Rachel Carson and Ecology for Kids Her Life and Ideas, with 21 Activities and Experiments

Rachel Carson was an American biologist, conservationist, science and nature writer, and catalyst of the modern environmental movement. She studied biology in college at a time when few women entered the sciences, and then worked as a biologist and information specialist for the US government and wrote about the natural world for many publications. Carson is best remembered for her book Silent Spring, which exposed the widespread misuse of chemical pesticides in the United States and sparked both praise and fury.

Carson’s personal life and scientific career were rooted in the study of nature. Using examples from Carson’s life and works, Rachel Carson and Ecology for Kids will introduce readers to ecology concepts such as the components of ecosystems, adaptations by living things, energy cycles, food chains and food webs, and the balance of ecosystems. This lively biography includes a time line, resources, sidebars, and 21 hands-on activities that are sure to inspire the next generation of scientists, thinkers, leaders, agricultural producers, environmental activists, and world citizens. Kids will:

• Collect a seed bank of local plant species
• Chart bird migration through their region
• Make birdseed cookies
• Model bioaccumulation and biomagnification
• Build a worm farm
• And more!

Rowena Rae worked as a biologist in New Zealand and Canada before turning to a freelance science writing and editing career, during which she has contributed to numerous science magazines and textbooks. Visit her online at www.rowenarae.com.