Invention of Kool-Aid Slides
Start Here Desk Check
The Invention of Kool-Aid
On Your Desk Now:
1
Bellwork Sheet
2
Sharpened Pencil
Oh Yeah!
The Invention of Kool-Aid Slide 1 of 24
Today's Goal Our Objective
• Objective •
“We can use text evidence to make inferences and answer questions.”
Text Evidence • Make Inferences • Answer Questions!
The Invention of Kool-Aid Slide 2 of 24
Strategy
How To Make An Inference
1
Text Clue
What the author wrote on the page.
2
Brain
What you know about the world.
3
Inference
Your educated answer!
The Invention of Kool-Aid Slide 3 of 24
I Do • Paragraph 1 Read Carefully
Have you ever mixed a packet of sweet, colorful Kool-Aid on a hot summer day? In the 1920s, inventor Edwin Perkins sold a sweet syrup called “Fruit Smack.” People loved the fruity syrup, but Edwin had a big problem: the liquid was heavy, and it had to be shipped in glass bottles.
I Do • Paragraph 1 Slide 4 of 24
Check 1A Show Sign: A, B, C, or D
Why was shipping Fruit Smack in glass bottles a major problem?
A Glass was illegal in the mail.
B People hated the taste of fruit.
C Glass bottles broke easily and cost a lot to ship.
D Edwin had no cardboard boxes.
Show your sign language hand: A, B, C, or D! Slide 5 of 24
Answer 1A Correct!
SIGN: C
Heavy glass bottles easily smashed on rough roads and cost a fortune to mail!
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Check 1B Show Sign: A, B, C, or D
What can you infer from the clue: “People loved the fruity syrup”?
A They only wanted empty jars.
B Edwin gave it away for free.
C Fruit Smack tasted like medicine.
D The flavor was already a hit, so he knew his recipe was a success!
Show your sign language hand: A, B, C, or D! Slide 7 of 24
Answer 1B Correct!
SIGN: D
The flavor was already popular, so Edwin knew his problem was packaging, not the recipe!
The Invention of Kool-Aid Slide 8 of 24
We Do • Paragraph 2 Read Together
Whenever Edwin mailed Fruit Smack, the glass bottles would often crash and break. This created sticky, ruined packages and cost Edwin a lot of money. He looked at another popular treat—Jell-O—for inspiration. If gelatin could be sold as a light powder, why couldn’t his fruit drink?
We Do • Paragraph 2 Slide 9 of 24
Check 2A Show Sign: A, B, C, or D
Why did broken bottles cost Edwin a lot of money?
A Postage fines for red stains.
B He bought brand new delivery trucks.
C He had to refund angry customers and replace ruined orders!
D He built paved roads across Nebraska.
Show your sign language hand: A, B, C, or D! Slide 10 of 24
Answer 2A Correct!
SIGN: C
He had to refund angry buyers and pay to replace ruined packages!
The Invention of Kool-Aid Slide 11 of 24
Check 2B Show Sign: A, B, C, or D
Why did studying Jell-O inspire Edwin's new idea?
A He saw dry powder mixed with water solved the heavy glass problem!
B He wanted to open a bakery.
C Jell-O was sold in heavy glass jars too.
D He was hungry for gelatin.
Show your sign language hand: A, B, C, or D! Slide 12 of 24
Answer 2B Correct!
SIGN: A
Dry powder mixed with water at home replaced heavy liquid shipments!
The Invention of Kool-Aid Slide 13 of 24
We Do • Paragraph 3 Read Together
In 1927, Edwin began experimenting in his mother’s kitchen. After many tries, he figured out how to remove all the liquid from his Fruit Smack recipe. What was left behind was a colorful powder. He scooped the powder into paper envelopes and named it “Kool-Ade”!
We Do • Paragraph 3 Slide 14 of 24
Check 3A Show Sign: A, B, C, or D
Why did Edwin spend so much time removing all the liquid?
A He wanted to bake a fruit pie.
B Water was bad for his health.
C There was no water in Nebraska.
D Removing water left dry powder, getting rid of heavy shipping weight!
Show your sign language hand: A, B, C, or D! Slide 15 of 24
Answer 3A Correct!
SIGN: D
Removing all water weight let him ship flat paper packets for pennies!
The Invention of Kool-Aid Slide 16 of 24
Check 3B Show Sign: A, B, C, or D
What can you infer from the detail that he succeeded “after many tries”?
A He was careless and messy.
B He was determined and kept trying until he solved his problem!
C He copied a recipe from a book.
D He quit working as an inventor.
Show your sign language hand: A, B, C, or D! Slide 17 of 24
Answer 3B Correct!
SIGN: B
Edwin was persistent—he never gave up until his invention worked!
The Invention of Kool-Aid Slide 18 of 24
You Do • Paragraph 4 Read On Your Own
Paper packets were lightweight and never broke. Shipping was so cheap that Edwin sold each packet for 10 cents. During the Great Depression, he dropped the price to 5 cents. For just a nickel, families could make an entire pitcher of drinks!
You Do • Paragraph 4 Slide 19 of 24
Check 4A Show Sign: A, B, C, or D
Why did paper packets allow Edwin to lower his price to 10 cents?
A Paper was stolen from school.
B The government paid his postage.
C Paper packets never broke and cost pennies to mail, saving money!
D Packets were tiny like stamps.
Show your sign language hand: A, B, C, or D! Slide 20 of 24
Answer 4A Correct!
SIGN: C
Paper packets never shattered and cost pennies to mail, saving money!
The Invention of Kool-Aid Slide 21 of 24
Check 4B Show Sign: A, B, C, or D
Why did cutting the price to 5 cents during the Depression cause sales to explode?
