Spotlight on Science Writers: Paul Fleischman
“Science begins with noticing and curiosity. You don’t need a lab coat or Ph.D. I don’t have either. ”
When I was 19, I rode a bicycle from Los Angeles to Vancouver, took the train across Canada, and ended up house-sitting the house in the photo, in a clearing in the New Hampshire woods. I'd never been out of the west, never seen snow falling, never lived in the country.
I bought a paperback guide to birds, and gradually the foreign began to feel familiar. It turned out that those were barn swallows swooping over my field and black-capped chickadees in the maples. I'd never noticed birds before. Suddenly they seemed to be everywhere. The same was true of trees and wildflowers, weather and geology. They'd been hiding in plain sight all around me my whole life. Suddenly my eyes were open to them all.
The House in New Hampshire where Fleischman house-sat. Photo used with permission.
I tried to give readers of Eyes Wide Open that same experience of noticing the unnoticed—in this case the environmental turning point they're part of. Instead of goldfinches and kingbirds, I'd teach them to spot vested interests and regression. Instead of being able to read the forest, I'd show how to read the newspaper.
The best teachers I had in school were the ones who didn't just give us the facts but connected them to something larger. Knowing that the Magna Carta was signed in 1215 doesn't tell you much. Knowing that when a central government is weak, other groups will expand their power is a key not only to King John and the nobles but to countless events, down to today's warlords in the Congo and the cliques at your school.
Science begins with noticing and curiosity. You don't need a lab coat or a Ph.D; I don't have either. The moment I held a dead bee that I found around my house launched me on this book. Citizen scientists have added important new streams of data. You could be among them. Check out zooniverse.org for a start.
Scientists then look for theories that will explain what's been observed. I did the same. I think you'll see them in action all around you, from the lure of denial to the addictive nature of convenience to our focus on the present rather than the future.
We're living at an unprecedented crossroads in history. New knowledge is disruptive—another good principle to know—and we've recently learned a lot about the effect we're having on climate and the environment as a whole. Suddenly everything needs rethinking: cars, suburbs, fast food, cheap prices. It's an exciting, high-stakes moment. What better time to have our eyes wide open?
About the Author
Paul Fleischman grew up in Santa Monica, California, the son of children's book author Sid Fleischman. Drawing on history, music, art, and theater, his books have often experimented with multiple viewpoints and performance. He received the Newbery Medal in 1989 for Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices, a Newbery Honor Award for Graven Images, the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction for Bull Run, and was a National Book Award finalist for Breakout. He lives in Santa Cruz, California.
His book, Eyes Wide Open: Going behind the Environmental Headlines, was a finalist for the 2014 AAAS/Subaru Book Prize in the Middle Grades category.
GOING FURTHER
Book/Author Resources
Paul's website offers biographical information, as well as information on his books and articles.
A video interview about how Paul came to write Eyes Wide Open.
Paul's video on the California drought.
Climate Change and Environmental Education
What We Know is an assessment of current climate science and impacts that emphasizes the need to understand and recognize possible high-risk scenarios.
The climate page on NASA’s website offers information, maps, images, and interactives about climate.
The latest news on the environment can be found at the Environmental News Network.
The Solutions Project proposes that the U.S. can transition to 100% renewables by 2050. Check out where your state stands.
Citizen Science
Watch this video to get a sense of what it means to be a citizen scientist.
The Journey North App lets you help track migrations and seasons.
The Project BudBurst App is part of a citizen science program designed to encourage local participation in a national research effort.