These family and homeschool activities are designed to complement the George Washington Carver topic on BrainPOP Jr.
Sweet potato pie is a popular Southern dessert that uses an ingredient that George Washington Carver spent a lifetime researching. Look for recipes on the Internet and bake a sweet potato pie with your child. This will give a wonderful opportunity to learn healthy eating habits and practice math and reading skills. Your child can help you measure ingredients and stir them together. Encourage your child to think of other ways to use sweet potatoes at home, such as sweet potato salad or sweet potato casseroles. You can extend the cooking activity by cooking a peanut dish or making your own peanut butter by blending peanuts.
As a fun art activity at home, have your child make a collage using the plants George Washington Carver studied, such as peanuts, sweet potatoes, and soybeans. Encourage your child to use all parts of the plant, such as the sweet potato skin, peanut shells, and the paper covering that surrounds the peanut.
George Washington Carver observed and drew plants to gain a better understanding of them. Your child may gain a better understanding of plants and their parts through sketching. Together with your child, take sketch books to a local garden or park and draw together. Encourage your child to observe and draw details about different plants. This activity can also be done during winter months with indoor houseplants.