A Edwin stopped selling in America.
B Banks gave free Kool-Aid.
C The government forced drinks to cost 5¢.
D Families had very little money, but almost anyone could afford 5 cents!
Show your sign language hand: A, B, C, or D! Slide 22 of 24
Answer 4B Correct!
SIGN: D
Families had very little money, but almost anyone could afford 5 cents for a treat!
The Invention of Kool-Aid Slide 23 of 24
Independent Mission 15 Minutes
Cut & Paste Inference Challenge
6 Big Questions on Page 1 • 6 Big Answer Cards on Page 2
1
Snip Cards
Cut the 6 large answer cards along the dashed borders on Page 2.
2
Match Mats
Find the matching question mat on Page 1 for each answer card.
3
Glue in Place
The cards fit the mats exactly! Glue each card into place.
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Invention of Kool-Aid Cut and Paste Activity
Reading Comprehension • Cut & Paste Activity
The Invention of Kool-Aid
Making Inferences • 6 Big Questions
Name:
Date:
Class:
Directions:
Cut out the 6 answer cards from Page 2. Find the best inference for each question and glue it into the matching mat!
Question 1 Paragraph 1
What can you infer about why shipping Fruit Smack in heavy glass bottles was a major danger to Edwin's business?
Paste Matched Answer Card Here
Question 2 Paragraph 1
What can you infer from the fact that people loved Fruit Smack even though shipments often arrived broken?
Paste Matched Answer Card Here
Question 3 Paragraph 2
What can you infer about why broken glass bottles cost Edwin a lot of money and hurt his profits?
Paste Matched Answer Card Here
Question 4 Paragraph 2
What can you infer about why studying Jell-O inspired Edwin to look for a powder solution?
Paste Matched Answer Card Here
Question 5 Paragraph 3
What can you infer about why removing all the liquid allowed Edwin to switch to flat paper envelopes?
Paste Matched Answer Card Here
Question 6 Paragraph 4
What can you infer about why dropping the price to 5 cents during the Great Depression caused sales to explode?
Paste Matched Answer Card Here
The Invention of Kool-Aid • 6 Question Mats Page 1 of 2
Cut-Out Answer Cards (Large Print)
Cut along dashed borders. Cards fit the Page 1 mats exactly!
Answer Card A
Jell-O proved that selling dry powder lets customers add their own water at home, eliminating heavy shipping weight.
• Cut-Out Card A
Answer Card B
Heavy glass bottles easily smashed on rough bumpy dirt roads, destroying shipments and wasting expensive syrup.
• Cut-Out Card B
Answer Card C
Boiling away the liquid left only lightweight flavor crystals, getting rid of water weight so drinks fit in paper packets.
• Cut-Out Card C
Answer Card D
Ruined shipments upset paying customers, forcing Edwin to refund their money and pay to replace broken orders.
• Cut-Out Card D
Answer Card E
Broke families had almost no money for treats, but nearly every parent could spare a 5-cent nickel for a full pitcher of drinks.
• Cut-Out Card E
Answer Card F
The fruit flavor was delicious, so Edwin knew his recipe was already a success and that he only needed to fix the packaging.
Invention of Kool-Aid Answer Key
Answer Key • Scoring Solutions
The Invention of Kool-Aid Answer Key
Solutions for Slides CFUs & 6-Question Cut-and-Paste Activity
Teacher Reference
Presentation Comprehension Checks Master Key (Sign Language Answers):
Par. 1 • 1A: Sign C (Glass broke on roads)
Par. 1 • 1B: Sign D (Flavor already popular)
Par. 2 • 2A: Sign C (Refunds & lost profit)
Par. 2 • 2B: Sign A (Jell-O powder model)
Par. 3 • 3A: Sign D (Removed liquid weight)
Par. 3 • 3B: Sign B (Inventor determination)
Par. 4 • 4A: Sign C (Cheap envelopes = 10¢)
Par. 4 • 4B: Sign D (Affordable 5¢ nickel)
6-Question Large-Print Matching Key (Questions 1–3)
Question 1: Why was shipping Fruit Smack syrup in glass bottles a danger? Matched: Card B
“Heavy glass bottles easily smashed on rough bumpy dirt roads, destroying shipments and wasting expensive syrup.”
Text Evidence: Par. 1 (“liquid was heavy, and it had to be shipped... in glass bottles”) & Par. 2 (“glass bottles would often crash and break...”).
Question 2: What can you infer from the fact that people loved Fruit Smack? Matched: Card F
“The fruit flavor was delicious, so Edwin knew his recipe was already a success and that he only needed to fix the packaging.”
Text Evidence: Par. 1 (“His most popular product was a thick, sweet liquid... People loved the fruity syrup.”).
Question 3: Why did broken glass bottles cost Edwin money and hurt profits? Matched: Card D
“Ruined shipments upset paying customers, forcing Edwin to refund their money and pay to replace broken orders.”
Text Evidence: Par. 2 (“This created sticky, ruined packages and cost Edwin a lot of money.”).
The Invention of Kool-Aid • Answer Key Page 1 of 2
6-Question Matching Key (Questions 4–6) Scoring Guide
Question 4: Why did studying Jell-O inspire Edwin to look for powder? Matched: Card A
“Jell-O proved that selling dry powder lets customers add their own water at home, eliminating heavy shipping weight.”
Text Evidence: Par. 2 (“If gelatin could be sold as a light powder, why couldn't his fruit drink?”).
Question 5: Why did removing liquid allow flat paper envelopes? Matched: Card C
“Boiling away the liquid left only lightweight flavor crystals, getting rid of water weight so drinks fit in paper packets.”
