Research the history of American environmentalism from 1892 (the beginning of the Sierra Club), to 1962 (the publication of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring). What themes and questions do you see recurring?

Paying special attention to Standard Oil, research the history of the oil industry in the United States during the 1950s. Prepare a report describing who benefitted from the industry's actions, and who suffered.

Gather photos of 1950s suburbia from your parents, friends, and photo books. Sort them according to topics such as "Conformity," "Affluence," "The American Lawn," "Suburban American Architecture," etc. Write an essay investigating the values that these images embody, and compare those values to your own. Are they the same, different?

Investigate the Ozone activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, hanged by the Nigerian government on November 10, 1995, for alleged murders. Saro-Wiwa led the protest against Shell Oil's polluting of Nigerian operations and their support...