Teaching The One and Only Ivan

Instructions for You

Objective: If this story doesn't pull your heartstrings and make you hyperaware of animal rights and the humane treatment of animals, then we don't know what will. It's based on a true story, but how much of it is really real? What's the truth about animals in captivity? Are they okay or does something need to change?

Students will delve into these questions, do some research, and put together a presentation sharing their findings. Expect this activity to take three to five days on this: Steps 1 – 5 are for research (two days), Steps 6 – 11 are for creating presentations (one or two days), and Step 11 is for presenting (half a day to a full day).

Materials Needed: Computers, internet, and speakers, projector, pen and paper, presentation software (your choice of PowerPoint, Prezi, or Google Slides)

Step 1: As a warm-up, students will answer these prompts in writing:

• Use your favorite search engine (or a dictionary) to find out what it means for animals to be "in captivity".
• Are there any differences in keeping animals in captivity in a home, on a farm, in a zoo, or in a circus? If so, what are the differences?
• What are some reasons animals are held in captivity?
• What is the difference between domestic and wild animals? Give three examples of each kind.

Step 2: Go over the warm-up questions. Tell them…

• Captivity is being held, confined, or imprisoned.
• Some reasons animals are held in captivity:
  
  • actors (in movies and commercials)
  • conservation and protection (i.e. refuges)
  • education and scientific study
  • entertainment and sport (circuses, shows, hunting)
  • food and materials (i.e. meat and fur)
  • medical research
  • pleasure (people like pets)
  • zoo exhibits and safari parks
• The difference between domestic and wild animals is
  
  • domestic animals are tame, Some examples are: pets and livestock, i.e. cows, chickens, sheep, horses, cats, dogs, goldfish.
  • wild animals are not tame. Some examples are: giraffes, zebras, gorillas, elephants.
  • Sometimes a wild animal (i.e. an elephant) can be tamed without punishment, but it doesn't make that whole species (i.e. all elephants) domesticated.
  • For more information, read "Why Can't All Animals Be Domesticated?"
    Or listen to this audio clip from NPR's The Engines of Our Ingenuity series.
    
    • We're going to focus on wild animals in captivity in zoos and circuses.

Step 3: In pairs, students will answer this question in writing: What does The One and Only Ivan have to say about animals in captivity?

• They're working in pairs but everyone needs to do their own writing.
• They'll answer the question from what they remember, but can also check out these chapters in the story:
  
  • 14 "stella"
  • 31 "jambo"
  • 33 "arrival"
  • 36 "tricks"
  • 37 "introductions"
  • 41 "treat"
  • 61 "the temporary human"
  • 62 "hunger"
  • 70 "a new beginning"
  • 77 "what they did"
  • 78 "something else to buy"
  • 86 "ad"
  • 90 "the seven-o'clock show"
  • 120 "photo"

Step 4: How much of what was found in Step 3 about the One and Only Ivan animals in captivity is true? Still in pairs, students will check out these resources about the real life Ivan and a sort of Stella and write down what it was like for them in captivity (here the elephant's name is Lota; there is no real Stella).

• Watch the clip on Ivan and write down your observations. 
• Read the 11 paragraphs in the "biography" section of this article on Lota the Elephant and write down what life in captivity was like for her.

Step 5: Still on the road of truth, students will read about other wild animals in a variety of situations. They'll take notes—paraphrasing or using direct quotes—to describe what life is like for wild animals in captivity. (Even though they're still working in pairs, everyone needs to do their own writing.) They'll look at these different circumstances:

• Circuses
• Zoos
• Owned by Individuals
• Elephant Sanctuary (This is where Lota ended up.)
• Private Home. These two clips are from the documentary The Urban Gorilla. The first clip will help students understand the man in the second clip.
  
  • From the jungles (3:10-5:05). Pay attention when the narrator says, "I sincerely believe that they will live as long and as happily as they would in their native jungles."
  • John Aspinall's gorillas (41:58-47:18). Pay attention to the end of the clip when John says, "The underlying philosophy really is to breed and put back in the wild, but the trouble is it's hard to see where the wild is going to be safe. So there are two conflicting things: you want to breed them, you want to put them back, but it's where they are at the moment in the wild they're being threatened so what the h--- are you putting them back to?"

Step 6: Up to this time students have been working in pairs to gather all this info on captive wild animals. Before they work on their presentations, they'll need to get into groups with like-minded classmates (because maybe they and their partner have discovered they believe differently). To do this…

• Tell students to get a piece of paper or a sticky note.
• Ask them this question: Is it okay for wild animals to be held in captivity?
• Tell them the three answer choices are yes, no, or sometimes AND they need to explain their answer. (Ex: No. All wild animals need to be free. OR Sometimes. If they are being protected in sanctuaries. OR Yes. People can do what they want.)
• Students write down their answer and explanations.
• Students will move to one of three corners in your room. Point to each one and verbally label it "yes," "no," and "sometimes."
• Tell students that groups will be from one to three people. (They can work individually if no one else shares their beliefs.)
• Tell students that, when you say "move," they'll go to the corner that corresponds to the answer they wrote down and find others that think like they do, both in answer and in explanation. 
• Students get into groups.
• Groups find a place to work, taking their notes with them.

