George Washington Carver George Washington Carver

George Washington Carver I am sure you have heard of George Washington Carver! Have you? He was the crème de la crème in the field of agricultural science during his time. Carver was born a slave in Diamond, Missouri. The exact date of his birth is unknown but he is believed to be born circa 1864, though some records mention 1861. He was raised by the "White family" who owned his mother as a slave. He was born to Mary and Giles (no last name), an enslaved couple, of Moses Carver. Though Carver had an extremely rough life, he prevailed and rose to be an educator, an inventor, a botanist and one of the most prominent scientists and researchers of the 20th Century. He is George Washington Carver! After slavery was abolished, George (neither his brother James) was legally no longer a slave to the Carvers but they both remained in the home and was raised by them. George was encouraged to learn to read and write but was not allowed to attend the local public school because he was Black. But George began to search for a school in his quest for knowledge and found one about ten miles away! A teacher, Mariah Watkins, was very instrumental in Carver's life as he began to study and learn more. Around this time, George shifted from being known as "Carver's George" to George Carver. He attended several schools before earning his diploma from Minneapolis High School in Kansas. Carver applied to many schools and was accepted to Highland College in Kansas, but he was denied enrollment upon his arrival on campus because he was Black. Later, he pitched a wagon ride from J.F. Beeler elsewhere in Kansas and cared after a small plants collection. He also worked other odd-end farming and domestic jobs to provide for himself. In 1888, Carver was granted a bank loan for his schooling. He studied music and art, but it was his art teacher who valued his connected with this plants and motivated him to study botany. He attended Iowa State Agricultural College as the African American student in the school's history. He received both his Bachelor's and Master's Degree and had more than proven himself as a gifted and distinguished scholar of botany, horticulture, and agriculture. The faculty was highly impressed with him and also gained the attention of Mr. Booker T. Washington. Mr. Washington proposed the head position of the Agricultural Department at the Tuskegee Institute, and Mr. Carver accepted. Carver worked at Tuskegee for 47 years. His work and research gained his department national prestige. Carver was conducive in shaping the department's curriculum and selecting its faculty. His ideas and methods came at a very much-needed time for the United States, especially the South. His research included crop rotation, alternative cash crops, alternatives for sharecroppers and the development of new crops. He helped stabilize the Southern economy and its agriculture tremendously, especially considering its state post-slavery. It has both been understood and said that Carver's work resuscitated the South from its decline. His plant biology research would introduce Americans to peanuts, sweet potatoes, soybeans, pecans, and many more varieties. He also invented plastics, paints, and dyes. On a rise to fame, he delivered speeches to the Peanut Growers Association and Congress and went on tour to speak at White Southern Colleges. As one could imagine, the racial tension was thick as an gifted and well-respected Black man began to travel and tour across the South to share his ideas and promote change. Nonetheless, no one can deny him the fact that his research improved the quality of life for numerous families (especially farming families) and made him a major historical figure in the United States, regardless of his color. George Washington Carver died at the age of 78 after taking a fall in his home on January 5, 1943. He was laid to rest beside his colleague, Booker T. Washington on the Tuskegee grounds. His life savings was the sum of $60,000 and it was donated to the Carver Museum and the George Washington Foundation. Credit: Wikipedia.com and Biography.com

©2016 by Morah Sheli Publishing, All Rights Reserved, www.morahsheli.com Photo Credit: George Washington Carver, c. 1910, Author Unkown, Public Domain

Comprehension Questions (oral or written): 1) Describe Mr. Carver's life. ___________________________________________________________ 2) Explain Carver's education from beginning to end. ________________________________________ 3) Name two contributions he made to the field of agriculture/science. _____________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 4) How was Carver an asset to Tuskegee Institute? _____________________________________________________________________________________ 5) If there are any underlined words that you cannot pronounce or do not understand the meaning of, use a dictionary to aid you in your phonetics and/or understanding. Reflective Questions (oral): 1) Carver's teacher, Mariah Watkins, taught him, "you must learn all you can, then go back out into the world and give your learning back to the people." Carver stated that this advice made a great impression on him. Do you agree with Mariah Watkins? Why or why not? Consider how well Carver studied/researched and learned, and also consider how much he shared and taught others. It is obvious that Mariah Watkins' advice affected Carver? Explain. Last, share how learning and then teaching benefits people for the greater good. 2) Carver was blatantly denied access/acceptant just because he was Black. Discuss how you think he felt and what must he have done or said (even if only to himself) to stay encouraged and continue on. Have you even been denied because of something about yourself that you cannot change? Compare and contrast your story with Mr. Carver's. Essay Questions: Level 1: Though Carver was brilliant, he could not get anyone to give him a real chance just because he was Black. However, Mr. Booker T. Washington noticed Carver and even offered him a leadership role on campus. Discuss the concept of a "village" and how it worked amidst Washington's and Carver's professional relationship. Also explain how important it is for African-Americans to help each other out, especially when overlooked by other peoples. Level 2: Once given the opportunity, Carver was able to thrive and reveal that he was gifted, talented, able, and scholarly. Describe this shift in his life and what it could have meant in this day and what it means to others, particularly Africans Americans, today. Carver went from his Blackness, though gifted, being a "downfall" to his gift being his "climb up", though Black. Further, include how one can take a "stumbling block" and cause it to be a "byproduct." ©2016 by Morah Sheli Publishing, All Rights Reserved, www.morahsheli.com Photo Credit: George Washington Carver, c. 1910, Author Unkown, Public Domain

Research: 1) Carver was born into slavery in Missouri. His owner was a German American immigrant who had purchased Carver's parents in 1855 for $ _______. Research to find out how much they were sold for. _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ 2) Carver's work was admired by President Theodore Roosevelt and he often sought his advice on agricultural concerns. He became an scientific expert and in 1916 he was made a member of which society? Research to find the answer. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 3) After Carver appeared before Congress, he officially became known as "The ___________ Man." Research to find the answer. 4) Upon Carver's death, his life savings was the total of $60,000! Research to learn how much money that would be in 2016. __________________________________________________________________

Rise to Prominence: Use Google, Wikipedia, or any Internet source you desire to record any of Carver's honor that are valuable or relevant to you.

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