A Brain Break:

Zombpocalypse

Smart brains
taste better!
Im not scared!
Im prepared for
Zombies!

Table of Contents
A Brain Break: Zombpocalypse
A History of Zombies
Fill in the Zombie Story
Your Ten Things
Run from the Horde!
Ninjas Versus Zombies
What's Behind the Door?
Zompocalypse Vocabulary
Escape the Mall
Humans Versus Zombies
A Day in the Life
Why Do Zombies Love Brains?
Are You Prepared?
Cool Survival Skills

Certificate of Completion

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A HISTORY OF ZOMBIES
Almost everyone is familiar with the modern zombie: a shuffling, ravenous, reanimated corpse that terrorizes and eats
humans. But since zombies arent real, how did their legend get started? Where did the word zombie come from?

Zombies Across the World:

For thousands of years, zombie-like monsters have appeared in legends and myths all over
the world. In the Middle Ages in Europe, many people believed in revenants ghosts or
reanimated bodies that would return from the grave to terrorize the living, sometimes
with a specific purpose, like revenge, or to torment someone who had wronged them in
life. In Norse mythology, draugr were said to be the reanimated bodies of warriors who
had been reborn with amazing abilities, like being able to turn into a wisp of smoke and
pass through stone. Draugr were said to drive humans and animals mad and cause chaos
everywhere they went.
Chinese cultures told of jiangshi, living corpses that had white hair and greenish-white skin,
doomed to hop everywhere because of the stiff limbs that had set in after death. Many
Asian countries have variations on the jiangshi, including Japan,Vietnam and Korea.
One of the earliest known references to the living dead is in The Epic of Gilgamesh, an
ancient Mesopotamian epic poem. In it, Ishtar, the goddess of love and war, travels to the
underworld and demands to be let in, threatening that she will bring up the dead to eat
the living.

REVENANT
JOHN??

BOO!

DRAUGR
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YOU TOTALLY
CHEATED AT THAT
CHESS GAME.

A HISTORY OF ZOMBIES
Zombies in the Caribbean:
The clearest connection we have to the modern zombie comes from the Caribbean, where
religions from West Africa blended with Christianity and Catholicism to create vodou
(voodoo), a religion that includes belief in spirits, witchcraft and sorcery.
The word zombie is thought to have originated in the Caribbean, possibly from several
different sources. The Haitian word zombi comes from zonbi, which refers to a persons
soul, while the the word nzambi, of African origins, means god or soul.
In vodou, bokar are priests who use black magic to create a zombi to use as a servant.
The bokar would sneak the person a powder that would make them appear dead. It is
believed that the bokar was able to capture the spirit or soul of the person, ensuring the
future zombis obedience. Once the person is reanimated, they have no recollection of their
previous life, and would operate in a near-deathlike state. It is believed that salt will bring a
zombi back to their senses.
Belief in vodou and witchcraft in Haiti is still strong, and the laws regarding murder
specifically address this issue: It shall also be qualified as attempted murder the
employment which may be made against any person of substances which, without causing
actual death, produce a lethargic coma more or less prolonged. If, after the person had
been buried, the act shall be considered murder no matter what result follows.

Vodou Zombie

Slow Zombie

Fast Zombie

ZOMBIES IN MOVIES
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Friendly Zombie

A HISTORY OF ZOMBIES
Modern Zombies:
When zombies first started appearing in movies in the 1920s and
30s, they were depicted as typical vodou zombis with the movies
taking place in Haiti. Then, in 1968, filmmaker George Romero made
Night of the Living Dead, the first movie to introduce the idea that
zombies must eat the living. The film terrified audiences and helped
turn horror movies into a box-office favorite. Romeros version of the
zombie is what most modern zombies are based on.
Now, it seems as though theres a new zombie movie every summer!
Even the word zombie is now used to describe people who go
through life in a trancelike state, doing the same tasks over and over
with no enjoyment or excitement.

What do you think?:

This zombie narrative dates back very far in human history. Why do you think our ancestors told
stories or held beliefs about the dead coming back to life?

The evolution of the zombie narrative has been an interesting one. What makes the modern zombie
story so appealing to TV and movie audiences today?

