Image of slices of bread with peanut butter and jelly on them
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Paired Texts,

The History of PB&J

How peanut butter and jelly made their way into our kitchens—and joined to become a favorite sandwich

By Talia Cowen
From the September 2025 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will compare and contrast how peanut butter and jelly became popular foods.

Complexity Factors
  • Purpose
    “The History of PB&J” explores the histories of peanut butter and jelly and how the two foods became popular.
  • Structure
    “The History of PB&J” includes two articles, “Peanut Butter Passion” and “Jelly’s Juicy Story.” Both articles have a chronological structure to tell the history of each food.
  • Language
    The texts include descriptive language, rhetorical questions, and challenging general academic vocabulary, mostly related to food and its production.
  • Knowledge Demands
    No prior knowledge is necessary. Michigan, New York, Boston, Mexico, South America, the Middle East, the Caribbean, the Aztecs, ancient Romans, Thomas Edison, Amelia Earhart, King Louis XIV, World War I, World War II, Kellogg’s, Peter Pan, Skippy, Jif, Welch’s, and Smucker’s are mentioned.
Lexile: 800L-900L, 900L-1000L
Featured Skill: Compare and Contrast,
Other Key Skills: vocabulary, text features, connecting texts, informational writing
Topics: History,
Standards
  • Common Core
    Anchor Standards: R.1, R.3, R.7, R.9, W.2, L.6 Grade 4: RI.4.1, RI.4.3, RI.4.7, RI.4.9, W.4.2, L.4.6 Grade 5: RI.5.1, RI.5.3, RI.5.7, RI.5.9, W.5.2, L.5.6 Grade 6: RI.6.1, RI.6.3, RI.6.7, RI.6.9, W.6.2, L.6.6
  • TEKS
    Grade 4: 4.3a, b; 4.6; 4.7; 4.9d; 4.10b, c; 4.12b Grade 5: 5.3a, b; 5.6; 5.7; 5.9d; 5.10b, c; 5.12b Grade 6: 6.2a, b; 6.5; 6.6; 6.8d; 6.9b, c; 6.11b
  • NCSS
    1. Culture 2. Time, continuity, and change 3. People, places, and environment 5. Individuals, groups, and institutions 7. Production, distribution, and consumption 8. Science, technology, and society

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Lexile® measure

  • Reading Level (900L-1000L)
  • Reading Level (800L-900L)
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Reading Level (800L-900L)

Want to hear this story read aloud by the writer? Find the audio read-aloud in your Resources tab. 

Want to hear this story read aloud by the writer? Find the audio read-aloud in your Resources tab. 

Want to hear this story read aloud by the writer? Click here!

Want to hear this story read aloud by the writer? Click here!

UP CLOSE: Compare and Contrast

As you read, think about how the histories of peanut butter and jelly are similar and different. 

Peanut Butter Passion

The tasty true story behind this nutty spread

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It was the early 1900s in southern Michigan. Tucked in the woods was a fancy new health spa for wealthy Americans. Some received special medical treatments for illnesses. Others simply wanted to escape city life for the fresh air—and maybe even catch a glimpse of the spa’s famous visitors, like inventor Thomas Edison and pilot Amelia Earhart.

The spa was run by a doctor named John Harvey Kellogg. As part of his treatments, Kellogg insisted his patients eat healthy foods, like soy milk and cereal. (You may recognize his name—he helped start a famous food company, Kellogg’s.) And for patients with trouble chewing, Kellogg suggested a sticky substance few at the time had heard of: peanut butter.

Kellogg had been looking to invent a healthy, easy food to serve patients. But in doing so, he kicked off a peanut butter craze that swept the nation.

It was the early 1900s in southern Michigan. A fancy new health spa for rich Americans had opened. Some went there to get special medical treatments for illnesses. Others simply wanted to escape city life and enjoy the fresh air. Maybe they’d even see one of the spa’s famous visitors, like inventor Thomas Edison and pilot Amelia Earhart.

