Use these activities to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity. 

ACTIVITY 1: “Build a Pesticide Molecule”

Rachel Carson explained that modern insecticides are developed from carbon atoms that are combined with other atoms, such as hydrogen and chlorine. A tangible way to learn about pesticide compounds is to create 3-dimensional models.

• Review Carson’s explanation of carbon and hydrogen atoms in Chapter 3.
• Check out 3D models of specific chemicals used in pesticides on NPIC website. Select a chemical to create a 3D model.
• Watch how to build a 3D molecular model with modeling clay (use different colors of clay to omit the labels).
• Create your own 3D molecular mode of the selected chemical.
• Create a fact sheet of the selected chemical, using information from the NPIC website. (Click on a specific chemical to view the factsheet.)

Teaching Suggestion: Allow students to display their 3D molecular models and fact sheets in the classroom. Discuss the connections between the activity and Silent Spring through the theme of Microscopic Versus Macroscopic Scale.

• If your class has access to modeling kits for this activity, you might find video suggestions and instructions like these