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Do any of the zombie precursors remind you of characters or events in modern pop culture? Explain
the connections you noticed.

What will the future zombie narrative be like? Look forward one hundred years into the future, and
tell your version of how the zombie will have evolved.

Undead Map Matchup:

See if you can match up the geographic areas below with the undead that originated there, based on what youve
read over the past couple of pages.

3
1

4
5

_________ DRAUGR: They delight in terrorizing animals and people.

_________ ZOMBI: They obediently serve their master, unless they are fed salt!
_________ JIANGSHI: Their stiff limbs dont make it easy to get around.
_________ ZOMBIE: They are the stars of many movies and games.
_________ REVENANT: Maybe they have a bone to pick with someone!
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FILL IN THE ZOMBIE STORY

Have another person help you come up with adjectives, nouns, verbs, and other words to inish this zombie story.
For each blank space, ask your partner give you a word that matches whats listed below each spot.
Example: Give me a noun! Pickup truck!

It was a _________________ and stormy night. The _________________ was roaring

(adjective)

(noun)

outside _________________s room as she/he watched _________________ and

(name #1)

(a movie title)

ate _________________. Suddenly, the lights went out! _________________ was

(a type of food)

(name #1)

_________________ as she/he got up from the _________________ to see what had

(emotion)

(noun)

happened. Then, there was a _________________ knock on the _________________!

(adjective)

(noun)

_________________ _________________ opened the door. She/he _________________

(name #1)

(adverb)

(past tense verb)

with relief; it was just her/his friend _________________. But as _________________ threw
(name #2)

(name #1)

open the door, she/he _________________ in terror. _________________ was covered in

(past tense verb)

(name #2)

_________________, and her/his _________________ was all ripped to shreds.

(noun)

(noun)

_________________... _________________ stammered, Why is your face all

(name #2)

(name #1)

_________________?
(color)

MREHHGGRRNG!! she/he moaned in reply, and began _________________ into the house very
(verb ending in -ing)

_________________.
(adverb)

Zombie! cried _________________, and she/he _________________ down the hall like a
(name #1)

(past tense verb)

mad _________________. She/he grabbed a _________________ for protection and turned to

(living creature)

(noun)

face the zombie at the door. But to her/his _________________, the zombie was laughing! Then
(adverb - emotion)

she/he saw _________________ other friends huddled outside laughing _________________.

(adverb)

(number)

_________________, _________________ slammed the _________________. It was all a joke!

(emotion)

(name #1)

(noun)

After her/his _________________ stopped beating so fast, she/he began to _________________.

(body part)

What a crazy _________________!

(noun)

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(verb)

YOUR TEN THINGS

In the event of a zombie apocalypse, time is of the essence! Imagine zombies are invading your town.
What ten things will you grab and why?

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

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RUN FROM THE HORDE!

Imagine youre a reporter with the Morristown Daily News. Your photographer just sent you this photo a zombie
horde has descended on your town! Write an article about the event on the lines below.

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NINJAS VERSUS ZOMBIES

Who do you think would win this epic showdown between a group of ninjas and a mob of zombies? What
advantages or disadvantages do you think each side has? You decide what happens next!

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WHATS BEHIND THE DOOR?

Whats on the other side of this creepy dark door? What do you think is on the other side, and what will happen if
the girl opens it? You decide what happens next?

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ZOMPOCALYPSE VOCABULARY
Below are some Zompocalypse vocabulary words with their deinitions. Start memorizing the spelling of each word;
it makes it easier to memorize if you write them down three times each.

Apocalypse: (noun, a-PAW-ka-lips) A major event that completely destroys, or heavily damages
humanity or society.
Post-Apocalyptic: (adj., post-a-paw-ka-LIP-tic) Taking place or describing something after the
apocalypse.
Dystopian: (adj., dis-TOPE-ee-an) An imagined state or place where everything is unpleasant or bad.
Utopian: (adj., you-TOPE-ee-an) An imagined state or place where everything is perfect or heavenly.
Epidemic: (noun, eh-pih-DEM-ick) An outbreak, usually a disease, that spreads rapidly and widely.
Scourge: (noun, skerj) A person or thing that causes great trouble.
Quarantine: (noun/verb, kw-WAR-en-teen) A place of isolation to guard people or animals who have
been infected with a dangerous disease.
Catastrophe: (noun, ka-TASS-truh-fee) A very bad event that causes suffering and damage.
Cache: (noun, cash or cash-AY) A stash of goods, usually hidden.
Scavenging: (verb, sk-AH-ven-jing) To search for and collect useable things that were discarded.
Rations: (noun, RASH-uns) A ixed amount of goods per person, usually food or water.

