Silent Spring

Use these links to supplement and complement students’ reading of the work and to increase their overall enjoyment of literature. Challenge them to discern parallel themes, engage through visual and aural stimuli, and delve deeper into the thematic possibilities presented by the title.

Recommended Texts for Pairing

The Orchard: A Memoir by Theresa Weir (2011)

• a contemporary memoir that features a woman who marries into a family of apple farmers and becomes a reluctant player in their attempt to keep the codling moth from destroying the orchard

“The Strong Who Inspire: A Poem in Memory of Rachel Carson”

• The Rachel Carson Center published this poem by award-winning nature writer Ellery Akers.
• Akers is the author of a book of ecopoetry called “Swerve: Environmentalism, Feminism, and Resistance” (2020).

A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold

• a series of essays on the writer’s interaction with nature and the environment that culminates in an argument for ethical treatment of the land
• shares the theme of Web of Life and Nature’s Balance
• A Sand County Almanac on SuperSummary

“Dear Future Generations: Sorry” by Prince EA

• a spoken-word poem on society’s destruction of the environment
• The text of the poem can be supplemented by a video performance by the poet.
• shares the themes of Web of Life and Nature’s Balance and Government Interests
• “Dear Future Generations: Sorry” on SuperSummary

Other Student Resources

“Poisoning Paradise”

• Actor Pierce Brosnan and his wife Keely Shaye Brosnan are executive producers of an award-winning documentary film that raises awareness about widespread use of chemical pesticides in the Hawaiian Islands.

Ecological Sound Art

• “Requiem; in memoriam: twelve recently extinct species” is a 10-minute sound installation by acoustic ecologist Steve Norton, created to raise awareness about human-driven extinction of wildlife. A downloadable brochure describes each of the featured animals.
• “Black Catbird” is an animated music video produced by the Garifuna Collective of Belize. It is part of a music ecology project called “A Guide to the Birdsong of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean,” which combines electronic music with the songs of several birds that are threatened with extinction by human activities.
• “Symphony of the Hawaiian Birds” is a collaborative project by the Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra, the University of Hawai’i, and Bishop Museum. The program features six musical compositions with animated videos about endangered species of Hawaiian birds.

Ecological Art

• "Silent Skies" is a 100-foot mural that features 678 endangered species of birds around the world. The mosaic was created by 169 artists from 16 countries who are members of Artists for Conservation. Thumbnail sketches of the birds can be clicked for larger pictures and information about each species.
• The Audubon Mural Project is a public-art initiative that draws attention to birds threatened by climate change. It started in the Harlem and Washington Heights neighborhoods of northern Manhattan, where pioneering bird artist John James Audubon once lived and is buried. To date, the project includes 100 murals that feature 168 threatened bird species.
• In “This is What Extinction Sounds Like,” soundscape artist Bernie Krause provides examples of how bird song and other sounds of nature have changed dramatically over the past 30 years.
• Sounds of the Forest is a map of forest sounds from around the world, a project intended to raise awareness about the need to protect woodland ecosystems.
• “Do We Really Need Pesticides?” is a 5-minute animated video that discusses the pros and cons of pesticides in the 21st century.
• The National Institutes of Health Print Exchange and 3DChem.com maintain libraries of models of small molecules, including pesticide compounds DDT, chlorpyrifos, and glyphosates.

Teacher Resources

“Sound Ecology: A Better Sounding Planet”

• a TED Talk given by music producer Cedric Engels on the ways in which acoustic ecology can raise awareness of the relationship between people and the environment

“Bringing Facts to Life Through Ecological Art”  

• a TED Talk given by ecological artist Thijs Biersteker, who demonstrates how immersive and interactive art can bring research findings to life and help people “feel facts”