Resources For Educators

An Audience for Einstein was written out of concern about the astonishing medical breakthroughs being made that raise a whole host of difficult ethical issues.  Cloning, genetic engineering, stem cell research and other experiments are beginning to push the boundaries of what it means to be human, for better or for worse.  While our ability to create "designer humans" is still in the future and not an immediate concern, when the younger generations mature they'll have to struggle with whether or not to implement these medical techniques and to what degree.  An Audience for Einstein gives those generations the opportunity to begin discussing these important issues at an early age and understand those decisions won't always be easy. A great book for thoughtful classroom discussions and essays, appropriate for grades 6th through 12th. 
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Below are teaching materials to assist you in the classroom.

Literature units for An Audience for Einstein are available for middle and high school educators from edHelper.com (subscription required):

www.edhelper.com/books/An_Audience_for_Einstein.htm

A free, three page printable book report form in PDF is available from edHelper here:

http://www.edhelperclipart.com/clipart/books/ANAUDIENCEFOREINSTEIN.pdf

There is also a short test for grades 7th through 12th available from the Teachers Pay Teachers website:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/An-Audience-for-Einstein-Short-Test-1202825

A genre question about An Audience for Einstein is available from helpteaching.com in their Test Maker section (subscription required but limited free downloads for joining the website):

http://www.helpteaching.com/questions/62751/an-audience-for-einstein-by-mark-wakelyprofessor-percival-ma​

An Audience for Einstein is recommended in the middle and secondary textbook Teaching Young Adult Literature: Developing Students as World Citizens by Thomas W. Bean, Judith Dunkerly-Bean, and Helen Harper:

https://books.google.com/books?id=EaEgAQAAQBAJ&pg=PT179&dq=%22An+Audience+for+Einstein%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=AAheVa_cCMLzsAWnlIDABA&ved=0CCIQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=%22An%20Audience%20for%20Einstein%22&f=false
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A dozen questions for discussion or essays:

1.  If memory transfer becomes a reality, how likely is it that it would be legal?

2. With all the advances in medical science, are we beginning to alter what it means to be human?
 
3. If we are altering what it means to be human, is that good or bad?

4. An Audience for Einstein delves into the question “Just because we've learned how to do it, should we?”  How do you view this ethical debate?

5. Following the theme of the book, would memory transplantation be morally acceptable if by doing it we could retain a great mind which might lead to solutions for some of mankind’s biggest  problems?

6. If not outlawed, should medical breakthroughs like memory transfer be strictly regulated and if so, by whom?  

7. Would legal restrictions discourage important medical research that could benefit mankind?

8. If memory transfer were possible, should we sacrifice "undesirable" people in order to save those who could continue to make major contributions for all mankind?

9.  If we do decide to save those who can make notable contributions to society, who exactly are the "undesirables" who could be sacrificed?

10. If we sacrificed those we declared "undesirable" in order to save those deemed worthy, would that make us better or  worse than those societies that didn't allow such a procedure?

11. If medical science could eliminate all our imperfections both big and small, would it be good or bad that we were more alike, and what might be gained or lost?

12. What would a "perfect" human being look like, and how would he or she behave?


40 Vocabulary Words
(An Audience for Einstein Lexile Measure: 720L) 

Trepidation
Primly 
Languid 
Altruistic 
Cryptic 
Coalesce 
Preordained
Mesmerized
Burgeoning
Unbridled
Stoic 
Supplant 
Semantics
Unabashed 
Transfixed 
Eulogies 
Furtive 
Contritely 
Munificent 
Florid 
Pithy
Cursory
Postulated 
Chagrin 
Subjugated 
Romanesque 
Inductive 
Judiciously
Impetus
Impertinent 
Fawning 
Garish
Debonair
Palpable
Ashen
Euthanasia
Mundane
Veritable 
Unencumbered 


Here are just a few of the schools that have assigned An Audience for Einstein.  These links will be replaced as needed since they tend to be temporary.  Those links to a PDF file are so noted.

​​http://msbarnesresources.weebly.com/7a-independent-reading-novel-three.html

http://www.come2ace.com/?mid=h_g7_k

http://www.starherald.com/gering/news/local_news/a-novel-approach/article_fc9190b2-d7fd-5850-815f-6c266b4ade2a.html

http://jmcsciencedepartment.wordpress.com/2011/09/

http://daviscrestacademy.yolasite.com/resources/An%20Audience%20for%20Einstein.pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/20201205074525/delmarschool.edu.mx/lista-de-libros-en-ingles-5o-y-6o-grados/

www.mooreschools.com/cms/lib/OK01000367/Centricity/Domain/2786/GenresofLiteratureinformationpagedescriptionschart.pdf
(PDF, page 2)

slovakcatholicsokol.org/efalcon/20151021falcon.pdf
(PDF, page 13)

oakleigheslibrary.pbworks.com/w/page/45728030/Science%20Fiction

annaliselarson.weebly.com/uploads/1/5/0/0/15006634/text_set.pdf
(PDF, page 3)

https://denicolascience.com/biology-current-events/2010-11-science-book-report-glogs/2012-13-book-report-visual/

A YouTube video made by students for a class assignment:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hATzFTvjSPw