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Monday, October 29, 2012

WEEKLY MUSE: Lollipops



With Halloween right around the corner, I bet you are thinking the same thing I am thinking! TRICK or TREAT!

Dressing up as your favorite ghoul, goblin, super hero or princess is so much FUN. And knocking on your neighbors’ doors and threating a trick or treat is incredibly thrilling. From door to door your treat bag gets heavier and heavier with loot, and at the end of the night there is nothing more exciting than dumping your CANDY on the floor to see your bounty!

While you sort and sample your candy, I am certain that your will find a few different types of LOLLIPOPS. Looks like we’ve found our WEEKLY MUSE!

Did you know that the word “lollipop” actually means “tongue slap”?  And the first example of a lollipop was probably made by the caveman. Cavemen would use a stick to collect honey from a beehive. And since nobody wants to waste something as sweet as honey, the cavemen would lick the remaining honey from the stick.

Many cultures throughout the world and throughout time have had different types of candies that were made easier and less sticky to eat by poking them onto a stick. But the American “lollipop” appeared in the 1930’s.


Samuel Born
George Smith, the owner of Bradley Smith Company (a candy company), named his “stick candy” the Lollipop. George Smith said that he named the candy after his favorite racehorse, Lolly Pop. But some people wonder if this story is a fib, since the name seems pretty convenient, knowing what the word lollipop means (tongue slap).

When it comes to lollipops, we can’t forget Samuel Born, a Russian immigrant who invented the stick-inserting machine that made lollipop making MUCH easier. Samuel Born opened several candy stores and invented many more different kinds of candies. Two such candies are still in production today: Mike and Ikes and Peeps. Both of these candies are made by the Just Born candy company. And both of the candies will probably end up in your treat bags, too!


Another favorite lollipop is the Toosie Pop. This lollipop is made by the Tootsie Company. Have you ever heard this quote: “How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?”

“One, Two, Three….Crunch! Three!” I don’t think anyone really wants to take the time to count, hee-hee-hee!

So, what are LOLLIPOPS made of? SUGAR! SUGAR! SUGAR! Well, most commercial lollipops are made of a combination of sugar and corn syrup with added flavorings. Take a look at this video if you want to make some lollipops at home. YOU MUST ASK AN ADULT FOR ASSISTANCE! Making lollipops involves boiling a water and sugar mixture. This mixture can cause serious burns if it spills on your skin. OUCH!

With this new knowledge, what kind of story could you write? Maybe these WHAT IF questions will help you get started.

WHAT IF your main character lived in a LOLLIPOP factory?

WHAT IF your main character went trick-or-treating and met a witch who was handing out LOLLIPOPS that smelled like rotten eggs?

WHAT IF there was a place called Lollipop Planet?

The possibilities are endless, and please leave your own what if questions in the comment section below. I’d love to see what you come up with.

So, grab a cup of hot cocoa, a pencil and a piece of paper, and let’s begin. With your imagination, we can go anywhere. I look forward to seeing where you take us.

With Imagination,

Professor Watermelon

The word of the day is “commercial”. Here is the definition: of, or pertaining to commerce or sales.
 

5 comments:

  1. • What if a lollipop escaped from your mouth while you were eating it?
    • What if a lollipop went trick or treating and asked for humans?
    • What if a lollipop was a bad guy with a sweet face?
    • What if a lollipop grew like plants, instead of being made in factories?
    • What if a lollipop worked at Microsoft?
    • What if there was no such thing as a lollipop?
    • What if a lollipop came in different shapes – cubes, cones, cylinders, other funny looking stuff?
    • What if a lollipop could take a shower?
    • What if a lollipop tasted like chicken?
    • What if a lollipop tasted like spinach – no one would like it
    • What is a lollipop was only white?
    • What is a lollipop came in all the different colors?
    • What if a lollipop went to school?
    • What if a lollipop could cook?
    • What if a lollipop could glow like stars?
    • What if it rained lollipops?
    • What if a lollipop had a family?
    • What if a lollipop could jump out of the candy bag and scare kids?
    • What if a lollipop smelled like a rose?
    • What if there was a Candy World with a lollipop as a President?
    • What if a lollipop ruled the world?
    • What if a lollipop could play sports?
    • What if a lollipop could play with kids?
    • What if a lollipop could draw, paint?
    • What if a lollipop could read?
    • What if a lollipop could do math?
    • What if a lollipop could write creative stories?
    • What if a lollipop could see?
    • What if a lollipop could scream?
    • What if a lollipop could sit and standup?
    • What if a lollipop came alive?
    • What if a lollipop could walk and run?
    • What if a lollipop could operate computers? Or IPads?
    • What if a lollipop could breathe, fire, ice, sticks, bricks and straw?
    • What if a lollipop could dance?
    • What if a lollipop could smell?
    • What is a lollipop liked to eat pizza?
    • What if a lollipop wanted to run for president?
    • What if a lollipop came with a magic spoon?
    • What if a lollipop took over the world?
    • What if a lollipop had super-powers?
    • What if a lot of lollipop got together and built a nice town?
    • What if a lollipop was invisible?
    • What if a lollipop could fly?
    • What if a lollipop could type?
    • What if a lollipop was really small?
    • What if a lollipop was really big?
    • What if a lollipop ate other lollipops and candy?
    • What if a lollipop could laugh?
    • What if a lollipop could tell time?
    • What if a lollipop looked like humans? Or could turn into humans?
    • What if a lollipop had their own language to communicate that we don’t understand?
    • What if a lollipop could exercise and eat well?
    • What if a lollipop came to the Halloween parade at CHA?
    • What if a lollipop had their own schools and cities and houses?
    • What is lollipops had cell phones?
    • What if you got lollipops instead of tickets at Chuck-y-Cheese?
    • What if a lollipop was very, very smart?
    • What if a lollipop could drive cars or airplanes?
    • What if lollipops actually came from another planet – Tyrra (from Stanley In Space)
    • What if a lollipop formed a ballet troop but one lollipop did Gangnam style?
    • What if humans could turn into lollipops?
    • What if the Sun was just a giant lollipop of the universe?
    • What if there was a great lollipop detective (like Nate the great)?
    • What if there was a trick lollipop that went boo when you bit into it?
    • What is a lollipop got auctioned at the creative writing class – what would you bid?

    - Amar

    ReplyDelete
  2. Once upon a time there was a planet called Candy World where lots of candy lived happily. Their president was a tall, thin man with a big, smart head – the Lollipop. One time, during Halloween, humans needed more candy for trick-or-treaters so they attacked Candy World and tried to take some candy. There was a big war between the two worlds. The president saw the war on TV and said ‘Oh no’, ‘I have to help my world.’ He went to the basement to get his magic wand. The magic wand was given to him by a fairy for saving her life. It had the power to make the other person do whatever he wanted. He took his magic wand to the war and used it on the humans. ‘You will obey us’, he said. ‘You have to go back to earth and never come back here again.’ It worked. The humans left and Candy World lived happily ever after thanks to their Lollipop president.

    - Amar

    ReplyDelete
  3. What if Wreck - it - Ralph ate lollipops?

    By Ethan B

    ReplyDelete
  4. What if a lollipop ate itself?

    By Celeste B

    ReplyDelete
  5. what if a loly pop had hands?

    what if a loly pop had feet? by Evan

    ReplyDelete