Charles
& Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith
Written by Deborah Heiligman
Published in 2009 by Henry Holt
Grades 6 & up
ISBN: 978-1-60309-300-2
Book
Review
Charles
& Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith explores the personal life and marriage of
Charles Darwin. Darwin’s wife, Emma, was a devout and religious woman. Charles was an agnostic man whose research essentially
questioned the existence of God. Despite their differences, Charles and Emma
remained deeply devoted and supportive of one another. This book tells the
story of their life together in Victorian England through diaries and journals.
As the story develops the reader learns more about the personal side of Darwin
and how he and his wife made their marriage work despite their differences.
Charles
& Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith is recommended for students in grades 6 and
up. This account provides a unique perspective on the life of Charles Darwin.
Professional
Reviews
Awards
National
Book Award finalist, 2010
Michael
L. Printz Honor book, 2010
Teaching
Ideas
1. Grade 7
Name
that Species: Students will work in pairs to classify organisms based on their
characteristics. Pairs will be given photographs and descriptions of organisms.
Then, using a graphic organizer, they will sort each organism into the correct
domain, kingdom, phylum, and species. Students will compare results with other student
pairs and discuss and discrepancies.
SOL
LS.4 The student will investigate and understand how
organisms can be classified. Key concepts include a) the distinguishing
characteristics of domains of organisms; b) the distinguishing characteristics
of kingdoms of organisms; c) the distinguishing characteristics of major animal
phyla and plant divisions; and d) the characteristics that define a species.
2. Grade 7
Trial
and Error: Darwin conducted countless investigations throughout his career.
Students will create an investigation that includes collecting and organizing
data. Students must choose a project that will incorporate repeated trials. After the data is collected, students will identify patterns and interpret
the results. Students will create a digital or print product (e.g., Glogster or
poster) that reports and summarizes their findings.
SOL
LS.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning,
logic, and the nature of science by planning and conducting investigations in
which a) data are organized into tables showing repeated trials and means; i) patterns are identified in data and are
interpreted and evaluated; and
3. Grade 9
Who
Will Survive?: Students will participate in an online
activity to learn about natural selection. In the simulation, students will
change the beak size of finches and alter the amount of precipitation
available. They will then see how the changes affect the survival rate of the
finches. Students will report their findings in small groups. (Idea published
by EDC; see references).
SOL
BIO.7 The student will investigate and understand how
populations change through time. Key concepts include c) how natural selection
leads to adaptations.
4. Grade 9
It’s
Time!: This activity should be a culminating activity toward the end of a unit
on biological evolution. Students will work in collaborative groups to create a
timeline of evolution. Students will need to research print and online
resources to determine what to include on the timeline. Students should include
organisms on the timeline as well as important researchers (like Charles
Darwin) that have contributed to the theory of evolution.
SOL BIO.7
The student will investigate and understand how populations change through
time. Key concepts include e) scientific evidence and explanations for
biological evolution.
5. Grade 7
The
Great Debate: Students will form two debate teams. The teams will be on
opposing sides of various issues. The teacher will act as a facilitator and
raise the issues for the students to debate. The issues will be related to the
book or Darwin’s theories. Some example issues may be: the decision to marry
someone with different ideals, evolution vs. creation, or scientific theory.
English
SOL 7.1 The student will participate in and contribute to
conversations, group discussions, and oral presentations. a) Communicate ideas
and information orally in an organized and succinct manner. c) Make statements
to communicate agreement or tactful disagreement with others’ ideas.
Further
Explorations
PBS.org has a wonderful collection of information
and resources about evolution. There are videos, photographs, and tons of
informative articles. For students and teachers, there are lessons on Charles
Darwin, human evolution, and the controversy surrounding the theory of evolution.
Here
you can find out all about Charles Darwin’s life and publications on this
website. Be sure to check out the 3,000 illustrations.
The Tree of Life
interactive allows you to explore the evolutionary links between organisms.
There is a video you can watch as you move through the interactive elements.
This would be a valuable resource especially for the visual learner.
