Rachel Carson Worksheets Rachel Carson Facts
Source: orionpozo / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 Rachel Carson was an American marine biologist and conservationist whose research and writings on environmental pollution are noted as significant contributions to the global environmental movement. EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION ★ Rachel Louise Carson was born on May 27, 1907 in Springdale, Pennsylvania. ★ Her father was Robert Warden Carson, an insurance salesman, and her mother was Maria Frazier. ★ She grew up on her family’s farm in Springdale. ★ She enjoyed reading and writing literature, particularly on the themes of nature and the ocean. ★ Rachel studied at a local elementary school and high school in Parnassus, Pennsylvania. KIDSKONNECT.COM Rachel Carson Facts ★ She graduated from high school at the top of her class in 1925. ★ She entered Pennsylvania College for Women and initially majored in English, before switching her field of study to biology. ★ She received admission to Johns Hopkins University but stayed at Pennsylvania College for Women due to financial constraints. ★ She graduated magna cum laude in 1929. ★ Upon graduation, she went to graduate school as a part-time student at Johns Hopkins University where she studied zoology. ★ She earned her master's degree in June 1932. TEACHER AND BIOLOGIST
★ In 1931, she began teaching at the University of Maryland. She taught there for five years. ★ In 1936 Carson began working as an aquatic biologist with the US Bureau of Fisheries, where she worked until 1952. ★ At the Bureau of Fisheries, she analyzed data on fish populations and wrote literature based on the research. ★ While working for the bureau, she wrote about her research for local Rachel Carson’s employee newspapers such as The Baltimore photo at the US Fish and Wildlife Sun. Service
★ In 1940, the Bureau transformed into the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, a federal agency devoted to the management of fish and wildlife. ★ By 1945, she became editor-in-chief of the publications of the Fish and Wildlife Service. KIDSKONNECT.COM Rachel Carson Facts PUBLISHED AUTHOR
★ In 1941, her first book Under the Sea Wind: A Naturalist's Picture of Ocean Life was published by Simon & Schuster. It received critical praise for its content and style, despite not being a commercial bestseller. ★ Under the Sea became a bestseller after the success of its sequel, The Sea Around Us, published in 1951. ★ The Sea Around Us covered the prehistoric beginnings of the sea up to the latest scientific explorations. ★ Her second book became a national bestseller and won a National Book Award. It has since been translated into 30 languages. ★ It was also her second book that made Carson more popular as a writer and conservationist. ★ In 1955, she published her third book The Edge of the Sea. ★ Her first three books make up what would be called her sea trilogy.
Source: Ryan Somma / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0 Rachel Carson’s works in the National American History Museum's Science in American Life exhibit
KIDSKONNECT.COM Rachel Carson Facts SILENT SPRING
★ In the mid-1940s, Carson grew increasingly concerned about pesticide use upon its development during the First World War. ★ She was all the more driven to research and write about the topic after the US government launched the gypsy moth eradication program in 1957. ★ The program involved spraying of pesticides, particularly the insecticide DDT (dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane). ★ She conducted investigations about illnesses and ecological destruction that resulted from pesticide exposure. ★ In 1962, she published her best-known book Silent Spring which not only became a bestseller but also raised awareness around the world of the dangers of environmental pollution. ★ The title of the book is a metaphor for nature’s bleak future. ★ In the book, Carson wrote about the harmful effects and consequences of the use of pesticide and how the planet was reaching its limits, beyond what it is able to sustain. ★ Carson predicted that the consequences would intensify as pests would develop pesticide resistance and invade and weaken ecosystems. ★ The book proposed an alternative to the use of chemical pesticides: a biotic approach to pest control. ★ She was not the first person to write about such environmental concerns but her work reached a broader readership. Since then, it has been credited for advancing the modern environmental movement. ★ The environmental movement that emerged in the 1960s is rooted in the belief that the Earth is heading towards a bleak future given how terribly humans treat the natural world at present.
KIDSKONNECT.COM Rachel Carson Facts DEATH AND LEGACY ★ While working on Silent Spring, Carson fell ill and malignant cysts were discovered in her left breast. ★ She underwent radiation treatment which weakened her. ★ She caught a respiratory virus in January 1964 and her condition worsened. The cancer had reached her liver. ★ She died on April 14, 1964, from a heart attack, at her home in Silver Spring, Maryland. ★ Carson’s work is considered some of the most influential writing on environmental concerns. ★ Her work had a direct impact on the campaign to ban the use of DDT in the United States.
