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How Candy Conquered America/ The Future of Candy

Candy has a sweet history in America—and a fascinating future!

By Lauren Tarshis
From the May/June 2020 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will identify the author’s use of descriptive details in two texts about the history and future of candy in America. Information is presented in two formats: a nonfiction article and an infographic.

Lexiles: 600L-700L, 700L-800L
Guided Reading Level: O
DRA Level: 34

Story Navigation

Think and Read: Author's Craft

This article includes many descriptive details. Look for them as you read, and think about why the author used them. 

How Candy Conquered America 

Life wasn’t always as sweet as it is today.

It was 1847, and for months Oliver Chase of Boston had been tinkering with a brand-new invention. Soon it would change America and the world.

Chase wasn’t really an inventor. He was a pharmacist, a person who sold medicines. Like most pharmacists at the time, Chase made his own remedies.

Among his most popular were lozenges—small round discs made of mashed-up herbs and chemicals.

People bought them to cure their scratchy throats and aching heads. They didn’t really work, and they tasted disgusting. That’s why most lozenges were covered with a sugary shell.

In 1847, Oliver Chase of Boston was working on a new invention. Soon it would change America and the world.

Chase wasn’t really an inventor. He was a pharmacist. That’s a person who sells medicines. Like most pharmacists at the time, Chase made his own remedies.

His lozenges were his most popular remedies. These lozenges were small round discs made from herbs and chemicals.

People bought them to cure scratchy throats and aching heads. The lozenges didn’t really work. And they tasted disgusting. That’s why most lozenges were covered with a sugary shell.

A Sweet Idea

Making lozenges took a long time— each one had to be cut by hand. And that’s why Chase was so excited about his new invention: a machine that let him make lozenges in big batches.

But it was his next idea that would make Chase famous: using his new machine to make candy.

Back in the early 1800s, sugar was very expensive. There were only a few kinds of candy, such as hunks of tooth-busting rock candy and sticks of homemade peppermint. Fancy ladies carried tin boxes of sticky lemon drops. Most kids who craved sweets settled for dried fruit or puddings.

Making lozenges took a long time. Each one had to be cut by hand. That’s why Chase was so excited about his new invention. It was a machine that made lozenges in big batches.

But his next idea made Chase famous: He used his new machine to make candy.

Back in the 1800s, sugar was very expensive. There were only a few kinds of candy. There were hunks of tooth-busting rock candy and sticks of homemade peppermint. Fancy ladies carried tin boxes of sticky lemon drops. Most kids who craved sweets had to eat dried fruit or puddings.

BOSTON GLOBE/GETTY IMAGES (NECCO WAFERS); ARTWORK COURTESY OF THE NEW ENGLAND CONFECTIONERY COMPANY 2015

Treats For All

But Oliver Chase was about to put candy into the mouth of almost any American who wanted it. He named his new candies Chase Lozenges. The hard, quarter-sized sugar wafers were a hit.

Even more important to candy history was Chase’s new machine. Soon it was being sold across the U.S. For the first time, candy makers could create sweet treats in large quantities. Also, sugar became cheaper. Candy prices dropped.

Suddenly, you didn’t have to be rich to buy chewy gumdrops or mouth-watering butterscotch. Stores sold dozens of different kinds of “penny candy.” During the Civil War, soldiers carried candies in their pockets along with bullets and packets of gunpowder.

But Oliver Chase was about to put candy into the mouth of almost any American who wanted it. He named his new candies Chase Lozenges. They were hard, quarter-sized sugar wafers. And they were a hit.

Chase’s new machine was even more important to candy history. Soon it was being sold across the U.S. Now candy makers could create sweet treats in large quantities. Also, sugar became cheaper. Candy prices dropped.

Everyone could buy chewy gumdrops or mouth-watering butterscotch. Stores sold dozens of different kinds of “penny candy.”

Chewy, Gooey

As the years went by, companies created new kinds of scrumptious candies with different flavors and textures. Chewy jelly beans. Waxy candy corn. Gooey caramels. Fluffy marshmallows. Every year, it seemed there were new surprises and delights.

U.S. candy makers even sent spies to Europe, to steal secret candy recipes. They competed fiercely with each other to create the next big candy hit.

Probably the biggest candy breakthrough came in 1899. That was when Pennsylvania candy maker Milton Hershey figured out how to turn chalky, bitter cocoa into creamy milk chocolate. His Hershey’s Kisses and bars became best-sellers.