Step 7: It's now time for the students to distill all this info and evaluate the situation as a whole. Groups need to discuss these questions and answer them in writing. From now on one person can scribe for each group instead of everyone taking their own notes.

• Taking into account everything you read in Steps 4 and 5, what was ethically right about keeping animals in captivity? Give specific examples and explain why you think that.
• What did you read that was ethically wrong about the animals kept in captivity? Give specific examples and explain why you think that.
• There are wild animals in captivity. Does anything need to be done about this? If so, what action needs to be taken? If nothing needs to change, explain why not.
• Do you personally need to do anything about this whole wild animals in captivity thing? If something needs to be done, but you're not sure what, here are some ideas:
  • "How You Can Help" at the bottom of this page
  • Whale and Dolphin Conservation FAQ
  • Write an article.
  • Join an organization.
  • Fundraise.
  • Speak up.
  • Be kind to the animals in your sphere.
  • Maybe you need to do nothing but be aware of what's going on. 
  • Or maybe everything's totally fine and you're wondering why you have to read all this stuff.

Step 8: Explain these presentation points to the students. (Make sure students understand Steps 8 – 10 before they begin working.) All the info from Step 11 will be included in the presentation, a little bit on the slides but most coming out of your mouths (everyone will talk an equal amount)

• Use just enough text on the slides to remind you what to say and give your audience the main ideas.
• Make notes to remind you what else you want to say to go with the slides.
• Don't read the slides. The audience can do that.
• Be prepared. Practice.
• Be aware of how the audience sees you: face forward, speak up and not too fast or too slowly, and don't lean on anything, cross your arms, or put your hands in your pockets.
• A sense of humor is a good thing. Crack a joke if you feel comfortable doing that.
• Go easy on the animations and transitions.
• Use an easy-to-read font.
• Font colors/backgrounds need to be easy to read.

Step 9: Tell the class what they'll be using to do their presentations (PowerPoint, Prezi, or Google Slides). Here is the info they'll include and questions their presentations should answer:

• What does "animals in captivity" mean? (Step 1)
• What's the truth about Ivan's captivity? (Step 4)
• Include both positive and negative things you found out about animals in captivity from Step 5.
• Is it right for humans to keep animals captive? Why or why not? (Step 6)
• What actions need to be taken? Or, if nothing needs to change, explain why not. (Step 7)
•  What can you do to help? (Step 7)

Step 10: Here are some further deets on the presentations:

• Either include the questions from Step 9 or use the questions in your answers. Example: Here are the truths about Ivan's captivity…
• Include a title.
• Use text and pictures.
• Keep it between three and four minutes long.
• Use between seven and nine slides.
• Cite sources.
• When they've finished typing everything, time to edit. Check spelling, grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and complete sentences.
• Practice presenting. Everyone in each group presents an equal amount.

Step 11: Groups work on their presentations.

Step 12: Students present. Depending on how many groups and how much time you have, you could either have each group present to the whole class or divide the class into two to four large groups and have students present to their groups while you circulate.

Instructions for Your Students

If this story doesn't pull your heartstrings and make you hyperaware of animal rights and the humane treatment of animals, then we don't know what will. It's based on a true story, but how much of it is really real? What's the truth about animals in captivity? Are they okay or does something need to change?

You'll delve into questions like these during this activity, do some research, and put together a presentation sharing your findings.

Step 1: As a warm-up, answer these questions in writing:

• What does it means for animals to be "in captivity"? )Use your favorite search engine (or a dictionary) to find out.)
• Are there any differences in keeping animals in captivity in a home, on a farm, in a zoo, or in a circus? If so, what are the differences?
• What are some reasons animals are held in captivity?
• What's the difference between domestic and wild animals? Give three examples of each kind.

Step 2: Go over the warm-up questions with your class.

Step 3: With a partner answer this in writing: What does The One and Only Ivan have to say about animals in captivity?

• You're working with a partner but both of you need to do your own writing.
• Answer the question from what you remember, but you can also check out these chapters in the story:
  
  • 14 "stella"
  • 31 "jambo"
  • 33 "arrival"
  • 36 "tricks"
  • 37 "introductions"
  • 41 "treat"
  • 61 "the temporary human"
  • 62 "hunger"
  • 70 "a new beginning"
  • 77 "what they did"
  • 78 "something else to buy"
  • 86 "ad"
  • 90 "the seven-o'clock show"
  • 120 "photo"

Step 4: How much of what was found in Step 3 is true? Still in pairs, check out these resources and write down what it was like for the real Ivan and a real elephant living in captivity (here name is Lota; there is no real Stella).

