George Washington


George Washington "Father of our Country" George was born on February 22, 1732 in Virginia. His family was wealthy. He and his family lived on a plantation named Mount Vernon. Boyhood: George loved horses. He rode a horse to school. He practiced handwriting a lot and was very smart with math. George learned to be a great farmer. His main crop was wheat. Adulthood: George became a surveyor. At age 21, he joined the military. He became a General and then our 1^st President. He did not live in the White House because it had not been built. George set the groundwork for our country’s government therefore earned the name "The Father of our Country". He helped write the Constitution. He fought for FREEDOM. George was married to Martha Washington. They had two children. Martha worked to help sick soldiers and mend clothes during the Revolutionary War. George died in 1799. Resources The Mini Page February 2000 If You Grew Up With GEORGE WASHINGTON by Ruth Belov Gross

Helen Keller

Helen was born June 27, 1880, in Alabama. Helen was a normal baby. In 1882, Helen became sick with a high fever. The fever left her blind and deaf. Life was not pleasant for Helen’s new world of darkness and silence. Her parents did not know where to find help for Helen. After seeing many doctors, the Keller’s learned of a place called the Perkins Institute. This place had teachers to work with the blind and deaf.

A very special lady named Anne Sullivan came into Helen’s life when she was seven years old. Although a major task, Miss Sullivan taught Helen. Helen was able to attend grade school and learned to read Braille; an alphabet for the blind using raised dots read using the fingertips. Helen then met a lady who taught her how to speak. Helen attended Radcliffe College and graduated with honors with majors in English and German.

In 1903, Helen wrote the biography "The Story of My Life". She met many famous people that had heard of her accomplishments. Helen traveled to many countries telling about her life. Her goal was to give hope to other blind and deaf people.

Helen died June 1, 1968.

Resources:

A Girl Named Helen Keller by Margo Lundell

Young Helen Keller Woman of Courage by Anne Benjamin

Helen Keller Courage in the Dark by Johanna Hurwitz

Video - Disney's "The Miracle Worker"

Helen Keller Crusader for the Blind and Deaf by Stewart and Polly Anne Graff

A Picture Book of Helen Keller by David A. Adler

Young Helen Keller by Carol Joan Drexler

George Washington Carver

1861-1943

A scientist and inventor, George Washington Carver, discovered hundreds of uses for peanuts using all parts of the peanut. He is also known for giving farmers ideas to increase farm productivity by using crop rotation. This process enriched the soil. Mr. Carver was born a slave and it took him a long time to get his education due to lack of negro colleges. He studied agriculture in college and received his degree when he was 36 years old.

Activities :

1. Research what each part of the peanut is used for:

SHELL – cat litter, fire logs, wallboard

SKINS – paper

PEANUT – (eating /not eating) as a snack, imitation cheese, margarine, salad dressing, oil, pig chow, paint, soap, shampoo, face cream, shaving cream, lipstick, shoe polish

STEMS/LEAVES – hay, fertilizer

ROOTS – enrich the soil

2. Name as many foods as you can that are made using peanuts.

3. Research the steps from plant to peanut. How do they grow?

4. Label the parts of a peanut.

5. Make peanut butter.

6. The peanut is the seed of a plant. Name other seeds that you eat.

7. Research which President was a peanut farmer.

8. Research. Is a peanut a nut or a vegetable? Vegetable

9. Math. Estimate how many peanuts are needed to make an 18 oz. jar of peanut butter. About 810

Jackie Robinson

The First African American to play in the MBA

Va SOL 2.9

Jackie was born in January 1919 in Georgia. He was the youngest of five children. His dad left his family, so Jackie and his siblings had jobs to help their mother. Jackie watered flowers, shined shoes, and sold newspapers. His favorite job was selling hotdogs at the ballpark.

His older brother was Mack. Mack was a great athlete. Jackie loved to hang out with Mack. Mack coached Jackie in to being a great athlete, too.

Jackie’s dream was to play professional baseball.

The only major league teams for him to play with were all white. No black players were allowed. The manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers did not like this segregation, so he asked Jackie to play. His number became 42. Although he was not well liked by many at first, he led the way for people of race or color to be able to use their sport talents.

Highlights of Robinson’s Career:

-First black man to play MLB

-Rookie of the Year in 1947

-Most Valuable Player, National League 1949

-Led NL in hitting in 1949

-Led NL in stolen bases in 1947 and 1949

-Lifetime batting average was .311

-He was inducted in to the Hall of Fame in 1962

Jackie was a strong advocate of the Civil Rights Movement. Jackie died on October 24, 1972. Because of his courage, he helped other African Americans succeed.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

A February Study For Black History Month

Dr. King was born January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. Martin decided to follow in his dad’s footsteps and become a preacher. Martin wanted people to get along in a peaceful way. There were laws then that only applied to some people. He believed that all people, regardless of their race or religion, should be treated equally. Dr. King set out to help change these laws. With the help of his friends and through marches and speeches, Dr. King changed these laws so that all people could live and learn together in peace. Some people did not agree with Dr. King. He was shot and killed in 1968. He is buried in Atlanta. His tombstone reads "Free at last, Free at last, Thank God Almighty, I’m Free at last.

Speech at Civil Rights March on Washington

August 28,1963

I have a dream that one day on the

red hills of Georgia the sons of

former slaves and the sons of former

slave owners will be able to sit down

together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that my four little

children will one day live in a nation

where they will not be judged by

the color of their skin, but by the

content of their character.

Speech At Memphis, Tennessee the evening before his assassination

April 3, 1968

I just want to do God’s will. And

He’s allowed me to go to the

mountain. And I’ve looked over,

and I’ve seen the promised land…

So I’m happy tonight. I’m not

worried about anything. I’m not

fearing any man.

Susan B. Anthony: Fighter of Women’s Rights

Susan B. Anthony was born in Massachusetts in 1820. Men and women did not have the same rights. When Susan got older, she started a group to help women have the same rights as men. One main right that women wanted was the right to vote or hold a public office. Susan held speeches, led marches, wrote books, and wrote letters, to speak out for women. Susan died in 1906. The right to vote was not granted to women until 1920. Although she wasn’t living, her hard work and leadership helped change the laws.

Harriet Tubman

"Conductor of The Underground Railroad"

Harriet was born in 1823 on a plantation in Maryland. She was born to slaves. Her real name was Arminta.

At age seven, Harriet was bought and given her first job. She cared for a baby. Harriet had to do other jobs in the house and was often whipped for not doing them right. Harriet missed her family very much.

Harriet was returned to her previous master. She worked very hard and was as strong as any man on the plantation. She longed to be free and dreamed of the north where black people were free.

When Harriet was thirteen, she worked in the cornfield. One day when another slave tried to escape, the master told Harriet to help tie up the slave. Harriet refused. The master picked up a heavy piece of iron and hit Harriet in the head. Her family thought she was going to die. She recovered but had seizures afterwards.

Harriet continued her dream of freedom. She met a man named John Tubman. He was not a slave. They married. She wanted to be free like John. Harriet began to plan her escape. She had heard her parents whisper about an "underground railroad", which was really a secret way for slaves to reach places where they would be free.

Harriet fled with the help of the North Star. She stopped at houses along the "underground railroad’ called stations. The people living in these houses were people who were opposed to slavery. These people would hide and feed runaway slaves. Because travel by day was to risky, she traveled at night until she reached free land.

Harriet did not stop here. She missed her family and friends. She ended up going back home many times to lead some 300 others to freedom.

She was called "Black Moses" because she led people to freedom. Harriet was well known. At one time, there was a reward of $40,000 for her capture.

Harriet was also a nurse in The Civil War and a spy for the Northern Army. She started a home for the poor and lived to be more than ninety years old. She died in 1913.