George Washington Carver: “Listen to the Plants”

As many of you were able to see, our classroom was transformed last week, into a plant-filled space, to celebrate the life and contributions of of George Washington Carver, as part of our Black History Month focus.  

The children were excited to see the many different plants that were in the room.  “It feels like a jungle!”

They learned information about George Washington Carver as we read books, watched videos and talked about him.  Although his childhood was not easy, he developed an early love for nature and plants and grew up to be a scientist (a botanist), inventor, teacher and artist.  He was responsible for helping farmers to understand crop rotation as a means of keeping soil fertile.  Among other successes, he created many products made from sweet potatoes (over 300 products!), peanuts (over 150), and soybeans.  George Washington Carver believed that the great ideas he came up with were gifts from God and he shared them readily to make the world a better place.

Children observed plants carefully and made beautiful plant collages, drawings and paintings during our study.  

Children also sampled sweet potatoes, peanuts and edamame during snack time as part of our celebration of George Washington Carver. 

Children were given opportunities to be surrounded by plants, to think about and observe them, and then respond artistically, just as George Washington Carver did during his lifetime.  What a joyful experience!