Earth Day is April 22 and all month long we celebrate earth awareness. I can't think of a better person to introduce children to in honor of Earth Month, than Dr. George Washington Carver. This African American scientist came from humble roots to literally
reinvent agriculture. Use this free printable George Washington Carver science activity booklet to learn more about this famous African American--and Nobel Prize winner--for Black History Month.
In
this free printable activity booklet, learn how George Washington Carver was
born into slavery and orphaned as an infant. Despite unspeakable poverty and
oppression, this courageous young African American got an education and went on
lead the nation in agricultural research. Service to mankind was Dr. Carver's
mission. Raised in slavery, George Washington Carver learned to be resourceful
and creative. Slaves were forced to make do with very little. They learned to
improvise. George Washington Carver developed hundreds of new uses for many
local products that had heretofore been considered junk. He invented countless
uses for the peanut and sweet potato, which up to this point were used only as
animal fodder. Dr. Carver referred to his simple laboratory as "God's
Little Workshop."
The
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has created a free printable
activity booklet based on the life and work of Dr. George Washington Carver.
This activity booklet has coloring pages, word search, puzzles, science charts
and diagrams, science experiments and biology lesson plans to help students
explore Dr. George Washington Carver. This activity booklet includes several
free printable charts that show the many products that Dr. Carver created based
on native plants like the peanut and sweet potato. He developed textiles,
building supplies, cosmetics as well as food products.
This
hardworking African American is the prefect focus for Black History Month
lesson plans bur also for any science unit. Dr. Carver revolutionized antiquated,
hurtful farming practices. He taught farmers to practice crop rotation and to
plant nitrogen-producing plants which George Washington Carver was instrumental
in improving not only agricultural methods, but also the economy of the rural
south. By teaching farmers new ways to use native crops, Dr. Carver built up
commerce and trade after the Civil War, in impoverished southern states.
Explore this famous African American using free printable resources on Earth
Day or during Earth Month in April.