The mystery of the missing hippo!

In this lesson, students will engage with a variety of primary documents from the Commemorative Landscapes database to learn about the mystery of the missing hippo statue in Orange County.

A lesson plan for grades 3–5 Information Skills

By Kate Allman

Provided by UNC Libraries / Documenting the American South

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Related topics

• Learn more about North Carolina, commemorative landscapes, and history.

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In 1982, a resident of Chapel Hill commissioned a full cement sculpture of a hippo to be placed in the Mill Creek branch off Bolinwood Drive. In 1995, however, the hippo mysteriously disappeared! In this lesson, students will use the Commemorative Landscapes database to learn why the monument was built and solve the mystery of the missing hippo.

Learning outcomes

Students will:

• learn how to use a database to research a historical event.
• read primary resource documents to solve a historical question.
• write an alternative ending to a historical mystery.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

One 90-minute class or two 45-minute classes

Materials

• Pencils/pens
• Detective Notebook Handout — one per student
• Notebook paper

Handouts/Resources

Technology Resources

• Access to the Commemorative Landscapes Database
• Computer lab with internet access
• A map of Chapel Hill

Teacher background information

Activities

Day one

1. Display a picture of the Hippopotamus Statue from the Commemorative Landscapes database.
2. Explain to students that in 1982, a resident of Chapel Hill commissioned a full cement sculpture of a hippo in honor of the stories his father told him as a child. Read the comment that Barrett told the Chapel Hill Herald:
   

   “As a little kid, my dad made up a story about a magic hippo that rode in the trunk of our car. It wandered down to Morgan Creek. The hippo was the subject of bedtime stories for a number of years.”

3. Show the students a map of Chapel Hill and point out where the hippo was located: along Mill Creek off Bolinwood Drive. Explain that it was a favorite local spot for children. Kids would often climb and crawl across the hippo’s back. Explain that in 1995, however, the hippo suddenly disappeared. As a class, they must use the Commemorative Landscapes database to research what happened to the hippo and help solve the mystery!
4. Ask the students if they have ever heard of a detective. Encourage students to share what a detective is. Emphasize that a detective is often responsible for finding something that has gone missing. Then ask them what a detective would need to know if he or she was trying to find something that had gone missing. Write student responses on the board.
5. Explain that, just like a detectives, they are going to work in pairs to solve the mystery of the missing hippo. Pair students together and pass out a copy of the Detective Notebook handout. Emphasize how the questions on the handout address the “needed” information that they brainstormed as a class and that they will use the Commemorative Landscapes database to solve the mystery of the missing hippo.
6. Explain that a database is a collection of information, usually presented in a digital form. In the Commemorative Landscapes database, the creators compiled information about monuments and other commemorative sites across North Carolina.
7. Go to the Browse Monuments feature of the site and explain that this database allows us to narrow our search based on the:
   1. subject (who or what the monument is depicting).
   2. time period in which a monument was erected.
   3. county and city in which the commemorative site resides.
   4. type of monument.
8. Explain that the database also allows individuals to search for a monument by name. Point to the “Search Collection” tab on the Commemorative Landscapes main page.
9. Ask students to share a couple of ways that they could find the “Hippopotamus Statue” located in Orange County using the database. Encourage your students to understand that they could find the statue by both looking at monuments in Orange County and searching for the monument by name.
10. After locating the statue, show students how this page includes a picture of the monument and also features newspaper and online articles that will allow them to learn about the mystery of the missing hippo statue. Emphasize that they will have to look at a variety of the documents to find the answers to their detective questions.
11. After students have used the database to solve the mystery, have students discuss what they read and discovered.

Day two

1. After students have solved the mystery, allow them to write an alternative ending to the story. Explain that while they now know that the commissioner of the hippo was the person who took the statue, they will use their creative writing skills to create an alternative ending to the mystery.
2. Ask students to spend ten minutes brainstorming alternative endings to the story. To encourage their brainstorming, ask them to reflect on the questions: What did you think happened to the hippo before you solved the mystery? What could have happened?
3. After students have spent time brainstorming, ask them to circle their favorite alternative endings.
4. Allow students the remainder of the class period to write a story describing their alternative ending to the mystery. You may allow your students to write in the format of a short story or a newspaper article.
5. After your students have finished writing, allow them the opportunity to share their story with the rest of the class or a small group.

Assessment

• Evaluate student writing against the information provided through class activities.
• Gauge student participation in class discussions.