SCHOLASTIC.COM/SCOPE • APRIL 18, 2011 13

Readers Theater Play

InferencesPeople across America had very strong reactions to Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring. As you read, think about why.

CHECK IT OUTAS YOU READ, LOOK FOR:

12 SCHOLASTIC SCOPE • APRIL 18, 2011

PROLOGUE

N1: For as long as humans have

been on the Earth, we have been

tormented by insects. Some insects

spread disease. They can ruin crops

and cause famines.

N2: For centuries, we searched for

ways to conquer these pesky bugs,

but nothing worked.

N3: Until we created DDT.

N1: During World War II, this

powerful pesticide was used

overseas to stop outbreaks of two

deadly diseases: malaria, which is

spread by mosquitoes, and typhus,

which is spread by fleas and lice.

Millions of lives were saved.

N2: After the war, American farmers

used DDT to prevent bugs from

eating their crops.

N3: Parents sprayed their children

with DDT. Trucks rumbled through

neighborhoods, spraying DDT on

schools, pools, and playgrounds.

N1: By 1951, malaria was wiped out

in the United States.

N2: People hailed DDT as a miracle.

N3: But it had a dark side.

N1: DDT was killing more than

just insects.

SCENE 1

A HOT SUMMER DAY IN 1957N2: Olga and Stuart Huckins

live on a bird sanctuary in

Massachusetts. One afternoon,

they hear a loud whirring noise.

N3: They see a plane flying low

over their land. It releases a spray

into the air that settles over their

woods and marshes.

OLGA: That plane is spraying DDT

everywhere!

STUART: They’re just killing

mosquitoes.

N1: Olga walks toward the woods.

She gasps in horror.

N2: Seven dead songbirds lie on

the ground.

OLGA: These birds were poisoned!

N3: The Huckins find more dead

birds around their birdbath.

N1: Before their eyes, a robin

drops from a branch. Its bill is

gaping open. Its splayed claws

are drawn up in agony.

OLGA: What a horrible death.

STUART: What can we do

about this?

OLGA: I’m going to send a letter

to my friend Rachel Carson.

N2: Rachel Carson is a marine

biologist who for many years

worked for the U.S. Bureau of

Fisheries. She has more recently

become a famous nature writer.

OLGA: Rachel knows people in

Washington, D.C. Maybe she

can help.

SCENE 2

A FARM, 1958 N3: Rachel has long been worried

about the growing use of

pesticides like DDT. Olga’s

The story of Rachel Carson—scientist, author, and environmental superhero

*NARRATORS 1, 2, 3OLGA HUCKINS: a friend of Rachel CarsonSTUART HUCKINS: Olga’s husbandLETTERS 1, 2, 3MR. MURPHY: a farmer*RACHEL CARSON: a marine biologist and nature writer ACTORS 1 & 2SCIENTISTS 1 & 2

MARIE RODELL: Rachel’s literary agent JEANNE DAVIS: Rachel’s assistant EXECUTIVES 1 & 2 DR. ROBERT WHITE-STEVENS: a scientist and spokesperson for the chemical industry

* Large speaking role

CHARACTERS

and the Woman Who Saved a Million Birds

and the

Killer Bugs, Deadly Poison,

The story of Rachel Carson—scientist, Million Birds Rachel Carson

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EARTH DAY SPECIAL

BIOGRAPHICAL PLAY a dramatization of a person’s life

Killer Bugs, Killer Bugs, Killer Bugs, Killer Bugs, Killer Bugs,

The story of Rachel Carson—scientist, author, and environmental superhero

MARIE RODELL: Rachel’s literary agent

N1: DDT was killing more than

just insects.

N2: biologist who for many years

worked for the U.S. Bureau of

Fisheries. She has more recently

14 SCHOLASTIC SCOPE • APRIL 18, 2011 SCHOLASTIC.COM/SCOPE • APRIL 18, 2011 15

letter is one of many she has received

over the years.

LETTER 1: My best horse drank from

a trough after DDT was sprayed on

my farm. It died a few hours later.

LETTER 2: My ducklings are hatching

with deformities. Many do not

hatch at all.

LETTER 3: On a hunting trip,

I sprayed my tent with DDT for

21 nights. By the time I got home,

I was so sick I had to have 41

blood infusions. Now I have

terminal cancer.

N1: Rachel is so disturbed that she

decides to investigate. She talks to

biologists, insect and bird experts,

and doctors all over the country.

