many seats had 3 students?

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A PERFECT COMBINATION

CONCEPTS ACTIVITIES

Develop and use various math strategies to solve non-routine problems Check reasonableness for answers

While at Idlewild & SoakZone, order an ice cream sundae. You can choose one flavor of ice cream and one topping from their menu below. How many different Combinations can you make? List all the possible combinations.

MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED Pencil Paper

MENU

Ice Cream Flavors Toppings

Chocolate Sprinkles Vanilla Chocolate Chips Strawberry Butterfinger Peanut Butter Oreo Cookie Crumbs Mimi M&M’s

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A HEART BEAT AWAY

To calculate your pulse rate, place your fingertips on the carotid artery of your neck and count the number of pulses in 60 seconds. Each throb that you feel your artery is caused by the contraction of your heart.

GOALS ACTIVITIES

Number concepts Quantifying Observing

Choose three rides and complete the worksheet for each ride. Take your pulse before you board the ride and then again when you exit the ride. As you ride, have a classmate time the length of the ride in minutes and seconds. Rate the ride on a scale of 1 (no fun) to 10 (great fun).

MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED Pencil Worksheet Stopwatch

Pulse Rate Worksheet

NAME OF RIDE LENGTH OF RIDE PULSE RATE BEFORE RIDING

PULSE RATE AFTER RIDING

FUN SCALE: 1 TO 10

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WHAT MAKES THE RIDES GO?

A simple machine changes the force or the direction of a force. Complex machines are a combination of two or more simple machines.

CONCEPTS ACTIVITIES

Observing Identifying

1. Select four rides you have either ridden or seen, and determine which simple machine or combination of simple machines was used to make the ride move. Write down your observations and conclusions.

MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED Pencil or pen Paper

GOALS Identify and research the use of four simple machines.

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BUMPER CARS BUMPING

MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED ACTIVITIES

Pencil Paper Calculator Stopwatch or watch with a second hand

1. Count the number of bumper cars on the track. 2. Time the length of one ride. 3. Pick out one bumper car and watch it for one full ride, counting the number of times it is hit and writing down that number. 4. Watch the ride a second time, selecting one particular car to watch, and count the number of times it is hit. 5. If there is a difference in the number of times the cars were hit, try to explain what might have caused that difference. Could it have been the age or size of the driver? Did one driver appear to be more aggressive than the other? 6. While watching the ride a third time and again selecting one particular car to observe, use a stopwatch or watch with a second hand to time the interval between hits. What is the longest time between hits? 7. During the entire ride, how many times was the car you watched hit? Calculate the average number of times the car was hit every 30 seconds.

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THE CAROUSEL

Each figure on the carousel has been carefully hand carved and painted. Hundreds of hours were devoted to the design and creation of this ride.

CONCEPTS ACTIVITIES

Observing Visualizing Mathematical skills

1. List all figures on the carousel that you can identify. 2. Choose your favorite figure on the carousel and draw it. Use colored pencils to color your picture. 3. Research the history of the carousel and write a short story about the creation of a carousel figure or a story about a runaway carousel figure. 4. Watch one of the figures on the outside row and measure the amount of time required for one revolution. Then measure the amount of time it takes for one of the figures on the inside row to make a complete revolution. Record your findings. Calculate the velocity of each row.

MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED Paper Colored pencils Calculator Stopwatch or watch with a second hand

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ROLLO COASTER

The Rollo Coaster, a 1,400-foot-long roller coaster with drops of more than 37 feet, is one of the country's great out-and-back coasters and one of the oldest coasters in a six-state region. It was designed and constructed by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company and opened to the public in 1938.

CONCEPTS ACTIVITIES

Mathematical skills 1. The highest point of the coaster's tallest hill is 37 feet. While you are on the ground, time the duration of the ride. 2. Calculate the average speed of the ride. 3. Identify at least three sources of friction in the ride. 4. Does an empty coaster take the same amount of time for a single trip as a full coaster? Defend your answer. 5. At what point on the roller coaster track should there be maximum potential energy and minimum and maximum kinetic energy? 6. Investigate the Law of Conservation of Energy and explain the difference of potential energy, kinetic energy, and mechanical energy.

MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED Pencil Paper Calculator Stopwatch

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COASTER ANGLES

CONCEPTS ACTIVITIES Acute angles Obtuse angles Right angles

Idlewild & SoakZone has two distinct, thrilling roller coasters: the Rollo Coaster and the Wild Mouse. Each ride has a variety of angles. Sketch and label at least one of each type of angle that you see on the coasters.


Pencil Paper

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POLYGONS, POLYGONS, POLYGONS

CONCEPTS ACTIVITIES Find, draw, and label polygons in the real world.

Shapes are all around us. Polygons are closed two dimensional figures with 3 or more straight sides. While walking around Idlewild & SoakZone look for polygons in the design of the rides, buildings, and surroundings. Then, sketch and label as many different polygons as you can find.


Pencil Paper

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FLYING ACES PENDULUM

Each of the Flying Aces cars operate like a pendulum. Starting off slowly, the cars swing back and forth, going farther and farther out from the center of the ride.

CONCEPTS ACTIVITIES

Observation Mathematical reasoning 1. While watching or riding Flying Aces a total of four times, count the number of times a specific car swings back and forth. Is this number always the same? 2. Time the duration of each ride and compare this number to the number of times the car goes back and forth. Is this always the same or different? 3. Is the Flying Aces ride a true example of a pendulum?

MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED Pencil Paper Stopwatch

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CIRCLES

To make things more exciting for their passengers, many rides operate in circles. Centripetal force and inertia work together to keep riders in their seats. Inertia is a physical property that keeps moving things moving or motionless things still unless an outside force acts on them. Centripetal force causes an object to turn in a circular path.

CONCEPTS ACTIVITIES

Observing Classifying

1. Select several rides in the park that travel in a circle. 2. Use the chart below to record the information about the rides you are comparing. 3. Write down the number of circles each ride makes. 4. Indicate where the centripetal force is used.


NAME OF RIDE # OF CIRCLES USE OF CENTRIPETAL FORCE CONCEPTS

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VECTORS

All motion can be described in terms of vectors. An arrow that has both direction and magnitude represents a vector. It takes three vectors to define a motion in a three- dimensional plane: the X, Y, and Z vectors. The X axis is the horizontal bar, the Y axis is the vertical bar, and the Z axis represents motion in and out of the plane. This three- dimensional coordinate plane is the same as the traditional two-dimensional plane, with X and Y axes, except that it allows you to show motion in and out of the plane with the Z axis.

GOAL ACTIVITIES

To represent the motion of a ride using a three dimensional coordinate plane.

1. What is the vector representation of a car going in a straight line? 2. What does it look like if the car is turning? 3. Visualize the motion of a ride in the park that you select. Look at the top of the ride when it is going up. At any point, determine the vector representation. 4. Draw a vector representation of the ride when you are at the top of the ride.


y

z

x

Any motion can be divided into its component vectors. A rocket going straight up has one vector, the Y vector. A small Y vector.

The faster the rocket, the longer the Y vector.

If a rocket is flying along the ground while going up, the X vector shows how fast it is going from left to right.

The two vectors, X and Y, come together to show the actual motion of the rocket, which is represented by the component vector V.

V vector Y vector X vector

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HOW MANY RIDES DID YOU RIDE?

CONCEPTS ACTIVITIES Data analysis Creating a line plot from a frequency table Maximum, minimum, range, and median of a set of numbers

After attending the Idlewild & SoakZone Outdoor Classroom field trip, one class was asked how many rides they had ridden during the day.

MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED Use the data from the tally chart to create a line plot. Pencil

Number of rides ridden

Number of students

6

7 |||| |

8

9 |||

10 ||||

11 |||| ||||

12 |||

13 |

14 ||

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Use the data to answer the questions below. 1. What is the maximum (greatest) number of rides ridden? ________ rides 2. What is the minimum (least) number of rides ridden? ______ rides 3. What is the range for the data? ______rides 4. What is the median for the data? ______ rides

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WHAT SHALL I CHOOSE?