• Watch this clip on Ivan and write down your observations. 
• Read the 11 paragraphs in the "biography" section of this article on Lota the Elephant and write down what life in captivity was like for her.

Step 5: Still on the road of truth, read about other wild animals in a variety of situations. Take notes—paraphrasing or using direct quotes—to describe what life is like for wild animals in captivity. Even though you're still working in pairs, both of you need to do your own writing. Look at these different circumstances:

• Circuses
• Zoos
• Owned by Individuals
• Elephant Sanctuary (This is where Lota ended up.)
• Private Home. These two clips are from the documentary The Urban Gorilla. The first clip will help students understand the man in the second clip.
  
  • From the jungles (3:10-5:05). Pay attention when the narrator says, "I sincerely believe that they will live as long and as happily as they would in their native jungles." 
  • John Aspinall's gorillas (41:58-47:18). Pay attention to the end of the clip when John says, "The underlying philosophy really is to breed and put back in the wild, but the trouble is it's hard to see where the wild is going to be safe. So there are two conflicting things: you want to breed them, you want to put them back, but it's where they are at the moment in the wild they're being threatened so what the h--- are you putting them back to?"

Step 6: Up to this time you've been working in pairs to gather all this info on captive wild animals. Before you work on your presentations, you'll need to get into groups with like-minded classmates (because maybe you and your partner have discovered you believe differently). To do this…

• Get a piece of paper or a sticky note.
• The question is: Is it okay for wild animals to be held in captivity?
• The three answer choices are yes, no, or sometimes AND you need to explain your answer. (Ex: No. All wild animals need to be free. OR Sometimes. If they are being protected in sanctuaries. OR Yes. People can do what they want.)
• Write down your answer and explanation.
• You'll move to one of three corners in the room. Check out which is for "yes," "no," and "sometimes."
• The presentation groups you form should consist of from one to three people. (You can work individually if no one else shares your beliefs.)
• When your teacher says "move," you'll go to the corner that corresponds to the answer you wrote down and find others that think like you do, both in answer and in explanation.
• Get into your group.
• Your group needs to find a place to work. Take your notes with you.

Step 7: It's now time for your group to distill all this information and evaluate the situation as a whole. Your group needs to discuss these questions and answer them in writing. From now on one person can scribe for the group instead of everyone taking their own notes.

• Taking into account everything you read in Steps 4 and 5, what was ethically right about keeping animals in captivity? Give specific examples and explain why you think that.
• What did you read that was ethically wrong about the animals kept captivity? Give specific examples and explain why you think that.
• There are wild animals in captivity. Does anything need to be done about this? If so, what action needs to be taken? If nothing needs to change, explain why not.
• Do you personally need to do anything about this whole "wild animals mistreated in captivity" thing?
  
  • If something needs to be done, but you're not sure what, here are some ideas:
    
    • Look at the bottom of this page where it says "How You Can Help."
    • Read TEXT
    • Read this FAQ at the Whale and Dolphin Conservation website.
    • Write an article.
    • Join an organization.
    • Fundraise.
    • Speak up.
    • Be kind to the animals in your sphere.
  • Maybe you need to do nothing but be aware of what's going on.
  • Or maybe everything's totally fine and you're wondering why you have to read all this stuff.

Step 8: Here are some presentation points to consider. (Make sure your group understands Steps 8 – 10 before you begin working.)

• All the info from Step 11 should be included in the presentation. Put a little bit on the slides but most should becoming out of your mouths (everyone will talk an equal amount).
  
  • Use just enough text on the slides to remind you what to say and give your audience the main ideas.
  • Make notes to remind you what else you want to say to go with the slides.
  • Don't read the slides. The audience can do that.
• Be prepared. Practice.
• Be aware of how the audience sees you: face forward, speak up and not too fast or too slowly, and don't lean on anything, cross your arms, or put your hands in your pockets.
• A sense of humor is a good thing. Crack a joke if you feel comfortable doing that.
• Go easy on the animations and transitions.
• Use an easy-to-read font
• Font colors/backgrounds need to be easy to read.

Step 9: Here's the info you'll include and questions you'll answer in your presentation:

• What does "animals in captivity" mean? (Step 1)
• What's the truth about Ivan's captivity? (Step 4)
• Include both positive and negative things you found out about animals in captivity from Step 5.
• Is it right for humans to keep animals captive? Why or why not? (Step 6)
• What actions need to be taken? Or, if nothing needs to change, explain why not. (Step 7)
• What can you do to help? (Step 7)

Step 10: Here are some further deets on your presentation:

• Either include the questions from Step 9 or use the questions in your answers. Example: Here are the truths about Ivan's captivity…
• Include a title.
• Use text and pictures,
• Keep it between three and four minutes long,
• Use between seven and nine slides.
• Cite your sources.
• When you've finished typing everything, take some time to edit. Check spelling, grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and complete sentences.
• Practice presenting. Everyone in your group presents an equal amount.

Step 11: Work on your presentation.

Step 12: Show off your stuff.