N2: One day, she visits a farm.

No people and no children. Nothing

lives. The stores are empty. The

playgrounds are empty. The streams

and rivers have no fish. Everything is

quiet. Utter silence. Dead silence.

MARIE: I think we have the title of

your book—Silent Spring.

SCENE 4

RACHEL’S COTTAGE, MAINE, 1961 N2: Rachel is deep into writing her

book when she gets devastating

news: She has breast cancer.

N3: As Rachel grows sicker, she

struggles with the heaps of

information she has collected.

JEANNE: You can’t keep this up,

Rachel. You need to rest.

RACHEL: I just need help organizing

all of this data.

JEANNE: Of course, I will help you.

What are all these new studies?

RACHEL: They came to me from an

old colleague at the U.S. Bureau of

Fisheries. He sent them in secret.

There are studies

from decades ago

that show that DDT

is harmful.

JEANNE: This is too

much. Are you sure

you can manage all

of this?

RACHEL: I won’t

rest until this book

is done. If I do

nothing more in

my life, I must tell

this story.

N1: Jeanne does all

she can to help

Rachel. In addition

to assisting with

research, Jeanne also helps Rachel

deal with her illness. She sets up

Rachel’s bedroom so she can write

from her bed. Rachel spends the

next year finishing her book.

JEANNE: People are already talking

about this book, Rachel. It’s not even

out yet.

RACHEL: I’ve heard. The New Yorker

magazine is going to run excerpts.

JEANNE: I have a feeling this is going

to cause quite a storm. Are you ready

for all this?

RACHEL: I am ready.

water. It’s contaminating the milk

we drink. People are getting sick.

SCIENTIST 1: DDT causes cancer. It’s

also causing birth defects in

animals—and in people.

N1: Rachel is shocked by her

findings. She decides to write a book

about the dangers of DDT and other

pesticides. She talks to her agent.

MARIE: I have a publisher very

interested in this book.

RACHEL: This story is going to be

more terrible than I imagined. DDT

is supposed to kill just pests. But it

affects everything. Our entire

ecosystem is at risk.

MARIE: You’ve always said that

nature is interconnected.

RACHEL: I had such a haunting

nightmare last night.

MARIE: What was it?

RACHEL: Picture an ordinary

American town on the first day of

spring. Except there are no chirping

birds or flowers or bushes or trees.

MR. MURPHY: I warn you,

Miss Carson, what you are

about to see will upset you.

RACHEL: Mr. Murphy, I’m

here to find out the truth.

N3: He leads Rachel to his

pigpen. Seven newborn piglets lie

perfectly still next to their mother.

MR. MURPHY: Sadie just gave birth

this morning. Her entire litter was

born dead.

RACHEL: How long has this kind of

thing been going on?

MR. MURPHY: Our farm was sprayed

with DDT about nine months ago.

Since then, not a single pig has been

born alive.

N1: That night in her hotel, Rachel is

listening to the radio. A commercial

comes on.

ACTOR 1: Today, everyone can enjoy

comfort, health, and safety through

the insect-killing powers of DDT.

ACTOR 2: DDT is a benefactor for all

humanity. Bigger apples, juicier

fruits—all free from unsightly

worms.

ACTOR 1: Your cows will produce

up to 20 percent more milk . . .

ACTOR 2: . . . and your steers will

gain 50 pounds when you get rid

of pests with . . .

ACTORS 1 & 2 (in unison): . . . our

DDT products!

N2: Rachel turns off the radio.

RACHEL (to herself): I am going to

do something about this.

SCENE 3

RACHEL’S HOUSE, MARYLAND, 1960N3: For the next two years, Rachel

immerses herself in research. She

pores over data and reports by

respected scientists.

SCIENTIST 1: In places where

pesticides are sprayed heavily, large

numbers of birds are dying. The

birds are eating the poisoned insects

and getting poisoned themselves.

SCIENTIST 2: DDT is getting into the TO

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DDT kills bugs, but it’s also toxic to animals. One way it poisons animals is through the food chain.

DDT is sprayed on mosquitoes.

A dragonfly gets poisoned when it feeds on the poisoned mosquitoes.

A heron eats the poisoned dragonflies. Over time, DDT builds up in the heron’s body, killing the heron or causing it to lay eggs that can’t hatch.

In the 1950s, DDT was sprayed everywhere—even at the beach. BELOW: Advertisements like this one were commonplace. What can you infer is the purpose of this ad?

