Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum
By: Meghan McCarthy
Illustrated By: Meghan McCarthy
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Copyright: 2010
Art Medium: Acrylics
Genre: Nonfiction
Lifeskills: effort, perseverance, problem solving, resourcefulness, curiosity,
patience,
SYNOPSIS: Tells the story of how Walter Diemer came up with the perfect
recipe for bubble gum – that can pop.
BOOKTALK: Did you know gum has been around for centuries? Ancient
Greeks chewed tree sap and American Indians gave early settlers tree resin that
could be chewed. But bubble gum has only been around since the late 1920s.
Kids everywhere love bubble gum! They love to chew it, and blow gigantic
bubbles. But do you know where it came from? Read this book to find out how
a man discovered how to make bubblegum pop.
AUTHOR:
Meghan McCarthy
Meghan McCarthy was born in the late 1970’s. She knew by the time she
turned 7 that she wanted to be an illustrator. After attending the Rhode Island
School of Design she moved to New York City. She delivered pizzas until she
was able to land a job with a publishing company. She published her first book,
George Upside Down, in 2000. Her hobbies include collecting old magazines,
photography, and composing music on her keyboard.
www. meghan-mccarthy.c0m
www.randomh0use.com
www.book1iston1`me.com/authors/meghan mccarthy
Other books written by the author:
The Adventures of Patty and the Big Red Bus
Aliens Are Coming!
Astronaut Handbook
City Hawk: The Story of Pale Male
Incredible Life of Balto
Seabiscuit: the Wonder Horse
YHBA Picture Book Committee Activity Book Template, Last Revised 2007
Strong Man: the Story of Charles Atlas
ILLUSTRATOR:
Meghan McCarthy
See above
CHALLENGING WORDS (pronunciation, spelling, defining):
factory; accountant; budgets; experimental, laboratory, beaker,; mastic tre,; resin,
substance, gestured, kettle,; experiment, magnificent, excited,; prancing;
creation, inventor; success; delicious, cinnamon, glorious, ingredients
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Why is bubble gum different?
Is bubble gum only for kids?
Why do you suppose gum has always been so popular?
Walter didn’t give up trying to make the perfect recipe. What is something
you haven’t given up on?
5. What would you like to invent that children everywhere would love?
6. Imagine you are one of the first children to try Walter’s gum. What would
you tell others about it?
7. What is the major ingredient for success as an inventor?
8. What were some of the historical reasons for chewing gum?
9. What happened to Wa1ter's first batch of bubblegum?
10. What does this story tell you about job satisfaction?
ACTIVITIES:
Art:
FINE ARTS
1.7.1 Identify and apply elements (color)
1.7.2 Díscríminate between types of lines, shapes, and color (primary and
secondary
"Bubble Art"
Fill 3 bowls with mixture of dishsoap and tempera paint in the primary
colors: red, yellow, blue
Give child a piece of white construction paper (8 1/2 X 11) and a straw.
Child will place straw into one color of the paint/ soap mixture and blow
slowly and steadily until bubbles build up and extend over the top of the
bowl.
Place paper on top to capture and pop the bubbles.
Try another color and overlap the bubbles. Colors should blend and form
new colors.
YHBA Picture Book Committee Activity Book Template, Last Revised 2007
Language Arts:
Create an acrostic poem about bubble gum.
K. 4 Ask how and why questions about a topic of interest. Gather
information from different sources. Demonstrate that writing has meaning
by using pictures, letters and words (phonetically spelled or conventionally
spelled) to convey ideas. Write for a specific audience and purpose.
1.4 Discuss ideas and select a focus for writing, asking questions to guide
topic selection. Put related information from diff erent sources together
for writing. Write for different audiences and purposes, using
descriptive words to convey a central idea. Revise writing for others to
read.
1.5 2.5 Create a list of ideas for writing. Write brief narratives, poems and
descriptions that follow a recognizable sequence and contain
descriptive details. Revise writing to improve sequence, to add
descriptive detail, and to make language clearer.
2. 3 Compare different stories and poems, including the meaning or
lesson of each text.
3.4.1,3.4.2, 3.4.3, 3.4.6, 3.4.8, 3.4.9, 3.5.5, 3.5.6, 3-5-8
Write a letter to Double Bubble company and suggest a new flavor. What would
you cali it?
How would your market it? Who would be your target audience?
