Study gorilla habitats. What geographic regions do they live in? What food and resources do they need to survive, and what kind of homes do they create to live in? Have the students each create a diorama of a gorilla habitat. The dioramas should show both the gorillas' living space and food sources.
Study the gorilla's diet. This should include everything the gorillas eat and where it comes from within their habitat. Have the students create a food pyramid of a gorilla's diet with the most eaten foods on the bottom and the least eaten foods at the top. Have the students research and find out how much of each food item a typical adult gorilla will eat in a day. Have the students then make a food pyramid of their normal daily diets. This will likely be different for each student, since they do not eat alike. Finally, put both food pyramids side-by-side on a poster board to demonstrate the differences between the students' diet and the gorillas' diet.
Have the students research things that pose a threat to the gorilla population. This list should include both direct threats and indirect threats. For example, gorillas being hunted by poachers is a direct threat. However, the loss of jungle, which has led to overcrowding and a higher competition for food among jungle animals, is an indirect threat. After researching all possible threats, have each student create a proposal on what can be done to reduce or eliminate threats.
Dian Fossey was a woman who spent years living near and studying gorillas. She dedicated her life to research, care and protection of gorillas. The movie "Gorillas in the Mist" is based on her life. Have students watch the movie and then do additional research on the gorillas, both before Fossey got involved and after she was murdered. Have students create a project to answer the question: Did the work of Dian Fossey and the publicity surrounding her murder have any lasting effects on the gorillas? The students should research gorilla populations, laws protecting gorillas and how those laws are enforced. The project can be in the form of a written report, power-point presentation or video. Two students could work together to write and act out a fake interview with Fossey or with a gorilla who knew her. Students should be encouraged to get creative on this project.