The spa was run by a doctor named John Harvey Kellogg. As part of his treatments, Kellogg wanted his patients to eat healthy foods, like soy milk and cereal. (You may recognize his name. He helped start a famous food company, Kellogg’s.) And for patients with trouble chewing, Kellogg suggested a sticky food that few people had heard of. That food was peanut butter.

Kellogg had wanted to invent a healthy, easy food to serve patients. But in doing so, he started a peanut butter craze that spread across the U.S.

Delicious Paste

Delicious Paste

Shutterstock.com

A handful of peanuts has as much protein as a large meatball.

Kellogg was not the first person to create peanut butter. Hundreds of years before, the Aztec in Mexico and the Inca in South America mashed roasted peanuts into a delicious paste. 

But the treat had been mostly forgotten until Kellogg introduced it to his wealthy patients in the early 1900s. The food soon became a favorite of the country’s elite. In cities like New York and Boston, it was a delicacy slathered on bread or crackers in fancy tearooms. Some chefs mixed it with mayonnaise, cheese, or even pickles. 

Around this time, a Black scientist and inventor named George Washington Carver was encouraging Black farmers across the South to grow more peanuts. Peanut plants, he explained, are good for the soil and can be used in many different ways. To help prove his point, Carver developed hundreds of peanut products—from peanut sausage and coffee to hand lotion and glue.

Thanks to Carver, more and more peanuts were soon grown in the U.S.—which helped peanut butter become more affordable. Americans purchased it from the grocery store in glass bottles and metal tins, or simply mashed their own at home with a meat grinder. But the country’s appetite for peanut butter was just beginning.

Kellogg was not the first person to create peanut butter. Hundreds of years before, the Aztec in Mexico and the Inca in South America were making it. They mashed roasted peanuts into a delicious paste.

But the treat had been mostly forgotten until Kellogg introduced it to his rich patients in the early 1900s. The food soon became a favorite of the country’s elite. In cities like New York and Boston, it was a delicacy. It was eaten on bread or crackers in fancy tearooms. Some cooks mixed it with mayonnaise, cheese, or even pickles.

Around this time, a Black scientist and inventor named George Washington Carver was encouraging Black farmers across the South to grow more peanuts. Peanut plants are good for the soil, he explained. Plus they can be used in many different ways. To help prove his point, Carver developed hundreds of peanut products. His products included peanut sausage, coffee, hand lotion, and glue.

Thanks to Carver, more peanuts were soon grown in the U.S. This helped peanut butter become more affordable. Americans bought it from the grocery store in glass bottles and metal tins. Or they simply mashed their own at home. But the country’s appetite for peanut butter was just beginning.

Stocktrek Images, Inc./Alamy Stock Photo

U.S. soldiers fighting in World Wars I and II loved the peanut butter spread found in their rations. A U.S. soldier (above) snacks in the battlefield around 1942.

Meatless Tuesdays

Meatless Tuesdays

Mayor LaGuardia Collection, NYC Municipal Archives 

Back home, posters like the one above encouraged Americans to eat less meat—and more peanut butter. 

Starting in 1917 and then again in 1941, the U.S. fought in two of the biggest wars in history: World War I and World War II. During this time, the government asked Americans to cut back on many foods, including meat, so there would be enough for soldiers fighting abroad. Bold posters encouraged people to try out “meatless Tuesdays.” 

One suggested meat replacement? Peanut butter, of course! Peanuts are naturally high in a key nutrient found in meat: protein.

Peanut butter also became popular with soldiers fighting overseas, who found it in their rations. (Some would even combine it with two other ingredients in their meal packs—bread and grape jam—to make sandwiches.) By the time the wars were over, many Americans had a passion for peanut butter. 

Starting in 1917 and then again in 1941, the U.S. fought in two of the biggest wars in history. These were World War I and World War II. During these times, the government asked Americans to cut back on many foods so there would be enough for soldiers. Meat was one of these foods. Posters encouraged people to try out “meatless Tuesdays.”

One food that was suggested to replace meat was  . . . peanut butter, of course! Peanuts are naturally high in protein. And protein is a key nutrient found in meat.

