Paired Texts > How an 11-Year-Old Boy Invented the Popsicle

by Shelby Pope for NPR

2015

We've identified these texts as great options for text pairings based on similar themes, literary devices, topic, or writing style. Supplement your lesson with one or more of these options and challenge students to compare and contrast the texts. To assign a paired text, click on the text to go to its page and click the "Assign Text" button there.

9th Grade Interview 940L
Young Innovators: Detecting Land Mines
  • Robert Siegel
  • 2011

In this interview, a 17-year-old girl discusses her invention of a device that detects land mines using sound.

Pair “Young innovators: Detecting Land Mines” with “How an 11-Year-Old Boy Invented the Popsicle” and have students discuss the similar themes of the two texts. Consider how these inventors were able to achieve success at such a young age. What contributed to this?

6th Grade Informational Text 950L
A Kenyan Teen’s Discovery: Let There Be Lights To Save Lions
  • Nina Gregory
  • 2013

In “A Kenyan Teen’s Discovery: Let There Be Lights To Save Lions,” Richard Turere explains his solution to an animal conservation crisis.

Pair “How an 11-Year-Old Boy Invented the Popsicle” with “A Kenyan Teen’s Discovery: Let There Be Lights To Save Lions” and ask students to think about how Richard Turere and Frank Epperson each came to their discoveries. Teachers can also ask students to think about the advice that Epperson would give to a young inventor like Turere.