"Bubblegum Story Cards"
After a lesson on nouns, teacher will make 3 sets of cards:
1. 25 "Place" cards(one for each student)
Places could include in a shower, on a mountain, in the lunchroom, in a
cave, on top of a mountain, etc
2. 25 "people" cards. Examples are famous actors, writers, athletes, class
friends
3. 25 " thing" cards. All these cards will be bubblegum.
Each students gets one of each card. They will Write a story about the 3
cards. There could be some pretty bizarre stories if they drew President
Lincoln, in a bathtub, with bubblegum!
YHBA Picture Book Committee Activity Book Template, Last Revised 2007
Mathematics:
1. Have a Bubble blowing contest!
(2.5.1 - Measure and estimate length to the nearest inch, foot, yard,
centimeter, and meter.)
Have students to take home permission slips to be signed by parents for
them to participate. Then have students to pair up. Each student gets
one piece of bubble gum and three chances to blow the biggest bubble
they can. If it pops, then the size is recorded as zero. The partner uses a
ruler to measure the bubbles. Any children whose parents do not allow
them to participate can make sure the other students are measuring
correctly. If there is a tie for the biggest bubble those students have a
“Blow Off” to see who can blow the biggest bubble.
2. Have the student to solve math problems using individually wrapped
pieces of bubble gum.
(2.3.1 - Relate problem situations to number sentences involving addition
and subtraction.
Example: You have 13 pieces of bubble gum and your friend has 12
pieces of bubble gum. You want to know how many pieces of bubble gum
you have altogether. Write a number sentence for this problem and use it
to find the total number of pieces of bubble gum.)
3. Create multiplication and division problems using gum. For example, if
each child has a 5-pack of gum, and there are 6 children, how many
pieces of gum is there altogether?
1.1 Model addition and subtraction using objects. Demonstrate fluency
with addition facts (for totals up to 20) and the corresponding
subtraction facts. Solve problems involving addition and subtraction.
1.2 Add and subtract whole numbers less than 1000 using efficient
methods. Understand and show the inverse relationship between
addition and subtraction.
Science:
Research what actually happens if you swallow gum. Is it true that it takes
years to digest?
YHBA Picture Book Committee Activity Book Template, Last Revised 2007
K.1 Ask open-ended questions about events and processes in the
natural world and make careful observations in an effort to answer
these questions.
2.3 Describe ways in which materials can change form without
being lost. Describe different types of earth materials that are
useful, in either natural or modified form, in meeting human needs.
Identify some resources that can be used over and over again, and
others that have a limited life span.
Investigate how to make bubblegum and Physical Science: Changes in Matter
"Bubblegum Weight Experiment"
Unwrap a piece of bubble gum and record its weight. Chew the gum for 5
minutes then Weigh it again. Has the Weight changed? Why?
1.3.1
Social Studies:
Research WWII and rationing of bubblegum.
STANDARDS: History: Comparing past and present
1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.4, 2.1.1, 2.1.2, 2.1.3
INTERNET SITES:
Description:
http://www.chewinggumfacts.com/chewing-gum-history/
http://www.cbsd.org/curriculum/library/papeople/Pages/2_Diemer.aspx
kids.lovet0know.com (Invention ideas for kids)
www.eh0w.c0m (Weird invention ideas for kids
bubblegurnday.com
www.stusmith.com/gumday/activitieswrod.htm
YHBA Picture Book Committee Activity Book Template, Last Revised 2007
DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING BUBBLEGUM
You Need:
1.3 cup gum base
2 tbsp com syrup
1/4 tsp citric acid
1 tsp glycerin
Microwave
Bowl
spoon
5-6 drops of flavoring
1/2 cup powdered sugar
scissors
l. Put gum base in a bowl and add com syrup, cirtric acid and glycerin. Heat in
microwave on high for l min. or until melted
2. Stir Well. Add flavoring.
3. Remove from heat. Keep heating for 30 second intervals until gum base is
melted and is gooey consistency.
4. Put powdered sugar in a pile on counter and knead the gum base and sugar
for about 15 mín. or until dough is smooth. If dough is sticky, add more powdered
sugar.
5. Roll dough out into long snake 1/2 inch wide. Cut in pieces with scissors
6. Dust the gum with powdered sugar to prevent sticking and store in air tight
container.
YHBA Picture Book Committee Activity Book Template, Last Revised 2007