ABSTRACT
How many of us remember those National Geographic film clips showing penguins grouped together on an ice flow in Antarctica? Because there was usually no means for comparing the size of the penguins to other beings or objects familiar to us, we often convinced ourselves that they must have been at least six feet tall. It was only after we witnessed a human being walking among the penguins (for me that did not occur until my early teens) that we had some degree of perspective and could better compare the size of penguins to other objects. “How big is the penguin?” is the first question I pose on the very first day of my comparative family policy course. I first place a photo of a penguin on the screen, followed by a picture of several penguins, some smaller, some larger than others. “How big is the penguin?” I ask. The answer is still elusive for students who are struggling for a comparative reference point. However, when I slide a picture of an SUV onto the screen next to a penguin, followed by a photo of Michael Jordan, who is six feet-nine inches tall, a more precise comparison can be made and the size of the penguins can be better approximated.
