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September 10, 2012 by Erika Thulin Dawes

Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World

September 10, 2012 by Erika Thulin Dawes   Leave a Comment

Written by Laurie Lawlor and illustrated by Laura Beingessner
Published by Holiday House in 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8234-2370-5
Grades 1 – 8

Book Review

Honoring the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of Silent Spring, Laurie Lawlor’s picture book biography of Rachel Carson pays fitting tribute to the “mother of the environmental movement.” Beginning with Carson’s early interest in the natural world, Lawlor traces her education, work experiences, and writing career, culminating in the publication of the book that would change American thinking about human relationships with nature. Throughout the text, Carson is portrayed as a meticulous scientist, overcoming personal and societal challenges, such as gender barriers, persisting in making her voice heard. Equally meticulous are Lawlor’s epilogue, which provides information on the consequences of Silent Spring, and her source notes, which annotate and contextualize quotes and details found in the text.  Beingessner’s tempera and ink illustrations reflect Carson’s commitments, surrounding her with family members and embedding her in the beauty of nature. A final image of the cover of Silent Spring reminds us that although “Rachel did not live to see the many positive environmental changes created by so many ordinary people inspired by her brave book”, her words live on, challenging us to continue her fight.

Teaching Invitations.

Grades 1 – 3
  • Going Green. Start off the school year with new resolutions to “Go Green” in your classroom. Read Rachel Carson and her Book That Changed the World alongside other titles with an environmental focus such as Gabby and Grandma Go Green by Monica Wellington and 10 Things I Can Do to Help My World. Brainstorm actions with your students that you can take within your everyday classroom practices to help protect our environment, such as reusing, recycling, and conserving. Write your resolutions on chart paper to post in the room or write and illustrate a class big book that will record your intentions.
  • Observing the Natural World. Rachel Carson was an avid nature enthusiast, filled with curiosity about the flora and fauna of the world around her. Take your students out to observe nature in your community, asking students to draw and write about what they see, hear, smell, and touch. You could extend this activity by reading nature poems (see our Classroom Bookshelf entry on Outside Your Window: A First Book of Nature) and inviting your students to use their first hand observations as material for written expression of their appreciation of the natural world.
Grades 3 – 8
  • Rachel Carson’s Legacy. Watch the CBS news segment, The Legacy of Silent Spring, linked below. Following the viewing, ask students to recall the impact of Carson’s work, recording their responses on chart paper. As an extension, divide students up into small groups to further investigate: a timeline of federal legislation related to protection of the environment, the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency, organic farming, and/or the history and traditions of Earth Day.
  • Taking a Stand. Extend a reading of Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World with a reading of Molly Bang’s Nobody Particular: One Woman’s Fight to Save the Bays, the story of shrimper Diane Wilson’s efforts to take on big industry’s pollution of the waters in which she earned her livelihood.  Compare the issues and the advocacy efforts of these two women. Ask your students to consider what motivates someone to stand up for their belief and the vehicles for expression that are available when one decides to take a stand. Invite your students to identify an issue of personal concern to them and to make a plan to research and speak out about the issue in some forum.
  • Careers in Conservation. Gather together a collection of picture book biographies of conservationists, such as Jane Goodall (see the Classroom Bookshelf Entry on Me… Janeand The Watcher: Jane Goodall’s Life withthe Chimps), Sylvia Earle (see the Classroom Bookshelf Entry on Life in the Ocean: The Story ofOceanographer Sylvia Earle), Read across the texts to identify: how the subjects developed an interest in conservation; their fields of study and work; and key influences and accomplishments. Extend this focus by researching various career paths connected with conservation. Invite a local conservationist to speak about his/her work with your students in person or via Skype.
  • Current Environmental Issues. 2012 marks the 50thanniversary of the publication of Silent Spring. Ask your students to consider which environmental issues have improved in this fifty-year time span and which issues remain concerns. You might choose to have your students investigate some current issues addressed in Houghton Mifflin’s excellent Scientists in the Field series; titles ripe for exploration include Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam and the Science of Ocean Movement and The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe both by Loree Griffin Burns. Students can work in small groups to create a Voice Thread or Power Point Presentation defining the issue, identifying concerns, and expressing the perspectives of the stakeholders.
  • To Spray or Not to Spray? Across the United States this summer, communities experienced an upsurge in positive testing of mosquitos for mosquito-borne illnesses such as West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis. Communities have had to make choices about whether and how often to spray pesticides to reduce mosquito populations. Invite your students to explore the pros and cons of mosquito spraying and to take a stance on the issue themselves, expressing their opinion in a letter to the editor or to a local official.
Critical Literacy.
  • The Power of the Written Word. In the Epilogue on page 31, Lawlor states, “It’s important to keep in mind how truth elegantly expressed continues to have the power to change the world.” Select excerpts from Silent Spring to share with your students. Ask students to closely examine Carson’s use of language within the passages. How do her word choices, use of figurative language, and sensory images help to advocate for her position? What lessons about writing for advocacy can students learn from Carson’s writing style?