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WRITE YOUR OWN STORY

Use as many of the Zompocalypse vocabulary words as you can to write your own zombie story. For an extra
challenge, try to use all of the vocabulary words.

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VOCABULARY QUIZ
Remember those Zompocalypse terms? Heres your chance to test your knowledge and memory. Fill in the
deinition for each word below without peeking!

Apocalypse: ________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Post-Apocalyptic: __________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Dystopian: _________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Utopian: ___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Scourge: ___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Quarantine: ________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Catastrophe: _______________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Cache: _____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Scavenging: ________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Rations: ___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

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ESCAPE THE MALL!

Solve the maze below while avoiding the zombies to get the survivors out of the mall to safety!

ENTRANCE

EXIT
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HUMANS VERSUS ZOMBIES

This is a two-player game that pits surviving humans against ravenous zombies!
YOU WILL NEED:

DIRECTIONS:

- Scissors

1. Cut out the game pieces for both players, and tape
them horizontally or vertically so the dots match up
with coordinates on your grid. Make sure you hide
your game piece locations from your opponent!

- Tape
- Red marker
- Black marker
- Something to place between players to hide
the boards from the other side.

Remember: when calling out

coordinates, the number for the
x-axis always comes before the
number for the y-axis. We write it
out like this: (x, y)

2. Take turns guessing coordinates to ind your

opponents pieces. Each player must respond to a guess
with either a hit or miss statement. A hit means the
coordinate called out by a player matches up with one
of the circles on a piece; edge hits do not count.
3. If you hit one of your opponents pieces, mark that
spot on your Opponent Board with a red dot, and if you
miss, mark the spot with a black dot.
4. If your opponent hits one of your pieces, mark the
coordinate on your own board with a red dot. Once a
piece has been hit on all its coordinates, that piece is
out, and tell your opponent you got my _____!
5. Whoever gets all of their opponents pieces wins!

GAME PIECES:
Carefully cut these game pieces
out and place them on your game
board, being careful to line up the
white dots with coordinates on
the grid. If you need help lining
the pieces up, use the guidelines
on the outside of the pieces.

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YOUR BOARD

OPPONENTS BOARD

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y
x

YOUR BOARD

OPPONENTS BOARD

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y
x

A DAY IN THE LIFE

Lawrence is zombie, but he isnt quite like the other zombies. He likes to watch scary movies, read books, go surfing,
ride his bike, and play trombone. But no living humans want to hang out with him, and other zombies make for
boring company! Write a short paragraph about each scenario that Lawrence finds himself in.

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WHY DO ZOMBIES LOVE BRAINS?

What do you think makes brains so appealing to zombies? Perhaps its because the brain is where our entire body
is coordinated, where our memories are stored, and where our senses are interpreted. Learn about your amazing
brain on this page!

ANATOMY OF YOUR BRAIN

MOVEMENT

SENSATIONS
TASTE

THOUGHT

VISION

SPEECH

HEARING

SPEECH

COORDINATION

BLUE: FRONTAL LOBE

(reward, attention, motivation, planning,
short-term memory, intelligence,
personality, emotions, logic)
ORANGE: PARIETAL LOBE
(spatial sense, touch, language,
navigation, recognition)
GREEN: TEMPORAL LOBE
(visual memories, new memories, sensory
input, understanding language, hearing,
long-term memory)
PURPLE: OCCIPITAL LOBE
(perception of motion, space, and color,
visual input)
PINK: CEREBELLUM
(ine motor control, fear, pleasure, timing)
YELLOW: BRAIN STEM
(sleeping, alertness, breathing, eating,
heart rate, consciousness, sending signals
to and from brain)

Interesting Brain Facts:

- The average adult brain weighs three pounds, contains
around 100 billion neurons, 1 trillion other cells to
support the neurons, 100 thousand miles of blood
vessels, and generates enough electricity to power a
low-wattage light bulb!
- The brain is more powerful and complex than even
the most advanced supercomputer.

