Rachel Carson made history as a science writer challenging governmental and industrial authorities about the safety of pesticides. Characterized as a "gentle subversive", Carson raised public awareness about the dangers of the pesticide DDT, including its bio-accumulation in the food chain, threats to living organisms, and impact on the ecosystem. Her book, "Silent Spring", published in 1962 demonstrated that DDT was killing birds and animals and was probably dangerous to humans. In violating mid-20th-century American norms of polite womanhood, she made history by launching the modern environmental movement. This article asks the following question: "Can Carson serve as a model of citizenship engagement for the contemporary social studies classroom?" Exploring this question shows how "adventurous women" like Carson (and men, too) can "make a difference" for themselves and posterity by speaking, writing, and organizing others around a cause with broad public interest. The tools of mass communication that Carson employed were television, magazines, and books. In the Internet age, digital and social media offer an even broader range of possibilities for persuading and organizing. Nevertheless, such forms of communication are also susceptible to spreading misinformation and prejudice, a growing problem where scientific findings are concerned (for example, in relation to the scientific consensus on climate change). For this reason, the development of media literacy in relation to the role of citizens today is of paramount importance. The authors write that they hope the ideas presented in this article will encourage teachers to find ways to integrate Rachel Carson and her legacy of citizen activism supported by media literacy into their social studies curriculum.