Over the years, companies created new kinds of scrumptious candies. They had different flavors and textures. Chewy jelly beans. Waxy candy corn. Gooey caramels. Fluffy marshmallows. There were new delights almost every year.

Candy makers tried to come up with the next big candy hit. Candy companies even tried to steal secret recipes from one another.

Probably the biggest candy breakthrough came in 1899. It was made by Pennsylvania candy maker Milton Hershey. He figured out how to turn chalky, bitter cocoa into creamy milk chocolate. His Hershey’s Kisses and bars became best-sellers.

GREG BALFOUR EVANS/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO (AD); RICHARD LEVINE/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO (HERSHEY’S KISS)

What's Next

By the 1930s, kids (and grown-ups) could choose from thousands of different kinds of candies.

Many are still available today, including Milky Way Bars, Tootsie Rolls, and Snickers.

Sadly, Chase Lozenges, later called Necco Wafers, are no longer sold. In July 2018, the company that made them went out of business.

But America’s candy makers continue dreaming up new candies to delight us. What mouth-watering treats will they think of next?

By the 1930s, there were thousands of different kinds of candies.

Many are still available today, including Milky Way Bars, Tootsie Rolls, and Snickers.

Sadly, Chase Lozenges, later called Necco Wafers, are no longer sold. In July 2018, the company that made them went out of business.

But America’s candy makers continue dreaming up new candies to delight us. What mouth-watering treats will they think of next? 

The Future of Candy 

Candy is heading in some pretty sweet directions.

ISTOCKPHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

BITE INTO THIS!

The future of chocolate is . . . empty! Some companies are cutting out the middle of chocolates to cut down on sugar. 

BITE INTO THIS!

The future of chocolate is . . . empty! Some companies are cutting out the middle of chocolates to cut down on sugar.

REDHELGA/GETTY IMAGES; PAMELA MAXWELL/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

REAL FRUIT

Do these two taste the same? They may soon! More candy makers are using real fruit flavors and less of the fake stuff. 

REAL FRUIT

Do these two taste the same? They may soon! More candy makers are using real fruit flavors and less of the fake stuff. 

MARS INC

CANDY DRINKS

Candy milk? That’s right! Milk now comes in flavors like Twix and Snickers. 

CANDY DRINKS

Candy milk? That’s right! Milk now comes in flavors like Twix and Snickers. 

ROBYN BECK/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES (3-D PRINTED CANDY); KAMAL IKLIL/GETTY IMAGES (HANDS)

PRINT YOUR OWN CANDY

No time to buy treats? No problem! With 3-D printers, candy is just a click away!

PRINT YOUR OWN CANDY

No time to buy treats? No problem! With 3-D printers, candy is just a click away!

ALFIO SCISETTI/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

TRICK YOUR TASTE BUDS

Adding mushrooms can fool you into thinking chocolate is less bitter. So chocolate gets the same great taste with less sugar. That’s a sweet deal! 

TRICK YOUR TASTE BUDS

Adding mushrooms can fool you into thinking chocolate is less bitter. So chocolate gets the same great taste with less sugar. That’s a sweet deal! 

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Can't-Miss Teaching Extras
From Our Archives

This 3-minute video walks your students through the history of chocolate and shows how chocolate is made from the cacao bean. 

Fun Facts

Check out this interactive map of the most popular Halloween Candy by State. 

Teach This

For more candy knowledge, take a look at this fascinating 4-minute video on how chewing gum is made.

More About the Article

Content-Area Connections

Science: Nutrition, technology

Social-emotional learning: Responsible decision-making (analyzing situations, solving problems, evaluating)

Key Skills

Author’s craft, text features, key details, problem and solution, main idea, summarizing, synthesizing, making inferences, narrative writing

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan

1. PREPARING TO READ

Explore Text Features/ Set a Purpose for Reading (10 minutes)

  • Direct students to the labels on page 4 that say “Paired Texts” and “One topic, two stories.” Ask them to read aloud the titles and subtitles on pages 4, 5, and 7 and to look at the photographs. What is the topic of both texts? (candy making in America)
  • Point to the photo montage on pages 4-5. Ask students to describe the different types of candy in the illustration. Encourage them to use details that describe the sizes, colors, shapes, and tastes of the candy.
  • Direct students to the infographic on page 7. Read aloud the titles of each entry with the class. Then read the text in “Print Your Own Candy.” Explain that instead of printing a story on paper, a 3-D printer builds a three-dimensional model of an object. Ask students to describe the 3-D-printed candy in the photograph.
  • Call on volunteers to read aloud the Think and Read box on page 4 and the Think and Write box on page 7. As they read the stories, students should look for examples of descriptive details that make the texts interesting.

