Anecdote. An anecdote is a usually short narrative of an interesting, amusing, or biographical incident. An anecdote is commonly told to make a point or to emphasize a specific event. What is the aim, or purpose, of this anecdote from Gorillas in the Mist?
Concrete Details. Concrete details are specific words that name objects or actions or provide descriptions of those objects or actions. These specific details help to provide the reader with clear, concise, and in-depth information. Using concrete details in place of more general words helps the reader really understand the
situation or event being discussed. As you read, look for concrete details that make the situation seem more real or personal. What words does Fossey use to provide specific (rather than general) information?
|
• Documentary writing is writing based on field notes. Field notes are a person’s observations, reactions to, and analysis of the subject matter they are studying. Fieldwork is work done in the native environment of the subject—for example, studying rain forest insects in the Amazon, studying ice in Antarctica, or studying ancient Asian herbal remedies in Cambodia. Ethology, the study of animal behavior, is the scientific work that Fossey undertook. Ethology combines work in laboratories and in the field.
• The Virunga Mountains (also known as the Mufumbiro Mountains) rise in east-central Africa, extending across the borders of Uganda, Congo, and Rwanda. In Uganda, several national park reserves protect the mountain wildlife. Two of these, Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi National Park are home to mountain gorillas. Mountain gorillas also live in Virunga National Park in Zaire and in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. These parks are home to nearly all the surviving mountain gorillas in the world. The Karisoke Research Centre, near Volcanoes National Park, is where Dian Fossey studied gorillas. Research groups still work there. The parks have long attracted people from around the world who come to see these gorillas, but in recent years, acts of violence have curbed tourism.
What animal would you like to study, and why?
|