Peanut butter also became popular with soldiers fighting overseas. It was included in their rations. (Some soldiers would make sandwiches by combining peanut butter with the bread and grape jam in their meal packs.) By the time the wars were over, many Americans had a passion for peanut butter.

Sticky Treat

Sticky Treat

Over the decades, peanut butter production became more high-tech. Scientists tinkered with the recipe to create a creamier peanut butter that stayed fresh longer. They added sugar to make peanut butter even more irresistible. Companies such as Peter Pan, Skippy, and Jif started churning out millions of jars of the sticky treat. 

But there’s a dark side to the rise of peanut butter. Recently, more people have developed allergies to peanuts. Between 1997 and 2008, the rate of peanut allergies in America tripled, for reasons scientists are still working to understand. To keep their students safe, many schools have strict rules about peanuts or ban them altogether.

Still, the average American eats 4 pounds of peanut butter a year. And 90 percent of U.S. households have a jar in their pantries. It seems like this national favorite will be sticking around for many years to come. 

Over the decades, peanut butter production became more high-tech. Scientists worked on the recipe to create a creamier peanut butter that stayed fresh longer. They added sugar to make peanut butter even more irresistible. Companies such as Peter Pan, Skippy, and Jif started making millions of jars of the sticky treat.

But there’s a dark side to the rise of peanut butter. Recently, more people have developed allergies to peanuts. Between 1997 and 2008, the rate of peanut allergies in America tripled. Scientists are still working to understand why. To keep their students safe, many schools have rules about peanuts. Some schools even ban them.

Still, the average American eats 4 pounds of peanut butter a year. And 90 percent of U.S. households have a jar in their kitchens. It seems like this national favorite will be sticking around for many years to come. 

Jelly’s Juicy Story

How a king’s treat got into your local supermarket

Shutterstock.com

Delicate dishes gleam under crystal chandeliers. Servers bring out course after course: steaming soups, roasted birds, fresh salads topped with gold flakes. 

In the 1600s, there was nowhere on Earth you could eat a meal so grand—other than at the palace of the French king Louis XIV. And he dined like this every night! 

As the meal winds down with dessert (buttery pastries! chocolate sculptures!), the king has one final dish up his sleeve. It’s brought into the dining room in sparkling bowls. 

A colorful, shining goo is doled out on silver spoons. What is it? It’d take just one taste for you to recognize this treat. It’s fruit jam (similar to fruit jelly)!

But how did this sweet treat make its way from a French king’s dining room to the aisles of your local supermarket?

Delicate dishes shine. Servers bring out plate after plate. There are steaming soups, roasted birds, and fresh salads topped with gold flakes.

In the 1600s, the palace of the French king Louis XIV was the only place you could eat a meal so amazing. And he dined like this every night!

The meal comes to an end with buttery pastries and chocolate sculptures. But the king has one final dish to show off. It’s brought into the dining room in sparkling bowls.

A colorful goo is served on silver spoons. What is it? You would need only one taste to recognize this treat. It’s fruit jam (similar to fruit jelly)!

But how did this sweet treat make its way from a king’s dining room to your local supermarket?

Early Jam

Early Jam

Shutterstock.com

Most sugar comes from a plant called sugarcane. For much of human history, sugar was a pricey food eaten primarily by wealthy people.

The earliest jams were likely made thousands of years before Louis XIV. Ancient peoples realized that adding sweeteners to fresh fruits keeps them from spoiling quickly. Making jam became a way to store extra fruit for the colder months. 

The first recipe for jam was written around the year 300 by the ancient Romans, who preserved fruits using honey. A few centuries later, cooks in the Middle East pioneered the use of sugar to make jams. There, royals draped in colorful silks were delighted by fruits served in a sweet syrup with spices.

But for centuries, sugar was an expensive luxury. Pricey jams were mainly enjoyed by rulers and other wealthy people.

