Today, I am doing a Modern Marvels episode about George Washington Carver Tech.
George Washington Carver is known worldwide for his research into peanuts. He saw infinite uses for the peanut plant and inspired generations on researching the peanut plant. He worked at the Tuskegee institution and worked in agricultural research. His research would revitalize the southern region. Carver was born into slavery and was kidnapped by bushwalkers. He was taken in by a family and raised as their own. He worked in the house and was able to explore nature. Nature would inspire his research. Carver asked why and these questions would lead to a love of painting. He loved learning and sought to further his education. He walked to school and was determined to learn. He lived with another family and worked for food and board so he could go to school. He drew a picture of the school and the house he lived. Eventually, he applied to college but was turned away because of his skin color. He went to Simpson College in Iowa. He first started classes in painting. His painting leads to understanding nature and it was here he changed his study from art to agriculture. His keen eye and his eagerness to learn made an impression on the people around him. After he graduated with his bachelor he was offered a teaching job at Iowa State. Booker T. Washington then offered him a job at Tuskegee. Carver was the only black agricultural expert in the country. So he went to Alabama to teach at Tuskegee. Little did the Carver know that he would make some serious discoveries. When Carver arrived in Alabama, he was disappointed to see that there were no peanut fields. Instead, Alabama was filled with cotton fields. Depending on one single crop would eventually lead to an economic collapse. The soil would wear out if it constantly grew one crop. The soil would be depleted. However, the people would also be vulnerable, especially with a crop tied to one industry. Carver wanted to change that. However, he needed a laboratory. He did not have money to start one, so he went out to the junkyard and grabbed what he could to form his first lab. The first lab at Tuskegee was started. HE then went to the farmers and showed how the soil was being ruined by growing one type of crop. He then explained what could be grown to put life back into the soil. Then he established the Moveable School program and went into the community to talk to the farmers. One group stood in his way: the banker. The bankers did not want to give loans for other crops. However, the boll weevil was making its way to Alabama and these insects would destroy the cotton crop. The peanut would be the best defense against this menace the boll weevil. However, there was no market for peanuts. Carver would have to explore ways to make the peanut useful. He found 300 different ways to use the peanut. It could be used in floor wax, soups, soap, and shaving cream. In 1915, the boll weevil hit Alabama and destroyed the cotton crop. The peanut would have to be the crop grown in the south. Peanut became a lucrative crop for the south. Continue to watch this episode to learn more about the peanut and George Washington Carver’s research. This would be a good episode to show in history and an agricultural class. If you had a student working on a biography of George Washington Carver this would be an excellent episode to recommend to them.
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The purpose of this blog is to share information on what can be used in a classroom, private school, or home school setting as well as serve as a portfolio of my personal and professional work. The reviews are my opinions and should be treated as such. I just want to provide a tool for teachers to select documentaries for their classrooms. |