CONCEPTS ACTIVITIES

Apply money concepts in contextual situations to determine change back with the least amount of currency.

During your trip to Idlewild & SoakZone, choose one restaurant and look at their menu. Select three items that you would like to purchase for lunch for less than $20.00. Record those three items along with their price on the table below.


Menu Item

Price

1. What was the total cost for the lunch items listed above? Show your thinking using pictures, numbers, and/or words.

2. How much change should you receive after paying for the lunch items with a $20.00 bill?

Show your thinking using pictures, numbers, and/or words.

3. Use the least number of bills and/or coins possible to determine the change that you should receive. Show your thinking using pictures, numbers, and/or words.

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CREATE AN EXPENSE REPORT

You can prepare an expense report reflecting the costs of your day at Idlewild & SoakZone for you as an individual, your whole class, or the entire school. The cost of admission for each student to visit Idlewild & SoakZone during the Outdoor Classroom program is $15.50. Idlewild & SoakZone sponsored the cost of the bus drivers and one adult for every 25 students registered per group. Of course, each student probably also spent money on other items while in the park.

CONCEPTS ACTIVITIES

Quantifying Mathematical reasoning Mathematical procedures Writing

1. Beginning with the admission cost, keep a record of how you spent your money during your visit to Idlewild & SoakZone. Your teacher can tell you the cost of renting the bus to bring your class to the park. If you were transported by car, calculate the cost of gas and write that on your expense report. Be sure to divide the total cost by the number of people in the vehicle to determine an individual cost. Write down what you purchased throughout the day and the cost of each item (food, games, souvenirs, etc.). 2. Use the worksheet below to keep track of your expenses. 3. Make a chart for your entire class to show the amount spent by each student. Add each line to determine the cost for the entire class.

MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED Paper Pencil Calculator Worksheets

Class Visit to Idlewild & SoakZone

Student’s Name and School Admission Food

Items Food Cost

Games Played

Cost of Games

Souvenirs Purchased

Cost of Souvenirs

Mode of Transportation

Transportation Cost

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THE LANGUAGE OF FUN

CONCEPTS ACTIVITIES Identify and categorize words as nouns, verbs, and adjectives.

As you enjoy your field trip at Idlewild & SoakZone, look around you. What do you see? What words would you use to describe what you see? What is everyone doing? After observing, record the nouns, verbs, and adjectives below.

MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED NOUNS VERBS ADJECTIVES

Pencil Paper

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ONE PICTURE IS WORTH 300 WORDS


Pencil or pen Paper

Pick one person you do not know and watch this individual ride a ride. Write a 300-word paper describing how the person you were watching acted during the ride. 1. Did he or she look happy, sad, or frightened? 2. Describe how the person acted after exiting the ride. 3. Include a description of the ride and the sounds you heard.

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WHAT MAKES ILDEWILD & SOAKZONE FUN?

WRITING GENRE ACTIVITIES Personal Narrative Think about your fun-filled and

educational day at Idlewild & SoakZone. Write a story about your day at Idlewild & SoakZone. Before you begin to write, think about everything that happened in the order that it happened. What was your favorite part of the day? What rides and activities did you enjoy? What did you learn?

MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED Now, write a story describing your day at Idlewild & SoakZone. Be sure to give specific dates so that your teacher and classmates will understand.

Pencil Paper

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WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RIDE?

WRITING GENRE ACTIVITIES Descriptive Narrative Think of your favorite Idlewild & SoakZone

ride. Write an essay describing your favorite Idlewild & SoakZone ride. Before you begin to write, think about your favorite Idlewild & SoakZone ride. What do you like about this ride? How does it look? How does this ride make you feel? Why is this ride better than all of the other rides at Idlewild & SoakZone?

MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED Write an essay describing your favorite Idlewild & SoakZone ride. Be sure to include specific details so that your reader will be able to picture (visualize) it.

