December 14th · Cultural Insight
Monkey Day
Monkey Day, created in 2000 and celebrated on the 14th of December, is an international day dedicated to monkeys and other non-human primates. The day raises awareness for primate conservation, habitat protection, and evolutionary biology.
SPEAKING LESSONB1 / B2Discussion · Vocabulary · Activities
Speaking Discussion
- If you were king of the jungle for a day, what is the first rule you would change?
- Should great apes (chimps, gorillas) be given human rights under the law?
- Why are we more entertained by a monkey doing human things than by a human doing anything?
- Is civilisation a successful experiment or a biological error?
- If a monkey painted a masterpiece, who owns the copyright?
Activity 1: The Zoo Ethics Board
The Task: You must decide: 1) Keep the chimpanzees in a cage for education, or 2) release them to a sanctuary where no humans can see them. You have 3 minutes to argue for the sanctuary against a profit-Hungry manager.
Activity 2: Rapid Fire Debate
Justify in 30 seconds: 1. 'We are animals, and pretending we aren't is making us sick.' 2. 'Technology is the only thing that separates us from the dirt.' 3. 'A monkey in a suit is a perfect metaphor for the modern politician.'