Ivan, a real gorilla, lived at Zoo Atlanta, but on the way to that happy ending, he spent almost three decades without seeing another of his own kind before being moved to Zoo Atlanta in 1994.
After being captured as in infant in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Ivan’s female companion, reported to have been his twin, died en route to the US or shortly thereafter), Ivan was raised in a home until he became unmanageable. At that point he was added to an odd collection of animals housed at a circus-themed mall in Washington state. Ivan spent twenty-seven years of his life alone in a cage. Over time, as an understanding of primate needs and behavior grew, public discomfort with Ivan's lonely state grew as well, particularly after he was featured in a National Geographic special entitled "The Urban Gorilla." A public outcry followed, including heartfelt letters from children. When the mall where Ivan lived went bankrupt, he was placed on permanent loan to Zoo Atlanta, which houses the largest group of captive western lowland gorillas in the nation. |
Activity OneThroughout the book, we learned about Ivan’s love for drawing. He even calls himself an artist. What did his love for drawing symbolize? Provide an explanation for your answer.
Your answer should be at least a full written page long! |
Activity TwoFor this activity, you will “send out” tweets from four different characters from the novel, The One and Only Ivan.
For each tweet you need:
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Activity ThreeIn the story, one of the few humans who can understand Ivan is Julia, the daughter of the janitor. Julia understands the pictures Ivan draws and eventually receives the message that he wants to go to the zoo. Julia's connection with Ivan allows for her to advocate for him and Ruby, leading to their better life in the zoo. Julia's shows us that being a kid doesn't mean you can't make a difference.
Make a full page poster showing that you think Ivan should be set free. Your poster needs to be colored, or you can make it on the computer if you'd rather. It has to be at least 8 1/2 x 11 or bigger if you'd rather. |