Virtual Field Trip: Ivan the Gorilla: Beyond the Book

Today Mrs. Azark's class attended a Virtual Field Trip to the +Zoo Atlanta  to talk about Ivan the Gorilla.  Mrs. Azark's class was joined by classes from Washington School, Field School, a school in Texas, and a school in Missouri.  The Newbery Medal-winning book The One and Only Ivan has brought the story of Ivan to the forefront for a new generation of readers. We chatted with Zoo Atlanta's educator instrutor, Carvel Bennett and primate keeper Jodi Carrigan to discuss the real Ivan, who called Zoo Atlanta home for 18 years. From the jungles of Africa to the shores of the Pacific Northwest to The Ford African Rain Forest at Zoo Atlanta, his life has become a symbol of the way animals shape our lives – and the power we have to shape theirs.   I honestly could feel with talking with Jodi and Carvel that Ivan was a part of their zoo family and was glad that we got to learn about it today. .