Mr. Spencer s Stretchy Catchy Idea by Mary Evelyn McCurdy

Transcription

1 Mr. Spencer s Stretchy Catchy Idea by Mary Evelyn McCurdy Rubber trees thrive in hot, damp regions near the Equator. When a tree s bark is cut, a milky white sap called latex runs out. People living in the Amazon region of South America began collecting latex thousands of years ago. They mixed the sap with juices from morning glory vines to create durable balls, jewelry, clothing, and footwear. When Spanish explorers visited South America in the 1500s, they were amazed by this versatile substance. It came to be known as rubber in 1770 when a British chemist discovered that it could be used to rub pencil marks off of paper. Over the years, people continued to come up with new ways to use rubber. Some of the ideas were stretchy, and many of them turned out to be quite catchy. On March 17, 1845, Stephen Perry applied for a patent on rubber bands. Perry was working for a rubber manufacturing company in Harvesting Rubber London, England, at the time. At first, rubber bands were used primarily in factories and warehouses. In 1923, William Spencer from Alliance, Ohio, had the idea to use rubber bands to keep the pages of his newspaper from being blown across his yard. Mr. Spencer began making rubber bands out of rubber scraps he acquired from the local tire manufacturing company, Goodyear Rubber. The local newspaper liked Mr. Spencer s idea and bought rubber bands from him.

2 Mr. Spencer also sold his rubber bands to stores in and around Alliance. He soon opened a rubber band factory right in his home town. In 1944, Mr. Spencer moved his business to Hot Springs, Arkansas. Today the Alliance Rubber Company is the world leader in rubber band production, but they don t make just one type of rubber band. They produce over 2,000 different products, such as thick bands that hold produce together in grocery stores, exercise bands, printed wristbands, and enormous bands that stretch to sixteen feet around. The Alliance Rubber Company, now managed by William Spencer s children and grandchildren, produces over fourteen million pounds of rubber bands each year! Table Talk Use these ideas to start some fun conversations around the dinner table. 1. How many ways can you think of to use a rubber band? 2. How many things can you name that are made of rubber? 3. Has anyone in your family started a business? Talk about it. If not, imagine what kind of business your family might like to start together.

3 The Romance of Rubber Edited by John Martin This excerpt is taken from a pamphlet published for children in 1922 by the United States Rubber Company. It describes the rubber industry and common uses of rubber at that time, which was the year before Mr. Spencer brought rubber bands into everyday household use. It would be an adventure to follow a bale of plantation rubber as, carefully boxed or wrapped in burlap, it starts on its long and picturesque journey. Bullock carts, railroads, boats and steamers bring it at last to one of the world markets, Singapore, Colombo, London, Amsterdam or New York, where it is bought by dealers, and then sold to factories which make rubber goods. An equally fascinating story might be told of its progress through the factory, how it is kneaded and rolled, mixed with chemicals, rubbed into fabrics, baked in ovens, and finally emerges as any one of the tens of thousands of articles that are made wholly or partly from rubber.... Harvesting Rubber in Indonesia, c In spite of the wonders which rubber has already accomplished, and the adventures, which have colored its history, only the beginning of the romance of rubber has been told. The plantation industry is still in its infancy, and experiments are constantly being made to determine the best methods of planting, the most fruitful number of trees to the acre, the most advantageous way of tapping. In the laboratories of the great rubber manufacturers, scientists are at work improving old methods of using rubber and devising new ones. Rubber is a substance of so many important characteristics that its uses are countless. It is used for certain purposes because it stretches, for others because it is airtight and watertight, for others because it is a non-conductor of electricity, for others because it is shock-absorbing, and for others because it is adhesive. It is on rubber that infants cut their teeth; after all the teeth are gone old age makes use of rubber in plates for false teeth. Ten million motorists and other millions of cyclists in the United States ride on rubber tires that are durable, noiseless and airtight. Balloons of rubber float aloft, and huge submarines plow their routes beneath the ocean s surface propelled by electricity stored in great rubber cells. Sheathed in rubber, the lightning makes a peaceful way through our homes, offices and factories, furnishing light and telephone service. Divers sink out of sight beneath the waves in rubber suits. Rubber air-brake hose on railroad trains makes safe the travel of a nation, air-drill hose rivets our ships, fire hose protects the property in city and town and garden hose brings nourishment to our growing plants. Rubber clothing protects against storm and rubber footwear guards us against cold and wet. Tennis balls and golf balls and rubber-cored baseballs give healthful sport to the millions. In hospitals and medical work the uses of rubber are without number.... Even as you read this, rubber may be in the act of performing some new magic, some fresh service to mankind. And who knows which one of us will, in the years to come, write a chapter in the story of rubber more thrilling than we are able to imagine today! Credits: rubber trees by goosmurf (Flickr, CC BY SA 2.0, rubber tree by skinofstars (Flickr, CC BY SA 2.0, creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/); rubber bands by Robert Benner Sr. (Flickr, CC BY SA 2.0, harvesting in Indonesia (Library of Congress)

4 Rubber Band Geometric Board by Bethany Poore You need: A few quick steps to unlimited fun with rubber bands! (Don t tell anyone, but it s educational.) WOOD Find or purchase a scrap piece of wood. The size is up to you. See what you can find in your garage or Grandpa s workshop! NAILS Use thin nails that can be nailed securely into the wood, but stick out only about 1/2 an inch. RUBBER BANDS Buy a bag of rubber bands a variety pack with different sizes and colors is best. Step 1: Sand off any rough edges on your piece of wood. Step 2: On the top side of the wood, measure a grid with a ruler and pencil to determine where the nails should be placed. Begin your grid about 1 inch from the outside edge. We recommend making a grid of 1 to 1 1/2 inch squares. Mark the points where your nails should be placed with a pencil. Step 3: Using a hammer, gently hammer in the nails on the points you marked. Make sure that no nail points are sticking out on the underside of the wood! Step 4: Ready to play! Use your geometric board for: This project requires adult supervision! Please ensure the safety of your children using tools and sharp objects. And please watch out for accidental flying rubber bands!

5 A Rubber Band Can: Find the bold words in the word search puzzle. The words are forward, backward, horizontal, vertical, and diagonal. keep a newspaper neatly rolled hold together a bunch of broccoli stems in the store keep your hair in a ponytail hold the lid on shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child keep a poster rolled up hold together a bouquet of flowers to buy at the grocery store keep mail sorted be loomed together to make a crafty bracelet keep an open bag of chips from getting stale be part of a rubber band ball that can also erase pencil! help open a tight lid on a jar keep the lid of a Crock Pot from flying off in transport be a trendy bracelet to support a good cause keep a roll of ribbon from unrolling shoot across the room!