Sunday, March 15, 2009

A Visit to George Washington Carver National Monument



These are pictures from George Washington Carver National Monument in Diamond, Missouri. My family visited Friday since we were out of school. This is the first time in about five years that I have visited and since the last visit there has been a huge remodel and upgrade of the facility. They have added many interactive places for kids and adults to explore using scientific equipment. The focus of the interactive exhibits is on nature and farming, both of which Carver loved to learn about.

Overall, I felt there were two main points of emphasis that is evidenced at the park. The first is that Carver was a deeply religious man who relied heavily on God to inspire his work. There are numerous quotes by Carver giving God credit for his guidance and it also includes Carver explaining his conversion experience.

The second point of emphasis at the park was with Carver explaining that the most important focus for mankind is to do service for others. He explained that he never patented any of his creations because he did not want the benefits to be felt by only a few people.
Two of the most impressive features of the building are the classroom and the laboratory. The clasroom is set up like a classroom form a one room school house. It includes tables with benches and slates for the students to use. The laboratory contained lab tables and equipment that are obviously used by school children in programs provided at the monument. As a teacher these two rooms are both intriguing and inviting.
Outside the main building is a walking path that takes you through the park. There are four separate areas on the walk that are very interesting. The first is boardwalk over a wetlands area. The boardwalk allows you to cross the stream running through the park and lets you look at the plants and animals present.
The second area is a small pond that has a trail around it. It is a quiet spot that is intended for reflection and perhaps quiet prayer.
The third area is a recreation of the Moses Carver house. There are often reenactors here showing how life was like in the 1850's. I have seen soap making, doll making, and farming demonstrations here during various visits.
The last area is my favorite. It is the Carver family cemetery. When you look at the tombstones and read the dates you will quickly realize that the cemetery is filled with the graves of young children. This is a powerful lesson in how hard life was for children 150 years ago. It is a place to give thanks for the amazing advances in medicine that have taken place since then.

Overall, this park is one of the best, most updated parks my family and I have been to in the last five years. I highly recommend you look up the park if you are in the area.

6 comments:

Little Voices, Little Scholars. said...

Wow! What an adventure!
If I have the opportunity, I would like to visit George Carver National Monument as well.
Well done,

From,
Mrs She @ Pt England School Auckland New Zealand

Anonymous said...

Wow sounds like lots of fun and a big adventure that you guys had at George Carver National Monument.

Anonymous said...

Hi there, I love your blog! What an interesting place to visit. The classroom looks gorgeous, I love all the wood.Carver had a great point...we should all focus more on service.

Anonymous said...

Wow sounds interesting and very fun! I would love to visit the George Carver National Monument. The pictures are wicked.P.S I like your blog, very cool.

@mtechman said...

George Washington Carver is one of the reasons I am proud to be American - nice overview of the park. National Park Service really does a lot of good in the world!

Anonymous said...

I remember in fourth grade when i went there for a field trip.The house was so cool but so small.We went on the trail and took pictures and looked at the kind of plants they grew at the house.Though we never saw the cemetery but the pictures you guys took describe the cemetery...