George Washington Carver: Teaching at Tuskegee Institute PDF
Document Details
Uploaded by Deleted User
Tuskegee University
Tags
Related
Summary
This document describes the life and work of George Washington Carver at Tuskegee Institute. He taught African American students and farmers about agriculture, making it a science and helping to improve their lives. The document also highlights his innovative methods and overcoming adversity, particularly in the face of poverty or lack of resources in agriculture.
Full Transcript
George Washington Carver: Teaching at Tuskegee Institute George Washington Carver: Teaching at Tuskegee Institute The text and images are from "America's Story from America's Library" by the Library of Congress. Johnston, Frances Benjamin....
George Washington Carver: Teaching at Tuskegee Institute George Washington Carver: Teaching at Tuskegee Institute The text and images are from "America's Story from America's Library" by the Library of Congress. Johnston, Frances Benjamin., photographer. "George Washington Carver." 1906. Prints and Photographs Division from the Library of Congress. George Washington Carver in 1906 The Civil War freed the slaves, but it didn't teach them how to live as free people. After the war, schools were created to help train African Americans. Tuskegee Institute in Alabama opened in 1881, and it was one of [the] most famous training schools. Booker T. Washington was its president. Job skills such as carpentry, printing, brick making, and home economics were taught there. Tuskegee also provided training for elementary school teachers. In 1896, Booker T. Washington needed someone to teach agriculture at Tuskegee. George Washington Carver was just finishing his master's degree in agriculture science at Iowa State. Washington offered Carver the job.... ReadWorks.org This article from the Library of Congress has no known copyright restriction. George Washington Carver: Teaching at Tuskegee Institute "Faculty of the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, at Tuskegee, Alabama, seated and standing on steps in front of building." March 1897. Booker T. Washington Collection, Prints and Photograph Division of the Library of Congress. The faculty at Tuskegee Institute, March 1897 It was a tough decision. Carver had other good job possibilities. In the end, he accepted Washington's offer. He decided that he could do the most good at Tuskegee. Carver said about Tuskegee, "It has always been the one ideal of my life to be the greatest good to the greatest number of 'my people' possible.... This line of education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom to our people." Carver was put in charge of the new agriculture department at Tuskegee. He taught African American students at the school as well as poor black farmers outside the school. Eventually, he also was responsible for an agricultural research program, two school farms, and a variety of other tasks. It was enough work to keep several people busy! Johnston, Frances Benjamin, photographer. " [Laboratory at Tuskegee Institute, Ala.]". Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress. Students in the laboratory at Tuskegee When Carver arrived at Tuskegee, the agriculture department had few students, few resources, and no laboratory. The resourceful Carver knew what to do. He and his students created a laboratory. ReadWorks.org This article from the Library of Congress has no known copyright restriction. George Washington Carver: Teaching at Tuskegee Institute They gathered old jars, china, pots, and pans. They collected metal, string, and rubber from the trash. Carver showed his students how to turn these discarded items into laboratory equipment. Using this equipment, they conducted experiments on Carver's old desk. They tested soil, fertilizers, and animal food. Carver taught his students to see how everything in nature was interrelated. Many years later, Carver finally got a real laboratory with real equipment. Before Carver arrived, agriculture was not a popular subject at Tuskegee. Students associated it with the poverty of people who farmed only to grow enough food to survive. Rothstein, Arthur, photographer. "Tuskegee Institute, Alabama. Students in the greenhouse." 1942 Mar. America from the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the FSA-OWI, 1935-1945 from the Library of Congress. Students in a greenhouse at Tuskegee But Carver was a trained scientist, and he treated the study of agriculture as a science. For him, agriculture was about real-life botany (the study of plants) and chemistry. Carver taught students respect for agriculture, and the department grew. While the department didn't produce many farmers, it did produce many teachers. These young teachers were able to help fulfill the Tuskegee mission to help all African Americans by going out into the world and spreading their knowledge of agricultural science with black farmers. ReadWorks.org This article from the Library of Congress has no known copyright restriction. ReadWorks Vocabulary Vocabulary agriculture noun definition: the science and work of raising crops and farm animals; farming. The lack of rain has affected agriculture in California. Spanish: agricultura associate verb definition: to connect with something else in one's mind. I associate fall with going back to school. Spanish: asociar forms: associated, associates, associating conduct verb definition: to lead or guide. She conducted a tour of the museum. Spanish: conducir, guiar, dirigir forms: conducted, conducting, conducts ReadWorks.org · © 2021 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved. Definitions and sample sentences within definitions are provided by Wordsmyth. © 2015 Wordsmyth. All rights reserved.