The Education of Koko / Discussion
(preliminary questions)
1) What are the main differences between Koko’s life and that of a typical zoo gorilla?
2) Was Koko special? How do you think she was different than other gorillas? What about Michael?
3) How many signs did Koko learn by the time she was 11 years old?
4) Was her “rate” of learning unusual, say compared with human kids of the same ages? (hint: see Graph in book)
5) What are some of the main lessons of Project Koko? In other words:
a) What has she taught us?
b) Why is that important?
c) What can/should we do now with that knowledge?
Please email your thoughts and ideas about the above questions to [email protected]
and we’ll respond, and share with other as appropriate.