That began to change in the 1600s. At the time, more and more sugarcane—the plant sugar comes from—was being grown in South America and the Caribbean. This caused sugar prices to go down, which in turn made jam more affordable. Soon even ordinary people could enjoy spoonfuls of jam.

The earliest jams were likely made thousands of years before Louis XIV. Ancient peoples realized that adding sweeteners to fresh fruits stopped them from spoiling quickly. Making jam became a way to store extra fruit for the colder months.

The first recipe for jam was written around the year 300 by the ancient Romans. The Romans preserved fruits using honey. A few centuries later, cooks in the Middle East pioneered using sugar to make jams. There, royals ate fruits served in a sweet syrup with spices.

But for centuries, sugar was a costly luxury. Pricey jams were mainly enjoyed by rulers and other wealthy people.

That began to change in the 1600s. At the time, more and more sugarcane was being grown in South America and the Caribbean. (Sugarcane is the plant sugar comes from.) This caused sugar prices to go down. And this made jam more affordable. Soon even ordinary people could enjoy spoonfuls of jam.

Camerique/Alamy Stock Photo (kids); Shutterstock.com (bread)

PB&J: Brought Together With Bread

The invention of presliced bread in 1928 meant that anyone—including kids—could easily and quickly make a sandwich. After peanut butter and jelly took off in the 1950s, the PB&J sandwich soon became a go-to meal for busy Americans, for everything from school lunches to camping trips.

 

Girls munching on PB&J sandwiches in 1956 (above)

 

A survey found that the average American kid will eat 1,500 PB&J sandwiches by the time they graduate high school.

Perfect Timing

Perfect Timing

It would take an American named Paul Welch to jump-start jam’s story on this side of the ocean.

In the late 1890s, Welch’s family started a company that made juice using a local grape. Paul Welch worked for his family’s company in the early 1900s, and he experimented with cooking these grapes with sugar. A jam called “Grapelade” was born.

The timing couldn’t have been more perfect: The U.S. was fighting in World War I, and the Army was looking for something sweet for soldiers to eat. After the U.S. entered the war in 1917, the Army snatched up all the Grapelade Welch had made and shipped it to the battlefields. A few years later, Welch’s introduced a grape jelly. (Unlike jam, jelly is made from fruit juice, not fruit pieces.) 

Welch’s jelly was included in soldiers’ rations during World War II in the 1940s. When soldiers returned home after each war, they requested the sweet spread—and likely shared a taste with friends and family. More and more Americans started developing a love of jam and jelly.

It would take an American named Paul Welch to start jam’s story in this country.

In the late 1890s, Welch’s family started a company that made juice using a local grape. Paul Welch worked for his family’s company in the early 1900s. He experimented with cooking these grapes with sugar. He created a jam called “Grapelade.”

The timing was perfect. 

The U.S. was fighting in World War I. And the Army was looking for something sweet for soldiers to eat. After the U.S. entered the war in 1917, the Army bought all the Grapelade Welch had made. It was sent to the battlefields. A few years later, Welch’s created a grape jelly. (Unlike jam, jelly is made from fruit juice, not fruit pieces.)

Welch’s jelly was included in soldiers’ rations during World War II in the 1940s. When soldiers returned home after each war, they asked for the sweet spread. They likely shared a taste with friends and family. More and more Americans started developing a love of jam and jelly.

All Kinds of Flavors

All Kinds of Flavors

By the 1950s, scientists had invented machines that used heat to safely produce large amounts of jam and jelly. What’s more, these spreads tasted better and lasted longer. Soon, all kinds of jam and jelly from Welch’s—and other brands like Smucker’s—lined the shelves of the nation’s supermarkets: peach, blueberry, raspberry, and more!

Today about 85 percent of people in the U.S. say they eat jam or jelly. And although slurping it off a silver spoon like a French king sounds tasty, most Americans prefer to consume the treat on bread with peanut butter in a classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Yum! 

By the 1950s, scientists had invented machines that used heat to safely make large amounts of jam and jelly. What’s more, these spreads tasted better and lasted longer. Soon, all kinds of jam and jelly from Welch’s (and other brands like Smucker’s) were on the shelves of the nation’s supermarkets. There was peach, blueberry, raspberry, and more!