Source: South Bend Voice / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0 The People's Climate March, 2014
KIDSKONNECT.COM Name: ______Teacher, Researcher, Author
Rachel Carson studied marine biology and zoology at college, then became a teacher, researcher, and author. Summarize her major contributions in each field. Cite the institution/s she worked for and the work/s she created.
RACHEL THE TEACHER ______
RACHEL THE RESEARCHER ______
RACHEL THE AUTHOR ______
RACHEL CARSON WORKSHEETS KIDSKONNECT.COM Name: ______Correct Timeline
Arrange the following details on the timeline, then complete the events.
1964 1907
A. Rachel Carson fell ill and cysts were found in her left ______. B. Rachel Carson was born in Springdale, ______. C. Rachel Carson began working as an aquatic biologist with the US Bureau of ______. D. Rachel Carson grew increasingly concerned about ______use upon its development during the First World War. E. Rachel Carson became ______of the publications of the Fish and Wildlife Service.
RACHEL CARSON WORKSHEETS KIDSKONNECT.COM Name: ______Marine Vocabulary In her writings, Rachel Carson expounded on the depths of the sea. Learn more about the sea by looking up the definitions of the following words and using them in meaningful sentences.
ALGAE ______
BARRIER REEF ______
CORAL ______
EBB TIDE ______
MARITIME ______
OCEAN FLOOR ______
RACHEL CARSON WORKSHEETS KIDSKONNECT.COM Name: ______Title Completion
Complete the titles of Rachel Carson’s four bestselling books about the sea and the environment.
U D T S : A
N U L I ’ S
P C T F O E N
L E
T S A O D S
T D F
T S
S L T S P R
RACHEL CARSON WORKSHEETS KIDSKONNECT.COM Name: ______About Silent Spring Silent Spring is Rachel Carson’s best-known work as it was used as the basis of certain causes forwarded during the environmental movement of the 1960s. Fill in the blanks to complete the About Page for Silent Spring.
The title Silent Spring is a metaphor for… ______
In Silent Spring, Carson predicted... ______
The main subject discussed in Silent Spring is… ______
In the end, the book proposed... ______
RACHEL CARSON WORKSHEETS KIDSKONNECT.COM Name: ______Famous Conservationists Like Rachel Carson, the following people are known for being conservationists. A conservationist is a person who advocates for the protection and preservation of wildlife and the environment. Create an introductory profile for each conservationist. Cite their main advocacies. STEVE IRWIN
______THEODORE ROOSEVELT ______EDWARD OSBORNE WILSON
______
RACHEL CARSON WORKSHEETS KIDSKONNECT.COM Name: ______Rachel Reflection
Read these inspiring quotes by Rachel Carson that will awaken your love for the environment. Reflect on them and then answer the follow-up questions.
One way to open What emotion does the quote bring out in your eyes is to ask you? ______yourself, "What if I What is one thing in or about nature that had never seen this you do not want to lose and why? ______before? What if I ______knew I would never ______see it again? ______
If a child is to keep alive his Why is it important for a child to inborn sense of wonder, he keep their sense of wonder? needs the companionship of ______at least one adult who can ______share it, rediscovering with How can adults help children keep him the joy, excitement, and their sense of wonder? ______mystery of the world we live ______in. ______
If facts are the seeds that How can you apply Rachel Carson’s later produce knowledge and quote to your own learning wisdom, then the emotions experience? ______and the impressions of the ______senses are the fertile soil in ______which the seeds must grow. ______
RACHEL CARSON WORKSHEETS KIDSKONNECT.COM Name: ______Legacy Collage Make a collage using pictures from books and magazines to provide a visual representation of the legacy Rachel Carson left on the modern environmental movement that emerged in the 1960s and the impact it has now.
RACHEL CARSON WORKSHEETS KIDSKONNECT.COM Name: ______Protest Poster Around the world, students walk out and march to protest about global warming brought about by climate change. Design à poster, imagining you are going to participate in the movement to end the damage humans are causing the environment.
RACHEL CARSON WORKSHEETS KIDSKONNECT.COM Name: ______Current News Write a news article about an ocean- or climate-related event that has recently happened or caught the attention of the media. Include a photo to represent the story.
HEADLINE: ______
______PHOTO ______
RACHEL CARSON WORKSHEETS KIDSKONNECT.COM