Flat Earth? Round Earth?

by Theresa Martin

Obvious facts are sometimes not so obvious when we have to prove them. That's what the narrator of this story finds out when his classmate refuses to believe that the earth is round.
Mrs. Markum, an elementary school teacher, hands out clay spheres and asks her class to decorate them with continents and oceans. One boy, Stan, crushes his sphere flat, insisting that the earth is shaped like a pancake. When he winds up in the principal's office, our narrator sets out to convince Stan - but mostly himself - that the earth is round. The boy's arguments range from the length of shadows at different locations to ships "sinking" on the horizon, but Stan rebuts each point and won't succumb to "common knowledge."
This finely crafted story brings to life what your mother always told you: "You were given a brain for a reason." Flat Earth, Round Earth? teaches children to say "wait a sec" when the square block doesn't fit in the round hole. It fosters critical thinking both in and out of science. The clear language and sharp, straightforward logic make this book an enjoyable, invigorating read. Parents can teach their kids the value of questioning received wisdom and they'll both enjoy the challenge of trying to prove a not-so-obvious fact that everybody takes for granted.

Genres: Science

54 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Theresa Martin, and her husband Peter Martin always felt called to place their marriage at the service of the Church. The first four years of their spousal life were spent in Rome, Italy studying theology. They attended the Pontifical University of St. Thomas, the Angelicum, and in their fourth year, Peter began studying at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute in Rome.
After returning to the States, Peter completed his Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Washington, D.C.
Theresa finished her Masters in Theology, with specificity in Marriage and Family, from the Maryvale Institute International Catholic College in Birmingham, England. St. John Paul II’s Rule for Married Couple Groups was the primary text of her Masters dissertation.
The Martins are also published authors and were featured in the Vatican institutional journal Educatio Catholica.
In addition to founding the Wojtyla Community and Institute with his wife, Peter is the Director of the Office of Life, Marriage & Family as well as the Director of Communications for the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota. Theresa is the Executive Director of the WCI; however the most important fruit of her vocation is being mother and home educator to their children, which brings her great joy.
They have been married over twenty years, laugh often, and know this is all God’s doing; they are just along for the ride. To meet the Martins is to meet your next best friends; they are always ready to welcome company, share great food, have lively conversations, pray together, tell the most groan-worthy dad jokes, and pour you a glass of wine. They reside in the Wisconsin countryside along with their eight children.