Jane Goodall’s Wild Chimpanzees
Discovery Place Action Plan


Kathleen Koch
Discovery Place Inc.
301 North Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
phone: (704) 372-6261 ext. 415
kathleenk@discoveryplace.org

Film Opening Event

Program Title: “A Weekend at Gombe”

Program Audience: Media, Members, Corporate Members, general museum visitors

Program Overveiw: This weekend celebration will center around the opening of the large format film, Jane Goodall’s Wild Chimpanzees (slated for sometime in June, 2002). The weekend celebration of the opening of the film will be designed to immerse the visitor in the atmosphere of a research village at Gombe. Programs presented during the event will give the visitor an opportunity to explore the world of our closest relatives, the primates, as well as to learn what skills are needed to conduct research on wild chimpanzees.

Program Goals:

  1. Bring attention to the opening of the film by providing an immersive atmosphere where the visitor feels she/he is at a research station like Gombe.
  2. Develop an awareness of the ongoing research efforts and challenges faced by those studying wild chimpanzees.
  3. Promote a sense of stewardship by increasing visitor appreciation for the unique bond between chimpanzees and humans, as exemplified by Jane Goodall and her work.

Program Components:
  1. Michael J. Smith Wing décor:
  1. Guest Speaker or Lecture Series: Elizabeth Vinson
  1. Gombe-themed dinner for member event
  1. Geography of Gombe program
  1. Tool Usage program
  1. Wildlife Observation program
  1. Early childhood activities
  1. Touch demo carts

Timeline for Planning & Implementation:
f Fall 2001 – Contact Duke Primate Center, area zoos, begin programming collaboration; contract with guest speaker(s); meet with Development/solicit sponsorship; book traveling photo exhibit “Brutal Kinship” with Aperture
f Jan. 2002 – Begin development of activities, acquisition of materials; plan dinner menu.
f March 2002 – Begin external promotions via museum quarterly, other marketing materials; meet with graphics to start décor design, design and print invitations
f March –June 1 – Finalize activities, dinner, exhibits, décor elements
f June 2002- Jane Goodall’s Wild Chimpanzees premiers at Discovery Place; opening event occurs first weekend

Internal Contacts: Virtually every dept. in the museum

External Contacts:
Summer Camps

Program Title: Discovery Place’s Camp Goodall

Program Audience: children ages 7-12

Program Overveiw: These summer camps will offer children ages 7-8 and 9-12 an opportunity to explore the world of our closest relatives, the primates. Campers will explore the similarities and differences between humans and other primates, learn about the research efforts of Jane Goodall and other primatologists, and also make observations of their own during our excursions to the Duke Primate Center and Asheboro Zoo. Other topics of study will include physical geography, hominid evolution, and primate ethology during this week-long experience.

Program Goals:

  1. Foster an excitement for learning, as well as an interest in and understanding of scientific processes.
  2. Help children strengthen their problem-solving, teamwork, and inquiry skills.
  3. Explore the similarities and differences between primates and humans by providing hands-on inquiry-based learning activities.

Program Components: These week long, full day camps will have a thematic approach with the following daily focus:

Day 1: Journey to Africa
f Role-play: prepare for a trip to Africa. Pack backpacks, put on hats and head out on safari (trip to Omni Theatre)
f See the film, introduce Jane Goodall
f Mapping activities: discuss topography, climate, resulting cultures, diversity of animals in Tanzania (how does it compare to Charlotte) – climate graphing component of Our Living Planet (an onsite exhibit at Discovery Place)
f Construct response pieces to film – children provided with a variety of mediums to create artwork which demonstrates their reaction to the film ( paint, draw, write, sculpt, etc.). Exhibit finished pieces in exhibit halls.
Day 2: Following Jane’s Footsteps: What it’s like to be an animal behavior specialist
f Introduce observation skills, ethograms, concept of perspective
f Visit Duke Primate Center: observe prosimians, specifically lemurs and lorises. (Narrative style for older kids, provide checklist of primate observations for younger kids.)
f If time allows, conduct human observations back at Discovery Place.
Day 3: What makes us different?
f Discuss observations of prosimians; how are we alike & different?
f Comparative anatomy-examine skulls, make masks, cast of footprints
f Hominid evolution – a brief history
f Getting to know the chimps of Gombe – chimp ID game
f Chimp physiology, diet – pick your diet game, chimp snack
f Communication, facial expressions –mimicking game
f Chimp social structure/culture – role playing game
f Activity using Jane’s notes, videoclips
f Guest speaker from Duke Primate Center or zoo: primate evolution and ethology
Day 4: What’s in a tool?
f What’s a tool? Game
f How do humans use tools?
f Goodall’s principle discovery in 1960; examine fieldnotes, discuss significance
f Show clips of chimps using tools, children identify tool use
f Thumb game
f Termite mound making/ fishing
f Design your own tool for personal use
f Group designs an enrichment tool for primate
Day 5: The future is now.
f How can we make a difference? Create message of hope board/mural; display in exhibit halls
f Highlight work or have visitation from local youth environmental club/ conservation project
f Conservation/actions for future – group brainstorming; begin onsite beautification project or make an action plan
f Write letters of encouragement to Jane and/or other Gombe researchers and/or letters of advocacy to US leaders, etc.
f Make pocket-size pledge cards, a call to action.