- Its also a myth that we use only 10% of our brains.

Even though there are still many things we dont know
about it, we do know that each part of the brain has a
purpose.
- Your brain only makes up about 2% of your body
weight, but uses about 20% of your energy and oxygen.

- The bursts of light a person sees after hitting their

- Sensory neurons send signals that about 150 miles per head (seeing stars) are the result of the brain hitting
the back of the skull. The back of your brain is where
hour, and motor neurons can transmit at about 200
vision
is processed.
miles per hour!
- There are no pain receptors in your brain, so it
doesnt feel any pain.
- A bigger brain doesnt mean a smarter person. Albert
Einsteins brain was slightly smaller than average.
- Surgeons say that a living brain feels a lot like soft tofu.
YUM!

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- It isnt true that your brain stops making connections

once you become an adult. The ability to make new
neural connections has been seen in adults who have
had brain injuries, who form connections around the
injured area.

ARE YOU PREPARED?

What would you do if a real apocalypse happened? A lot of the things youd do to protect yourself in a zombie crisis
are the same things experts suggest people do in real emergencies. Check out this page to help your family prepare
for any emergency.

Pack an Emergency Kit:

Your kit should include
- Water (one gallon per person, per day).
- Non-perishable food, such as dried fruits and veggies, canned
food (dont forget a can opener!) or energy bars.
- Cooking supplies, like utensils, pots, or a propane camping
stove.
- Tools: a utility knife or multi-tool, duct tape, rope, a batterypowered radio (and plenty of extra batteries), tarp, lashlights,
and matches or other ire-starting tools.
- Clothes and blankets (make sure everyone has one change
of clothes).
- Sanitation: soap, loss, toothbrushes and toothpaste, hand
sanitizer, bleach, and towels.
- Important documents, like copies of birth certiicates, social
security cards, passports, and drivers licenses.
- A irst aid kit that contains gauze, tape, medications,
antiseptic and antibiotic ointments, gloves, alcohol wipes,
tweezers, cotton balls, and anything else you think you will
need to stay healthy.
Make a Plan:
Make a Plan:
1. Come up with two meeting places where your family can regroup if you get separated. One meeting
place should be near your house for sudden emergencies. The other should be farther away in case
of larger problemslike zombies invading your neighborhood.
2. Make a list of local emergency contacts like the ire department, the police and poison control. Also
make sure you include personal contacts as well, such as friends or family that you could stay with if it
isnt safe to be in your home.
3. Plan an escape route! If your whole town or city is affected by an emergency, you will need to get
out quick. Make sure you plan several different routes in case of trafic jams, fallen trees, or looding.
4. Once youve put your emergency kit together, keep it up to date! Replace expired food and/or
medications and add to your list or kit when needed. (New baby brother? Add extra food! Dad is using
a different brand of medicine? Replace the old one with the new prescription.)

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COOL SURVIVAL SKILL S

So youve escaped the zombie horde, and now you are hiding out in the wilderness. What if you have to stay out
there for a while? Here are some important tips to help you make your way in the wilderness.

How to ind North:

N
W

1st mark

2nd mark

The Little
Dipper

POLARIS

The Big
Dipper

1. During the day, you can ind north by sticking a stick

straight vertically in the ground, then marking with a stone
exactly where the end of the shadow is. Wait between 30
and 60 minutes, then mark with another stone where the
end of the shadow is. The irst stone is your west marker,
and the second stone is your east marker. Now stand
facing the line, with the west marker on your left, and the
east marker on your right. Now you are facing north!
2. At nighttime in the Northern Hemisphere, you can
easily ind north by inding Polaris, also known as North
Star. Find the Big Dipper constellation, and line up the
two outermost stars in the dipper (opposite the side the
handle is on, see diagram). If you continue the line made by
these two stars, and you stop at the irst bright star you
see, youve found Polaris! Polaris is also the last star in the
handle of the Little Dipper.

Getting Rescued:
If youre dealing with a zombie apocalypse, you wouldnt want
to draw attention to yourself! However, if youre waiting to
be rescued by emergency rescue teams in a natural disaster,
these techniques can help them ind you.
1. If you see a low-lying plane or helicopter, DO NOT wave
with one hand! Emergency workers use a one-handed wave
to show that everything is ine. Instead, raise your arms in a Y
shape and wave them up and down. If you can, try to get their
attention by laying out brightly-colored fabrics or objects
on the ground, or use a lare or lashlight or use a mirror to
relect the sun towards them.
2. If you hear potential rescuers but cant see them or ind
them, call to them in a deep voice. Most things in nature
make a high-pitched sound -- think of the sounds that birds,
squirrels, bees and crickets make -- and a deep noise is more
likely to stand out. Just be sure what you hear arent zombies
shufling through the woods!

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COOL SURVIVAL SKILL S

Safe Water is Important:
While food is important to survival, water is actually more crucial! A human can only go a few days
without water, but can go without food for much longer. In the event of an emergency, inding clean
water should be a priority. Here are some tips and tricks to make sure you have clean water to drink.
1. No matter how clean water may look, boil it at a rolling boil for at least 10 minutes before drinking it.
2. Dont drink stagnant water water that has been in one place for a long time, like a puddle or a
swimming pool even if its been boiled.
3.You can collect dew from grass, or place a sealed pastic bag over some branches of a tree or shrub
for a few hours to get a small amount of water in a pinch.
4.You can make a still to make salt water safe to drink, to purify freshwater, or to get safe water from
moisture in the ground. See directions below.

YOU WILL NEED:

Weight

- A cup

Plastic

- A large plastic sheet

- You will need other items depending on what you are
using your still for.
1. To get water from the ground, dig a large hole (about
2 feet deep and 3 feet across) in a sunny spot, and place
your cup in the center of the bottom of the hole.
2. Lay the plastic over the hole, and seal the edges as well
as you can with rocks, logs, or dirt (you want to prevent
air from escaping).
3. In the center of the plastic, directly over your cup, place
a small rock to weigh the plastic down. This causes the
condensation to drip into your cup instead of back onto
the ground.
4. After a few hours, there should be water in your cup
that came only from the moisure in the soil!
5. To purify water, or make saltwater fresh, put the water
in a large bowl or container, and place your cup in the
center. Make sure the water is low enough to not get into
the cup. Cover the container with plastic or plastic wrap,
seal the edges well with a rubber band or string, and place
the weight at the center of the plastic, same as before.

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Cup

Water to be puriied

COOL SURVIVAL SKILL S

Now How About Safe Food?:
Now that you have a good water source, its time to ind safe food
to eat. Even if you have food with you, it can be a good idea to
supplement with edible items that can be found in nature to make
your food supply last longer.
1. Grass: Believe it or not, most grass is edible.Young stalks under
about ive or six inches tall can be eaten raw or cooked, and the base
of the grass (where it turns white) contains starch.
2. Acorns: A staple food for Native Americans for centuries, acorns are
available in fall and winter. Most have a bitter taste, but grinding them
and between two smooth rocks and boiling the lour will remove the
bad taste. Just strain the water containing the powder through a T-shirt
or fabric!

Carry a plant identiication

guide with you. These guides
will have more information,
and can help identify different
plants that may look similar!
Dont eat any plants until
they have been positively
identiied.

CATTAIL
FLOWER

3. Pine: Pine needles contain vitamin C, which is an important nutrient.

You can chew pine needles and spit them out, or you can boil water to
make pine needle tea.

LEAF

4. Cattails: Even though cattails dont look very appetizing, many parts
can be eaten cooked or raw. In the winter the rhizome (see diagram)
contains a lot of starch, which can help you feel full. Even the stems
and pollen can be eaten! Some people even grind the rhizomes to
make lour for cattail bread.
5. NEVER eat mushrooms you ind in the wild!
RHIZOME

CATTAIL

ACORNS

**Note: Pregnant women should never drink pine needle tea, or chew pine needles.
2013-2014

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