A heron eats the poisoned dragonflies. Over time, DDT builds up in the heron’s body, killing the heron or causing it to lay eggs that can’t hatch.

HOW DDT KILLS BIRDS

MR. MURPHY:Miss Carson, what you are

about to see will upset you.

RACHEL:here to find out the truth.

N3:

Rachel Carson is interviewed by reporter Eric Sevareid about Silent Spring.

16 SCHOLASTIC SCOPE • APRIL 18, 2011

SCENE 5

A BOARDROOM, 1962 N2: Chemical-company executives

are outraged. They call a meeting

with their key supporters.

EXECUTIVE 1: Rachel Carson is trying

to destroy us.

DR. ROBERT WHITE-STEVENS: This

woman is a fanatic. She’s not even

a scientist.

EXECUTIVE 2: She did train as a

marine biologist. The book is

thoroughly researched.

WHITE-STEVENS: She wants to ban

all pesticides.

EXECUTIVE 1: She doesn’t actually

come out and say that. She says we

should study their long-term effects

before using them indiscriminately.

WHITE-STEVENS: Whose side are

you on? She’s making us out to be

murderers. Doesn’t she know what

the world would be like if it weren’t

for pesticides? We would return to

the Dark Ages, and the insects and

diseases and vermin would once

again inherit the Earth.

EXECUTIVE 2: We can try to stop her.

EXECUTIVE 1: You’re darned right we

can try to stop her!

N3: The chemical industry launches a

massive campaign to discredit Silent

Spring before it even comes out.

N1: Articles criticizing Rachel appear

in journals around the country.

N2: She receives letters threatening

lawsuits.

N3: Yet, the chemical companies’

efforts backfire. In fact, they end

up generating more publicity for

Rachel’s book, which quickly

becomes a best-seller. Rachel is

Reactions to Reactions to Reactions to Reactions to Reactions to Reactions to Silent SpringSilent SpringSilent SpringConsider the way various people reacted toConsider the way various people reacted toConsider the way various people reacted toConsider the way various people reacted toConsider the way various people reacted toConsider the way various people reacted to Rachel Carson’s Rachel Carson’s Rachel Carson’s research on DDT, and why. Then write a research on DDT, and why. Then write a research on DDT, and why. Then write a paragraph explaining why they reacted paragraph explaining why they reacted paragraph explaining why they reacted so strongly to so strongly to so strongly to Silent Spring.Silent Spring.Silent Spring. Send it to Send it to Send it to RACHEL CARSON CONTESTRACHEL CARSON CONTESTRACHEL CARSON CONTEST by May 10, 2011. by May 10, 2011. by May 10, 2011. RACHEL CARSON CONTEST by May 10, 2011. RACHEL CARSON CONTESTRACHEL CARSON CONTESTRACHEL CARSON CONTEST by May 10, 2011. RACHEL CARSON CONTEST by May 10, 2011. RACHEL CARSON CONTEST by May 10, 2011. RACHEL CARSON CONTESTRACHEL CARSON CONTESTRACHEL CARSON CONTEST by May 10, 2011. RACHEL CARSON CONTESTTen winners will each get Jacqueline Kelly’s Ten winners will each get Jacqueline Kelly’s Ten winners will each get Jacqueline Kelly’s

novel novel novel The Evolution of Calpurnia TateThe Evolution of Calpurnia TateThe Evolution of Calpurnia Tate. . . See page 2 for details.See page 2 for details.See page 2 for details.

CONTEST

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flooded with supportive letters from

readers. Many people in the scientific

community stand behind her.

N1: Rachel’s message had finally

been heard.

EPILOGUE

N2: After Silent Spring was

published, Americans began taking

steps to make sure that chemicals

were used more carefully in their

communities.

N3: President John F. Kennedy

read Rachel’s book and ordered his

science committee to investigate

her claims. In 1972, DDT was

banned in the U.S.

N1: Rachel, however, did not live

long enough to see the impact her

book would have on the world.

She died of cancer in 1964, less

than two years after Silent Spring

was published.

N2: But her legacy lives on through

the Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA), which was formed in

1970. The EPA’s mission is to protect

human health and make sure our

air, water, and land are safe . . .

N3: . . . and to make sure that no

spring is ever silent. •

After being nearly wiped out by DDT and other environmental hazards, bald eagles have made a remarkable comeback.