Timeline for Planning & Implementation:
f Fall 2001 – Contact Duke Primate Center, area zoos, begin programming collaboration.
f Jan. 2002 – Begin development of activities, acquisition of materials.
f March 2002 – Begin external promotions via museum quarterly, other marketing materials.
f March –June 1 – Finalize activities, conduct teacher training
f June 2002- Jane Goodall’s Wild Chimpanzees premiers at Discovery Place
f June 17, 2002 – Summer camps begin.

Internal Contacts: Programs and Education staff, Marketing dept.

External Contacts:

Evaluation Method:
f Peer review of content materials
f On-site client evaluations, both participants & parents
Floor Demonstrations

Program Title: Gombe Moments – shoebox and other quick demos for use throughout the museum

Program Audience: general museum audience including school groups and family units

Program Overveiw: These 5-10 minute floor demonstrations are intended to capture the interest and imagination of museum visitors as they tour the exhibit halls.

Program Goals:


Program Components:
Lake Tanganyika
Gombe research station
Termite fishing
Synchronized walking
Language (hello in chimp)
Tool design (What’s a tool?)
Where are we in chimp research?

Timeline for Planning & Implementation:

Internal Contacts:
External Contacts:

Evaluation Method:

Public Program

Program Title: “Perceiving Primates – Chimpanzees and Us”

Program Audience: Visitor groups, any age.

Program Overveiw: This public program is designed to complement and enhance the educational message of the large format film Jane Goodall’s Wild Chimpanzees.

Program Goals:
  1. Educate audience about the natural history of chimpanzees.
  2. Establish the concept that chimpanzees are very similar to humans.
  3. Educate audience regarding the importance of conservation and preservation of biological diversity.

Science, kindergarten: The learner will build an understanding of similarities and differences in plants and animals.
The learner will increase his/her understanding of how the world works by using tools.
Science, grade 4: The learner will build an understanding of animal growth and adaptation.
Science, grade 7: The learner will build an understanding of heredity and genetics.
Science, grades 9-12: Students will develop an understanding of the behavior of organisms, resulting from a combination of heredity and environment.


Program Components:

Where they fit into the animal kingdom
Differences between monkeys and apes
Chimpanzee anatomy vs. human anatomy
Demonstration: Bring child volunteer forward. Using various props, compare body structure, size, diet and abilities of human child to those of chimp at the same age.
Demonstration: Importance of opposable thumbs. Bring two volunteers forward and tape thumbs downs. Have them “race” through a simple task like tieing a shoe.

Chimpanzee behavior and emotions
Demonstration: Play a matching game with the audience. Hold up blown-up photos of chimp facial expressions and have students guess the corresponding emotion. Match the photo card and the name of the emotion with Velcro to an easel. Have the audience imitate the expression.

Chimpanzee intelligence and tool use: intelligence studies, how do we learn?
Demonstration: Play what’s a tool? game. Hold up different objects (such as a hammer, phone, picture of a cow) and ask audience if they are tools. Have the opinion of several experts ready for comparison to the audience vote.

Chimpanzee research:
Demonstration: Show the audience an example of a typical chimp puzzle used in research studies. Have a volunteer from the audience try to “solve” the puzzle with his/her thumbs taped down.

Timeline for Planning & Implementation:

Internal Contacts:
External Contacts:

Evaluation Method: