Social Studies Research and Practice Volume 1, Number 3, Winter 2006 www.socstrp.org ISSN: 1933-5415

Notable Trade Book Lesson Plan—Rachel: The Story of Rachel Carson

Nancy P. Gallavan University of Central Arkansas

Rachel: The Story of Rachel Carson (2003), by Amy Ehrlich with Wendell Minor (illus), Silver Whistle, Harcourt, Inc.

Abstract

Rachel Carson was a notable woman who studied the environment and cared for the planet Earth. Her life was highlighted by several significant events that unfolded to future events culminating with her writing the landmark book Silent Spring. In this NCSS notable trade book lesson plan format, students record 12 significant events in Rachel Carson’s life on a graphic organizer. The graphic organizer is designed as 12 circles like the face of a clock to show chronological order. Using the information provided in the book Rachel: The Story of Rachel Carson (Ehrlich, 2003), students record 12 events to illustrate the cycle of life. This practical graphic organizer also can be used for recording important events in other people’s lives read in biographies and autobiographies as well as important events in each student’s life. Reading and sharing from the graphic organizer in chronological order prompts meaningful class conversations and learning experiences.

This large picture book offers an informative and inspiring chronology of the life of Rachel Carson with incredibly Book Summary: beautiful full-page illustrations. Rachel Carson was born in Pennsylvania in 1912, became a university-educated biologist, and worked at the Woods Hole Marine Biology Laboratory on Cape Cod. Although she initially wanted to become a writer, she studied the environment, particularly the interactions between humans and the environment. Later in her life, in the year 1962, Rachel Carson fulfilled her dream of becoming a writer with the publication of her landmark book, Silent Spring. Only two years later, Rachel Carson died of cancer. In 1970, a 78-acre wildlife refuge in Maine, the Rachel Carson Salt Pond Preserve, was named in her honor. The preserve is located on the coastline where many of the sea plants and creatures that Carson studied and loved still live undisturbed by humans. I. Culture and Cultural Diversity–pioneering careers for women NCSS Standards: II. Time, Continuity, and Change–chronology of events through a lifetime

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III. People, Places, and Environments–relationships with the marshes IV. Individual Development and Identity–contributions to science and life V. Individual, Groups, and Institutions–involvement with the science lab VI. Power, Authority, and Governance–influence on laws VII. Production, Distribution, and Consumption–impact on consumerism VIII. Science, Technology, and Society–effects on health education IX. Global Connections–extrapolation of discoveries and writing world wide X. Civic Ideals and Practices–inspiration for making a difference The teacher will need a copy of the book. Each learner will be given 3 copies of a sheet of paper with 12 Materials: circles (see handout). Each learner will select and read a biography. We recommend that most of the biographies are selected in advance by the teacher, although learners can locate or learn to locate their own titles for the teacher to approve. 1. The learner will read or listen to the book, Rachel. The learner will be given a copy of the handout and record Objectives: the year and 1 significant event in each of the 12 circles. The learner will share the recorded information with other learners in small groups. 2. The learner will select a biography from a group of books selected in advance by the teacher. The learner will identify the year and 1 significant event in each of the 12 circles describing the individual’s life. The learner will share the book and the recorded information with the other learners in small groups. 3. The learner will reflect upon his or her own live to identify and record the year and 1 significant event in each of the 12 circles describing his or her own life. Or the learner will interview a family member or community member to complete this objective. Procedures: Exploration/Introduction Exploration/Introduction: Development: The teacher will ask one learner to name one important event in Expansion: his or her life. The teacher will record that event on a copy of the handout. Then the teacher will ask the learner to name another important event and record that event on the handout in chronological order. This interaction will model and motivate learners to listen to the upcoming story to record events they

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hear in the story. Then the learners will repeat their procedures with either their own lives or by interviewing someone in their families.

Important Events in My Life (in chronological order)

Lesson Development:

(1) The teacher will ask the learners for reasons explaining why we record important events in our lives and reasons why we might record events inside circles placed in a circle. (2) Then the teacher will tell the learners that they will be listening to a story and recording notes on a handout (see Handout 1). The handout consists of a circles placed in a circle to represent the circle of life. The teacher will guide the learners in recording their notes (see Handout 2). The teacher will place a copy of the handout on the board, an overhead projector, or other projection system to guide the learners as the story is read aloud. (3) After hearing the story and recording notes, the learners will retell Rachel Carson’s life story to one another in pairs. (4) The teacher will tell the learners that they will be repeating this activity by either completing a handout about themselves, about a friend, or about a family member. (5) Learners will practice recording notes prior to interviewing others. (6) Learners will share their interviews with other learners in small groups. (7) Handouts will be posted on the bulletin boards.