Watch this video
on the making of Origin of the Species and
Charles Darwin’s research.
This is a great video to use as an
introduction to the theory of evolution!
Check out this short video on natural
selection. There are illustrations to accompany the explanation making it
easier to understand.
Play the survival
game to learn about natural selection and evolution.
Watch this documentary
on Charles Darwin and his controversial theory of evolution.
Learn more about evolution
and taxonomy on this site by the Biology Corner.
Partner
Titles
The partner titles include fiction and nonfiction
books about Darwin, his theories, or other researchers.
A Life in the Wild: George
Schaller's Struggle to Save the Last Great Beasts by Pamela Turner was chosen because Schaller
is an authoritative source on the animals and their environments. He is a well-known
and respected field biologist. This book will appeal to the adventurer and
nature lover in many students. Plus, it provides a glimpse at another explorer’s
life besides Charles Darwin. This is a great resource for middle school readers
or struggling high school readers.
Who Was Charles Darwin? by Deborah Hopkinson and Nancy Harrison is an illustrated biography chosen for its lower reading level and photographic support for struggling or low middle school readers. This book will appeal to students that may still want visual support when reading text.
The Case of the Monkeys That Fell from the Trees: And Other Mysteries in Tropical Nature by award-winning author Susan Quinlan explores several ecological mysteries. This book was chosen to appeal to male readers. Further, this book was selected as an Outstanding Trade Book by the National Science Teacher’s Association for its accuracy, illustrations, and explanations.
Endangered by Elliot
Schrefer was chosen because it will appeal to boys and nature-loving readers. Readers
will be able to explore the bond between man and animal in this thrilling
novel. This book was positively reviewed by both School Library Journal and Booklist.
Available as an Ebook.
Half
Brother by Ken Oppel tells the story of Ben, the son of
scientists parents who adopt a chimpanzee for research purposes. This book was
chosen for its appeal to middle school readers and science lovers. Both girls
and boys will enjoy this story about Ben and his not so ordinary brother. This
book was positively reviewed by both School
Library Journal and Booklist. Available
as an audiobook or Ebook.
References
Biointeractive.
(2014). The making of a theory: Darwin, Wallace, and natural selection [YouTube
video]. Retrieved
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOiUZ3ycZwU&feature=youtu.be
Biology
Corner. (n.d.). Evolution and taxonomy. Retrieved from
Charles
Darwin Game. (n.d.). Science Channel.com. Retrieved from
Education
Development Center. (n.d.). Natural selection in populations. Retrieved from
Gregorio,
F. (2011). Introduction to evolution [YouTube video]. Retrieved from
Harrison,
N. and Hopkinson, D. (2005). Who was
Charles Darwin? Madison, WI: Demco Media.
Heiligman,
D. (2009). Charles & Emma: The
Darwins’ leap of faith. New York, NY: Henry Holt.
Kirkus
Reviews. (2010). Review of the book Charles
& Emma: The Darwins’ leap of faith, by Deborah
Heiligman.
Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/deborah-heiligman/charles-and-emma/
Oppel,
K. (2012). Half brother. New York,
NY: Scholastic.
Public
Broadcasting Service (PBS.org). (n.d.). Evolution: A journey into where we’re
from and
where we are going. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/
Schrefer, E. (2014).
Endangered. New York, NY: Scholastic.
Stated
Clearly. (2013). What is natural selection? [YouTube video]. Retrieved from
Top
Documentary Films. (n.d.). Charles Darwin and the tree of life [Documentary]. Retrieved
from
Tree
of Life. (n.d.). Welcome Trust website. Retrieved from
Turner,
P. (2009). A life in the wild: George
Schaller's struggle to save the last great beasts. New
York, NY: Farrar,
Straus and Giroux.
Quinlan, S. (2010). The case of the monkeys that fell from the trees:
And other mysteries in tropical
nature. Honesdale,
PA: Boyds Mills Press.
Van
Wyhe,J. (2002). The complete work of Charles Darwin online. Retrieved from http://darwin-online.org.uk/
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