What makes a penguin a bird? Is a camel more closely related to a horse than to a giraffe? Why is a whale not a fish? Similar puzzles preoccupied Charles Darwin throughout his life. Whimsy, in the playfulness of stories for children, is a way to appreciate Darwinian histories.
In Do Elephants Have Knees? Charles R. Ault Jr. uses the fanciful imagery of story to explain Darwinian thought. At the same time, he launches careful consideration of Darwin’s humanity, the origins of his curiosity, and the reach of his ideas.
Ault’s approach illustrates the value of story form in learning science and provides a wealth of resources for enriching courses that focus on Darwin’s ideas. “Good storytelling mines curiosity,” Ault writes, “and exuberant playfulness enriches a disciplined study of science.”
Charles R. Ault Jr., Professor Emeritus, Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling, taught courses in science education, field geology, natural history, and curriculum theory to elementary and secondary science teachers for three decades. His early research addressed children’s conceptions of time, matter, and energy. His more recent interests have focused on earth science education.View all by Charles R. Ault Jr.