Pencil Paper

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LEARNING IS FUN AT IDLEWILD & SOAKZONE

WRITING GENRE ACTIVITIES Persuasive The principal has decided that there will

be no more Idlewild & SoakZone field trips. Write a letter to the principal persuading him or her to reconsider. Before you begin to write, think about how you will persuade the principal to change his or her mind. Why is this field trip important to you? What did you learn by attending the Idlewild & SoakZone field trip? What reasons or facts could you give that would convince your principal that Idlewild & SoakZone is educational?

MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED Now, write a letter to your principal persuading him or her to allow the Idlewild & SoakZone field trip to remain part of the school year. Be sure to include specific reasons for your request.

Pencil Paper

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FAVORITE GAME INSTRUCTIONS

WRITING GENRE ACTIVITIES Expository - Informational Everyone has a favorite game to play at

Idlewild & SoakZone. Write about your favorite game at Idlewild & SoakZone and explain how to play it. Before you begin to write, think about the Idlewild & SoakZone game that you like to play. What type of game is it? How did you learn to play it? What are the steps that others would need to follow to be successful at the game?

MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED Write about a favorite game to play at Idlewild & SoakZone. Be sure to give specific details and explain how to play the game so that your reader will understand.

Pencil Paper

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ACROSTIC POEM

CONCEPTS ACTIVITIES Use the name of a ride at Idlewild & SoakZone to create an acrostic poem.

Choose your favorite ride at Idlewild & SoakZone and brainstorm words that describe it. Then use those words to create an acrostic poem about your favorite ride.


Pencil Paper

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Park History timeline

The Idlewild & SoakZone Time Line:

1877 The Ligonier Valley Rail Road is opened in December running from Latrobe to Ligonier, PA a distance

of 10.3 miles. The railroad was primarily hauling freight such as coal, coke, stone and mineral products, but the owner of the railroad desired to move passengers on his trains as well…

1878 On May 1

st, Idlewild Park came into existence when William Darlington, owner of the property, gave "the

right and privilege to occupy his land for picnic purposes or pleasure grounds" to Judge Thomas Mellon, owner of the Ligonier Valley Rail Road. With a new picnic ground established, the railroad quickly built a train depot at Idlewild for the railroad’s passenger traffic.

1880s The park was advertised in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas with special appeals to churches and

schools. The park quickly became popular, enticing city dwellers to spend a weekend in the country aboard the Ligonier Valley Rail Road. Campgrounds, hiking trails, swings and picnic pavilions were the favorite of Idlewild visitors.

1891 Idlewild installs its first Merry-Go-Round, which was steam-powered. 1896 Lake Bouquet, which is a man-made lake at Idlewild, was dug and filled so picnickers could boat and

fish. At the center of the lake was Flower Island, where thousands of varieties of flowers could be found. A new Merry-Go-Round replaced the steam-powered one and was housed in the newly built Carousel Pavilion.

1931 C.C. Macdonald becomes the new manager of Idlewild and he begins to build many new attractions

such as refreshment stands, adding electricity, the Skooters and a new Merry-Go-Round built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company.

1938 The Whip and the Rollo Coaster are added. The Rollo Coaster was also built by the Philadelphia

Toboggan Company using wood from the park's many trees. 1951 The Ligonier Valley Rail Road ceases operation. While visitors to Idlewild could no longer travel to the

park by train, the popularity of the automobile assured that the park would continue. 1956 Story Book Forest is built and children could visit their favorite characters from nursery rhymes and fairy

tales. 1984 Hootin' Holler was added giving visitors a rootin' tootin' good time! 1985 The H2Ohhh Zone, later renamed the SoakZone, was added to the park's swimming pool and contained

several new waterslides. 1987 Idlewild is named "One of the most beautiful amusement parks in the country".

1990 Mister Rogers' Neighborhood of Make-Believe, a ride based on the popular television show featuring

Fred Rogers was built. Growing up just a few miles away, Idlewild was the amusement park that Fred Rogers visited when he was a little boy.

