Dr. Francine Patterson
Most teachers don’t teach the same student for longer than one year, but Dr. Francine Patterson has taught one student for over thirty years. Her student, Koko, is not an ordinary student. Koko is a gorilla.

In 1972, Francine Patterson was a student, too. She attended Stanford University in California and did research in psychology. As part of her research, she worked with a one-year-old gorilla at the San Francisco Zoo. The Gorilla’s name is Hanabi-Ko. This means “child of fireworks” in Japanese. Her nickname is Koko. Francine Patterson has a nickname, too. It’s Penny.

Penny taught Koko to communicate with sign language. Penny learned a lot from Koko, who had a lot to say. She learned that gorillas can think, imagine, and feel; and that gorillas, like humans, can communicate their thoughts and feelings.

Penny and Koko are now famous. Penny is a published author, and Koko has her own website.
Read again and write the answers.

1.    Who is Koko?
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2.    What university did Francine Patterson attend?
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3.    How old is the gorilla, Koko?
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4.    What does the Gorilla’s name, Hanabi-Ko, mean?
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5.    What did Francine Patterson learn about gorillas?
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