Today about 85 percent of people in the U.S. say they eat jam or jelly. Eating it off a silver spoon like a French king sounds tasty. But most Americans prefer to consume the treat on bread with peanut butter in a classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Yum!

What’s the Connection?

Write three paragraphs to explain how the histories of peanut butter and jelly are similar and different. In the first paragraph, explain how peanut butter became popular. In the second, explain how jelly became popular. In the third, compare and contrast their histories.

What’s the Connection?

Write three paragraphs to explain how the histories of peanut butter and jelly are similar and different. In the first paragraph, explain how peanut butter became popular. In the second, explain how jelly became popular. In the third, compare and contrast their histories.

This article was originally published in the September 2025 issue.

This article was originally published in the September 2025 issue.

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1. Preparing to Read

Preview Text Features, Introduce Vocabulary, Set a Purpose for Reading

Tell your students they are going to read about peanut butter and jelly. Ask them to make a prediction: Why do they think each food was first created?

Have students preview the text features of each article, then ask them whether they would change their predictions.

Show the Vocabulary Slideshow to preview challenging terms. Reinforce word knowledge with the game Know the Words or the Vocabulary Skill Builder. Highlighted terms: appetite, consume, craze, delicacy, elite, irresistible, luxury, pioneered, preserved, rations.

Invite a student to read aloud the Up Close box on page 17 for the class.

Tell your students they are going to read about peanut butter and jelly. Ask them to make a prediction: Why do they think each food was first created?

Have students preview the text features of each article, then ask them whether they would change their predictions.

Show the Vocabulary Slideshow to preview challenging terms. Reinforce word knowledge with the game Know the Words or the Vocabulary Skill Builder. Highlighted terms: appetite, consume, craze, delicacy, elite, irresistible, luxury, pioneered, preserved, rations.

Invite a student to read aloud the Up Close box on page 17 for the class.

2. Reading and Discussing

Click here for great ideas for reading as a whole class, in small groups, or independently! Students can also listen to our Audio Read-Aloud with author Talia Cowen.

Click here for great ideas for reading as a whole class, in small groups, or independently! Students can also listen to our Audio Read-Aloud with author Talia Cowen.

Close-Reading Questions

“Peanut Butter Passion”

1. Why did peanut butter become popular among rich Americans in the 1900s? (key details) Some wealthy Americans who stayed at Dr. Kellogg’s spa in Michigan were served peanut butter. When they went home, they likely shared it with their friends and family. Growing interest in the food probably helped it become popular among other wealthy people in places like New York City and Boston.

2. How did scientist George Washington Carver help to make peanuts more affordable in the United States? (cause and effect) George Washington Carver encouraged Black farmers in the South to grow peanuts because peanut plants are good for the soil and can be used in many different ways. As a result, more peanuts were grown in the U.S. This made peanut butter more affordable and more popular.

3. How do the pictures and captions on page 19 give us more information about the section “Meatless Tuesdays”? (text features) “Meatless Tuesdays” explains that the U.S. government encouraged citizens at home to eat peanut butter instead of meat on Tuesdays to help save food for soldiers fighting abroad. We also learn that soldiers fighting in World War I and World War II received peanut butter in their food rations. The pictures deepen our understanding by showing a soldier pausing for a snack and a poster encouraging people to observe “meatless Tuesdays.” The caption explains further that the government used such posters to encourage Americans to eat less meat. 

4. What makes the peanut butter available today different from peanut butter eaten in the early 1900s? (compare and contrast) The peanut butter we eat today is sweeter and creamier. In the early 1900s, peanut butter was chunkier and didn’t have sugar.

5. What problem has been created by peanuts and how is it being solved? (problem and solution) Between 1997 and 2008, peanut allergies in the United States have tripled. Many schools have strict rules about nuts to keep kids safe.