Introduce Vocabulary (15 minutes)

  • We have highlighted in bold five words that may be challenging and defined them on the page. Preview these words by projecting or distributing our Vocabulary Skill Builder and completing it as a class. You may also play our Vocabulary Slideshow, where images and audio help students with comprehension and fluency.
  • Highlighted words: remedies, craved, quantities, scrumptious, bitter

2. CLOSE READING

Reading and Unpacking the Text

  • First read: Students should read both articles for general comprehension.
  • Second read: Ask students to reread both articles. Have them identify any details, events, or vocabulary words they don’t understand.

Close-Reading Questions (30 minutes)

  • Read the first section of “How Candy Conquered America.” What were the lozenges that Oliver Chase sold meant to do? What were they made of? (key details) The lozenges were a popular medicine intended to cure scratchy throats and headaches. They were made of mashed-up herbs and chemicals.
  • How did Chase solve the problem of the taste of these early lozenges? (problem and solution) To hide the terrible taste, he covered them with a sugary candy shell.
  • What was challenging about making lozenges? (key details) Lozenges took a long time to make because each one had to be cut by hand.
  • Read “A Sweet Idea.” What does the author help you imagine with this description of American candy in the early 1800s: “hunks of tooth-busting rock candy.” (author’s craft) The description makes you imagine blocks of very hard candy. It sounds like it was so hard that it broke people’s teeth when they bit into it.
  • Why was Chase’s machine important to the history of candy in America? (main idea) The machine allowed candy makers to produce large amounts of sweets and sell them cheaply.
  • Read “Chewy, Gooey.” Why was 1899 an important year in the history of candy making? (summarizing) In this year, Milton Hershey first produced the popular milk chocolate used in Hershey’s Kisses and bars.
  • Read “What’s Next?” What is the connection between the last paragraph of this section and the infographic on page 7? (synthesizing) The last paragraph talks about the new kinds of candies that candy makers will create in the future. The infographic describes and illustrates some of them.
  • Read “The Future of Candy” on page 7 and look at the photographs. How are some candy makers cutting down on the amount of sugar in sweets? (summarizing) Some are cutting out the middle of chocolate candies. Others are using mushrooms to produce the sweet taste of chocolate candies with less sugar.
  • Why do you think candy makers are interested in creating candies with less sugar in them? (making inferences) Chocolate with less sugar is better for your health.

Critical-Thinking Question (10 minutes)

  • How does the author’s use of descriptive details in “How Candy Conquered America” make this article interesting to read? Answer using examples from the article. (author’s craft) The descriptive details help you imagine how the different candies taste, look, and feel. For example, the author describes “chewy gum drops,” “mouthwatering butterscotch,” “chewy jelly beans,” “waxy candy corn,” “gooey caramels,” and “fluffy marshmallows.” These details let you imagine that you are eating these candies.

3. SKILL BUILDING

Problem and Solution

  • Distribute our Author’s Craft Skill Builder. Have students work in pairs to complete it.
  • Discuss the writing assignment in the Think and Write box on page 7. Encourage students to use descriptive details in their advertisements.

Differentiate and Customize
For Independent Readers

As students reread the articles, they should look for details that describe candies from the past, present, and future. Ask: What kind of candy would you make at home using a 3-D printer? Have them describe this candy in a paragraph.

For ELL Readers

Have  students listen to the audio version of the articles while they follow along in their magazines. Ask them to highlight words that describe what the different candies look, taste, or feel like to eat. Write their answers on the board. Ask students to use some of these words to describe their favorite sweets from their own countries.

For Struggling Readers

Have students read the lower-Lexile version of the articles. As they read, students should highlight the years when key events in the history of candy making took place. Work with students to create a timeline of these events. Which event do students think is the most important? Why?

For Advanced Readers

Ask students to create a candy for the future. How would it  look, taste, smell, or feel? Have each student write a descriptive paragraph about the new candy. Students can add illustrations to their writings, if they’d like. Encourage them to share their paragraphs in small groups.

Text-to-Speech