Process Paper
I chose to research Rachel Carson for my National History Day project for several reasons. The first is that I believe in many of the things she was advocating for, such as taking care of the earth. Also, when I am older, I would like to be an ecologist like Rachel Carson. Another reason she stood out among others to me because she was a female scientist in a male dominated field. This is not something I discussed in my project but initially this struck as me as very brave and admirable.
I started my research using her own writing including her book ¨Silent Spring,¨and statements she gave to the Senate Subcommittee. Reading things she wrote gave me a better understanding of the point she was trying to get across. Another very helpful source was the writing of Linda Lear. Lear has written a definitive biography and many articles about Carson and even has a website dedicated to Rachel Carson. She was also kind enough to answer a few questions for me. I watched several documentaries including "CBS's The Silent Spring of Rachel Carson" (an hour long special about Carson and "Silent Spring" Another very helpful source was interviewing several people. Talking to experts was helpful because they can provide lots of information about a specific topic. Chris Lane (someone I interviewed) works for the Aspen Center for The Environmental Studies and has read the works of Rachel Carson and deals with the issues she also felt passionate about. Tom Kurt gave me extensive interviews on her importance today as a leader as well as the pesticides she discussed. Mark Munger was in junior high when "Silent Spring" was released and often had heated conversations about her over the dinner table because his father worked for the pesticide industry.
I decided to present my information in a website because I think this is the most interactive way to present it. Also other people researching Rachel Carson can use it as well, because it is online. I like the website format because there are an endless amount of ways to present the information.
Rachel Carson relates to the National History Day theme because she was a visionary, had incredible leadership skills and her legacy has been long and loud. She wrote extensively about a topic that was extremely controversial. She also knew it was going to be a controversial book but she believed it was for the greater good. Even after developing breast cancer, she continued to write. After the book was published, she remained confident and stood her ground after being attacked by the pesticide industry. That is what makes her a true leader. Her legacy lives on today and is more relevant than ever.
Word Count: 457
I started my research using her own writing including her book ¨Silent Spring,¨and statements she gave to the Senate Subcommittee. Reading things she wrote gave me a better understanding of the point she was trying to get across. Another very helpful source was the writing of Linda Lear. Lear has written a definitive biography and many articles about Carson and even has a website dedicated to Rachel Carson. She was also kind enough to answer a few questions for me. I watched several documentaries including "CBS's The Silent Spring of Rachel Carson" (an hour long special about Carson and "Silent Spring" Another very helpful source was interviewing several people. Talking to experts was helpful because they can provide lots of information about a specific topic. Chris Lane (someone I interviewed) works for the Aspen Center for The Environmental Studies and has read the works of Rachel Carson and deals with the issues she also felt passionate about. Tom Kurt gave me extensive interviews on her importance today as a leader as well as the pesticides she discussed. Mark Munger was in junior high when "Silent Spring" was released and often had heated conversations about her over the dinner table because his father worked for the pesticide industry.
I decided to present my information in a website because I think this is the most interactive way to present it. Also other people researching Rachel Carson can use it as well, because it is online. I like the website format because there are an endless amount of ways to present the information.
Rachel Carson relates to the National History Day theme because she was a visionary, had incredible leadership skills and her legacy has been long and loud. She wrote extensively about a topic that was extremely controversial. She also knew it was going to be a controversial book but she believed it was for the greater good. Even after developing breast cancer, she continued to write. After the book was published, she remained confident and stood her ground after being attacked by the pesticide industry. That is what makes her a true leader. Her legacy lives on today and is more relevant than ever.
Word Count: 457