“Jelly’s Juicy Story”

6. Read the opening section of the article. How does author Talia Cowen show us that fruit jam was a fancy treat? (author’s craft) Cowen describes a dinner at French king Louis XIV’s palace. In this scene, there are crystal chandeliers, gold-flaked foods, and dessert sculptures. The king saves the jam for last, which shows us that it is an extra-special treat.

7. Explain how—and why—ancient peoples made fruit jam. (key details) Ancient peoples made fruit jam by adding sweeteners, like honey and sugar, to fresh fruit. They did this to keep fruit from spoiling as quickly. 

8. Why did jam become less expensive in the 1600s? (cause and effect) Jam became less expensive in the 1600s because more sugarcane was being planted in South America and the Caribbean. This caused the price of sugar to go down, and the price of jam too, as a result.

9. Why did soldiers eat Paul Welch’s Grapelade during World I? (key idea) Around the time when Paul Welch first made Grapelade, the U.S. government bought all of it in order to include a sweet treat in soldiers’ rations

10. How did scientists make jam and jelly safer to eat in the 1950s? (key detail) They invented machines that used heat to safely make large quantities of jam and jelly that lasted longer.

“Peanut Butter Passion”

1. Why did peanut butter become popular among rich Americans in the 1900s? (key details) Some wealthy Americans who stayed at Dr. Kellogg’s spa in Michigan were served peanut butter. When they went home, they likely shared it with their friends and family. Growing interest in the food probably helped it become popular among other wealthy people in places like New York City and Boston.

2. How did scientist George Washington Carver help to make peanuts more affordable in the United States? (cause and effect) George Washington Carver encouraged Black farmers in the South to grow peanuts because peanut plants are good for the soil and can be used in many different ways. As a result, more peanuts were grown in the U.S. This made peanut butter more affordable and more popular.

3. How do the pictures and captions on page 19 give us more information about the section “Meatless Tuesdays”? (text features) “Meatless Tuesdays” explains that the U.S. government encouraged citizens at home to eat peanut butter instead of meat on Tuesdays to help save food for soldiers fighting abroad. We also learn that soldiers fighting in World War I and World War II received peanut butter in their food rations. The pictures deepen our understanding by showing a soldier pausing for a snack and a poster encouraging people to observe “meatless Tuesdays.” The caption explains further that the government used such posters to encourage Americans to eat less meat. 

4. What makes the peanut butter available today different from peanut butter eaten in the early 1900s? (compare and contrast) The peanut butter we eat today is sweeter and creamier. In the early 1900s, peanut butter was chunkier and didn’t have sugar.

5. What problem has been created by peanuts and how is it being solved? (problem and solution) Between 1997 and 2008, peanut allergies in the United States have tripled. Many schools have strict rules about nuts to keep kids safe.


“Jelly’s Juicy Story”

6. Read the opening section of the article. How does author Talia Cowen show us that fruit jam was a fancy treat? (author’s craft) Cowen describes a dinner at French king Louis XIV’s palace. In this scene, there are crystal chandeliers, gold-flaked foods, and dessert sculptures. The king saves the jam for last, which shows us that it is an extra-special treat.

7. Explain how—and why—ancient peoples made fruit jam. (key details) Ancient peoples made fruit jam by adding sweeteners, like honey and sugar, to fresh fruit. They did this to keep fruit from spoiling as quickly. 

8. Why did jam become less expensive in the 1600s? (cause and effect) Jam became less expensive in the 1600s because more sugarcane was being planted in South America and the Caribbean. This caused the price of sugar to go down, and the price of jam too, as a result.

9. Why did soldiers eat Paul Welch’s Grapelade during World I? (key idea) Around the time when Paul Welch first made Grapelade, the U.S. government bought all of it in order to include a sweet treat in soldiers’ rations

10. How did scientists make jam and jelly safer to eat in the 1950s? (key detail) They invented machines that used heat to safely make large quantities of jam and jelly that lasted longer.