1993 The Wild Mouse coaster is moved from an amusement park in England and rebuilt at Idlewild. Fun for its quick turns and fun dips, the ride is built among dozens of very tall trees. 2001 The park is renamed “Idlewild and SoakZone”

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Park History timeline

Using the Idlewild & SoakZone time line, answer the following questions: 1. Which came first, the Rollo Coaster or the Skooters? ______________________

2. Lake Bouquet was a natural lake that existed at Idlewild: TRUE OR FALSE 3. What year did Idlewild come into existence? ________________________________ 4. How many years has the park been known as Idlewild and SoakZone? ___________ 5. The Ligonier Valley Rail Road stopped operating in 1956: TRUE OR FALSE 6. What country was the Wild Mouse located in before moving to Idlewild? __________________________________________________________________ 7. Fred Rogers became manager of Idlewild in 1931: TRUE OR FALSE 8. Which came first, Hootin' Holler or the SoakZone? ___________________ 9. What company built two of Idlewild's most popular rides? ______________________________________________ 10. What powered Idlewild's first Merry-Go-Round? ___________________________

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WHAT MAKES IDLEWILD & SOAKZONE SPECIAL?


Pencil or pen Paper

1. As you walk through the park, look at the buildings, walkways, colors, and overall layout of the park. 2. What makes Idlewild & SoakZone different from other amusement parks you have visited? Describe what natural materials are used to create a special atmosphere in the park and how manmade materials are used to make the park look natural. 3. What is your favorite building and why? Describe the shape and color of the building. Why do you think the building was designed as it is? 4. What changes would you make in the overall layout of the park?

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Read the following passage, and then answer the multiple choice questions as well as open-response item.

Rides for Everyone

Idlewild & SoakZone is the top family place to go in Pennsylvania. It has lots of rides. Every member of your family will find something to enjoy. The beauty of Idlewild & SoakZone is matched only by the thrill of its coasters. There are also a wide variety of family rides. Your little ones won’t be left out of the action. There are kiddie rides the youngest will love!

Thrill Rides

The Rollo Coaster is a wooden roller coaster! It has over 1,400 feet of track. It also features dips and hills as it takes riders through a tree-lined hill. It will get your heart racing all the way to the finish.

Are you up to a challenge? It takes nerves of steel to handle the Wild Mouse. It has drops, twists, hills, and bends. You’ll travel high up in the trees. This is a very thrilling ride. Your adrenaline will be pumping. Your heart will be thumping. Load a raft with your best friend and hit the water. The best way to a cool down quickly in the summer heat of Pennsylvania is a 50-foot drop on Pipeline Plunge. The chills and spills will hang around long after you’ve taken the wild ride.

Family Rides

Are you looking for a ride to start out on? Look no further than The Scrambler. This ride may seem tame, but after one trip, you’ll see it’s appropriately named. It is fun for kids and adults alike.

The Ferris Wheel will make you feel like you are flying. You will get a “bird’s-eye” view high above the park! It will leave your stomach tingling and your heart twittering.

Paul Bunyan’s Loggin’ Toboggan is a family favorite! Get in your log and take off. You will go twisting and turning through the water. This ride ends with a 30-foot splash-down at the end of the river!

Go for a spin on our Carousel. This ride is the classic merry-go-round experience. You will have fun from the very beginning by picking out which beautifully painted horse you want to ride. You’ll want to ride over and over again.

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Kids’ Rides

Imaginations fly high on Red Baron. It features kid-sized air planes that go up and down as they are controlled and go around. This will make a great time to snap a photo. Remember to smile as you wave at the camera.

On Cattail Derby you can control your own bumper car just like the big kids! The cars can be driven in all directions across the rectangular floor.

All aboard the Pollywog Regatta! Your kids can be the captain of their own boat. They can take a fun trip around Raccoon Lagoon.

Idlewild & SoakZone includes all of these rides and many more. If all of the rides aren’t enough, Idlewild also includes more fun. It has a water park, games, entertainment, and yummy food. Your fun day will create many fun memories to look back on. So what are you waiting for?