Expansion

The teacher will guide the learners through a reflection activity. In triads, the learners will be asked to look at one of the smaller circles inside the circle of life and study the events recorded inside that circle as well as the events recorded in the circle immediately before and immediately after the assigned circle. The learners will consider how prior events led to the current events under consideration and how current events lead to future events. A speaker for each triad will share the triad’s reflections with the rest of the class. Learners are expected to complete all 12 circles with events from the story.

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Assessment: Rubric: 11-12 events = proficient 9-10 events = satisfactory 7-8 events = unsatisfactory The teacher will determine expectations regarding writing, grammar, spelling, sharing, and so forth. Suggested Debriefing Questions and Potential Answers: Extension Activities: Q. What happened in the early part of Rachel Carson’s life that influenced her later? A. her mother’s guidance; reading and discussing stories; going to college; working in a lab Q. How did Rachel’s discoveries influence her writing? A. She wanted other people to know and understand her concerns in everyday language. Q. Why was her work and writing so important? A. They changed how we think, believe, and act. We take better care of nature and ourselves. Additional Books by Rachel Carson: References and (1941). Under the sea-wind; A naturalist’s picture of ocean life. Web links: New York: Oxford University Press. (1951). The sea around us. New York: Oxford University Press. (1955). The edge of the sea. Boston: Houghton Mifflin company. (1962). Silent spring. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. (1965). Sense of wonder. New York: Harper & Row.

Books about Rachel Carson: Brooks, Paul. (1972) The house of life: Rachel Carson at work. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, Freeman, Martha. (1995). Always Rachel: The letters of Rachel Carson and Dorothy Freeman. Boston: Beacon press. Lear, Linda. (1995). Rachel Carson: Witness of nature. New York: Henry Holt and Company.

Web Sites Related to Rachel Carson: Earth Observatory On the Shoulders of Giants Chatham College, Jennie King Mellon Library Rachel Carson educational posters, books, videos, links for learning Distinguished Women of the Past

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Ecology Hall of Fame Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, Northeast Region National Women’s History Project, The Learning Place, Biography Center PBS-A Science Odyssey; People and Discoveries The Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson Rachel Carson Homestead Rachel Carson Trails Conservatory

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Event: Handout 1

Event: Year: Event:

Year: Year:

Event: Event:

Year: Year:

Event: Biography: Event:

Years:

Significance: Year:

Year:

Event: Event:

Year: Year: Event:

Event:

Event: Year:

Year:

Year:

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Event: As a child Handout 2 living in Pennsylvania on the Allegheny River, Rachel finds a fossil discovering science Event: Rachel is Year: 1912 Event: Rachel diagnosed with reads and writes at cancer and dies in a young age and has 1964; a 78-acre Salt a story published with Pond Preserve is her mother’s named in her honor. encouragement. Year: 1963 Year: 1918

Event: At Event: After four college, Rachel years of writing, changes her major Silent Spring is from writing to published, upsetting biology. some people, and Year: 1927 pleasing others. Year: 1962

Biography: Rachel Carson Event: Rachel Event: Rachel Years: 1912-1962 studies at The Woods realizes that mosquito Hole Marine Biology poisons also are Significance: studied lab on Cape Cod. killing birds, insects, interaction of humans on Year: 1929 and animals and environment; wrote the harming people. book, Silent Spring. Year: 1958

Event: The town Event: Needing to near Rachel’s cottage work to support her expands and Rachel family, Rachel begins grows more concerned writing about nature. about preserving Year: 1945 nature. Year: 1957 Event: Rachel writes two books about exploring the Event: Rachel ocean: The Sea begins raising her Around Us and The Event: From her niece’s five-year-old Edge of the Sea. son Roger and feels cottage in Maine, Year: 1951 helpless. Rachel collects ocean specimens to study, Year: 1956 then returns them. Year: 1953

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