Critical-Thinking Questions

11. Look at the art and images in both articles. Why are they an important part of each text? (connecting texts, text features) The art and images are an important part of each text because they get us interested in reading and provide more information. For example, each article’s title is playful. The titles look like they are part of peanut butter and jelly jar labels. Each article looks like it is smeared with the food it is about. And on the opening page, we see an interesting pattern of sliced bread with peanut butter and jelly. The images in each article are important because they show us the ingredients that each food is made of and historical photos of people eating them.

12. How are the histories of peanut butter and jelly similar and different? (compare and contrast) The histories of peanut butter and jelly are similar because early on they were both considered fancy treats that only the wealthy could afford to enjoy. Peanut butter and jelly both became more affordable when the plants used to make them—peanuts and sugarcane—became more plentiful. Both foods were included in American soldiers' rations during World War I and World War II. And finally, the ways in which both foods were made changed when scientists created new machines to produce large amounts of the foods at once. The histories of each food are different because peanut butter was served to sick patients during the 1900s and became more popular when the scientist George Washington Carver encouraged Black farmers in the American South to plant peanuts. On the other hand, jelly became popular because more sugarcane was grown in South America and the Caribbean. And unfortunately, many people have become allergic to peanut butter in recent years. This hasn’t been the case with jelly.

11. Look at the art and images in both articles. Why are they an important part of each text? (connecting texts, text features) The art and images are an important part of each text because they get us interested in reading and provide more information. For example, each article’s title is playful. The titles look like they are part of peanut butter and jelly jar labels. Each article looks like it is smeared with the food it is about. And on the opening page, we see an interesting pattern of sliced bread with peanut butter and jelly. The images in each article are important because they show us the ingredients that each food is made of and historical photos of people eating them.

12. How are the histories of peanut butter and jelly similar and different? (compare and contrast) The histories of peanut butter and jelly are similar because early on they were both considered fancy treats that only the wealthy could afford to enjoy. Peanut butter and jelly both became more affordable when the plants used to make them—peanuts and sugarcane—became more plentiful. Both foods were included in American soldiers' rations during World War I and World War II. And finally, the ways in which both foods were made changed when scientists created new machines to produce large amounts of the foods at once. The histories of each food are different because peanut butter was served to sick patients during the 1900s and became more popular when the scientist George Washington Carver encouraged Black farmers in the American South to plant peanuts. On the other hand, jelly became popular because more sugarcane was grown in South America and the Caribbean. And unfortunately, many people have become allergic to peanut butter in recent years. This hasn’t been the case with jelly

3. Skill Building and Writing

Featured Skill: Compare and Contrast

Distribute the Compare and Contrast Skill Builder (available on two levels), which will guide students to respond to the writing prompt on page 21.

Distribute the Compare and Contrast Skill Builder (available on two levels), which will guide students to respond to the writing prompt on page 21.

Differentiate and Customize
For Small-Group Intervention

Preview challenging vocabulary in small groups with our Vocabulary Slideshow. Then reinforce learning with our student-favorite Know the Words vocabulary game. 

For Advanced Readers

Ask students to pick a time period from one of the two articles. Then have them create a poster, advertisement, or diary entry from the point of view of someone living in that era, explaining why peanut butter or jelly is an important food. 

For Multilingual Learners

Invite students to talk about popular foods in their country of origin. Then have a discussion about what makes the foods delicious and special. Encourage them to use some of the vocabulary words they learned in this article to describe the foods. 

Can't-Miss Teaching Extras
Explore the Storyworks Archive

Take students on a journey to learn more food histories with our paired texts “How Pizza Conquered America”/“Sushi Takes Over,” “Nugget Nation”/“Mac and Cheese Mania,” and “Are These Chips Too Delicious?”/“Love at First Crunch.” 

Learn More About George Washington Carver

Visit this PBS website where you’ll find a video about Carver along with information and a lesson plan for teaching students about this amazing inventor and scientist.

Find Out How Peanut Butter Is Made

This fascinating 3-minute video from the Food Network goes through the steps of turning peanuts into the massive amounts of Skippy® peanut butter created daily. (Note: The video starts after a short ad.)

Text-to-Speech