1. What is the author’s purpose for writing this passage? a. To entertain the reader with a story about a field trip to Idlewild & SoakZone b. To persuade the reader to go to Idlewild & SoakZone c. To inform the reader that Idlewild & SoakZone also has a water park

d. To encourage the reader to ride the Rollo Coaster

2. Why did the author use italics throughout the passage? a. They are names of rides b. They are subheadings in the passage c. To give directions to the park d. To help you say the words

4. Under which heading would you most likely find information about rides that a young child would want to ride?

a. Thrill Rides b. Family Rides c. Kids’ Rides d. Baby Rides

4. This passage about Idlewild & SoakZone is a/an: a. fantasy b. advertisement c. menu d. fiction

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5. According to the passage, which ride would make a great time to take a picture? a. Rollo Coaster b. Paul Bunyan’s Loggin’ Toboggan c. Carousel d. Red Baron

6. Someone would most likely read this passage to? a. Learn more about Idlewild & SoakZone b. Find out more about Pennsylvania c. Determine how hot Pennsylvania summers can get d. Enjoy a good story

7. A person that is scared of heights would be most afraid of which ride? a. Paul Bunyan’s Loggin’ Toboggan b. Red Baron c. Wild Mouse d. The Scrambler

8. What do you think the author meant when he used the term “nerves of steel?” a. Someone might take your belongings. b. You are nervous about riding rides. c. You have a steel plate in your body. d. You are very brave.

Open Response: In this passage, you read about different types of rides that they have Idlewild & SoakZone. Which type of rides do you think you would enjoy most? Use specific examples and details from the passage to support your answer.

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VENN DIAGRAM

CONCEPTS ACTIVITIES Compare and contrast using a Venn diagram as a graphic organizer.

Think about the Rollo Coaster and the Wild Mouse. Use the Venn diagram below to compare and contrast the two rides.


Pencil Paper

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CAN YOU HANDLE THE SCRAMBLER?

The Scrambler ride at Idlewild & SoakZone has three arms that spin around its center. Three cars that rotate are attached to the end of each arm. When the ride is in motion, its passengers are treated to the feeling of spinning in circles in different directions at the same time.

CONCEPTS ACTIVITIES

Observation Creative writing Designing

1. Watch The Scrambler for two to three ride cycles to get an idea of how it works. 2. Predict where passengers on the ride will feel heaviest and lightest. 3. Ride The Scrambler. Were your predictions correct? 4. Design a ride that uses three circles, draw your ride, and describe it in writing. 5. Design a ride that uses more than three circles. 6. Build a model of The Scrambler and/or the ride you designed.

MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED Paper Pencil Graph paper Markers, colored pencils, or crayons

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DEAR DIARY . . .

Create a diary to show how you spent your time traveling to and from Idlewild & SoakZone and while you were at Idlewild & SoakZone.

CONCEPTS ACTIVITIES

Quantifying Observing Writing

1. Make a diary of your day at Idlewild & SoakZone by writing down the time you woke up this morning, the time you arrived at school or your starting point, the time you arrived at the park, the beginning and ending time of each ride you rode, the time you left the park, and the time you arrived back home. 2. How many miles did you travel from your home to your starting point? How many miles did you travel from your starting point to the park? Calculate the average speed of the vehicle you were riding in from one point to another. 3. Write down what you did on the way to Idlewild & SoakZone and back home. Comment on each ride. How did the ride make you feel? Did you like the ride? Would you recommend it to a friend? 4. Before visiting the park, plan your day by making a schedule to follow. After your visit, see how well you did by comparing your schedule with your diary.

MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED Pencil or pen Paper

START TIME END TIME ACTIVITY TOTAL MINUTES PER ACTIVITY

COMMENTS

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Art In the park Use your imagination to see “art in the park.” Maybe you would like to design a ride, or make improvements to what is already here. Let your mind go as you create new things!

You Design the Park!

Pick one of the following projects to work on.

1. Create an advertisement to promote a day of fun at Idlewild & SoakZone.

2. Draw a picture of your or a friend’s face while riding The Rollo Coaster.

3. Design a new ride or area to be installed at Idlewild & SoakZone.

4. Design a t-shirt that could be sold in one of our gift shops.

5. Draw a picture of your favorite ride at Idlewild & SoakZone.

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Art in the park

A logo is a special design that identifies a

product or company.

