Homework Thursday 71

The History of Play-Doh 

The management of Kroger grocery store had a meeting in 1933 with Cleo McVicker, a soap manufacturer, to ask him if he might be able to sell them a wallpaper cleaner. Back then, people heated their homes with coal, which left a sooty layer on wallpaper. Although Cleo had no idea how to make wallpaper cleaner, he needed money, so he and his brother Noah agreed to the deal. The wallpaper cleaner was successful until ten years later when coal was replaced by oil and gas furnaces. Sales decreased even further when vinyl wallpaper was invented which was cleaned with regular soap and water. When Cleo died in a plane crash in 1949, Noah’s nephew Joe was hired to work for the company. 

Play-Doh got its start when Joe’s sister in law, Kay Zufall, a nursery school teacher, wanted to find cheap materials for student-made Christmas decorations. While she was searching a magazine for ideas, she read that wallpaper cleaner could be used for art projects. Hoping to help her brother-in-law’s company, she bought lots of wallpaper cleaner. The children loved playing with it and making Christmas ornaments with it. Zufall called Joe right away and told him that this product should actually be marketed as a toy. Realizing it was a great idea, Joe removed the detergent from the dough, added an almond scent to it and also added coloring. since it was originally white.

When Joe wanted to re-name the product Kutol’s Rainbow Modeling Compound, Zufall persuaded not to. She eventually came up with the name Play-Doh. The company started by selling Play-Doh to schools and a few stores in Cincinnati. Without money to advertise the new toy, Joe asked Bob Keeshan, who was the host of a children’s show called Captain Kangaroo, to help. Keeshan promised to use the product on his show once a week and Joe agreed to give him 2% of all the sales generated.

1. Who was the most instrumental person in Play-Doh’s history?

• Joe McVicker

• Noah McVicker

• Bill Rhodenbaugh

• Kay Zufall

2. Make an inference. Why was the Captain Kangaroo Show a good place to advertise?

• It had a large audience of children.

• It was the only show available.

• It was inexpensive to advertise.

• It was a popular show among adults.

What does perplexed mean?

• burdened

• interested

• confused

What does isolated mean?

• populated

• forested

• lonely

What part of the passage tells you what isolated and perplexed means. Tell me from the text and annotate it if you can.

What inference can be made about

today’s passage?

• Something significant happened on the

  island.

• The lighthouse is no longer in use.

• The lighthouse is a popular landmark.

In which part of South America is Bolivia located?

• Central South America

• Northern South America

• Eastern South America

• Western South America

If you traveled west to the nearest coast, which ocean would you reach?

• Pacific Ocean

• Atlantic Ocean

• Indian Ocean

• Arctic Ocean

Canada is ___________________________ of Bolivia.

• the northern neighbor

• the southern neighbor

• the eastern neighbor

• the western neighbor

Which ocean is to the east of Bolivia?

• Atlantic Ocean

• Pacific Ocean

• Indian Ocean

• Arctic Ocean