people biographies · Ages 6-8

George Washington Carver Asked the Peanut What Else It Could Be

George Washington Carver studied plants and found many uses for crops, helping farmers care for soil and make more from harvests.

The whole story

1. Early one morning, George Washington Carver knelt beside a peanut plant. He loosened the soil and studied its roots.

2. George turned the peanut in his fingers. “You are small,” he said, “but what else could you be?”

3. The cotton fields had been planted again and again. The soil looked tired, and the farmers needed a better plan.

4. George planted peanuts and sweet potatoes between cotton crops. Different plants fed the soil in different ways.

5. Then George tried the harvest in his workshop. He crushed peanuts, pressed them, and mixed them.

6. The peanut became oil, flour, soap, and a smooth spread. George filled his notebook with useful ideas.

7. George shared what he learned. He showed farmers how to rotate crops and use more of each harvest.

8. George studied plants and found many uses for crops. He helped farmers care for the soil and make more from every harvest.

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