Design a new logo for Idlewild & SoakZone

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Just for fun

What is wrong with the following signs?

Each sign has something wrong with it. Find what is wrong and write it next to the sign.

Park Hours

8:30 pm to

11:30 am daily

Today’s Special

FREE Cotton Candy for $2.00 per bag

Get Change Here!

Get 2 quarters, 2 dimes, and

2 nickles for your dollar.

Hot dogs

1 for $2.00 or

2 for $6.00

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Just for fun

Idlewild & Soak Zone Word Search: There are 18 words/phrases listed. Can you find them?

F S L J H S O A K Z O N E N H G N R F M

Y A B Y A W A T A O L F A X B A A B U E

P T T O L D E I D L E W I L D Y G R N R

Y M V S B C F F N E B Q E Z T Q G O N R

P Z N M E T M B S T K M J C T L O X E Y

Q X B G G R L U N U I N Q S U G B L L G

R Q J F P T O R H K N B N V A Y O E C O

E I D D H M M F Z R E O J L H K T E A R

E Y E Y D O O E K P M U N R Z Y N H K O

I Q W L I N O J U O M O G T Z J I W E U

S E I R F H C T A P O T A T O P G S R N

G W K I V G B S I C A B W O A G G I E D

U C I Y O Z V N C N H G Y E H O O R G B

B N K F W G J A A I H Y N R B X L R D N

E T V I F U R Y M X Z O N U O K K E W U

L A Q M N P B H I V I E L U B T Z F J P

D Z I G W S E C A G N I Y L F A S T A Z

O U L Y D N A C N O T T O C E R W R J E

O E C A N D Y A P P L E G X X R A O Q D

D A I V J I Q I S B O L C V Q M M L W P

Find the Words: CANDY APPLE FUNNEL CAKE POTATO PATCH FRIES COTTON CANDY HOOTIN HOLLER RACCOON LAGOON DOODLEBUG JUMPIN JUNGLE SOAKZONE FERRIS WHEEL LOGGIN TOBOGGAN STORY BOOK FOREST FLOAT AWAY BAY MERRY GO ROUND WILD MOUSE

FLYING ACES OLDE IDLEWILD WOWABUNGA

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Just for fun

Alphabet fun: Use the alphabet code to solve the secret messages about Idlewild.

A = 1 G = 7 M = 13 S = 19 Y = 25

B = 2 H = 8 N = 14 T = 20 Z = 26

C = 3 I = 9 O = 15 U = 21

D = 4 J = 10 P = 16 V = 22

E = 5 K = 11 Q = 17 W = 23

F = 6 L = 12 R = 18 X = 24 Did you know? Idlewild is the …

• ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

12 15 14 7 5 19 20 15 16 5 18 1 20 9 14 7 1 13 21 19 5 13 5 14 20

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ! 16 1 18 11 9 14 16 5 14 14 19 25 12 22 1 14 9 1

• ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

20 8 9 18 4 12 15 14 7 5 19 20 15 16 5 18 1 20 9 14 7 16 1 18 11

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ !

9 14 20 8 5 21 14 9 20 5 4 19 20 1 20 5 19

• ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 5 12 5 22 5 14 20 8 15 12 4 5 19 20 15 16 5 18 1 20 9 14 7 16 1 18 11

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ! 9 14 20 8 5 23 15 18 12 4

Let’s Continue the FUN! Idlewild has been voted…. • ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ‘ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ !

2 5 19 20 11 9 4 19 16 1 18 11 9 14 20 8 5 23 15 18 12 4

• ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ! 2 5 19 20 16 1 18 11 6 15 18 6 1 13 9 12 9 5 19

• ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ‘ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

15 14 5 15 6 1 13 5 18 9 3 1 19 13 15 19 20

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ! 2 5 1 21 20 9 6 21 12 1 13 21 19 5 13 5 14 20 16 1 18 11 19

the learning buffet

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