Further Explorations

Online Resources
Laurie Lawlor: Author Website
http://www.laurielawlor.com
Laura Beingessner: Illustrator Website
http://www.laurabeingessner.com/Default.asp?id=1&l=1
Bill Moyers Journal: Rachel Carson, Remembered
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/09212007/watch.html
CBS Sunday Morning: The Legacy of Silent Spring
http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-3445_162-2714532.html?tag=contentMain;contentBody
Rachel Carson Institute at Chatham University
http://www.chatham.edu/rachelcarson/
Audubon Magazine: Rachel Carson and JFK: An Environmental Tag Team
http://www.audubonmagazine.org/articles/conservation/rachel-carson-and-jfk-environmental-tag-team
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Rachel Carson: A Conservation Legacy
http://www.fws.gov/rachelcarson/
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov
http://www.epa.gov/40th/timeline.html
American Mosquito Control Association
http://www.mosquito.org
CNN: West Nile Virus Cases, Deaths Still on Rise
http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/05/health/west-nile-virus/index.html
West Nile Virus Prevention and Control
http://doh.sd.gov/WestNile/Pesticide.aspx
NPR: All Things Considered: With West Nile on the Rise, We Answer Your Questions
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/08/29/160254867/with-west-nile-on-the-rise-we-answer-your-questions
Books
Bang, M. (2000). Nobody particular: One woman’s fight to save the bays. New York: Henry Holt.
  • This nonfiction multigenre picture book traces shrimper Diane Wilson’s fight to end pollution in the Texas bay in which she fishes.
Burns, L.G. (2007). Tracking trash: Flotsam, jetsam, and the science of ocean motion. [Scientists in the Field Series]. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
  • This photo-essay describes the work of Dr. Curtis Ebbesmeyer who tracks the motion of debris in the ocean to better understand ocean currents and to protect ocean habitats.
Burns, L.G. (2007). The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a honeybee catastrophe. [Scientists in the Field Series]. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
  • Scientists probe the mystery of dramatic decline of honeybee colonies across the United States.
Ehrlich, A. (2003). Rachel: The story of Rachel Carson. Ill. By W. Minor. Orlando: Harcourt.
  • This picture book biography features short chapters highlighting different time periods in Carson’s life.
Fletcher, M. (2009). Who on earth is Rachel Carson?: Mother of the environmental movement. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers.
  • A comprehensive biography for middle grade readers, featuring the accomplishments of Rachel Carson.
Locker, T & Bruchac, J. (2004). Rachel Carson: Preserving a sense of wonder. Golden, CO: Fulcrum.
  • Locker’s color-saturated oil paintings and Bruchac’s poetic text highlight Carson’s childhood, accomplishments, and love for nature in this picture book biography.
Levine, E. (2007). Rachel Carson: A Twentieth Century Life. New York: Viking.
  • Published at the 100th anniversary of her birth, this comprehensive biography for young adult readers features the life story of environmentalist Rachel Carson.
Ransome, C. (1993). Listening to crickets: A Story About Rachel Carson. Ill. By S.O. Haas. Minneapolis: Carolhoda.
  • This biography of Rachel Carson is suited for intermediate grade readers and reviews her lifespan and lasting accomplishments.
Related Classroom Bookshelf Entries:
Gabby and Grandma GoGreen
Me… Jane and The Watcher: Jane Goodall’s Life with the Chimps
Life in the Ocean: TheStory of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle
Outside Your Window: AFirst Book of Nature

Filed under: Biography & Memoirs, Nonfiction Picture Books, Picture Books

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About Erika Thulin Dawes

Erika is a professor of language and literacy at Lesley University. A former classroom teacher, reading specialist, and literacy supervisor, she now teaches courses in children’s literature, early literacy, and literacy methods. Erika is the co-author of Learning to Write with Purpose, Teaching with Text Sets, and Teaching to Complexity.

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